The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-18

Zionistic movement. has in its turn lent q.
fresh impulse to the literary activity of
Hebrew scholars. There are in Russia and
in Austria hundreds of men and some wom-
en- who write in the language or Isaiah
with the same huency as they DO IN theif
mother tongue. ana some OF these nave
within the last decade been interchangeable
in turning out all sorts OF Zionistfc litera-
ture. Novels of modern life too, are writ
ten in what these enthusiasts consider an
immortal tongue of an immortal people,
and, whatever might be said Of their aver
age merit, since II is deemed legitimate to
write romanceS of the times of Joshua or
Isaiah in English or German, why not re-
pay the ancients by story or two OF the
life of to-day in the language OF Isaiah or
Amos? Moreover, some of the Hebrew fc-
ton is really good literature and deserves
to be translated into English.
There are some Zionist writer's ana WORK
ers who lay little or no stress upon the
gradual settlement of the Holy Land with
Jewish immigrants and the restoration OF
the wandering people TO agricultural pur-
suits. They dwell upon what they call the
historical mission of the Jewish race to
serve as the torch-bearers of a higher civ
iliZation. To this end, they say, 1t is neces-
sary that an independent Jewish state shall
be founded in Palestine, so that the chill
dren of Israel may work out their great
historical problem undisturbed, and Jeru-
salem may in process of time become the
intellectual and ethical center or the world.
This doctrine has been the source of con-
siderable enthusiasm among the Zionists.
The majority of them however, including
the Odessa leaders look upon the move
ment primarily as a philanthropic project,
calculated to better the economical and po-
l1tical condition of as many Russian Aus
trian or Rouranian Jews as possible by
rendering them self-supporting farmers IN
the promised land.
AS to DR. Herzls scheme 1t does not
seem to meet with unanimous approval
among the Zionists of Russia and Austria
Thus the two Hebrew organs of the move
ment oppose 1t as impracticable in itself
and as ruinous to the cause by reason of
the attention it takes away from the work
OF gradual colonization. the enthusiasts OF
the Jewish mission theory, on the other
hand, place little confidence in the move
ment led by DR.. Herzl. particularly in the
manner in which he proposes TO put his
They look forward to the rehabilitation of
the race as a natural outcome of the trou-
blesome Eastern question.
The Lionists are for the most part re-
cruited from the educated classes. The old
fashioned Jew regards the whole movement
with diStrust and SCOTS at the notion of
people who shave their boards and speak
Russian or German undertaking to rebuild
the temple which God alone can restore.
These people patiently await the advent OF
the Messiah, and in the meantime they look
upon Jerusalem ideal place for old
Jews to end their days in It is not an UNI
common occurrence for an old couple to sell
all they have in this world and to go to
the Holy Land to die. The many syna-
gogueS at Jerusalem give shelter to many
thousands of such immigrants. who are
supported from the Meyer the Wonder
Worker fund. which is keut UP by contri-
buttons from almost every Orthodox house.
hold in the world and is just now the
cause of trouble between two rival societies
in the United States The fund is not made
up of regular dues, but of occasional con-
tributions, made mostly upon the deliver
ance of the faithful from some danger,
sickness, or trouble. For this purpose a tin
box bearing the name of the Wonder Work
er is nailed by the door of every religious
family. The Orthodox masses have there
fore little faith in the Zionist movement,
which is led by men with liberal educa-
ton, such as DR.. Herzl of Vienna, and
I,ilianblllnn of Odessa