Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-11-16
ZIoNISM.
LECTURE BY DIR. COIN, OF oHEF
SHOLOM SYNAGOGUE.


LECTURE BY DIR. COIN, OF oHEF
sHoLoM SYNAGOGUE.
Following is a resume Of the lecture
delivered last Friday by DR.. S. R.
Cohn. at Ohef Sholom Synagogue:
rs zionism solution for the Jew
ish problem?"
The Zionist claims that the Jew has
been prosecuted throughout all ages,
and that this persecution will always
exist; that a return to Palestine and q
reorganization OF the Jewish state there
will stop this persecution.
Persecution Is not constant, 1t Is
growing less and less as civilization OBJ
tains among the nations of the earth.
would be unjust to God and fellow
men were to hold that man will al
ways persecute man; that hatred, mall
ice, envy and falsehood will always be
integral parts of the character of the
great mass of humanity. am optimis-
tic and am convinced that the day will
come when all men will answer the
Prophet Malachal In the affirmative:
"One God has created us ALL"
I am convinced that the day will
come when the Brotherhood of God
and the Brotherhood or Man. Will be-
come the whole moving force in our
lives. In this I am sustained by
glance over the large field Of history.
Anyone who has read the history of
the world with an open and impartial
mind must hold the opinion that per-
secution is constantly diminishing;
that the prejudice OF yesterday has
melted before the broader knowledge
of to-day. and 1t would be false to
humanity to say that this larger broth
nt.lIy n nj OLE a.
door OF the Jew. Persecution is grow
Ing less marked; hence from this point
OF view Zionsm Is unnecessary
But even considering that persecu-
ton Is constant, there are difficulties
which Zionism cannot overcome: list,
the external dihiculties-political in ma
ture; I'd, the internal difficulties
psychological in nature.
LIST. How are the Zionists to procure
Palestine in n peaceable manner? The
Sultan of Turkey has let it be known
that he will not part with an inch Of
his territory, nor will he legalize the
Jew.
I'd. The Zionist makes Jerusalem
neutral ground, because II Is sacred to
Christian and Mohammedan, as we'll
as the Jew. In other words Jerusalem
is not part of the new Jewish state,
and such a Jewish state in Palestine
would be like Hamlet without the
Prince OF Denmark" The Jewish mind
has never cared farthing for Pales-
tine without the holy city. Zion meant
Jerusalem, not Palestine.
I'd. What laws are to be used in the
resurrected state? Certainly the laws
laid down in the Bible and Talmud
This would mean a return sacrifice.
VIII the Zionist stand for this?
4th. The Zionist does not expect ell
In To Doll
will the Jews still outside of Palestine
be protected from renewed persecu-
ton? VIII they not then be open to
the charge which the anti-Semites
make. viz: that the Jew is an alien, a
foreigner, member OF a stiange re-
ligion. race and nation? This is Just
what Zionism Is doing in Europe. It
has played right into the hands OF the
enemies Of the Jews. 1t has added to
the "Judeusmertz."
And there are the internal or psy-
Geological difficulties.
What phase of Judaism Is to be
adopted by the state? Not the spiritual
Judaism of Isaiah and the Prophets. as
believed by the reformrJew to-day.
1t lies then between the three great
phases OF Judaism: ID That of the
Palestinan Jew of to-day. (2) That of
the Sepharadim or Portuguese Jew. (3)
VI Tic ttShlittZlIl OF european
Jew. All these Jews, while holding to
the same fundamental conceptions.
differ among themselves in forms and
rituals. The controversy that would
arise over these forms and rituals
would split the new state. An illustra-
ton of this fact is found close at
home. I refer to the wearing of hats In
the synagogue. There are some who be-
lieve that you are not Jew IL you
take off your hat in the synagogue. I
ask this question: What great assimi-
lative force is there in this new Jewish
state to crush out all these various
customs and give the Jew q religion
with uniform ceremonials? There Is
none at all. and the Zionist stands be-
wildered before the problem He dare
not touch 1t, so he says his whole object
Is to form n commercial and agricultu-
raj community.
A careful perusal of these difficulties
will prove how inpra cticable Zionism
is Tt Is both unnecessary and imprac-
teal. It is not O. solution for the Jew
ish problem. 1T aggravates the Jewish
nroblem. Zfonism has done this good:
IT has called back many waverers to
the fold e-e: Herzle and Nordau. It has
compelled the European Jew of the
ghetto to study his new position It has
made the European Jews a little more
tolerant Of one another.
Rev. III. T.. Walton's Successor