The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-12-30
RABBIT Hirsch on the Jews IN the
goth Century.

Rabbi Emil O. Hirsch who was IN sa-
vanuah a couple 81 weeks ago and who
is one q the leading men Of tho day Of
the Hebrew faith. says Of the Jews ana
Judaism In the twentieth century:
No epoch in its history has perhaps
wrought such stupendous changes IN the
fate and forces OF Judaism as the century
about to go 70 sleeps
The people and religion Of Israel have
often before met and mastered far-reach-
ing crises The exile A. Babylon. the
syrian rebellion. the Roman conquest,
with Its subsequent destruction Of state
ana temple and the dispersion Of the
Jews over the wide earth-these and many
more trials have left their deep impress
sion upon the faith and the fortune. the
ambitions and attitudes Of the chosen
people"
But withal. no succession OF decades
has evoked notifications IN both their re-
igious views and their political hopes aud
status among the nations which IN pro-
found power may be compared with those
brought 10 pass within the last hundred
years.
The American and French revolutions
proclaimed the inalienable rights OF man.
which were the patrimony or every one
born I'm the household OF humanity. The
old distinctions and Determinations un-
der which none had suffered greater
wrongs than the Jew were thereby denied
legitimacy
Gradually and almost everywhere after
a fierce struggle for recognition, the Jew
in consequence Of the spread Of Ameri-
can and French ideas. was admitted 10
the fellowship and citizenship OF the All
fercnt nations whose respective language
he had been speaking for many whirins
centuries and on whose territory his era
die had rocked.
Thi. admission 10 political rights and
responsibilities reacted necessarily upon
the relIgo- rational hopes and conscious
ness OF the emancipated few. While be-
fore he had felt himself go be nationally
distinct from his ncighbors, and prayer
Tor return TO Palestine. where he was 10
live apart from other nations in an indie
peudeut Jewish state, he now came TO lose
| his identity as a potential member OF
| future Jewish political nation, ana IN MS
pravers he ceased expressing as his IN
nermost longing the desire TOT return l"
| tho land Of his fathers
Jewish religious reform pivots on this
/ ,h,rcc from Orlentaiism 10 Occidental
ism The synagogue came under the speh
1 ~ Western ideas. The national yielded 70
fhe universal aspect OF the jewish talth.
/ This movement very eagerly pushea ~
/ Germany during the NTH decade OF the
| century. aud later stu more strenuously
brought 10 fruition in America has since
The revival OF anti-semltism IN EUROPE
come 20 temporary standstil
Under the sting Of the unconditional re-
..,,,icsrence OF mediaevnllsm, which
.,.o,,t5 apain exclude the Jew from partic-
t,st,on IN the life Of the modern Western
| 1870 Jewish national eNclusiveness
/ -. .tso received a new stimulus. And to-
49,, a. tho camp OF Israel the voices OF
~. Zion,asS are very loud once more
I, IL very likely that zionism VIII not
rolent until IT, programme Is realiAeu'
unless nti-semitism cease us iury'
The later prospect lacks pFotapl'i'y.
t,,..r modern nations the world over ore
..I ~ he core IN Chauvinism. and
| bove fallen ready victims 10 the piausluie
/ .hoorv that racial affinity Is basic
| - tbeir constitution and ftabilty
Y-,acr ibis perniclous notion no stand
IN. AZ conceded 10 the semitic wlthih w
sycen ~ che modern nationaAsm inc
-. q, russia. Roumania and the lower
p,n,,he will continue 70 propagate the
! 5ootrine OF Jewish uationalism. ana the
Feasibility r. not preposterous tnAl
| sha twentieth century NttA 49,
~" burial their dream Of national res'of-
a,,on IN palestine will have come true.
what about the Jews notably o, ~ Y. En 1o-
enI -, ~ .r.ye IN this agitation Tor there
No@I OF Jswry as a political enu-
~ They will have to draw the consistent
conclusions OF their position. !. ~. Sua1 dssl
/ -, eeasea 10 ~ a national nope aha 80
- ~. !. ,nust be recast along the lines
a. universal. ethical religion
The dstnctyely Jewish e ee@S a%sy q The r
| y 10 ,s.,-.,'st,-ed Jewish temple viii seek q
u,aaar alliance with Unitarianism ana
TSe and perhaps before -as Sny es Sison
| upon ..,,.d humanity sancsincd 20 the
o. ,s,cs az Justice. righteousness and love
new church. liberal IN thought ' si|m pa'Sfs
81 IN fellowship. broad y ~ y ~ soelal
sns working tor the kingdom o. =, ,Sa
s si-,,cs on earth and the peace Of an tne
l u.,,.v VIII nave arisen from the IONS
Of Judaism