Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-07
HEBREW, LSRAELITE or JEW
Which Is the Proper AppeIafion2
BY Rabbi Edelmsn

Of history, even down to the present
day, when in the most shameful fash
ion the Russians so barbarously and
so mercilessly hunt down our people.
we may well say that Israel has been
constantly hating and limping. We
must. therefore, patiently wait for bet
ter times until that morning dawns
when, for the many struggles and con-
1icts, insults and bloodshed we have
been compelled to endure, we may ex-
pect with the help Of God. to receive
the same great parting blessing which
Father Jacob received from that
mighty being.
The name Israel" became the ma
tional name OF the twelve tribes of
Jacob collectively. Later on. after the
division of the kingdom under JerO-
boam, the name "Israel applied only
to the ten seeding tribes forming the
northern kingdom, known as the king
dom of Israel, in contradistinction to
the southern kingdom, consisting chief
ly of the tribes of Judah. Benjamin
and Levi. After the destruction of
the ten tribe kingdom we find the old
name Israel again used to designate
the people of the kingdom of judah;
and the name of Israel collectively,
and Israelite individually. has to this
day remained in common usage.
The third name we have is that of
"Jehudi," or Jew" 1t is derived from
the name given by Jacobs wife Leah
to her fourth son, "Jehudah," which
means thanks" as the happy mother
expresses it, This time 1 will give
thanks unto the Lord" Therefore, the
word Jew" derived as It is from the
word "Jehudah," means nothing else
but a thankful being.
This name was worthily borne by
the noble and sturdy son of Jacob,
whose record throughout is without
either stain or blemish. The tribe of
Judah. named after him, was the most
numerous, enterprising and most
valiant among all the tribes of Israel.
During the march through the desert
Judah's place was the van of the host.
The traditional standard of the tribe
was that of lions whelp. with the
words inscribed upon it: arise. o
Lord. and let thine enemies be scat
tered and those that hate thee flee be-
fore thee"
Later on the name Jehudi, or Jew,
was applied to a number of the king
dom of Judah (after the separation
not of the tribe of Judah; proof of
which we find in the fact that all
through the book of Esther, Mordecai
though born of the tribe of Benjamin,
is called "Ish Jehudi," a man "Jehud,"
or Mordecai the Jew"
In conclusion / may be permitted to
say that from the etymology and his
torical significance of the names He
brew, Israelite and Jew it appears that
among these three the first, Hebrew"
is the most ancient and remote. And,
as in ancient days the Jew was dis
from all foreigners, so to-
day it would appear that in order to
point out anything distinctively Jew
;5i, the word Hebrew is more proper,
ly applied. Thus we speak of a He
brew language, Hebrew literature. He
brew melodies, Hebrew benevolent So
cieties. Hebrew orphan asylum, He
brew board of relief. Hebrew home of
the aged and disabled and many other
similar names.
Otherwise the appellation Israelite
or Jew, or Israelitish or Jewish, are
more frequently employed as more
expressive and Characteristic in their
and important in history. Of
the two the former is a name of hon.
orable distinction referring to the d.
vine calling of Israel, the spiritual com
bat of truth against falsehood, or light
against darkness, in which the Jewish
people were enlisted as a nation, in
which they were still engaged when,
With the fall of Jerusalem and destruc-
ton of the temple. they ceased to be
4 nation. and which will not terminate
until. in the fullness of time, Gods
light and truth will finally triumph.
And with the name "Israelite," that
Of Jew" the children of our race will
ever proudly bear and cherish. They
trace its origin to the noble ancestor
and brave and distinguished tribe
whose name was perpetuated in the
kingdom of Judah loyal and true to
its ancestral faith and traditions
And when the autonomy of Israel
as q nation was destroyed its frag-
ments, though scattered broadcast over
the earth, We're still closely united by
the strange spell of that ancient name
Jehudi or Jew, by which. individually,
we were and still are wont to call each
other; and by which we are chiefly rec
ognized by the world.
A. w. EDELMAN.