The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-05-10

claim Of ethnic unity in Israel; the pure
unmixed Hebrew blood is an impurely
mixed fiction; the greatest gifts of Jew
ISL genius and the vast majority of illus
trious names Immortality enshrined in the
Jewish temple of fame were produced in
lands other than Palestine; that Paleg-
tine was only a temporary hating place
IN which during 1900 years of authentic
history, Israel lived less than 900 years.
In Palestine IL is true the Hebrew ge-
MUS was nodded and welded into a homo
geneous whole. A glance at the map of
the ancient world and a feeting resume
OF the history Of antiquity show US that
Palestine was not only the center Of the
world of earlier ages, but the highway
| through which. whether for war or In
commerce, all nations had 10 pass. Thus
as the Nile and the Mississippi, each war
like expedition or commercial caravan
left its rich deposit of thought in the soil
Of the Hebrew mind. and thus grew to
maturity that splendid product OF lie
brew genius This implies no lack Of
Initiative or originality In Israel; il does
not make Of him a mere imitator and fol-
lower, The Hebrew seer and thinker,
gathered in the alembie OF his mind the
best each nation had to give and by the
subtle alchemy of that divine. inscrutable
power which we call the genius OF a peo-
pie transformed them into the wonderful
system Of ethics and morality that have
enriched civilization; from the riotous
profuSiOn Of the wilderness of pagan life
he culled the different herbs and fruits
and flowers. and in the laboratory of his
soul compounded the food that nOur-
ished the spiritual life, and the healing
balms and lotions to cure the sick spirit
Of humanity.
Whatever our definition of religion, we
must all agree that its ultimate aim
must be to make men better. wiser. and.
therefore, happier. If this be true, and
If, further, we accept the statement of
Scripture so splendidly illustrated by the
facts of history, that Israel has been or
dained as the priest people of humanity,
then the mission of Israel can be nothing
else than the increasing of the we'll being,
the wisdom, and the happiness Of man
kind Such mission must and can be
nothing short of age-lOng. worldwide
False prophets are they all who would
limit II to any one age or any one land
The seed contains the potentially of the
flower. the acorn the possibility Of the
forest But until they have been planted
IN the earth and drawn therefrom the
elements from the sunshine the
moisture, and the soil, there is no growth.
So the germ of God-cognition brought by
Abraham from far-off Chaldea and the
seed of the sublime moral and ethical con-
cepts brought by Moses from Egypt and
the indian desert found Judgment IN the
soil of Palestine. Watered by the contri-
buttons from the PHILOSOPHERS and religions
OF the then known world. warned by con-
tact with the ruling races of the time, it
blossomed and Powered, and waited
hitler and thither by the wind currents
of world history, its seed IN time took
root and grew till ii became world-em-
bracing
The richer the soil. the more favorable
the climatic conditions, the more perfectly
Will the seed develop. America. there |
fore, the greatest and freest OF all lands. /
is the fittest for the ideal evolution Of the /
Judaic ideal In the American Jew past
and present meet. America the newest and
noblest Of the nations, Judaism the oldest /
and most fully tried and proven OF all |
faiths What an ideal combination for an /
ideal result! For US. the favored sharers /
in this happy fusion, can be seen clear /
evidence Of divine design in the fact /
pointed out by KaiseTling and other his /
tOrians that it was Jewish money that /
the fleet of Columbus, Jewish /
navisators who helped direct II 10 the /
shores OF the New World. Justly proud 1
are we that the liberality Of the Jew
Iaym solomon made il possible 10 finance, /
the American Revolution in the period OF /
is darkest gloom, and that in the nainte-
nance. as in the creation Of our republic.
Jewish blood, Jewish talent, Jewish en-
'rgy and counsel has furnished more than
Is share For 1900 years of his historic
Existence, the Jew has been the people
without a country or a home Now and
lere, by Divine Providence and his own
has the Jew at last found
. land, country, a home he can call his
lwn.
But again the specter Of pessimism and
ear stalks before us, and the ghost of
assimilation seeks to brighten US. We
ave seen that Jewish history and devel-
pment has been one long. unending pro
ess of assimilation. Never in all history
las there been so splendid a vindicauon
I the survival Of the fittest" as is pre-
ented in the case of the jew. Subjected TO
ne influences, friendly or adverse, OF
very age and nation. responsive TO the
umulus or the incubus OF all he has held \
is own. and now that he is stronger. and II
lore numerous than ever, shall we decrv
he very force that has made US SOP De-
ectons and assertions may be noted. but
7as 1t ever different? The Saving rem
ant the select incorruptible nucleus. so
loQuentiy proclaimed by the Great Isaiah
sun and VIII always be the hone OF
sTaeL Neither the Jew nor Judaism can
tand still Assimilation is the law of life
nd growth; IL has been the uninterrupted
oncomitant Of Jewish evolution. Here
M now, last and least. have we to dread
MS process, American institutions are
ased upon the Mosaic code. American az
losphere impresnated with Hebrew IDEAL }
5in' Why fear assimilation then, when AZ |
est II is but getting back that which we c
urselves have given?
While the world Is gradually outerow-
lg the restrictions of nationalism and I
he ever Tightening bond of commerce in
sllectual and spiritual. as well as ma o
sriaL is drawing men closer and closer :
ITO one great brotherhood, and national
are coming to be regarded / ,
lore and more just what they are-noth- :
lg more than artificial geograpbica /
mes, it III becomes Israel or anv mart ;
iereof TO sound the false note urging +
Re narrower, retrogressive idea of ma
onal identity. Long and bitterly have
e resented and revOlted against the ex-
usion and oppression that resulted in !