The Washington herald., 1914-05-13
The Jewish Nation.
., EMonY ;. HAYNES.

The Jewish Natien. s
~ EMoAY ;. HAYNES.
That was most remarkable statement Of Tor
gotten truth Rev. DR.. Siiverman made in . public
assembly of prominent Jews on Sunday. with Their
perfect acceptance. The Jews do not compose ma
ton. They are, taken collectively religious fellow
ship precisely as are the Methodsts of the world Is
are the Baptists or any other religious community.
The Jew as a citizen, is an American an English
man. or of any civic nationality whefe he owes civic
duties or claims civic rights.
Nathan Stfaus and Jacob H. Schif are certainly
Americans, when judged politically. as much Ameri-
cans as any who love the flag The religious gym
pa,hies of such citizens are their own affairs.
There is however, construction of Jewish cti-
zenship in the land of King David and Solomon, that
is full of exciting hopes. At Hisfer, in Palestine a
fine pile of buildings is approaching completion, for
Jewish youth Because they are Jews, because that
old home land is poor in money and its rich soil
parched for lack of irrigation and stripped OF all op
porunities of modern industrial life. rich Jews from
afar have combined to train these young men. Inc
college teaches farming up to date, for instance
Let us look forward to the possible rejuyenaton
of the wide and wasted acres, not only OF Palestine
but of all Asia Minor The human race swept across
these areas and left them unproductive Centuries OF
neglect have reduced the sparse population to sarva-
ton existence.
Yet no man can doubt that the world needs all
those acres redeemed and producing for US again. May
the New Palestine bring this to pass May such an
intelligent return from captivity be the rational re-
suit of such fine religious fellowship. Very soon this
educative structure will lift its towers and gables
to challenge the notice OF the world. To the ques-
ton, who is doing this" the answer will be soon
heard: "The Jews are doing it. They are retaining
the Holy Land" And all good men will acclaim such
return"
While Mr.. Schif and Mr.. Straus American Jews,
very large givers to this movement they are as
sociated with other leveheaded coreligonsts in Ger
many. France England, Russia and all parts of the
world of that truer Jewish nation" in the only real
sense. Let us suppose these gentlemen can stimulate
the construction of chain of these practical COL
iege where Jewish boys and girls made twentieth
century efcients Let picture "the wilderness bios
somng the rose"
Methodist missions in China do not aim primarily
to make Methodists, but upright and happy human
lives. Such, indeed, Is the idea in all Christian mis-
sions. Therefore they build only the chapel but
The school and the hospital That the Jews should be
like purrosed beginning in the land of their nativity
is an honor to them. 1t is wheeling into line OF
another great religious body, worshipng the one God
to help the earth to welfare and blessing
This spirit is exhibited in the work of Nathan
Straus in Palestine Not only has he founded a
health department to redeem the Holy Land from dis
ease and trade schools to reclaim the people from
ideness but he feeds the poor nurses The sick and
sight of the babies by treating the disease
that makes thousands blind =
The impulse of common faith is, without the
shadow of a doubt, the greatest compelling force
known to man. 1t is very fortunate indeed that the
Catholics try to help Catholics And this any fair
minded man can do while he is both just and kind to
people of other communions. The world moves for
ward when devotion to common altar pulls men,
That the Jew will be missionary to his fatherland
is one of the bright signs of the times The racial
bond of that people is confessed to have been won
der to ehnic students The children of Abraham love
their own. Their nation" has been scattered to the
four winds for centuries Yet the tie of knship has
enabled them to survive century after century.
The Romans could not preserve their autonomy
The Italian of today is scarcely of the old original
Roman stock and spirit. Not one of the old nations
but fell to pieces like the ropes of sand that child
heaps on the seashore But the nation of the Jew
without political power, survives in the fellow
ship of the common creed.
May the vigor of that now show itself in a
recovery of all Asia to thrift to virtue, to helpful
ness in the great family of nations And if, in the
coming years, a great East should solidfy into a
great political nation who will not rejoice to Mo-
hammed go down before the Invisible God?