The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-04-12
JEWS No LONGER TO
Be CONSIDERED ALIENS
They Have Become Part and Parcel Of
the Body Polite In Many
Counties.
DO NOT ASPIRE TO NATIoNATIsM
DR.. CaIisch Rcfutes Argument That
Palestine Holds Out to the Hebrew,
the Achievement of his Peoples
Ideals.

l
In his sermon at Beth Ahabah
Temple Friday night Rev. DR.. f. N.
Calisch strongly refuted statements
made Wednesday night at John Mar
shall High School by DIR. Louis Lap
ski. and DR.. Harry Freidenwald. lead
ers in the Zionist movement
The two speakers referred to, before
a large audience. in appealing for
sympathy and more substantial aid
for the suffering Of the Jews. occasion
ed by the war In Europe. strongly adj
vocated the re-esta blishment of the
corporate existence OF modern Pales-
tine as the home of the Jew. While
in the main urging the people to help
the sufferers in Europe. especially
those In Poland, the speakers took oc-
casion to expound the doctrine pro-
mulgated by the Zionists-that moth
ing remained but determination
upon the part of the Jews of the world
to return to their country.
Merely Religious Association.
| DR.. Caliseh declared that Palestine
was not the place for the Jew. any
more than Germany, England Bel
other country. even Russia. The Jew
Is associated with Palestine. said DR..
Calisch. purely from a religious stand
point.
when a Jew In Germany becomes
famous as a great physician. a great
scientist, or a great writer" said the
speaker. The is not referred to as a
Jew. but as a German. II is only when
the religious side Of Jew In consider
ed that thoughts of Palestine arise.
The Jewish soldiers who are fight
ing In Europe now, will so to their
homes at the close OF the war feel
ing that they have fought for their
country, and why shouldn't they, when
their social. professional or business
relations are firmly ixed as part Of
the body polite OF the country in
which they liver
No Longer An Exile.
! For many years he said. from the
year A. d. 10 the Jew considered
himself as being in exile and looking
! for a leader, but from the early years
of the nineteenth century the long
ing begun to lessen, until in 1889
conference was held in Germany, with
the intention of eliminating all long
ing for Palestine.
1t was felt that a Jew could be
patriotic German as we'll as loyal
Jew. This declaration Is re-echoed
now, and the Jew no longer considers
himself in exile. but child Of his ma
ton or adopted country.
! The present war shows the soldier
is fighting for his own interest, each
for his own country. The German
Jew, or the French Jew or the Eng
lish. is fighting for his country. just
az the German or the Frenchman or
the Englishman," said DR.. Calisch.
/ But when the statement is made:
What have the Jews to fight for?' the
speaker makes a dangerous statement.
and gives handle and excuse to
maintain the charge of alienism
against the Jews. whether they be
German or French. The Jewish
soldier is fiKhting for the same ideals.
the same homes, as the soldier by
whose side ne is lighting.
Loyal Even to Step-F'atherland
Those who read the papers and
learn of the sacrifices being made can
understand that the patriotism OF the
Jew 10 a . deep as that of the German
or other soldier. and not one OF them
is more intensely loyal. in any
country. even In Russia, which Is only
a step -fatherland--the land OF cruel
ties"
This statement does not present a
true argument. said the speaker, The
Jews do not need a restored govern
ment in Palestine. For what life In
there for the Jew, except his religious
ideals? There Is no such thing a.
Jewish agriculture, art. science. These
are no different from any other. The
Jew in not looking for credit in any
thing as Jew. His idea Is to IN
tensify this in the realms of religion
rather than in art. science or COM
J merce.
Even with the prosecutions in
Russia, when a Jew arises 10 the point
of note or prominence, said Dr.
Calisch, he In looked upon IA ma.
tive Of the country. not as a Jew X
we went to Palestine. would not II
be an admission that we could stand
suffering no longer? And those who
know history know that Palestine oc-
cupies Just such position as that or
Belgium or Poland.
Palestine Future Battle Ground.
1.-THE great conflict of the future will
take place where the Orient and the
Occident meet and the great battle
ground will be that where lies Pales-
tine. so If we are seeking refuge Tor
national reasons we are seeking II De-
meath a broken reed.
when material wealth and success
enter into the life too strongly, the
rock Of religion upon which We stand
will BE- forgotten.
What we need is not restoration
OF Palestine, but the inspiration OF the
presence OF God in our hearts. All
we need is the Are OF faith, and TO
feed with old our devotion and the
inspiration of our fathers a spiritual
Interpretation Of our history and place
among the nations"