Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-30
JEWISH POET
TALKS ON ZIONISM
When United States Govern
ment Indorses Plan Public
Will be Ready to Aid

Philip Max Raskin, Jewish poet
born in Russia. later a resident of
England, who is now in Boston to
speak for Zionism, saws he believes
that when the movement progresses
to the stage where the Jews are or
ganized sufficiently to ask United
States congressman to urge the
United States Government to indorse
its plan to re-establish Jews in Pales-
tine, that the public will be ready
to aid Zionism because of the JUS
tice of it's appeal.
Mr.. Raskin feels that non-Jews
appreciate now as never before the
services which he says Jews are rem
oerihg to the United States and the
value OF their contributions to civil
lization.
He says that several members of
the British Cabinet are avowedly in
1aNor OF putting through the declar-
alton of Mr.. Balfour to help the
Jews, because it is but an act of JUS
t1ce, in view of the fact that it is
their birthright from which they
were deprived by force of arms. Mr..
Raskin says that the historic sig
nlncance of Zionism should be i'm
pressed upon the American people,
Tor Zionism is the essence of the
Jewish religion, belief in the efficacy
of which has kept the Jewish people
together.
In talking with a representative of
The Christian Science Monitor, he
said: The British Government will
use its best endeavors to facilitate the
establishment of a national home
for Jewish people. This movement
is now being celebrated everywhere
by Jews, who see in it the realization
of an old ideal, and political ac-
complishment which concerns the
whole world.
Modern political Zionism is only
about 20 years old, but the Zionist
ideal is as old as the Jewish exile.
The very secret of the Jewish sur
NlVal was the hope of restoration.
This hope lived during centuries of
oppression. In a spiritual sense the
Jews never left Zion, which they en-
bodied in all their plans, in their lit
urgy, in literature and poetry, and
festivals. For the sake of living for
this ideal they adapted themselves to
all conditions, never surrendering to
the influences around. Zionism is
the essence of this religion.
1T is a remarkable fact that there
never was a time in history when
Jerusalem was devoid of Jews. AL
though Palestine has had so many
different rules who, on the whole,
seemed to engage in rivalry in leg
lslation against the Jew in Palestine,
our people never forsook the region.
1T was not until comparatively
few years ago that the actual plan
for the resettlement of Palestine was
taken up in systematic way. 1t
was at this period that students,
chiefly from Russia and Rumania,
went to Palestine as pioneers, as set
tiers. They suffered privations and
endured persecution. But their love
of the country enabled them to sur
mount all difficulties, and within
about 30 years they succeeded in
founding colonies.
"At later date, Zionism, or the
movement for the repossession of
part of Palestine, facilitated the
plan. At present there are 4S coll
onies. During this period industries
were introduced. With the begin
ming of the greatest work for real
izing the ideal, that performed by
DR.. Theodore Herzl, who called the
first Zionist congress, the entire Jew
ish problem was brought before the
nations for consideration. Then was
the national policy devised and the
movement started along practical
lines. Since then statesmen have
taken an interest in Zionism. 1t was
evident from the beginning that the
N11NNF ,NW,k \ 4
the whole status of the Jewish peo-
ple."