El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-18

HEN a 6tEuQn II Which a
NJ rabbi disparages a potent
movement in Jewry is given
to the general public through the
press. il should not be immune to any
remarks a reader may have TO offer
Rabbi Zielonka's sermon on Zionism,
recently published in your paper, IS
decidedly provocative OF comment.
There need be no discussion of the
rabbTs arguments from a theological
point Of view, or from that Of b.-sie
Jewish traditions, as from that stand-
point his arguments, which are recoS-
nizable as the stock phrases that ara
almost stereorypically being repeated
by a number OF reform raDDis. have
l--.i rsIuteu time ana again by men
OF real Jewish learning. AS a mat
- ~ 1a,t. Lne socalIeu reform move
ment is considered ny the great ma
jOrity OF Jews as having broken
away from the foundations or Jewish
TRADITION II VIII be much more 10
the point TO apply to those arguments
the tests Of pain logic and common
Tne rabbi considers our dispersion
very desirable, because ne says We
Jews have q. mission. anu Wnlcn VIII
finally result in our faith becoming
his '.raison d'etre" for our existence
but 10 not other people say their
faith will become the heritage OF all
naIions2 And while they DO not give
the work OF spreading their Iaith as
the sole reason FOR their existence
they nevertheless seem TO be mucn
more successful missionary workers
than We. The rabbi ought to know
that more Jews are continually urlLL-
ing away from Judaism Inan non
=. ii
persion in which the rabbi glorles IN
really the cause OF it,
Non Jews are apt 70 consider II
prepOsterOus OF US 10 say that all We
Jews are here for is 10 assume the
role OF teachers 10 the whole world
Our supposed TO be disciples say:
Thank you. We can 90 without
They Will go 10 any length TO empna-
size the we can do Wlnout mot so
much the than your Only recently
the representatives OF the Polish gov
eminent told the Jews that their ieaY-
ing Poland would be desirable Our
"olsciples' will 90 further They VIII
devise discriminating laws against US
their teachers they viii pracllce
social OsLraclsm against us their
mentors; they viii even in some cOun-
tries iustigaIa massacres and 'pO-
groms' against US, the bearers OF a
mission" 70 them!
Has a Tragic Side.
This self appointment 10 the teach
ing position has too much OF a tragic
Only one out Of touch with the Facts
OF life can indulge in this fantastic
mission dream
one is forced TO the conclusion that
the rabbfs. attitude Is due 70 his re-
mOteness from everyday life
How else can you explain that IN
the presence OF a congregation OF sue
cesstul business men, none than whom
is more convinced OF the truth that
God helps those who help them
selves" the rabbi should be preaching
in such cloudy language and IN Turk
ish fatalistic vein, Zion would be
ushered in Gods own time? Does he
really take his audience TO be so gull
nble as to believe that the Lord con-
dennis all activity that leads 10 self
Goods own Time.v
Our Talmud says. En- sonchen al
haness," one should not rely upon
miracles However, quoting the Tai
mud in a discussion with q reform
rabbi might be considered taking an
unfair advantage But. IN the name
Of common sense, what should keep
a straight thinking man from admit
ting that this time OF ours is Just
as likely 70 be Gods own time" as
any? Why, all signs point in this
direction. The declaration OF the
British government. the sympathetic
attitude OF president Wilson. that OF
the pope, the approval Of the govern
ment OF France, OF italy, OF Trotzky;
the favorable resolutions passed by
the American Federation OF Labor. b.
the British labor party-al this array
OF conservative. liberal and radical
forces. united in the interest OF rees-
tablishing Zion-au this host OF
statesmen, writer's OF world reuown,
leaders Of labor, offering their hearty
Hhar~ n Trnfrfn-- fha wr~f1n
Of the Almighty Is not Gods fin
ger TO be seen in all that2 Only one
out OF touch with real life can fail to
see that this IS Gods own time"
II the rabbits views so far can. in
a merciful spirit, be explained as due
to his remOteness from the real facts
OF life. some passages in that sermon
are too plainly malicious to be ex-
cused on such grounds
Referring to the Zionist reports. he
says: They seem 10 infer that Jews
accept these views" The rabbi does
not say -all Jews" nobody would be
surprised to learn or differences OF
opinion among a people OF $4,000. 600.
He Just says Jews" and so with one
stroke. Don Quixote like, he puts all
Zionists beyond the pale OF Jewry.
Are the tens OF thousands Of his or
thodoX brethren" banded together in
the Zionist group Mizrachi. not Jewse
Or. to mention only few well known
names. are DR.. Max Heller. reform
rabbi Of New Orleans: rabbi Joel Blau.
OF Rochester, to be accommodated
And what about Jacob Shift. who only
recently subscribed SIS. 600 to the Pal
estiue restoration fund.- And Nathan
Straus. the well known philanthropist.
who considers his 10th birthday. now
being celebrated by Jews and non
Jews all over the country. the hap
piest one, because he is witnessing
the realization OF our hope through
the ages. the reestablishing OF the
Jewish hOmeland2