The Denver Jewish news., 1920-01-21
NewYork ZionistsP Pledge
Over a Million
RABBI SILVER'S GRAFTON AND
MIR. SCHIFFS OFFER TO BUY
BACK HAIFA TECHNICUM AT
HAIFA, TWO GREAT THRILLS
OF A GREAT FUNCTION.

Five hundred Zionist workers of
Greater New York subscribed the sum
of S1.090,OOO, or nearly Jne-third of
New York's quota of S3,aOO0OO of the
tiOn Fund, ut a remarkable banquet
Mt the Hotel AstOr Monday evening,
January 9th. Among the largest
pledges We're 100000 by Nathan Stratus.
honorary chairman OF the National
committee for the Palestine Restora-
tion Fund. $4,000 by Mrs. Mary Fels,
and $25,OOO by Peter Schweitzer, treiis-
urer of the Zionist Organiza ton, and
his wife.
The million dollar result, the larg-
est sum ever subscribed at n Zionist
function in this city. was only one
Of the stirring incidents at this gath
ering. The first thrill came when the
president of the organization. Judge
Mack. as toastmaster. announced that
Jacob H. Schiff had offered to buy
lack from the German Hilfsverein
The buildings and grouid in Haifa.
Palestine, of the Hebrew Polyfecsi-
nicum, which the German organization
had acquired al forced sale just
Lefore the outbreak of the war. The
Technicum had been the pride of the
ZiOnists-a school. with Hebrew the
language of instruction, where ell
,.ineers and artisans and mechanics
were to be trained. and prepared for
the work of restoring Jewish Pales-
tine. BecausA the Jews of Palestine
lad refused to permit their schools to
be teutonized. and teachers and pupils
had struck against the substitution OF
German for Hebrew, mortgage had
leen foreclosed. And now the Tech
ricum is to revert to the Zionists-
thanks to the generosity of Mr.. Schiff.
The greatest enthusiasm of the eve
ming was created by the address of
Rabbi Abba uillel Silver. of Cleveland,
Ohio, who in spite of his youth is
one of the commanding figures of the
l;cform Jewish Pulpit i'll this country.
lie was in Palestine for several months
last yenr. Many who heard him at
I
this lmnquet,- themselves veterans of
the pulpit. dostrum and propaganda
platfOrm-pronounce him one of the
greatest orators the Jews possess.
Here are some OF the things he
said
'Zionism today has become the pas
sionute prayer. the hope. the longing
of millions of our brothers, who looked
to the end of the war AS one who
watches for the break of dawn. but the
dawn never came. Ii is night again
for them. Tens and tens of thousands
Of their brothers who hoped for the
new day We proclaimed so cheerfully
during the wonderful days of the war
the days that would spell freedom,
self-determination for the oppressed
and submerged m:noritics of the world
--that new day never came for them.
and today they are facing not petty
persecution. not petty determinations
and ostracisms. not economic boycott
alone, but gruesome. tragic extermin-
ution of communities. y race is being
lIt iiipSt nv "".AN
in darkness and turn towards the East,
waiting for the sun of Zion to break
over their dark and troubled lives. 1
have been privileged by God to see the
wonderful rejuvenation that has come
to Palestine Jews actually live today
as Jews in Palestine. Tile life there
has nothing of that weakness, that
cringing, fawning. hideous gesture of
the Ghetto.
We must obtain this by our free
DOM by our efforts, by our sacri-
fices and our tears, so that it will
become dear to us. because it will tc-
come saturated with the realities and
the sacrificial devotion of our lives.
israel is capable of achieving this
ideal.
We have received the favor of God.
we have received the favor of nations.
The world has recognized our claim,
the world has finally acknowledged
the historic injustice. The world is
ready to give to us our own, and ut
this sacred moment we are not going
TO fail"
Under the spell of this appeal, which
time after time had brought the din
ers. cheering to their feet. table No.
/ announced pledges of $4,000. Then
in rapid fire order. spokesmen for all
the fifty tables made arrangements
until the million was reached and
passed.
Insistent demands brought to the
front DIR. Stephen S. Wise. who had
planned not to speak. When the
c:cers for this veteran Zionist had
cubsided he spoke of the remarkable