The Denver Jewish news., 1924-10-09


will share at last the fate Of all such
groups; !. c., that it will lose its clear
cut distinctiveness that it will be
merged and more or less obliterated
in the "racial chaos" of modern dem
ocratic humanity. But the same fac
tors which lead TO the disintegration
of this accustomed form of Jewry,
also make possible the development of
new forms, in which the perennial
spirit Of the Jews way still work. In
fact, such an evolution is already go
ing on in groping, half-conscious
sort Of way. And it is this which is
the reason for the prevailing confu-
sion of thought and action.
The first thing to do is to recognize
a fundamental, if unpalatablc fact.
New groups may emerge out of the
disintegration of the old "racial
Jewry', but there will be of necessity
several such groups; we shall have
not one, but several "Jewries," differ
ing from each other, as well as from
the parentbody, from the point of
view of their constitution and their
tests of membership (although they
may be partly composed of the same
persons). Nothing in the world will
save the old unity of religious and
national" feeling, which was really
an expression of racial cohesion and
isolation. But the "orthodox" and
the "nationalists," instead of prefer
ring claims on the allegiance of call
Jews" and of outlawing those who do
not conform to their respective stand
ards, should recognize that they use
the term "Jew" in different meanings;
and in course of time this differentia-
ton is bound to increase.
Not long ago, during a lecture in
London, on "Disraeli the Jew, n
Rabbi protested against the very
theme, contending that Disraeli was
not jew at all. The Rabbi was, of
course, in his sense of the term, right.
But if he were logical, he would say
that not only Disraeli, who was a
Christian, but nobody at all, except
the fully orthodox and practising"
Jews, are "Jcws" in his sense-while
every Cossack who has joined the sect
of "Sabbatarians" is a "Jew" from
his point of view. And then he would
probably understand that there may
be another sense of the term "Jews" /;
and that in this other sense, Disraeli
was very great jew, while not every
Rabbi is in that sense of the term, a
Jew at all.
1t is possible to think of Judaism
becoming the creed of purely relig-
ious community, independent of race
and divorced from every kind of jew
ish national" feeling Then-and
then only-will it have nothing to fear
from conversions or intermarraige,
for it may gain as much as lose by
these means. Nay, splendid career
/ iiiA. ytI ~ lllNaII Ftb ipl bllt slllNltll
faith, if it resolutely drops its connec-
ton with particular race and leaves
the Indifferent or negative attitude
towards religious propaganda among
I the Gentiles, which has been imposed
on the Jews by the circumstances of
past history. A part of the humani-
tartan ideals of Judaism was once en-
ough to conquer the world. What
may not be hoped, when the whole is
actively preached to the nations? The
other way is Zionism, if it would only
understand the real aim set before it
by history.
There is no sense at all in building
a National Home" for what is now
called the Jewish Nation" The
home of the nation is the place where
the national is bred. An isolated race
has its home everywhere and nowhere.
1t must be always in "goluth"-in
Palestine as much as anywhere else,
as long as it exists. Nor is there any
/ reason to assume that the factors
which menace its existence will be less
active in Palestine. Had the Jew re
mained in Palestine till modern times,
they would have had to face much
earlier the dilemma of all territorial
tribes; either to be merged into some
nation, or to expand into a nation
themselves. But it is still possible,
that this last alternative is not yet
lost; and Palestine, with his histori-
cal associations, combined with its op-
I portunities for colonization, is, indeed,
the only country where such an ex-
pertinent may be tried with chance
. of success. There the fatal process
Of assimilation and fusion might be,
not indeed avoided, but turned the
other way, leading to the birth of a
real "Jewish nation;" i. G., Pales-
tipian national with strong imprint
Of Jewish blood and spirit, but with
a ran1 ,1,4fIr,I fnoIipu pf itc NUN