The Denver Jewish news., 1925-02-19
WHY PALESTINE? WHY
kEREN HANESOD?
Ry HARRY NJ. KAUFMAN

/ land Of Promise. hallowed with the
tender memories Of the achievements
OF our illustrious forcfathcrs. It's sod
sHnctilicd by our sacred dead. II was
our drcJm-it was our prayer.
When the scourge of inqusition be-
| fen the brethren Of our faith. when
their weary travels led them TO strange
! lands amongst strange peoples, when
they We're frequently confronted with
anuihilatlon, their fearful eyes were
I directed towards the East, towards
the land once flowing with milk
and honey upon their lips the pray
cr and in their hearts the hope for
the fulhllmcnt Of that promise.
That prayer. that hope characterize
"Das Pintelc Yid."
Whilst proud nations, Dragging Of
their exploits, lay bleeding and gasp
ing, whilst orStwhilc great peoples
were no more. whilst great empires
were being rclegated 10 the realms Of
oblivion, the jew everywhere was en-
courared and sustained by that prayer,
that hope.
We have read with interest how the
liberated Jews Of Babylonia stood
weeping on the banks of the Euphratcs
as n handful Of their number again
migrated to the Promised Land. Years.
hundreds of years have passed since
that memorable event, yet, the senti-
mCnt connected Herewith has indie
lihly impressed itself upon the consci-
BUSINESS Of the jew who knows and for
gets not.
Millions OF our brethren fell by the
waysidc and became forever lost to
Judaism, while millions of others plod-
ed thru the wilderness of cruel persc-
,utior. i'm their hearts the fire Of .Juda-
ism a-ilickerins. ploddcd and ploddcd
until the Dawn Of a New Day.
Certainly, with all the influences cast
against them, the Jews are to bc cred
ited for their SctufastnesS. When once
truth revealed itself to them. the strong
hearted amongst them preserved it I'M
sullicd with Il spirit of martydom.
We lament the fate of those who
had fallen by the waysidc, hut we de
ulorc more so the fact that their
descendants are today some of our
worst enemies.
PardoNical ms it may seem, now
that the promise is about to be realiz-
ed, now that the prayer is about TO he
answered, now that the hope is about
10 crystullize, there appears n mental
gap between jew and jew, n conflict
Of opinion concerning Palestine that at
times is indeed dishcartcning.
our age-lung wandering and associa
tion in many countries have given rise
among rs To asSimilators Of every
shade, tcrritorialiSts, intcrnationalists.
cosmcpolitcs and nationalistS, that is.
natioualists pertaining to the countries
in which we reside
Assimilation smacks somewhat Of
the recognition Of inferiority, as well
MS the subjcction Of the customs.
thoughts, ideals and perhaps to some
extent the religious rites and ccrc-
monies, tir | may I've permitted TO so
IudidIy express MYSELF Of a minority
group lo that Of majority group.
Mid assimilation may be cXcusablc If
not beneficial. hut strict or total as
similiation is the very destruction Of
our existence national or religious.
Surely cur assimilators everywhere
cannot have any particular objection
to the process of assimilation going on
when the Jews i'm Palestine shall
eventually obtain majority.
When about ten millions Of Jews
were wthIrssly prosecuted in Russia
and other eastern European countries,
grrur many Of them became ter
HtoriuIists. seeking colonization Of
Jews no matter where, be II Southern
Africa or hulu-huln land In Russia
Jewish colonization on large has been
decided upon 10y the Soviet Regime as
an economic move to solve the mon
productive Jewish middIcmeu" prob
lem. Tho the latter undertaking is IT
interest fo Jews It ls merely Russian
economic problem and is certainly not
q purely Jewish problem or q Jewish
national problem. And if rll this be
true and necessary, why not Palestine
from strictly Jewish standpoint:
When fnudnlism gave rise to capital
ism and iutcruntionlIism appeared mp.
on the world economic horizon inter
ua'ioualisI~ surprisingly directed their
attacks not only against economic sys-
toms or structures but also against ma
tiouul aspirations and characteristics.
Before the war they nuivcly believed
tmt iurrultiomIism meant the drs-
trurtiu of national barriers. hut IL
took a bloody wur aud the expressions
of great inturuutionaIists of the type