Evening star., 1939-05-31
Defends Jewish Fuith
In Political Zionism
Sees No Inconsistency With
Loyalty to American
Institutions

SSSS nv sHSOuSIStSHSy WIN
Loyalty to American
Institutions
To the Editor of The Star:
have read with considerable interest
the challenge which Rabbi Morris S.
Lazaron of Baltimore writes confronts
Jews of today. as stated in his letter
dated May 81 and appearing in The Star
of May %. The arguments used against
a positive political stand by American
Jews with respect to Palestine are not
new. They have existed all through the
history Of modern Zionism. They exist
ed at the time, 20 years ago, when the
writer Joined, as he states, the Zionist
Organization. The issue of political
and Diaspora nationalism among Jews,
with its dangerous repercussions here"
(America) is the old, old cry which Zion
lists are continually hearing; plainly put,
1t Is the issue Of whether Jew can be a
zionist-believing in and supporting the
establishment Of Palestine as a Jewish
national home, and at the same time be
a good American.
An analysis of our critics position re-
veals that he is obviously attempting to
explain why he, as one of those early
reform rabbis who supported the Zion
ISL cause, now wavers in that position
position which 20 years ago represented
courage and vision; courage of strong
conviction of the right of the Jewish
people to national existence as a peo-
pie, as OF right, and vision as to the
future 10 Palestine as the place where
mat national existence might be best
developed, fostered and preserved.
twenty-five years ago Zionism re-
celved It's modern birth certificate with
the issuance OF the Balfour declara-
ton. This was not the beginning-it
was, rather, the fulf1llment; Zionism-
the longing OF the Jewish people for
their homeland In Palestine-has existed
as long as the Jewish people have
existed. Zion, Palestine. has ALWAYS
been a force in Jewish life, the most
potent force for the preservation of
JUDAISM. not only as a religion, but as
BOND for the preservation of a people
as people. Rabbi Lazaron admits
this when he says: My work for pales-
tlne deepened my sense of Jewish BROTH
erhood and enriched my life with manv
profound satisfactions." At the time the
Balfour declaration was issued and
shortly thereafter, when the rabbi joined
the Zionist Organization, this age-old
longing OF the Jewish people had re-
celVed international and political sane
tlon oy the very issuance of the declara-
tlon. linen 1t was relatively simple to
see the necessity and importance of this
political action. Thousands of Jews in
Europe had no political status in the
countries in which they lived-or such
circumscribed status as to be relatively
without any-subsequently to be fully
deprived of it by the dictators of Central
europe. The promise of the establish
ment under international political aus
plces OF national Jewish homeland in
Palestine as provided by the Balfour
declaration was international security
to oppressed, harassed Jews to establish
themselves as a people, in a spot-in
Palestlne-Which they had always hoped
and dreamed to be able to do.
IL must be admitted that this was one
OF the important factors which impelled
$4,000 Jews in Palestine to carry out the
great reconstruction program which has
there been evolved; to develop the land
which had lain waste and barren to a
point where even the British Royal Com
mission admits the growth to be onlv
short of phenomenal.
wonder, however, if Rabbi Lazaron
mas analyzed for himself and those
others whose opinion he may represent
why what he calls the miracles of cul-
tlvatlon IN desert land" have been pos
slble? The Jews who returned to Pal
estlne and wrought these miracles did so
Ior many reasons, but deeply rooted,
hrmly fixed, was the desire for security
as Jews, with the right to live on land
as Jews, land which they might ultimate
ly hope to have as a Jewish homeland
1t is relatively easy for them, complacent
ana secure in American democracy. to
overlook the insecurity of the European
Jew who, forced from pillar to post, from
land to land, into exile, demands some
thlng as token of his human right TO
hve That token the driven Jew found
IN the document of the Balfour declara-
ton, issued with background of inter-
national political activity and negotia-
ton, and he relied upon 1t in securing
himself IN the land of Palestine Ameri-
can Jews, and non-Jews alike relied
upon 1t, too, believing that at long last
the conscience of the world had aWak-
ened to the right Of the Jewish people,
as people, to live in their own home
land, 1t is therefore entirely proper to
insist by the same international DO
htlcal activity and negotiation upon the
preservation of the Balfour declaration,
given to Jews as token of that security
which they needed for the development
OF Palestine as a national homeland.
But 20 years have brought changes
10 the world, we are told, and now the
needs OF the British Empire prevent the
realization OF the Jewish national home.
How strange that the declaration of the
British government, coming as the re-
suit OF political action and negotiation
"a years ago, should then have found
favor in the eyes of Rabbi Lazaron, who
IN his own words found enrichment and
satisfaction in participating in the work
OF rebuilding Palestine, and should today
be scorned and cast aside by him with
the warning tn Aunricop Tou,e +l,,t u,,,o