The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1939-08-11
Jews And Zion

:. ~ Jews And Zion
The Zionist Congress which opens in Geneva Angus
16 will be faced with momentOus neutrality-suspicious. more
momenous than those have confronted Zionist
Congress in the past Jews everywhere will hope and pray
that this Congress will find the wisdom and the statesman
shin to rise to the historical occasion At the time
think it is incumbent upon all of who deeply con-
cened with the fate of Erez Israel to try to crystaz in
our minds of the basic problems relative to the Jew
ish homeland in the light of the new trends and develop
ments that history has set in motion:
Let me pose simple question: do we Jews really want
Eretz Israeli If this sounds elementary let assure you
isn't On the contrary it is, IN essence the most d
cult question of ALL Perhaps clarity this best by ask
ing another question: Are we nation IN ene geheray o ac
technical juridica meaning for that presumes the exist
ence of country and government) This, too, will ap
pear simple at first glance OF course we are all VINO
believe Zonism and in the destiny of the Jewish people
will answer But if this could satisfy formerly
in the days when Theodor Her emerged the Jewish
scene it can no longer satisfy today when the dabo
of barbarous hatred organized on an international
scale threaten to destroy us.
that by accepting for ourselves the concept OF naonhoo
without interfering with loyalty to adopted lands we
up milestone along the road OF our historical dest
And the Zionists building Jewish land which, in time is
to realize national concept IN the international urloca
certainly convinced that we were per1org
function whose ultimate goal would be the basis OF our
whole fok-e people with our own land ana our OWL
government Because in the of nationalist Jews Zion
lists well non-Zionsts the national concept meant IN
essence that in the Daspora we are Leading form
of life which justifies in calling ourselves choren Oh
the Jewish nation To Zonsts the unacceptable conclusion
the need to revive and nurture Hebrew culture and all
that the Galuh has created toward the pepetuaton OF
national existence. Nationalist Jews who were non
Zionist believed in the cultivation and furtherence OF the
Yddsh language and literature and the encouragement ana
stimulation of all those folk manifestations which were
evolved in the Daspora even the translation OF the Bible
into Yiddish am not attempting thorough defnltlon
of the two groups but merely giving pre1 resume aS
prelude to answering the question nave oroacheu'
Zion is again the to the question OF survVa OF
extinction Not Zionsm alone with all its programs put
Zion the land which will enable us to continue our exist
physically and spiritually humans ana as Jews
for it is needless to repeat that our enemies seek 10 wipe
off the face of the earth completely and without eSe
walton.
It both amazing and dsheartening to see the kno
of approach shall say, lack OF approach moSt Jews
have toward the question OF our survival rorCunaCey
tens of thousands of people have been instrumental ~
creating the nucleus of renascent natlonnooa IN VIA
We proudly call Eretz Israel Yes, Zion IS Cne JEWISH
By right all of us should have risen up IKE mlgnty
army to strain every ounce of energy in helping the po
of Eretz Israel toward the speedy fu1men u e
heroic taska task they are performing at grea IlA P
sacrifice and denial behalf of our whole people, D
of this there is sign-postvely none say pos ;1
none for in proportion to the tremendous responsibility
that rests upon us in the face of the e
against our very existence the little we are "s "
the REDEMPTION of Eretz Israel is as notnng &c
Let us hope and pray that out OF the oelDelaOnS W.
the Zionist Congress in Geneva Will come IoIn 'no ~
historic word for the times the Word OIL CIue an" ~
feAtive salvation in this darkest epoch OF our
peOpe. (Z.TygeD