The Jew Modern World
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
t THE JEW IN THE MODERN WORLD NOT/CE: THIS MATERIAL MAY BE PROTECTED BY A Documentary History COPYRIGHT LAW (TITLE 17, U.S. CODE). Second Edition , [ , Compiled and Edited by ' "Z1"tJ\SM PAUL MENDES-FLOHR JEHUDA REINHARZ The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Brandeis University - gIL-U -V ~n.z. L - rICo IE> 1 - fv1 ("2 (l.tntl - tvt; Qbo I,...., ~ 1 "':. L \"10 l,y, . _. ~CS-(L - 'B..!){tD (U",V New York Oxford OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS .. l\ !l;S\,\.lJM.~ Il..- • - 1995 _sU (; «t» jI<-.. - \.J N .r ) Oxford University Press f ;}J ~] Oxford New York i' 13 Alhens Auckland Bangkok Bombay '1 -: Calcutta Cape Town Dar Ii!5 Salaam Delhi . :' Florence Hong Kong Istal1bul KaI1lChi Kuala lumpur Mlldl1!ls Madrid MeIboume M~xico City Nairobi Paris Singapore To Inbal, Yael, Taipei Tokyo Toronto and associated companies in Hamar, and Naomi Berlin Ibadan Copyright © 1980, 1995 by Oxford University Press, Inc. Published by Oxford University Press, Inr., 200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 Deford is a registered trademark of Oxford Uruveraity Pre55 All rights reserved. No pad of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a remeval system. or transmitted, in any form or by any means. electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Catll!oging·in-Publkation Data The Jew in the modem world; a documentary history I compiled and edited by Paul Mendes-Flohr, [ehuda Reinhar2.. - 2nd ed. p. em. Includes bibliognphical references and index. J ISBN o-l~507452-1. _ ISBN O-t9-507453-X (pbk.) 1. J_s-History-17Ih century-Source;. 2. Iewe-Htsrcry-tatb century-Sources. 3. Jews-Hislory-178~1945-Sources. 4. Judaism-Hi.dory-Modem period, 1750- -Sources. I. Mendes-Flohr, Paul R. II. Reinharz, jehuda. 05102.]43 1995 909' .04924--dc20 94--9181 135798642 Printed in the United States of Amf'rica on acid-free paper \ ~ 1,1 :'j ZIONISM 533 NarES THE SILO 1. The Bilu was a group of young Russian Jews moved to Odessa. The first Biluim arrived in Pal 1. Manifesto (1882)1 who pioneered the Zionist program of resettle estine in mid-I882. After working in a number of ment of the Jewish people in the land of Israel as a Jewish villages for several years, they founded the solution to the Jewish question. The group de settlement of Gederah. The manifesto published rived its name from the Hebrew initials of Beit here was issued by members of the Bilu in Con To Our Brethren and Sisters in the Exile, ished in the splendour of civilization, while Yaakov lekhu vPn~lkhQ (Isa. 2:5). A reaction to the stantinople in 1882 en route to Palestine. Peace be with You! these enemies of thine dwelt like beasts in 1881 pogroms in southern Russia, the Bilu was 2. Hillel was a first century B.C.E. rabbinic au "If I help not myself, who will help me?" the muddy marshes of their dark woods. founded at the beginning of 1882 with Kharkov as thority. (HilleL)2 While thy children were clad in purple and its headquarters; later the headquarters was 3. The Western or Wailing WaU. Nearly two thousand years have elapsed linen, they wore the rough skins of the wolf since, in an evil hour, after an heroic and the bear. Art thou not ashamed 10 sub struggle, the glory of our Temple vanished mit to them? in fire and our Kings and chieftains changed Hopeless is your state in the West; the star their crowns and diadems for the chains of of your future is gleaming in the East. Deep THEODOR HERZL exile. We lost our country, where dwelt OUT ly conscious of all this, and inspired by the 2. A Solution of the Jewish Question (1896)1 beloved sires. Into the Exile we took with us, true teaching of our great master Hillel: "If I . of all our glories only a spark of the fire, by help not myself, who will help me?" we pro which our Temple, the abode of our Great pose to build the following society for na I have been asked to lay my scheme in a few and belief that the Jewish people will one One, was engirdled. and this little spark tional ends: (1) The Society will be named words before the readers of the Jewish Chron day be fired by a splendid enthusiasm. For kepi us alive while the towers of our ene Bilu. according to the motto: "House of Jac icle. 2 This I will endeavour to do, although in the present, however, I would appeal in mies crumbled to dust, and this spark leapt ob, come, let us go!" It will be divided into this brief and rapid account, I run the risk of calm words to the common sense of men of into celestial flame and shed light upon the local branches according to the number of being misunderstood. My first and incom practical judgment and of modem culture. A faces of the heroes of our race and inspired members. (2) The seat of the Committee plete exposition will probably be scoffed at by subsequent task will be to seek out the less them to endure the horrors of the Dance of shall be Jerusalem. (3) Donations and contri Jews. The bad and foolish way we ridicule favoured, to teach and to inspire them. This Death and the tortures of the autos-da-fe. butions shall be unfixed and unlimited. one another is a survival of slavish habits latter task I cannot undertake alone. I shall And this spark is now again kindling and What we want: (1) A Home in our country. contracted by us during centuries of oppres take my part in it, in the ranks of those will shine for us, a true pillar of fire going It was given to us by the mercy of God, it is sion. A free man sees nothing to laugh at in friends and fellow workers whom I am en before us on the road to Zion, while 'behind ours as registered in the archives of history. himself, and allows no one to laugh at him. deavouring to arouse and unite for a com us is a pillar of cloud, the pillar of oppression (2) To 'beg it of the Sultan himself, and if it be I therefore address my first words to those mon cause.l do not say "my adherents," for threatening to destroy us. Sleepest thou, a impossible to obtain this, to 'beg that at least Jews who are strong and free of spirit. They that would be making the movement a per our nation? What hast thou been doing till we may be allowed to possess it as a state shall form my earliest audience, and they sonal one, and consequently absurd and 1882? Sleeping and dreaming the false within a larger state; the internal administra will one day, I hope become my friends. I am contemptible from the outset. No, it is a na dream of Assimilation. Now, thank God, tion to be ours, to have our civil and political introducing no new idea; on the contrary, it tional movement, and it will be a glorious thou art awakened from thy slothful slum rights, and to act with the Turkish Empire is a very old one. It is a universal idea-and one, ifkept unsullied by the taint of personal ber. The pogroms have awakened thee from only in foreign affairs, so as to help our therein lies its power-oLd as the people, desires, though these desires took no other thy charmed sleep. Thine eyes are open to brother Ishmael in his time of need. which never, even in the time of bitterest form than political ambition. We who are recognize the cloudy structure of delusive We hope that the interests of our glorious calamity, ceased to cherish it. This is the res the first to inaugurate this movement, will hopes. Canst thou listen silently to the nation will rouse the national spirit in rich toration of the Jewish State. scarcely live to see its glorious close; but the flaunts and the mockery of thine enemies? and powerful men, and that everyone, rich It is remarkable that we Jews should have inauguration of it is enough to bring a noble Wilt thou yield before. .? Where is thine or poor, will give his best labours to the holy dreamt this kingly dream all through the kind of happiness intu our lives. We shaU ancient pride, thine olden spirit? Remember cause. long night of our history. Now day is dawn plant for our children in the same way as our that thou wast a nation possessing a wise Greetings, dear brethren and sisters. ing. We need only rub the sleep out of our fathers preserved the tradition for us. Our religion, a law, a constitution, a ceJestial Hear, a Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord lives represent but a moment in the perma Temple, whose wallc is still a silent witness is one, and our Land, Zion is our one hope. eyes, stretch our limbs, and convert the nent duration of our people. This moment to the glories of the Past, that thy sons dwelt God be with us! dream Into a reality. Though neither prophet has its duties. in Palaces and towers, and thy cities flour- nor visionary, I confess I cherish the hope Source: Nahum Sokolow, History of Zionism (London: Longmans, Green &: Co., 1919), vol. 2, pp. 332-33. Source: TheJewish Chronicle, January 17, 18%, pp.