Page:Jews and Judaism in America (Ezra).djvu/18

[ 12 ]  J. de Haas who, with characteresticcharacteristic [sic] energy gained numerous followers. It should be remembered that at the Pittsburg Conference, to which I have already alluded, the Reform rabbis declared "That no return to Palestine is expected, nor the re-institution there of a Jewish State." This has greatly hindered the rapid progress of Zionism and some no doubt finding their principles assailed, look askance to the ideals of Zionism, and thus endeavour by all means in their power to nullify its power and growth. In spite of all this, Zionism has over 30,000 followers in America, and amongst them may be found the flowers and blossoms of the noble sons of Israel.

My paper has become too discursive and to my regret I feel obliged to leave out several other important elements connected with the subject. There are many things which I have left out unsaid and to which I hope to recur on some other occasions. Speaking generally about the Jews in America, my opinion is that, taken all in all, they are a force and an element of usefulness to their brethren all over the world. They have always been to the fore in any endeavour which tended to raise the status and ameliorating the position of the persecuted Jews abroad. Whatever power they possessed in all their spheres of life, they have used for the advancement of the cause of their suffering brethren; and the tie of brotherhood which bind them together always grew stronger, specially when the lives of their persecuted brethren were in jeopardy and distress. The faithfulness of the Jews in America to their suffering brethren has been an example to the world.

In America there are over sixty Jewish weeklies in English and each in its own way endeavours to propagate its views and the views of its officials whom it represents. The editors and publishers are most of them Rabbis; some of whom regard this work as a labour of