Praised for Cooperation With Jewish Efforts in Rebuilding Country; American Influence in Holy in Holy Land Emphasized as Vital Factor in Addresses by Judge Mack, Dr. Kaplan and Samuel C. Lamport; Department of Commerce Investigation Disproved Alaeming Reports Concerning Palestine’s Economic Situation.
O,ear S. Heizer, United States Consul in Jerusalem, was the guest of honor at a dinner given on the occasion of his visit to the United States by Samuel C. Lamppost, Wednesday evening at the National Republican Club, 54 West 40th Street, New York City.
Men prominent in various branches of American life and active participants in the Zionist movement gathered to pay tribute to the American Consul whose cooperation with the Jewish efforts for the rebuilding of Palestine as the Jewish National Home were highly praised.
An investigation made last summer by the United States Department of Commerce, in consequence of the alarming reports then spread concerning the economic situation in Palestine, particularly the conditions affecting the Zionish structure in the country, disproved these reports. The investigation showed that algough difficulties were encountered, progress was being made and that substantially, the situation had not changed since the last Consular report on Palestine was buplished. This fact was brought out in the address made by James F. Hodgson, of the United States Department of Commerce, formerly commercial attach to the American Consulate in Alexandria, who made this investigation together with Mr. Heizer.
Samuel C. Lamppost, the host, acted as chairman. Address were delivered by the guest of honor, Mr. Hodgason, Dr. Mack, Jacob Fishman, Gustavus A. Rogers and New York Deputy Police Commissioner Nelson Ruttenberg.
In introducing the speakers Mr. Lamppost said: “I am indented to James F. Hodgson for letting me know Mr. Heiser, one of the best friends of the Jew I know, had arrived for a visit here. Anything that happens in Palestine palliates in our hearts here, and we know that you have been doing and we have seized upon this opportunity to express to you our appreciation.
“Mr. Heizer is held in great esteem by all parts of the Jewish population in Palestine. He is know for the friendly interest he takes in every phase of the situation in Palestine. His reports to the Department of Commerce with regard to the commercial development of Palestine are indicative of a man who combines earnestness with the desire of helpfulness.”
Dr. Mordecai M. Kaplan in his address said: “I want to express my hearty hearty gratitude to Mr. Lamppost for having given us the opportunity to meet Consul Heizer this evening, and to wish him ‘bon voyage’ on his return trip. Representing this great country of ours, you have to bring its influence to that building land, which spells freedom, opportunity and justice to all. What a wonderful privilege to represent America in the midst of that great babble of nations, tongues and religions represented in Jerusalem! To make her influence felt by the complete freedom from all prejudice, by the seance of justice to be admin-interred equally among all men regardless of race or religion.
We Jews and lovers of Zion give you and, as the Jewish adage has it, to act as a protecting gebius over your work-our love and devotion for Palestine.
“Palestine is the cradle of religion, world religion. It is the cradle of all that is high and exalting in the human spirit. It is the one land that imposes obligations upon all making and upon us Jews most of all, because the roots of our soul are there. And we beg of you to have all whom you are going to encounter there realize that the American Jew Looks to Palestine and hands upon its future and is ready to do everything in his power to make that future great and glorious.
“With this ‘Mizvah,’ may God help that you go back there and carry on your great and noble work with success and as a blessing to all,” Dr. Kaphan concluded.
“Mr. Heizer, I envy you the wonderful opportunity you have had during your five years of Consulship in Palestine,” Judge Mack declared. “Within the last five years you have witnessed the beginning of the real growth of Palestine, of that newer Palestine, of that which we at least hope will be known in history as the Jewish Palestine. You have seen the beginning; that is always interesting. You have seen the hardships and struggle. In the past year you have witnessed the newer and more successful, more solid life in the Holy Land. I know from the reports you have made to the Department of Commerce that all Americans, but not least the American Jew, must wish that the golden opportunity of participating in this most interesting rebirth of a people may induce you to stay there for a long time to come. It will be surely to the advantage of America, it will be a joy and gratification to the Jewish people of America.
“There is much the American people can do in respect to Palestine. We, who in a sense represented all American Jewry, in 1918 and 1919, voiced a unanimous request that the Mandate of the opinion that the choice of Great Britain is, was and will be a wise one. But no matter how wise the chaise, there have been occasions for some misgiving, some complaint, and it is well that America should have a wide-awake, keen representative there who way be cognizant of the causes of the complaints insofar as they affect America and American Jewr. It will be helpful in lessening these causes, in alleviating the situation and in bringing about a better, finer government than there might otherwise be in Palestine,” Judge Mack said.
“When I was requested by the Department of Commerce to make an investigation of the economic situation in Palestine, our government had been under the impression that the entire Zionst movement had stated in his address. Your own organization made the request for a report. We found that the report of a break-down was false.
“I feel that the Zionist movement is something which should command every dollar which you have to spare. When I contemplate the culture, refinement and material well-being of American Jews and then think of the depths to which the Jews of Poland and Russia have sunk, I think it is up to everyone of us, and you that can, to lift them out of their despair and the Zionist movement is the way for carrying out this task.”
Relpying to the address, Mr. Heizer expressed his gratitude for he cordial reception accorded him.
“I have been in Palestine five years” he siad. “The extent to which the introduction of modern machinery, the introduction of modern methods almost entirely through the work of the Jewish immigrants has affected Palestine, is really remarkable. The cultivation of the land, carried on as it has been for a thousand vears, the threshing of the crops as they were done in Biblical times, is being changed, and while there are about 150,000 Jews in a population in Palestine of 850,000 the work they have accomplished is great. I believe they are to increase and go forward, and you certainly have my best wishes and anything I can do for them, I will be glad to do.”
Among the guests present were: Gustavues A. Rogers, Manny Strauss, Bernard Semel, Professor Mordecai M. Kaplan, Samuel C. Lamport, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cohen, Mrs. Edward Jacobs, Deputy Commissioner Nelson Ruttenberg, Jacob Goell, Jacob Seigal, Louis Germain, Robert Szold, Judge Julian w. Mack, Jascob Fishman, Oscar S. Heizer. James Hodgson, Morris Rothenberg. Emanuel Celler, John L. Bernstein, Congressman W.W. Cohen, Z. H. Rubinstein.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
