Rabbi Lazaron Calls on Laymen Not to Heed Rabbis on Zionist Issue

Urging Jewish laymen not to allow rabbis to do their thinking for them, Rabbi Morris S. Lazaron of Baltimore, one of the leaders of the recently-formed American Council for Judaism which opposes political Zionism, outlined his objections to Zionist political activities, addressing the 119th annual congregation dinner of the Rockdale Temple, here.

“Don’t let the rabbis do your thinking for you,” he said. “You of the laity must be informed on this vital issue. The time has come to choose sides in a serious matter. I do not stand with political Zionism.” He added that the philosophy of political Zionism “is the philosophy of despair, assumes that our present status is hopeless and that democracy is a failure.”

“I object to political Zionism,” he said, “because it goes beyond the Balfour Declaration in demanding a) a Jewish army; b) unlimited Jewish immigration into Palestine with a Jewish commonwealth and Jewish control there. I object to political Zionism because it violates the Atlantic Charter. I object to political Zionism for the reason that – in one of the United Nations’ most delicate moments, when the fate of millions of persons other than Jews is at stake – political Zionism loudly demands Palestine for the Jews, without consideration of possible disturbance of the United Nations’ situation in relation to 17,000,000 Arabs.”

“I object to political Zionism,” Rabbi Lazaron continued, “because it claims, without proof, that in speaks for the Jews of America. I object to political Zionism because epithets instead of objective arguments are being used against its opponents. I object of political Zionism because terrorism and pressure are used by some of its advocates against individual non-Zionist rabbis as well as upon various Jewish communities and welfare-boards.

“I object to political Zionism,” he further stated, “because its philosophy tends to separate Jews from other Americans and tends to delay our integration into the American way of life. I object to political Zionism because some of its leaders are exploiting other fellow-Jews. We could come to an agreement with moderates among Zionists on a basis that really would do more for Palestine. I object to political Zionism because it now takes the attitude that non-Zionists have lost the right to express their own non-Zionist opinion. That attitude assuredly is not of democracy.”

He proposed the following program; “1. We have the right to demand equal citizenship wherever we live. 2. Reconstruction of Jewish life must be made in the war’s general setting – based on realities. 3. Spiritual functioning of the world Jewish religious community must be included in the reconstruction of Jewish life. 4. We should ask England to reaffirm the Balfour Doctrine-to admit all possible Jews and to ask others to help Palestine. The United Nations not the Zionists, should decide Palestine’s future.

“I resent the Zionistic effort to give a Palestinian orientation to all life in America,” he continued. “We need the international mind – we need to look beyond state boundaries. Zionism’s danger lies in its chauvinism and in its materialistic polities. Jewish life is not dependent upon a land.”