New York Jews Unite to Honor Allenby

A representative audience of Jews in New York City was present to honor Viscount Field Marshall Allenby at a reception tendered to him Thursday morning at the Ambassador Hotel by the Zionist Organization of America. Zionists and non-Zionists, Reform and Orthodox united to pay their respects to the Conqueror of Jerusalem.

In opening the reception, Herman Bernstein, Chairman for Political Affairs of the Zionist Organization, expressed to Lord Allenby the greetings of the Zionist Organization of America and American Jewry, and said of him:

“To the Jews of the world and especially to the Zionists working for the rebuilding of the Holy Land, General Allenby has endeared himself for all time. The names of Lord Balfour and Lord Allenby are recorded in golden letters in the history of the Jewish people, the veteran of history, whose dream and hope of centuries were realized through Great Britain’s act of historic justice, as expressed through the Balfour Declaration and made possible through the genius and heroism of Field Marshall Allenby.”

Lord Allenby’s services were contrasted with Emperor Titus of Rome by Rev. Z. H. Masliansky, who said: “Two thousand years separate the opening of the gates of Jerusalem by Titus, the Roman, and the opening of the gates by Lord Allenby, the Britisher. The first one brought devastation and chaos to Jerusalem. With Allenby’s coming, Palestine was restored and revitalized.”

The official greetings of the Zionist Organization were conveyed by Judge William M. Lewis, of Philadelphia, Vice President of the Organization, who said that Allenby’s name was “linked up with the destiny of the Jewish people.”

In concluding, Judge Lewis said that “no welcome extended to Lord Allenby can exceed in genuine affection, in noble tribute and in deep gratitude that which I have the privilege of extending in behalf of the Zionist Organization of America. We hail you as a military genius, a distinguished diplomat, a pioneer of the spirit, and as the liberator whose achievement will, we pray, make possible the realization of the lofty visions of the Jewish prophets of old.”

Nathan Straus, aged philanthropist, and Louis Marshall, noted jurist, also greeted Lord Allenby. Mr. Straus, despite the advice of his doctor, attended the reception because he wanted to express his admiration for the liberator of Palestine. Mr. Marshall, emphasized the important part that Lord Allenby had played in modern Jewish history and declared that “the names of Lord Allenby and Lord Balfour will be cherished by every right-minded Jew throughout the world, the one for the freeing of the Holy Land from the Turks, the other for the Balfour Declaration, which declared Palestine a National Homeland for the Jewish people.”

In his address, Lord Allenby emphasized the great future which looms up for Palestine as a country. Commenting upon the Palestine campaign and the participation of Jewish soldiers in the liberating of that country, Lord Allenby said:

“I had the honor of commanding several Jewish battalions, and I also had, before these Jewish battalions were raised, many Jewish soldiers under my command, Judge Maccabeus could not have fought better than they did. Their courage and patriotism to the cause for which they fought was distinguished; they realized it was not only the cause of Judaism but of humanity.”

Lord Allenby concluded by expressing his appreciation of the cordiality of the reception tendered to him by the Zionist Organization of America.

A telegram of greeting was sent to Lord Allenby by the Organization of Jewish Legionnaires of America. The message read: “We, the Jewish Legionnaires of America who particpated in the Palestine campaign under your great leadership in the World War, do extend our heartiest welcome and salute your Lordship. At the same moment allow us to express through you our deep sorrow and protest against the English government in Palestine who allowed the deplorable incident at the Wailing Wall on the Day of Atonement which wounded deeply the hearts of world Jewry.”

Quotas totaling $5,300,000, running all the way from $1,000 to be raised by the florists’ division to $1,000,000 by the bankers and brokers, were accepted Tuesday night by 140 leaders of as many industries and professions at a dinner at the Hotel Plaza, New York City, to compiete organization plans for the forthcoming campaign by the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Socleties.

The dinner meeting was called by Arthur Lehman, associate chairman of the Federation board, to enable the leaders in the various industrial and professional groups constituting the Business Men’s Council of the Federation to meet Frederick M. Warburg, newly-named associate chairman of the campaign, and Dudley D. Sicher and Samuel D. Leidesdorf, who will be associated with Mr. Warburg in the direction of the money-raising effort. Mr. Warburg, who is in his early thirties, is the eldest son of Felix M. Warburg, chirman of the Federation board.