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Daily Digest of Public Opinion on Jewish Matters

August 24, 1926
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[The purpose of the Digest is informative: Preference is given to papers not generally accessible to our readers. Quotation does not indicate approval.–Editor.]

“The old saying that ‘the Palestine atmosphere leads to wisdom’ apparently does not apply to Reform Rabbis,” declares Jacob Fishman in the “Jewish Morning Journal,” criticizing Rabbi Samuel Schulman’s assertion, on his recent return from his Palestine trip, that the best thing for Palestine would be “for the Zionist Organization to cease to exist.”

Writing in the issue of Aug. 23, Mr. Fishman says:

“It is easy for Rabbi Schulman to say that the organization which is responsible for nearly everything that has till now been accomplished in Palestine, for the Balfour Declaration and the Mandate, should now step from the scene, in order to ‘oblige’ him and his colleague, Rabbi Landman. But where was Rabbi Schulman in the days when the Zionist Organization was going through the crucible, bearing with untold sacrifices the burden which has now yielded its fruit? In those days, we believe, not only Zionism, but Palestine itself, was regarded by him as ‘treifah.’ The Reform Mission excluded not only practical work for Palestine but even wiped Palestine from the prayer book.

“We are curious to know if Rabbi Schulman attempted to preach his message in Palestine? Palestine would have given him the right answer: it is not for those who threw stones at the builders of Zion to offer us advice and messages.”

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