(The editors reserve the right to excerpt all letters exceeding 250 words in length. All letters must bear the name and address of the writer although not necessarily for publication.)
To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:
It is very difficult to see why the announcement that 241 Reform rabbis sanctioned the platform and program of the Socialist party of Palestine should have caused so much wonder and should have surprised even you. Why be shocked when people belonging to a movement that was, from birth, anti-Zionist and refused to look upon the Jews as a Nation turn, now that they are slowly becoming convinced of their folly, towards the party weakest in Zionist ideology and sanction those to whom Jewish Nationalism is an excuse—a pretext— something to be tolerated for a short time only. Is there, after all, such a wide gap, in so far as the Jewish people are concerned, between the “universal conception of Judaism” as preached by the Reform movement and the international conception conceived by Karl Marx and mimicked by the Mapai—the Jewish Socialist Labor party.
As for the Jewish religion both Socialism and the Reform movement are at the same distance from it. It would, indeed be a shock if the leaders of orthodox or conservative Jewry would sanction the un-Jewish Mapai.
“Zion bemishpot tipodeh — Zion can be redeemed only through justice.” Have our Reform (?) rabbis in quoting the above from the Prophets, forgotten the true meaning of “Misshpat” — justice — but justice to all.
With absolute assurance I can state that there is no Zionist who would like to see the erection of an unjust State in Eretz Yisroel. Justice as defined by our Prophets and not by our Marxists. Is it just for one class of Jews to lord—or attempt to lord over the other? Is it just to appeal to all Jews for funds for the upbuilding of our land and to use these funds for the spreading of Socialism? Where was “justice” during the Arlosoroff trial when the “Descendants of the Prophets” — the Histadruth — attempted to convict three innocent young Jews.
Does the Jewish conception of “Mishpat” sanction the barring of Jews from entering their own land by taking away certificates from political opponents? Can our rabbis (?) be serious in stating that “Labor Palestine strives to build a cooperative rather than a competitive society in the land of our fathers.” A cooperative organization that attempts to settle disputes between Jews by class war —strikes and lockouts. A cooperative organization that has divided our small nation in two and is now formenting war—even at the risk of losing our future state—between both factions, in the hope that their faction will be victorious and suppress the remainder of Jewry. A cooperative organization that settles—or rather attempts to settle—all disputes between themselves and their political opponents by gorilla warfare, by the caveman’s stone throwing and club wielding methods. The recent attempt of the Histadruth to dictate to the J. T. A. and thereby censor all Zionist news should convince all how “just” they are and to what extent they are willing to go to suppress the truth.
When the true history of Zionism will be written our Reform rabbis—if there will be any then—will see that those whom they sanctioned last week were—perhaps unwittingly—the enemies of Herzlian Zionism. In the meantime let the “famous 241” study further—read uncensored and unbiased news—glance over the Judenstaat and the Bible and then re-examine their statement in Sunday’s “Bulletin.”
M. Joseph Beer.
New York City,
Jan. 29, 1935.
NON-JEW LAUDS ANTI-NAZI WORK
To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:
I wish to commend you on your effort to stamp out Nazi activities in this country. It is well to reject all those who take part in such activities.
I am not Jewish but I am willing to offer my aid.
Gordon E. Watt.
Des Moines, Ia.,
Jan. 29, 1935.
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.
