Emanu-El, Weekly Paper (November 24, 1899)
AMERICAN ZIONIST NEWS.
The Zionist novel on which Dr. Herzl is engaged is approaching completion. Dr. Herzl hopes to be able to publish the work before the end of the year. Its title will be "Alt Neuland. ". The novel will point to the events of the nineteenth century as a reason for the creation of an energetic and modern spiritual communal existence.
M. Bernard Lazare is preparing for publication a novel dealing with Zionism, which will be entitled "Le Funier de Job. "
One of the most successful meetings held under Zionist auspices in recent years was that of the English Zionist Federation, at Birmingham, a fortnight ago. Sir Francis Montefiore declared in the course of an eloquent address that "Zionism, far from being calculated to create strife in Turkey, would have an exactly opposite effect, for it has as its chief object the obtaining of a charter which grant legal safeguards. Without these it was impossible to form colonies in Palestine on a reliable or self-supporting basis. " Mr. Herbert Bentwich, of London, said that “the policy of those who held aloof from the present movement was parochial, a policy of alms-giving, whilst the Zionist was a national policy. We had no hope that the progress of civilization in Russia would be a means of alleviation to distant generations of Russian Jews from their lot.
The publication of two pamphlets in the near future is contemplated by the American Federation of Zionists, one to consist of a Zionist bibliography, to be compiled and arranged by the Rev. Stephen S. Wise, and the other to consist of a collection of three essays bearing upon Zionism, which have appeared in the North American Review this year. The third of these essays, by Dr. Herzl, a report of the third Zionist Congress, will probably appear in the December number of that magazine.
Zionist meetings have been held during the past few weeks, among other places, iu Karlsruhe, Jassy, Vienna, Krakau, Lemberg, Zaleszczyki, Charkow, Koeln, Miava, Buczacz, Bojan, Rustschuck, Nowo-Padomsky.
The annual meeting of the New York Federation of Zionists, held on Sunday afternoon and evening, Nov. 5th, 1899, in the large hall of the Talmud-Torah building, 225-27 E. Broadway, New York, was attended by representatives of twenty-three societies, with an aggregate membership of more than two thousand, the largest societies being Matehlevi (associated with a congregation of the same name) Ziona and B'nai Zion. One of the constituent societies bears the name Bonai-Zion (builders of Zion) and is made up of young men who have at one time lived in Palestine. The report of the president, Dr. J. I. Bluestone, covered the work of the past year, and referred, among other things, to the formation of a fraternal order under Zionist auspices, called “Free Sons of Zion,” and the propaganda conducted in this city on behalf of the Jewish Colonial Trust. In accordance with the suggestion of the president, it was resolved to take vigorous action looking at the establishment of an American agency in this country for the sale of Palestinian products. It was furthermore resolved that special exercises be held throughout the Hanukkah week, and that, wherever practicable, lecture courses be instituted in Jewish history and literature. Prof. Gottheil reported on the Jewish colonial Bank and the affairs of the American Federation of Zionists. Addresses were made in the course of the meeting by the Rev. H. Masliansky, L. Zinzler, P. H. Yackes and Rev. Stephen S. Wise. The third installment on the shares of the Jewish Colonial Trust were due on the 28th of October last. They should be paid without delay to the representative of the Bank in this country, at the office of Mr. S. Jarmulowsky, 54 Canal street. New York.