The Jewish Voice, St. Louis Missouri (September 17, 1897)
THE ZIONIST CONGRESS.
Basle, Aug. 29th 1897
The event which has been looked forward to with so much interest in a large section of the Jewish people and severely criticised in anticipation by another section, has at length arrived—the Zionist Congress has met. When it is remembered that the movement—the Leitmotif of of which is the acquisition of Palestine and its conversion into a Jewish State—was advocated in the now famous pamphlet written by Dr. Theodor Herzl as the remedy against the prevailing anti-Semitism, it would seem as the irony of fate that the Congress should have assembled at Basel in Switzerland, and did not anti-Semitism break out in a very pronounced form a few years ago, when through persistent agitation Shechita was prohibited in this country? Let not the reader, however, imagine from this reminder that the considerable Jewish congregation in this city and its thoroughly Orthodox Rabbi, Dr. Cohn, are obliged to eat treifa meat. Jewish ingenuity has driven a carriage and pair through the prohibition sanctioned by the authorities. Animals are killed kosher at the nearest German town, a very short distance, and the meat is sent over the frontier and sold as fresh as though the slaughtering-place were in Basel itself.
The Christian population, it must be stated to their credit, have shown themselves most sympathetic towards the Congress and its leaders. The Government of the Canton generously placed an entire suite of apartments on the Freie Gasse at the disposal of the Congress for a bureau, and the Cantonal President gave a very cordial reception to Dr. Herzl, who waited upon him on Friday. He promised to attend the Congress, if possible.
The interest excited by the Congress outside the Jewish community was evidenced in a striking manner. The Turkish Government actually sent an official to Basel to draw up a report on the movement, and it is understood that before forwarding his report he submitted it to Dr. Herzl.
Whatever divergence of view may exist as to the feasibility or otherwise of the scheme advocated by Dr. Herzl, there can be no two opinions about the enthusiasm it has kindled in those who have put their faith in it. International Jewish Congresses have been held before now, and have been attended by men whose names were household words throughout Jewry. This can be said of a fraction only of the members of the present Congress : but what they lack in eminence they make up in quantity and in the fervor with which they have taken up the cause. Nothing but the most ardent zeal and a cause which they regard as noble could have brought here men, and women, too, from so many parts of the world. Even Christians have been infected, for, as the list given below will show, the members of the Congress include the Chaplain to the British Embassy at Vienna, and a lady residing at Ashford (Kent).
Mention has been made of the bureau opened in the Freie Gasse. This bureau was placed in charge of Dr. Dornreich, of Vienna, whose task has been no easy one and who has discharged it with a degree of ability and urbanity deserving all praise. Friday witnessed the arrival of most of the delegates and members, and, guided by a poster affixed at the two railway stations, they all made their way to the Freie Gasse, where they were received by Dr. Dornreich, and, in the case of those who had not previously engaged rooms, were directed to numerous hotels in Basel. The Bureau was regarded in the light of a rendezvous, and throughout the day people poured in. Friends living far from each other exchanged hearty greetings, new acquaintanceships were formed, and altogether the scene was very interesting. A brisk sale, for the benefit of the cause, was made of commemorative postcards. Much business concerning the Congress had to be transacted by the delegates, who alone had the right to attend the meeting. At the approach of the Sabbath, a motion was proposed and carried that an adjournment should be made, to enable the delegates to attend service in the synagogue. As the meeting, over which Dr. Herzl presided, broke up, he laughingly remarked that the Cantor had promised to sing Lecho Dodi in especially fine style, and that it was long since he had heard the hymn. The synagogue is situated in what would be considered in a non-Democratic place as the aristocratic part of the town, and is a large and handsome edifice of Mauresque architecture. Even Saturday was not a day of rest at the Bureau. There was a constant coming and going, and more meetings were held. A programme committee was appointed, with Dr. Max Nordau as Chairman, and Professor Schapira, Dr. Bodenheimer, Dr. Birnbaum, Dr. Bromberg, Dr. Muntz, ami Dr. Landau as members. Dr. Landau, who is editor of the organ of the Zionists, Die Welt in Vienna, and Herr Sokolow, the well-known editor of the Hazefira [unclear type] in Warsaw, were deputed to look after the representatives of the press (mainly non-Jewish) some twenty-five in number, and it is but the barest duty to acknowledge the extreme readiness with which these gentlemen afforded to us all the information they possessed.
The large concert room of the Casino had been engaged for the meetings of the Congress, and the opening session was announced for nine o’clock this (Sunday) morning. It was, however, nearly half an hour later when the distinguished educationalist. Dr. Karpel Lippe, of Jassy (Roumania), as the oldest member of the Congress, took the chair. By this time, nearly two hundred gentlemen, most of them in evening dress, and a few ladies, had assembled in the body of the hall, and in the gallery were a considerable number of spectators, among whom were a sprinkling of Jewish Socialists from Zurich.
The following is a list of the delegates and members: Basle. Dr. Albert Dornreich, T. Picard, M. Jacobson, S. Drurjan, B.L. Wittes, and I.I. Weil: Baloszfaloa, Dr. Jonas Rona(?): Baltimore and Boston, U.S.A., Rev. Dr. J. Schaffer: Bartfalva, Julius Davidovici: Berlin, Willy Bambus, Dr. N. Birnbaum, L. Mozkin, L. Synkin, Theodore Hocisti, Fraulein Hilda Tomaschewski, Rabbi Braunn. Lazar Kunin, Israel Eljaschoz, L. Lublinski, and Samuel Posner: Belgrade, Dr. D. Alkalay and Frau Alkalay: Bobrinsk, Isaac Turov and Moses Losinski: Brünn, Siegmond Kohn and Berthold Feiwel: Bialystock, Joseph Mohilewer and D. Litman Rosenthal: Bielgorod. Boris Kazmann: Brest, Moise Padua: Brest Litewsk. Noah Finkelstein: Brest Witebsk, Leon Horodisch: Berne, S. Lewiasch, Moses Gelis: Charkow, Ester Giteletonsch, A. Ovschawsky, aud Dr. M. Schlapossnieff: Cologne, Dr. J. Bodenheimer and D. Wolfson: Constantine, Eugene Valensin, Edouard Attali: Cracow, Benjamin Spira: Crajova, I. Silbermann : Czernowitz. Dr. Mayer Elsner, Dr. J. Schnierer and S. L. Pierer: Darmstadt, Joseph Rosenblum; Drohobycz, Dr. M. Berkovicz: Dünaberg. Albert Sachs: Dwinsk, S. T Sachs: Ekaterinoslaw, M. Usischkin: Elizabethgrad, Leo Amtschilovski, Rabbi Wladimir Teonkin: Frankfort, Heinrich Birkenstein and J. Goietein; Freiburg, M. Brande: Freistadt, Dr. M. Kommblich: Fiume, Joseph Lazarus: Galatz, Adolf Stand, Sam Pineles and Dr. Abraham Salz: Grodno, L. Jaffe and M. Urjasachsohn : Hague, J. H. Kann and E. M. Kann: Heidelberg, Joseph Meludi and Prof. Dr. D. Schapira: Homel. Marc Kahan: Jaffa, Dr. H. Loewe and Wilhelm Gross: Jassy, Fraulein Clara Hirschensohn, Jacob Hirschensohn and Dr. K. Lippe: Jerusalem, A. (?). Jehuda, S. A. Rufkin: Kischineff, Jacob Bernstein Cohan: Kattowitz, Moritz Moses; Kieff, Prof. Mandelstamm; Korobov, Hillel Benjomoircs: Kolomea, Dr. Rosekheck ahd S. Singer: Krementschug, Dr. Leo Wilenski: London. J. Cowen, J. DeHaas, E. Isch-Kischor, S. B. Rubinstein, l. Zangwill, Lieut. Bentinck: Leeds, Dr. D. Farbstein (of Zurich) ; Lemberg, J. E. Low, S. Schiller, A. Hausmann and Adolph Korkis: Leipsic, Dr. S. Mandelkern; Liverpool, A. Ginsberg: Manchester, J. Massel; Mariampol, Gustav Gitelivitz; Mayence, L. Friedman and Leon Friedman : Mohilev, Elias Davidsohn; Monostasyka, Dr. F. Fernhoff and Benjamin Safrin; Montpelier, Joseph Mirkin: New York, Dr. Tritsch and Adam Rosenberg; Odessa, Joseph Krausner, U. Gunzberg, M. Rabinowitz and Abraham Elia Lubersky; Ostrog, Joshua Buchmal; Palestine,
Rehoboth Colony, D. Markus Teutelbaum: Paris, Dr. Max Nordau, Abraham Ludvipol, F. Beer, Kalman Schorstein, J. Behar and Mdme. Behar; Pinsk . Gregor Louri, Saul Louri and Jehuda Leb Berberg; Poltawa, Susskind Rabbinowicz and Nathan Wessilowitz: Prague, Dr. Kaminka; Rakonitz, Dr. David Neumark; Riga, Dr. Leo Schalit; Rowne, Hirsch Movilkovics; Smolensk, Nicolas Rappaport; Stockholm, Dr. Joseph Seligmann; St. Mikele, Tyrol, Baron Manteufel; St. Petersburg, M. Ividirichin; Silesia, Emil Fried; Silesia (East) L. Huppert and B. Krauss; Slutzk, A. Feinberg; Sofia, I. Caleb, Karl J. Herbst and Prof. Dr. G. Belkovsky; Tarnow, Eduard Schwager, Sigmund Bromberg and Dr. David Maltz ; Tolna, Moritz Banyar; Vienna, Dr. Theodor Herzl, Dr. S. R. Landan, Dr. A. Muntz, Dr. Steiner, Arch. O. Marmosek. Prediger Grün, Dr. M. F. Schnierer, Dr. M. T. Schiner, Josef Zeidener, Siegfried Rosenbaum, Dr. I. Schalit, Rev. P. Hechler (Chaplain to the British Embassy) ; Warsaw, Isidor Jasmowski, Dr. Z. Bychowski, N. Sokolow (editor of the Hazefira), Adolf Landau (editor of the Woschod), Dr. Sam Poznanski and Heinrich Farbstein: Wilna, D. Epstein, P. Rabinowitz. J. L. Goldberg and A. Berlis; Witebsk. Emanuel Solowi; Welesch, B. Güunzburg; Zurich. M. Asarch, Charles Wortsmann, Miss Antonia Zimern. of Ashford (Kent), Mrs. Rosa Sonnewchein (editor of the American Jewess) Tobias and Frau Bertha Markus, Rabbi Dr. Ehrenpreis and Frau Ehrenpreis, Marie Remusz, Fraulein Marie Sokolow, Nahum Koppelovicz and Dr. Klugmann.
Dr. K. Lippe, in his address opening the Congress (which was delivered in German, the official language of the Congress). said that a letter which he received seventeen years ago gave the signal for the inauguration of the Zionist agitation. A meeting was held in Jassy, and twenty-seven committees were founded in Roumania. They succeeded in establishing two colonies, which were fortunate later on in passing into more important hands. Since the inauguration of the movement he had attended Zionist meetings as delegate for Roumania. The meeting of that day, for the first time, represented the whole of Judaism. (Cheers) Thai was a great day in Jewish history. (Cheers). That day was to witness the inauguration of the third return to Palestine (cheers) the land promised to their ancestors. They desired, however, to return in a peaceful manner with the consent of the Sultan. They would look upon his Majesty, if he would accept them, as their Messiah. The Jews had their mission: they had given to other peoples the pure form of worshiping God. the highest and best moral law and even the hymns they sung. That mission they had fulfilled: for the other nations could not give up what they had taken from the Jews without destroying their entire civilization. The Jews could, therefore, now go back to their own land; but to those who were afraid or who were opposed to the new movement, he would say, "Return ye to your tents.” For the past 3,000 years the Jewish people had a national history and a national literature: the only thing they needed was a Fatherland. (Cheers) The fear entertained of the Zionist movement was groundless, for Jewish colonies had existed in Palestine, without any injury being caused to the Jews. The laws of modern States were Liberal. Had any people done more for the world than the Jews? But what had the world done for them in return? Although the Jews had preached neighborly love, they had not received such love from others. The time had now come for them to return to Palestine, "for from Zion the Law had gone forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. " (loud cheers) In conclusion, Dr. Lippe moved that the Congress should, through the medium of an address, place on record its gratitude to the Sultan for his kind treatment of his Jewish subjects.
This motion was heartily adopted Dr. Herzl then ascended the tribune in order to deliver the address of welcome. To say that he received an ovation is to use too mild an expression. Such cheering, such excitement is rarely experienced and it was some minutes before the meeting resumed the calm that had hitherto characterized it. A less strong man than Dr. Herzl would have been unnerved by his reception. (The address will be published in another column in next week's issue of THE JEWISH VOICE. )