---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Sjodahl, J. M.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 7
number: 5
published: 1904-03
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'J. M. Sjodahl, "The Jew—His Past, Present and Future," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 5 (March 1904): 350–363.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0705unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera0705unse
start_page: 350
end_page: 363
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-03)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0705unse
  publication_year: 1904
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1904, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# The Jew—His Past, Present and Future

<!-- page:350 -->

THE 
        JEW, 
        HIS 
        PAST, 
        PRESENT 
        AND 
        FUTURE.
A 
        SKETCH.
BY 
        J. 
        M. 
        SJODAHL, 
        ASSOCIATE 
        EDITOR 
        OF 
        THE    
        DESERET 
        NEWS.
The 
        problems 
        presented 
        by 
        the 
        presence 
        of 
        the 
        descendants 
        of
Israel 
        among 
        the 
        nations 
        of 
        the 
        earth, 
        are 
        among 
        the 
        most 
        interest-
ing and 
        important. 
        That 
        the 
        preservation 
        of 
        the 
        Hebrews 
        as 
        a 
        distinct
race 
        is 
        providential, 
        and 
        not 
        accidental, 
        it 
        would 
        be 
        puerile 
        to 
        deny.
It 
        is 
        evident 
        that 
        the 
        history 
        of 
        the 
        world 
        is 
        concentrating 
        around 
        the
destiny 
        of 
        the 
        once 
        chosen 
        people. 
        The 
        dispensation 
        of 
        dispersion
is 
        nearing 
        its 
        end; 
        a 
        dispensation 
        of 
        gathering 
        is 
        clearly 
        percept-
ible among 
        the 
        various 
        races 
        of 
        the 
        earth. 
        All 
        are 
        being 
        sifted.
And 
        the 
        various 
        groups 
        are 
        being 
        knit 
        together. 
        The 
        general
tendency 
        is 
        toward 
        pan-Slavism, 
        pan-Germanism, 
        pan-Anglo-
Saxonism, 
        pan-Scandinavism, 
        pan-
        Hellenism, 
        pan-Latinism. 
        There
also 
        is 
        a 
        pan-Hebrewism, 
        which, 
        when 
        developed, 
        will 
        become
the 
        center 
        around 
        which 
        the 
        world's 
        families 
        of 
        nations 
        will 
        be
grouped. 
        The 
        world 
        is 
        being 
        remodelled, 
        for 
        the 
        time 
        when 
        "the
law 
        shall 
        go 
        forth 
        from 
        Zion, 
        and 
        the 
        word 
        of 
        the 
        Lord 
        from
Jerusalem." 
        That 
        is, 
        in 
        brief, 
        the 
        Hebrew 
        problem. 
        It 
        is 
        one 
        in
which 
        the 
        world 
        is 
        interested. 
        The 
        proper 
        solution 
        of 
        it 
        is 
        the
regeneration 
        of 
        all 
        the 
        institutions 
        that 
        go 
        to 
        make 
        up 
        society
and 
        governments.
A 
        glance 
        at 
        the 
        history 
        of 
        the 
        Hebrews, 
        their 
        past 
        and
present 
        struggles 
        and 
        achievements, 
        and 
        their 
        future 
        hopes, 
        is, 
        there-
fore, both 
        interesting 
        and 
        instructive.
There 
        are 
        at 
        present, 
        according 
        to 
        the 
        best 
        estimates, 
        almost
ten 
        million 
        four 
        hundred 
        thousand 
        Jews 
        in 
        the 
        world.     
        Of 
        these

<!-- page:351 -->

THE 
        JEW.
351
1,168,948 
        live 
        in 
        America, 
        mostly 
        in 
        the 
        United 
        States; 
        in 
        Europe
there 
        are 
        8,581,772; 
        in 
        Asia, 
        318,677; 
        in 
        Africa, 
        362,432; 
        and 
        in
Australasia, 
        17,040—
        a 
        total 
        of 
        10,448,869.
The 
        exact 
        distribution 
        of 
        the 
        race 
        is 
        by 
        Prof. 
        Richard 
        Gott-
heil, 
        in 
        The 
        World's 
        Work, 
        given 
        as 
        follows:
AMERICA.
United 
        States
        1,136,240
€anada
        16,432
Mexico
        1,000
Central 
        America
        2,300
Argentine 
        Republic
        7,015
DutchGuiana
        1,250
Venezuela 
        and 
        Costa 
        Rica. 
        711
Brazil
        2,000
Rest 
        of 
        South 
        America... 
        2,000
1,168,948
EUROPE.
Austria-Hungary
        1,994,378
Belgium
        12,000
Bosnia
        5,845
Bulgaria
        28,000
Denmark
        4,080
England, 
        etc
        179,000
France
        86,885
Germany
        586,948
Greece
        8,350
Holland
        103,988
Italy
        44,037
Luxumburg.
        1,200
Norway 
        and 
        Sweden
        3,402
Portugal
        700
Rou
        mania 
        (eastern)
        6,982
Roumania
        229,000
Russia
        5,189,401
Servia
        5,100
Spain 
        (with 
        Gibraltar)... 
        4,500
Switzerland
        12,551
Turkey
        75,295
Cyprus 
        and 
        Malta
        130
ASIA.
Palestine
        60,000
Causasus
        58,471
Siberia....
        34,477
Central 
        Asia
        12,729
Asia 
        Minor 
        and 
        Syria
        65,000
Persia
        35,000
India
        22,000
Arabia
        15,000
China 
        and 
        Japan
        2,000
Turkestan   
        and 
        Afghan-
istan  
        14,000
318,677
AFRICA.
Morocco
        150,000
Tunis
        45,000
Algeria
        57,132
Egypt
        25,300
Tripoli
        10,000
Abyssinia
        50,000
South 
        Africa
        25,000
AUSTRALASIA.
New 
        South 
        Wales.
Queensland
Tasmania
New 
        Zealand
Victoria
South 
        Australia 
        ...
West 
        Australia.....
8,581,772
The 
        same 
        author 
        says 
        regarding 
        their 
        occupations:
362,432
6,447
733
107
1,611
5,897
786
1,459
17,040
It 
        is 
        a 
        common 
        fallacy 
        to 
        think 
        that 
        the 
        well-to-do 
        Jews 
        are 
        all
bankers 
        or 
        merchants, 
        the 
        poor 
        Jews 
        all 
        small 
        traders 
        and 
        street 
        hawk-
ers.    That 
        very 
        many 
        do 
        earn 
        their 
        livelihood 
        in 
        this 
        manner 
        is 
        beyond

<!-- page:352 -->

352 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
all 
        cavil; 
        the 
        laws 
        and 
        usages 
        of 
        the 
        Middle-Ages 
        made 
        this 
        the 
        only
means 
        of 
        existence 
        for 
        them, 
        and 
        modern 
        legislation 
        in 
        eastern 
        Eu-
ropean countries 
        has 
        tended 
        to 
        conserve 
        inherited 
        customs. 
        But 
        this 
        is
only 
        a 
        part 
        of 
        the 
        truth. 
        Even 
        under 
        most 
        adverse 
        circumstances 
        the
Jews 
        have 
        gone 
        into 
        every 
        walk 
        of 
        life, 
        and 
        have 
        engaged 
        in 
        every 
        man-
ner of 
        work. 
        In 
        1893 
        the 
        number 
        of 
        Jewish 
        artizans 
        in 
        Russia 
        was
395,942. 
        In 
        Roumania 
        the 
        statistics 
        of 
        1892 
        show 
        that 
        there 
        were 
        at
least 
        18,015 
        Jewish 
        artizans, 
        making 
        up 
        with 
        their 
        families 
        a 
        round
100,000. 
        In 
        1S99 
        there 
        were 
        4,082 
        artizans 
        among 
        the 
        Jews 
        of 
        Algiers.
Still 
        more 
        interesting 
        is 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        Jewish 
        agriculturists 
        are 
        not 
        as
infrequently 
        met 
        with 
        as 
        supposed. 
        In 
        1899 
        in 
        Russia 
        there 
        were 
        278
Jewish 
        agricultural 
        colonies 
        with 
        a 
        population 
        of 
        63,223; 
        and 
        11,984
working 
        outside 
        the 
        colonies. 
        In 
        Palestine 
        there 
        are 
        4,450, 
        and 
        in 
        the
Argentine 
        Republic 
        4,885 
        Jewish 
        farmers. 
        .1
It 
        is 
        most 
        singular 
        to 
        contemplate 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        ever 
        since 
        the
overthrow 
        of 
        the 
        Jewish 
        polity 
        by 
        Nebuchadnezzar, 
        the 
        Jews 
        have
been 
        the 
        object 
        of 
        animosity 
        in 
        the 
        world. 
        Anti-Semitism 
        is 
        by
no 
        means 
        a 
        modern 
        sentiment. 
        Alexander 
        the 
        Great 
        and 
        his 
        suc-
sessors 
        encouraged 
        the 
        policy 
        of 
        dispersion, 
        and 
        Jewish 
        colonies
were 
        soon 
        found 
        in 
        the 
        larger 
        cities 
        of 
        Persia, 
        Asia 
        Minor 
        and
Egypt. 
        The 
        Roman 
        Caesars 
        followed 
        the 
        same 
        policy. 
        The 
        Jews
continued 
        to 
        disperse. 
        Thousands 
        of 
        them, 
        settled 
        in 
        Rome, 
        while
others 
        were 
        driven 
        out 
        to 
        the 
        conquered 
        provinces. 
        And 
        every-
where they 
        had 
        to 
        maintain 
        themselves 
        in 
        the 
        midst 
        of 
        opposition
that 
        sometimes 
        burst 
        forth 
        in 
        uncontrollable 
        flames 
        of 
        persecution.
More 
        than 
        once 
        they 
        were 
        banished 
        from 
        Rome. 
        Frequently 
        they
were 
        the 
        objects 
        of 
        the 
        ill 
        will 
        of 
        the 
        populace, 
        and 
        where 
        they
became 
        most 
        numerous, 
        they 
        were 
        hated 
        the 
        most. 
        They 
        were
compelled 
        by 
        this 
        very 
        fact 
        to 
        disperse. 
        Says 
        the 
        late 
        historian,
Mommsen:
How 
        numerous 
        even 
        in 
        Rome 
        the 
        Jewish 
        population 
        was 
        already 
        be-
fore Caesar's 
        time, 
        and 
        how 
        closely 
        at 
        the 
        same 
        time 
        the 
        Jews 
        even 
        then
kept 
        together 
        as 
        fellow-countrymen, 
        is 
        shown 
        by 
        the 
        remark 
        of 
        an
author 
        of 
        the 
        period 
        that 
        it 
        was 
        dangerous 
        for 
        a 
        governor 
        to 
        offend 
        the
Jews 
        in 
        his 
        province, 
        because 
        he 
        might 
        then 
        certainly 
        reckon 
        on 
        being
hissed 
        after 
        his 
        return 
        by 
        the 
        populace 
        of 
        the 
        capital. 
        Even 
        at 
        this 
        time
the 
        predominant 
        business 
        of 
        the 
        Jews 
        was 
        trade. 
        At 
        this 
        period, 
        too,
we 
        encounter 
        the 
        peculiar 
        antipathy 
        of 
        the 
        Occidentals 
        toward 
        this 
        so
thoroughly 
        Oriental 
        race 
        and 
        their 
        foreign 
        opinions 
        and 
        customs.     
        This

<!-- page:353 -->

THE 
        JEW. 
        353
Judaism, 
        though 
        not 
        the 
        most 
        pleasing 
        feature 
        in 
        the 
        nowhere 
        pleasing
picture 
        of 
        the 
        mixture 
        of 
        nations 
        which 
        then 
        prevailed, 
        was 
        neverthe-
less an 
        historical 
        element 
        developing 
        itself 
        in 
        the 
        natural 
        course 
        of
things 
        which 
        Caesar, 
        just 
        like 
        his 
        predecessor 
        Alexander, 
        fostered 
        as 
        far
as 
        possible. 
        *       
        * 
        They 
        did 
        not, 
        of 
        course, 
        contemplate
placing 
        the 
        Jewish 
        nationality 
        on 
        an 
        equal 
        footing 
        with 
        the 
        Hellenic 
        or
Italo-Hellenic.
But 
        the 
        Jew 
        who 
        has 
        not, 
        like 
        the 
        Occidental, 
        received 
        the 
        Pan-
dora's gift 
        of 
        political 
        organization, 
        and 
        stands 
        substantially 
        in 
        the 
        re-
lation of 
        indifference 
        to 
        the 
        state; 
        who, 
        moreover, 
        is 
        as 
        reluctant 
        to
give 
        up 
        his 
        sense 
        of 
        national 
        idiosyncrasy, 
        as 
        he 
        is 
        ready 
        to 
        clothe 
        it
with 
        any 
        nationality 
        at 
        pleasure 
        and 
        to 
        adapt 
        himself, 
        up 
        to 
        a 
        certain
degree, 
        to 
        foreign 
        habits
        —
        the 
        Jew 
        was, 
        for 
        this 
        very 
        reason, 
        as 
        it 
        were,
made 
        for 
        a 
        state 
        which 
        was 
        to 
        be 
        built 
        on 
        the 
        ruins 
        of 
        a 
        hundred 
        living
polities, 
        and 
        to 
        be 
        endowed 
        with 
        a 
        somewhat 
        abstract, 
        and, 
        from 
        the
very 
        outset, 
        weakened 
        nationality. 
        In 
        the 
        ancient 
        world 
        also 
        Judaism
was 
        an 
        effective 
        leaven 
        of 
        cosmopolitanism 
        and 
        of 
        national 
        decompo-
sition.
With 
        the 
        advent 
        of 
        Moslem 
        influence, 
        the 
        position 
        of 
        the 
        Jew
became, 
        if 
        possible, 
        less 
        tolerable 
        than 
        before. 
        The 
        Mohamme-
dans despoiled 
        them 
        most 
        unmercifully. 
        During 
        the 
        eighth 
        and
ninth 
        centuries 
        they 
        evidently 
        were 
        crowded 
        northward 
        in 
        great
numbers, 
        for 
        tradition 
        has 
        it 
        that 
        they 
        became 
        so 
        numerous 
        and 
        in-
fluential in 
        Russia 
        that 
        the 
        question 
        of 
        adopting 
        Judaism 
        as 
        the
national 
        religion 
        was 
        seriously 
        considered 
        by 
        the 
        Muscovites. 
        But
this 
        was 
        not 
        to 
        be.
So-called 
        Christian 
        rule 
        has 
        been 
        most 
        cruel 
        toward 
        the
Hebrews. 
        When 
        the 
        Christians 
        became 
        predominant 
        in 
        Constan-
tine's 
        empire, 
        laws 
        were 
        made 
        that 
        closed 
        all 
        offices 
        to 
        the 
        Jews,
and 
        prohibited 
        the 
        erection 
        of 
        synagogues. 
        During 
        the 
        reign 
        of
Charlemagne, 
        the 
        state 
        rather 
        protected 
        Jews, 
        but 
        the 
        church 
        be-
came a 
        bitter 
        persecutor. 
        This 
        sentiment 
        finally 
        prevailed 
        in 
        the
state, 
        too, 
        and 
        Shakespeare's 
        Shylock 
        became 
        the 
        image 
        of 
        the 
        Jew,
impressed 
        upon 
        the 
        public 
        mind. 
        In 
        the 
        thirteenth 
        century, 
        Jews
in 
        Europe 
        were 
        compelled 
        to 
        wear 
        a 
        yellow 
        badge. 
        They 
        were
shunned 
        as 
        lepers, 
        and 
        had 
        to 
        live 
        in 
        Judengassen. 
        As 
        for 
        busi-
ness, they 
        were 
        confined 
        to 
        the 
        second-hand 
        clothes 
        stores. 
        Even
upon 
        their 
        marriage, 
        restrictions 
        were 
        placed 
        designed 
        to 
        check
the 
        growth 
        of 
        the 
        race.    
        Often 
        they 
        suffered 
        at 
        the 
        hands 
        of 
        the

<!-- page:354 -->

354 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
mob. 
        But 
        they 
        grew, 
        notwithstanding 
        all, 
        in 
        numbers 
        and 
        influ-
ence, and 
        they 
        became 
        the 
        great 
        money-lenders 
        of 
        the 
        western
world. 
        But 
        the 
        hatred 
        against 
        them 
        also 
        grew 
        in 
        intensity, 
        with
the 
        growth 
        of 
        their 
        prosperity. 
        Sometimes 
        they 
        were 
        swept 
        away
as 
        by 
        a 
        cyclone 
        of 
        persecution; 
        now 
        from 
        one 
        country, 
        and 
        then
from 
        another. 
        Thus 
        in 
        1290, 
        A. 
        D., 
        England 
        drove 
        out 
        the 
        Jews
by 
        decree. 
        They 
        were 
        not 
        readmitted 
        till 
        the 
        time 
        of 
        Cromwell.
France 
        followed 
        England's 
        example 
        in 
        1395, 
        A. 
        D. 
        Spain 
        deported
them 
        in 
        1492, 
        A. 
        D., 
        and 
        Portugal 
        rid 
        herself 
        of 
        them 
        in 
        1495,
A. 
        D. 
        These 
        exiles 
        found 
        their 
        way 
        to 
        Germany, 
        Austria, 
        Poland
and 
        the 
        adjoining 
        countries. 
        The 
        sentiment 
        against 
        the 
        race 
        has
been 
        perpetuated 
        to 
        our 
        present 
        time, 
        notwithstanding 
        the 
        revolu-
tions fought 
        for 
        "liberty, 
        equality, 
        and 
        fraternity." 
        The 
        outrages
at 
        Kishineff, 
        the 
        persecutions 
        in 
        the 
        Balkan 
        states, 
        the 
        French 
        anti-
Dreyfus 
        agitation, 
        and 
        numerous 
        other 
        recent 
        incidents, 
        are 
        fresh
in 
        memory. 
        They 
        all 
        prove 
        that 
        anti-Semitism 
        is 
        by 
        no 
        means
dead.
It 
        is 
        remarkable 
        that 
        this 
        sentiment 
        should 
        be 
        chronic 
        to
every 
        age. 
        It 
        is 
        not 
        because 
        the 
        Jews 
        are 
        morally, 
        or 
        intellectu-
ally inferior 
        to 
        any 
        other 
        people. 
        The 
        Jews 
        have, 
        on 
        the 
        contrary,
a 
        brilliant 
        record 
        in 
        history. 
        They 
        have 
        dictated 
        the 
        policy 
        of
continents. 
        They 
        have 
        wrested 
        from 
        nature 
        some 
        of 
        her 
        most
precious 
        secrets. 
        They 
        have 
        thrilled 
        the 
        hearts 
        of 
        man 
        by 
        song,
mu-ic, 
        and 
        oratory. 
        They 
        have 
        held 
        audiences 
        spell-bound 
        while
interpreting 
        human 
        emotions, 
        upon 
        the 
        stage.
If 
        we 
        turn 
        the 
        leaves 
        of 
        history, 
        we 
        cannot 
        fail 
        to 
        notice
Judas 
        MacabaBus, 
        the 
        notable 
        patriot 
        and 
        soldier; 
        Josephus, 
        the 
        calm
and 
        lucid 
        historian; 
        Disraeli, 
        the 
        creator 
        of 
        an 
        empire; 
        Rothschild,
the 
        true 
        Napoleon 
        of 
        finance; 
        Moses 
        Montefiore, 
        the 
        philanthropist,
Elisa, 
        Rachel, 
        and 
        Sarah 
        Bernhardt, 
        the 
        actresses; 
        Sonnenthal, 
        the
dramatist; 
        Heinrich 
        Heine, 
        the 
        poet 
        and 
        pupil 
        of 
        Schlegel; 
        Israel
Zangwill, 
        the 
        author; 
        Lombroso 
        and 
        Nordau, 
        the 
        students 
        of 
        the
secret 
        causes 
        of 
        crime; 
        Mendelssohn, 
        the 
        musical 
        genius. 
        These
are 
        only 
        a 
        few 
        representative 
        Jews. 
        We 
        have 
        not 
        mentioned 
        in
this 
        connection 
        the 
        law-givers, 
        poets, 
        heroes, 
        prophets, 
        seers,
apostles 
        of 
        sacred 
        history; 
        nor 
        the 
        infinitely 
        greatest 
        of 
        all, 
        the
Captain 
        of 
        our 
        Salvation. 
        Profane 
        history 
        and 
        the 
        present 
        day
record, 
        furnish 
        a 
        cloud 
        of 
        witnesses 
        to 
        the 
        great  
        fact 
        that  
        the

<!-- page:355 -->

THE 
        JEW. 
        355
Jewish 
        race 
        is 
        still 
        capable 
        of 
        the 
        leadership 
        among 
        the 
        nations 
        of
the 
        earth. 
        Throughout 
        these 
        long 
        centuries 
        they 
        present 
        to 
        the
wondering 
        world 
        the 
        picture 
        of 
        the 
        triumph 
        of 
        intellect 
        over 
        the
most 
        adverse 
        circumstances.    
        Why, 
        then, 
        the 
        hatred?
Only 
        one 
        answer 
        is 
        really 
        possible 
        to 
        this 
        question. 
        It 
        is
providential. 
        In 
        the 
        first 
        place, 
        persecution 
        has 
        been 
        the 
        means 
        of
preserving 
        their 
        nationality 
        and 
        their 
        religion. 
        In 
        Russia, 
        in
Roumania, 
        and 
        in 
        other 
        places 
        where 
        they 
        are 
        . 
        ostracized 
        and
driven 
        from 
        pillar 
        to 
        post, 
        they 
        keep 
        the 
        traditions 
        of 
        their 
        fathers
more 
        scrupulously 
        than 
        elsewhere. 
        They 
        are 
        more 
        particular
about 
        the 
        observance 
        of 
        the 
        Sabbath, 
        their 
        prayers, 
        etc. 
        In 
        this
country, 
        where 
        they 
        have 
        full 
        liberty, 
        there 
        is 
        more 
        carelessness
about 
        religious 
        matters. 
        The 
        tendency 
        is 
        strong 
        to 
        amalgamation
with 
        gentiles. 
        Persecution 
        seems 
        to 
        have 
        been 
        necessary 
        for 
        the
preservation 
        of 
        the 
        race 
        in 
        the 
        midst 
        of 
        the 
        nations 
        of 
        the 
        earth. 
        It
has 
        certainly 
        also 
        had 
        the 
        effect 
        of 
        strengthening 
        the 
        Jews, 
        as 
        a 
        peo-
ple, for 
        the 
        role 
        they 
        are 
        still 
        to 
        play 
        in 
        the 
        world. 
        And 
        this 
        role
is 
        indicated 
        by 
        the 
        author 
        of 
        the 
        Epistle 
        to 
        the 
        Romans, 
        in 
        the 
        fol-
lowing well 
        known 
        question: 
        "For 
        if 
        the 
        casting 
        away 
        of 
        them 
        is
the 
        reconciling 
        of 
        the 
        world, 
        what 
        shall 
        the 
        receiving 
        of 
        them 
        be,
but 
        life 
        from 
        the 
        dead?"
And 
        this 
        leads 
        us 
        to 
        a 
        brief 
        contemplation 
        of 
        the 
        future 
        of
this 
        people. 
        Nothing 
        is 
        more 
        certain 
        than 
        this, 
        that 
        they, 
        accord-
ing to 
        divine 
        word, 
        are 
        to 
        be 
        gathered 
        and 
        given 
        a 
        standing 
        as 
        a
nation, 
        with 
        their 
        own 
        country 
        and 
        government, 
        and 
        with 
        a 
        peculiar
mission 
        full 
        of 
        power 
        and 
        glory.
Joel, 
        one 
        of 
        the 
        most 
        ancient 
        and 
        highly 
        revered 
        prophets 
        of
the 
        Hebrew 
        dispensation, 
        closes 
        his 
        prophetic 
        writing 
        with 
        this
positive 
        declaration 
        of 
        a 
        final 
        restoration 
        of 
        the 
        Jews 
        and 
        their
country:
And 
        it 
        shall 
        come 
        to 
        pass 
        in 
        that 
        day, 
        that 
        the 
        mountains 
        shall
drop 
        down 
        new 
        wine, 
        and 
        the 
        hills 
        shall 
        flow 
        with 
        milk, 
        and 
        all 
        the
rivers 
        of 
        Judah 
        shall 
        flow 
        with 
        waters, 
        and 
        a 
        fountain 
        shall 
        come
forth 
        of 
        the 
        house 
        of 
        the 
        Lord, 
        and 
        shall 
        water 
        the 
        valley 
        of 
        Shittim.
Egypt 
        shall 
        be 
        a 
        desolation, 
        and 
        Edom 
        shall 
        be 
        a 
        desolate 
        wilderness, 
        for
the 
        violence 
        against 
        the 
        children 
        of 
        Judah, 
        because 
        they 
        have 
        shed 
        in-
nocent blood  
        in  
        their 
        land.     
        But 
        Judah 
        shall 
        dwell 
        forever, 
        and 
        Jeru-

<!-- page:356 -->

356 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
salem 
        from 
        generation 
        to 
        generation.     
        For  
        I  
        will  
        cleanse 
        their 
        blood
that 
        I 
        have 
        not 
        cleansed: 
        for 
        the 
        Lord 
        dwelleth 
        in 
        Zion 
        (Joel 
        3: 
        18-21).
Amos, 
        another 
        of 
        the 
        most 
        ancient 
        of 
        the 
        Hebrew 
        seers, 
        an-
nounces divine 
        judgments 
        upon 
        the 
        states 
        surrounding 
        Judea, 
        and
against 
        the 
        two 
        divisions 
        into 
        which 
        the 
        Hebrews 
        fell 
        after 
        the
reign 
        of 
        Solomon. 
        He 
        warns 
        them 
        of 
        the 
        calamity 
        about 
        to 
        over-
take them 
        through 
        the 
        invasion 
        of 
        the 
        Assyrians, 
        but 
        beyond 
        this
destruction 
        he 
        sees 
        future 
        restoration 
        to 
        glory. 
        After 
        the 
        people
have 
        been 
        sifted 
        among 
        the 
        nations 
        of 
        the 
        earth, 
        they 
        will 
        be 
        again
raised 
        to 
        more 
        than 
        former 
        glory. 
        This 
        is 
        the 
        burden 
        of 
        his
prophecies.    
        He 
        concludes 
        as 
        follows:
And 
        I 
        will 
        bring 
        again 
        the 
        captivity 
        of 
        my 
        people 
        of 
        Israel, 
        and
they 
        shall 
        build 
        the 
        waste 
        cities, 
        and 
        inhabit 
        them; 
        and 
        they 
        shall 
        plant
vineyards, 
        and 
        drink 
        the 
        wine 
        thereof; 
        they 
        shall 
        also 
        make 
        gardens, 
        and
eat 
        the 
        fruit 
        of 
        them. 
        And 
        I 
        will 
        plant 
        them 
        upon 
        their 
        land, 
        and 
        they
shall 
        no 
        more 
        be 
        pulled 
        up 
        out 
        of 
        their 
        land 
        which 
        I 
        have 
        given 
        themr
saith 
        the 
        Lord 
        thy 
        God 
        (Amos 
        9: 
        14, 
        15).
The 
        Prophet 
        Hosea, 
        a 
        contemporary 
        of 
        Amos 
        and 
        an 
        Israelite
by 
        birth, 
        speaks 
        more 
        particularly 
        about 
        the 
        dispersion 
        and 
        final
conversion 
        and 
        re-establishment 
        of 
        the 
        so-called 
        ten 
        tribes. 
        Here
are 
        some 
        of 
        his 
        remarkable 
        predictions 
        delivered 
        more 
        than 
        seven
centuries 
        before 
        Christ:
For 
        the 
        children 
        of 
        Israel 
        shall 
        abide 
        many 
        days 
        without 
        a 
        king,
and 
        without 
        a 
        prince, 
        and 
        without 
        a 
        sacrifice, 
        and 
        without 
        an 
        image,
and 
        without 
        an 
        ephod, 
        and 
        without 
        teraphim. 
        Afterward 
        shall 
        the 
        chil-
dren of 
        Israel 
        return, 
        and 
        seek 
        the 
        Lord 
        their 
        God, 
        and 
        David, 
        their
king; 
        and 
        shall 
        fear 
        the 
        Lord 
        and 
        his 
        goodness 
        in 
        the 
        latter 
        days 
        (Hosea
3: 
        4, 
        5).
The 
        ephod 
        here 
        spoken 
        of 
        was 
        an 
        article 
        of 
        dress 
        belonging 
        to
the 
        uniform 
        of 
        the 
        Hebrew 
        priest. 
        It 
        was 
        made 
        of 
        linen, 
        and 
        the
ephod 
        of 
        the 
        chief 
        priest 
        was 
        embroidered 
        with 
        various 
        colors.
One 
        part 
        of 
        this 
        dress 
        covered 
        the 
        breast, 
        while 
        the 
        other 
        fell
over 
        the 
        back, 
        and 
        the 
        two 
        parts 
        were 
        clasped 
        together 
        upon 
        the
shoulders 
        with 
        large 
        gems, 
        upon 
        which 
        were 
        engraved 
        the 
        names
of 
        the 
        twelve 
        tribes. 
        It 
        was 
        further 
        fastened 
        with 
        a 
        girdle 
        of
"gold, 
        blue, 
        purple, 
        scarlet, 
        and 
        fine 
        twined 
        linen." 
        The 
        teraphim
were 
        most 
        probably 
        images 
        to 
        which  
        the 
        people 
        paid 
        superstitious

<!-- page:357 -->

THE 
        JEW. 
        357
reverence 
        in  
        their 
        homes.    
        The 
        prediction, 
        therefore, 
        was 
        that
Israel 
        shocld 
        be 
        scattered 
        for 
        many 
        days, 
        for 
        a 
        long 
        time, 
        and 
        be
deprived 
        . 
        of  
        both  
        public  
        and   
        private 
        worship.      
        Not 
        forever,
though.    
        Only 
        for 
        "many 
        days."
The 
        same 
        prophet 
        declares:
Then 
        shall 
        the 
        children 
        of 
        Judah 
        and 
        the 
        children 
        of 
        Israel 
        be 
        gath-
ered together, 
        and 
        appoint 
        themselves 
        one 
        head, 
        and 
        they 
        shall 
        come 
        up
out 
        of 
        the 
        land: 
        for 
        great 
        shall 
        be 
        the 
        day 
        of 
        Jezreel 
        (Hosea 
        1: 
        11).
The 
        Prophet 
        Isaiah 
        speaks 
        in 
        the 
        same 
        strain:
Break 
        forth 
        into 
        joy, 
        sing 
        together, 
        ye 
        waste 
        places 
        of 
        Jerusalem:
for 
        God 
        hath 
        comforted 
        his 
        people, 
        he 
        hath 
        redeemed 
        Jerusalem 
        (Isaiah
52: 
        9.)
For 
        Zion's 
        sake 
        will 
        I 
        not 
        hold 
        my 
        peace, 
        and 
        for 
        Jerusalem's 
        sake 
        I
will 
        not 
        rest, 
        until 
        the 
        righteousness 
        thereof 
        go 
        forth 
        as 
        brightness, 
        and
the 
        salvation 
        thereof 
        as 
        a 
        lamp 
        that 
        burneth 
        (Isaiah 
        62: 
        1.)
Thou 
        shalt 
        no 
        more 
        be 
        termed 
        Forsaken; 
        neither 
        shall 
        thy 
        land 
        any
more 
        be 
        termed 
        Desolate: 
        but 
        thou 
        shalt 
        be 
        called 
        Hephzi-bah 
        [my 
        de-
light is 
        in 
        her], 
        and 
        thy 
        land 
        Beulah 
        [married, 
        indicating 
        union 
        between
God 
        and 
        his 
        people]: 
        for 
        the 
        Lord 
        delighteth 
        in 
        thee, 
        and 
        thy 
        land 
        shall
be 
        married 
        (Isaiah 
        62: 
        4.   
        See 
        also 
        chapters 
        65 
        and 
        66).
The 
        Prophet 
        Micah 
        declares,referring 
        to 
        the 
        exaltation 
        of 
        the
people 
        of 
        God 
        in 
        the 
        latter-days:
In 
        that 
        day, 
        saith 
        the 
        Lord, 
        will 
        I 
        assemble 
        her 
        that 
        halteth, 
        and 
        I
will 
        gather 
        her 
        that 
        is 
        driven 
        out, 
        and 
        her 
        that 
        I 
        have 
        afflicted; 
        and 
        I
will 
        make 
        her 
        that 
        halted 
        a 
        remnant, 
        and 
        her 
        that 
        was 
        cast 
        off 
        a 
        strong
nation: 
        and 
        the 
        Lord 
        shall 
        reign 
        over 
        them 
        in 
        Mount 
        Zion 
        from 
        hence-
forth, even 
        forever. 
        (Micah 
        4: 
        6, 
        7).
The 
        Prophet 
        Daniel, 
        speaking 
        of 
        the 
        last 
        days, 
        says
        :
And 
        at 
        that 
        time 
        shall 
        Michael 
        stand 
        up, 
        the 
        great 
        prince 
        which
standeth 
        for 
        the 
        children 
        of 
        thy 
        people: 
        and 
        there 
        shall 
        be 
        a 
        time 
        of
trouble, 
        such 
        as 
        never 
        was 
        since 
        there 
        was 
        a 
        nation 
        even 
        to 
        that 
        same
time: 
        and 
        at 
        that 
        time 
        thy 
        people 
        shall 
        be 
        delivered, 
        every 
        one 
        that 
        shall
be 
        found 
        written 
        in 
        the 
        book 
        (Dan. 
        12: 
        1).
Scores 
        of 
        scripture 
        passages 
        might 
        be 
        quoted. 
        The 
        Bible
student 
        may 
        be 
        referred 
        to 
        the 
        following, 
        which 
        should 
        be 
        read
with 
        their 
        context:

<!-- page:358 -->

358 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
1. 
        Concerning 
        the 
        gathering 
        of 
        the 
        Hebrew 
        race. 
        Isa. 
        11: 
        11; 
        27:
12, 
        13; 
        43: 
        5, 
        6; 
        49: 
        11, 
        12; 
        Zeph. 
        3: 
        10; 
        Zech. 
        8: 
        7, 
        8; 
        10: 
        8-10.
2. 
        This 
        gathering 
        precedes 
        the 
        acceptance 
        of 
        Jesus 
        as 
        the 
        king 
        of
the 
        earth: 
        Isa. 
        1: 
        26; 
        60: 
        70; 
        Jer.23: 
        4; 
        30: 
        8, 
        9, 
        21; 
        Ezek. 
        34: 
        23, 
        24;
37: 
        24, 
        25; 
        Obad. 
        21; 
        Zech. 
        14: 
        5, 
        9; 
        Ps. 
        22: 
        27, 
        28.
3. 
        Further 
        prophetic 
        declarations 
        are 
        to 
        the 
        effect 
        that 
        the 
        Jews
restored 
        will 
        be 
        prosperous, 
        and 
        be 
        a 
        blessing 
        to 
        all 
        the 
        earth. 
        Palestine
shall 
        become 
        exceedingly 
        fertile, 
        and 
        Jerusalem 
        shall 
        flourish. 
        Before
this, 
        however, 
        there 
        will 
        be 
        wars 
        and 
        desolation. 
        Isa. 
        34; 
        Joel 
        3: 
        1-10;
Zeph. 
        3: 
        8, 
        9. 
        Ezek. 
        28: 
        25, 
        26; 
        Hag. 
        2: 
        21-23; 
        Jer. 
        30: 
        7-10; 
        II 
        Chron.
15: 
        3-7.
In 
        view 
        of 
        these 
        prophecies, 
        the 
        movement 
        that 
        has
occupied 
        the 
        attention 
        of 
        many 
        Jews 
        the 
        last 
        few 
        years,
and 
        which 
        is 
        known 
        as 
        Zionism, 
        becomes 
        exceedingly 
        important.
No 
        matter 
        how 
        we 
        view 
        it, 
        whether 
        we 
        consider 
        it 
        a 
        beautiful
dream 
        or 
        a 
        practical 
        scheme, 
        it 
        is 
        the 
        most 
        remarkable 
        Jewish
movement 
        of 
        the 
        age. 
        It 
        must 
        be 
        reckoned 
        with. 
        And 
        perhaps
it 
        is 
        not, 
        after 
        all, 
        more 
        impossible 
        than 
        was 
        the 
        exodus 
        from
Egypt.
The 
        chief 
        leader 
        of 
        this 
        movement 
        is 
        Theodore 
        Herzl, 
        of
Vienna. 
        M. 
        Herzl 
        sprang 
        into 
        prominence 
        from 
        the 
        humble 
        posi-
tion of 
        an 
        obscure 
        journalist, 
        by 
        publishing 
        a 
        little 
        book, 
        Die
Judenstaat, 
        in 
        which 
        Zionism 
        was 
        outlined. 
        No 
        better 
        idea 
        of 
        this
modern 
        Moses, 
        as 
        he 
        has 
        been 
        called, 
        can 
        be 
        given, 
        than 
        by 
        his
own 
        autobiography, 
        in 
        which 
        he 
        says 
        in 
        part:
I 
        was 
        born 
        in 
        1860, 
        in 
        Budapest, 
        in 
        a 
        house 
        next 
        to 
        the 
        synagogue,
where 
        lately 
        Rabbi
        denounced 
        me 
        from 
        the 
        pulpit 
        in 
        very 
        strong
terms, 
        because 
        forsooth 
        I 
        am 
        trying 
        to 
        obtain 
        for 
        the 
        Jews 
        more 
        honor
and 
        freedom 
        than 
        they 
        enjoy 
        at 
        present. 
        On 
        the 
        front 
        door 
        of 
        the 
        house
in 
        the 
        Tabakgasse, 
        where 
        I 
        first 
        saw 
        the 
        light 
        of 
        (his 
        world, 
        twenty
years 
        hence 
        a 
        notice 
        will 
        be 
        posted 
        up, 
        with 
        the 
        words, 
        "This 
        house
to 
        let."
I 
        cannot 
        deny 
        that 
        I 
        went 
        to 
        school. 
        First 
        of 
        all 
        I 
        was 
        sent 
        to 
        a
Jewish 
        preparatory 
        school, 
        where 
        I 
        enjoyed 
        a 
        certain 
        authority 
        because
my 
        father 
        was 
        a 
        wealthy 
        merchant. 
        My 
        earliest 
        recollection 
        of 
        that
school 
        consists 
        of 
        a 
        caning 
        which 
        I 
        received 
        from 
        the 
        master 
        because 
        I
did 
        not 
        know 
        the 
        details 
        of 
        the 
        exodus 
        of 
        the 
        Jews 
        from 
        Egypt. 
        At 
        the
present 
        time 
        a 
        great 
        many 
        schoolmasters 
        want 
        to 
        give 
        me 
        a 
        caning
because 
        I 
        recollect 
        too 
        much 
        of 
        the 
        exodus 
        of 
        Egypt.

<!-- page:359 -->

THE 
        JEW. 
        359
At 
        the 
        age 
        of 
        ten 
        I 
        went 
        to 
        the 
        Realschule. 
        Lesseps 
        was 
        then 
        the
hero 
        of 
        the 
        hour, 
        and 
        I 
        had 
        conceived 
        the 
        idea 
        of 
        piercing 
        the 
        other
isthmus, 
        that 
        of 
        Panama. 
        But 
        I 
        soon 
        lost 
        all 
        my 
        former 
        love 
        for 
        log-
arithms and 
        trigonometry, 
        because 
        at 
        that 
        time 
        a 
        very 
        pronounced 
        anti-
Jewish 
        tendency 
        prevailed 
        at 
        the 
        Realschule. 
        One 
        of 
        our 
        masters
explained 
        to 
        our 
        class 
        the 
        meaning 
        of 
        the 
        word 
        "heathen" 
        by 
        saying,
'"To 
        that 
        class 
        belong 
        the 
        idolators, 
        Mohammedans 
        and 
        Jews." 
        After
this 
        peculiar 
        definition 
        I 
        had 
        enough 
        of 
        the 
        "Realschule," 
        and 
        wanted 
        to
become 
        a 
        classical 
        scholar. 
        My 
        good 
        father 
        never 
        constrained 
        me 
        into
a 
        narrow 
        groove 
        for 
        my 
        studies, 
        and 
        I 
        became 
        a 
        pupil 
        of 
        the 
        gym-
nasium.
But 
        for 
        all 
        that, 
        I 
        had 
        not 
        yet 
        quite 
        done 
        with 
        Panama. 
        Many 
        years
later, 
        as 
        the 
        Paris 
        correspondent 
        of 
        the 
        Neue 
        Freie 
        Presse, 
        it 
        became 
        my 
        duty
to 
        write 
        about 
        the 
        notorious 
        incidents 
        of 
        that 
        scandalous 
        episode 
        in 
        the
history 
        of 
        France. 
        At 
        the 
        gymnasium 
        which 
        was 
        called 
        the 
        Evangelisches
Gymnasium, 
        the 
        Jewish 
        boys 
        formed 
        the 
        majority, 
        and 
        therefore 
        we
had 
        not 
        to 
        complain 
        of 
        any 
        "Judenhetze." 
        In 
        the 
        upper 
        seventh 
        I 
        wrote
my 
        first 
        newspaper 
        article
        —
        of 
        course, 
        anonymously, 
        otherwise 
        I 
        would
have 
        been 
        kept 
        in 
        by 
        the 
        headmaster.
While 
        in 
        the 
        highest 
        class 
        in 
        the 
        gymnasium, 
        my 
        only 
        sister 
        died,
a 
        girl 
        of 
        eighteen: 
        my 
        good 
        mother 
        became 
        so 
        melancholy 
        with 
        grief
that 
        we 
        removed 
        to 
        Vienna 
        in 
        1878.
During 
        the 
        "shiva" 
        week 
        (week 
        of 
        mourning) 
        Rabbi 
        Kohn 
        called 
        on
us 
        and 
        asked 
        me 
        what 
        were 
        my 
        plans 
        for 
        the 
        future. 
        I 
        told 
        him 
        that 
        I
intended 
        to 
        become 
        an 
        author 
        (ein 
        Schriftsteller), 
        whereupon 
        the 
        rabbi
shook 
        his 
        head.
In 
        Vienna 
        I 
        studied 
        law, 
        took 
        part 
        in 
        the 
        stupid 
        students' 
        farces,
including 
        the 
        wearing 
        of 
        a 
        colored 
        cap 
        of 
        a 
        "verbindung"' 
        until 
        this 
        as-
sociation one 
        fine 
        morning 
        passed 
        a 
        resolution 
        that 
        no 
        Jews 
        should
henceforth 
        be 
        received 
        as 
        members. 
        Those 
        who 
        were 
        members 
        already
they 
        kindly 
        permitted 
        to 
        remain 
        in 
        the 
        "verbindung."
I 
        said 
        goodby 
        to 
        these 
        noble 
        youth 
        and 
        began 
        to 
        devote 
        myself
seriously 
        to 
        work.
In 
        1884, 
        I 
        took 
        my 
        degree 
        as 
        doctor 
        juris 
        and 
        entered 
        the 
        Gerichts
Praxis 
        (an 
        unsalaried 
        appointment 
        in 
        the 
        law 
        courts 
        as 
        a 
        judicial 
        clerk
under 
        the 
        supervision 
        of 
        a 
        judge).
I 
        held 
        this 
        appointment 
        in 
        the 
        law 
        courts 
        of 
        Vienna 
        as 
        well 
        as 
        in
Salzburg. 
        In 
        Salzburg 
        the 
        work 
        seemed 
        to 
        be 
        much 
        more 
        attractive,
the 
        scenery 
        in 
        and 
        around 
        the 
        town 
        being 
        most 
        beautiful. 
        My 
        office
was 
        in 
        an 
        old 
        castellated 
        tower, 
        just 
        under 
        the 
        belfry; 
        the 
        chimes
sounded 
        sweetly 
        pretty 
        to 
        me 
        three 
        times 
        every 
        day.

<!-- page:360 -->

360 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA
Of 
        course 
        I 
        wrote 
        much 
        more 
        for 
        the 
        theatres 
        than 
        for 
        the 
        law 
        courts.
In 
        Salzburg 
        I 
        spent 
        some 
        of 
        the 
        happiest 
        hours 
        of 
        my 
        life. 
        I 
        would 
        have
liked 
        to 
        stay 
        there 
        in 
        the 
        beautiful 
        town, 
        but, 
        as 
        a 
        Jew, 
        I 
        could 
        never
have 
        advanced 
        to 
        the 
        position 
        of 
        a 
        judge. 
        I 
        therefore 
        bade 
        goodby 
        to
Salzburg 
        and 
        law 
        business 
        at 
        the 
        same 
        time. 
        Again 
        I 
        caused 
        a 
        great 
        deal
of 
        worry 
        to 
        the 
        rabbi 
        in 
        Budapest, 
        for 
        instead 
        of 
        going 
        in 
        for 
        a 
        real
profession 
        or 
        for 
        an 
        art, 
        I 
        began 
        to 
        travel 
        and 
        to 
        write 
        for 
        newspapers
and 
        for 
        the 
        theatre. 
        A 
        great 
        many 
        of 
        my 
        plays 
        were 
        performed 
        at
different 
        theatres, 
        some 
        with 
        great 
        applause, 
        others 
        fell 
        flat. 
        Until 
        this
minute 
        I 
        cannot 
        understand 
        why 
        some 
        of 
        my 
        plays 
        met 
        with 
        success
while 
        others 
        were 
        hissed 
        off 
        the 
        stage. 
        However, 
        this 
        difference 
        of 
        the
receptions 
        of 
        my 
        plays 
        taught 
        me 
        to 
        disregard 
        altogether 
        whether 
        the
public 
        applauded 
        or 
        hissed 
        my 
        work. 
        One's 
        own 
        conscience 
        must 
        be
satisfied 
        with 
        one's 
        work, 
        all 
        the 
        rest 
        is 
        immaterial. 
        I 
        disown 
        at 
        present
all 
        my 
        plays, 
        even 
        those 
        which 
        are 
        still 
        applauded 
        at 
        the 
        Burgtheater
(Imperial 
        Court 
        Theatre 
        in 
        Vienna). 
        I 
        don't 
        care 
        any 
        longer 
        for 
        any
of 
        them.
In 
        1889,
        1 
        married. 
        I 
        have 
        three 
        children, 
        a 
        boy 
        and 
        two 
        girls. 
        In
my 
        opinion 
        my 
        children 
        are 
        neither 
        ugly 
        nor 
        stupid. 
        But 
        of 
        course
I 
        may 
        be 
        mistaken.
While 
        traveling 
        in 
        Spain, 
        in 
        the 
        year 
        1891, 
        the 
        Neue 
        Freie 
        Presse
made 
        me 
        the 
        offer 
        to 
        become 
        its 
        correspondent 
        in 
        Paris. 
        I 
        accepted 
        this
position, 
        though 
        I 
        detested 
        and 
        despised 
        politics 
        up 
        to 
        that 
        time. 
        In
Paris 
        I 
        had 
        occasion 
        to 
        learn 
        what 
        the 
        word 
        politics 
        means, 
        and 
        I 
        ex-
pressed my 
        views 
        in 
        a 
        little 
        book, 
        "The 
        Palais 
        Burbon." 
        In 
        1895, 
        I 
        had
quite 
        enough 
        of 
        Paris 
        and 
        returned 
        to 
        Vienna.
During 
        the 
        last 
        two 
        months 
        of 
        my 
        residence 
        in 
        Paris, 
        I 
        wrote 
        the
book, 
        "The 
        Jewish 
        State," 
        to 
        which 
        I 
        owe 
        the 
        honor 
        of 
        having 
        been 
        asked
by 
        you 
        for 
        some 
        biographical 
        data 
        of 
        my 
        humble 
        person.
The 
        story 
        of 
        the 
        book 
        that 
        became 
        the 
        beginning 
        of 
        modern
Zionism 
        is 
        particularly 
        interesting,    
        M. 
        Herzl 
        says:
I 
        do 
        not 
        recollect 
        ever 
        having 
        written 
        anything 
        in 
        such 
        an 
        elevated
frame 
        of 
        mind 
        as 
        that 
        book. 
        Heine 
        says 
        that 
        he 
        heard 
        the 
        wings
of 
        an 
        eagle 
        beat 
        over 
        his 
        head 
        while 
        writing 
        certain 
        verses. 
        I
do 
        believe 
        that 
        "something 
        also 
        beat" 
        above 
        my 
        head, 
        while 
        I 
        wrote
that 
        book. 
        I 
        worked 
        at 
        it 
        every 
        day 
        until 
        I 
        was 
        completely 
        exhausted;
my 
        only 
        relaxation 
        in 
        the 
        evening 
        consisted 
        in 
        listening 
        to 
        Wagner's
music, 
        more 
        especially 
        to 
        "Tanhauser," 
        which 
        opera 
        I 
        went 
        to 
        hear 
        as
often 
        as 
        it 
        was 
        performed. 
        Only 
        on 
        those 
        evenings 
        when 
        there 
        at
the 
        opera 
        I 
        felt 
        doubts 
        about 
        the 
        correctness 
        of 
        my 
        thoughts. 
        •

<!-- page:361 -->

THE 
        JEW. 
        361
At 
        first 
        I 
        had 
        conceived 
        the 
        idea 
        to 
        write 
        my 
        pamphlet 
        concerning
the 
        solution 
        of 
        the 
        Jewish 
        question 
        for 
        private 
        circulation 
        only 
        among
my 
        friends. 
        The 
        publication 
        of 
        these 
        views 
        did 
        not 
        enter 
        into 
        my 
        plan
until 
        later. 
        I 
        did 
        not 
        intend 
        to 
        commence 
        a 
        personal 
        agitation 
        for 
        the
Jewish 
        cause.
Most 
        people 
        will 
        be 
        surprised 
        at 
        present 
        when 
        they 
        hear 
        of 
        this
former 
        resolution. 
        I 
        considered 
        the 
        whole 
        matter 
        as 
        only 
        fit 
        to 
        be 
        acted
on, 
        and 
        not 
        to 
        be 
        talked 
        about.
Public 
        agitation 
        should 
        only 
        become 
        my 
        "ultima 
        ratio," 
        if 
        my
private 
        advice 
        was 
        not 
        listened 
        to 
        or 
        not 
        obeyed. 
        When 
        I 
        had 
        finished
my 
        book, 
        I 
        asked 
        one 
        of 
        my 
        oldest 
        and 
        best 
        friends 
        to 
        read 
        the 
        manu-
script. While 
        reading 
        it 
        he 
        suddenly 
        commenced 
        to 
        cry. 
        I 
        found 
        this
emotion 
        quite 
        natural, 
        as 
        he 
        was 
        a 
        Jew, 
        and 
        I 
        also 
        cried 
        several 
        times
while 
        writing 
        the 
        book. 
        But 
        to 
        my 
        dismay 
        I 
        found 
        that 
        he 
        gave 
        quite 
        a
different 
        cause 
        for 
        his 
        tears. 
        He 
        thought 
        that 
        I 
        was 
        gone 
        mad, 
        and
being 
        my 
        friend, 
        my 
        misfortune 
        made 
        him 
        very 
        sad. 
        He 
        ran 
        away 
        with-
out saying 
        another 
        word.
After 
        a 
        sleepless 
        night, 
        he 
        came 
        back 
        to 
        me 
        the 
        next 
        morning 
        and
besought 
        me 
        to 
        "leave 
        the 
        matter 
        alone," 
        as 
        everybody 
        would 
        consider
me 
        crazy. 
        He 
        was 
        excited 
        to 
        such 
        a 
        degree 
        that 
        I 
        promised 
        him 
        every-
thing to 
        calm 
        his 
        feelings. 
        He 
        then 
        advised 
        me 
        to 
        consult 
        Nordau
as 
        to 
        whether 
        my 
        plan 
        was 
        the 
        conception 
        of 
        a 
        responsible 
        person-
"I 
        shall 
        ask 
        nobody," 
        was 
        my 
        reply, 
        "if 
        my 
        ideas 
        make 
        that 
        effect
upon 
        a 
        cultivated 
        and 
        devoted 
        friend 
        of 
        mine, 
        I 
        abandon 
        my 
        plan."
I 
        then 
        passed 
        through 
        a 
        very 
        serious 
        crisis—
        I 
        can 
        only 
        compare 
        it
to 
        the 
        throwing 
        of 
        a 
        red-hot 
        body 
        into 
        cold 
        water. 
        Of 
        course, 
        if 
        that
body 
        happens 
        to 
        be 
        iron, 
        it 
        becomes 
        steel 
        by 
        the 
        process.
My 
        friend, 
        of 
        whom 
        I 
        spoke 
        above, 
        had 
        to 
        make 
        up 
        my 
        accounts, 
        for
telegram 
        disbursements. 
        When 
        he 
        gave 
        me 
        the 
        account 
        consisting 
        of 
        an
immense 
        array 
        of 
        figures, 
        I 
        saw 
        at 
        a 
        glance 
        that 
        he 
        had 
        cast 
        up 
        the
sums 
        incorrectly. 
        I 
        drew 
        his 
        attention 
        to 
        that 
        fact, 
        and 
        he 
        commenced
to 
        do 
        the 
        sums 
        over 
        again. 
        Only 
        after 
        a 
        third 
        or 
        fourth 
        effort 
        his 
        sums
agreed 
        with 
        mine.
This 
        fact 
        gave 
        me 
        back 
        my 
        confidence 
        in 
        myself. 
        If 
        I 
        was 
        able 
        to
"do 
        sums" 
        more 
        correctly 
        than 
        he, 
        my 
        reason 
        could 
        not 
        have 
        left 
        me
completely.
On 
        that 
        day 
        my 
        troubles 
        with 
        the 
        "Judenstaat" 
        commenced. 
        During
the 
        two 
        years 
        and 
        more 
        since 
        that 
        time, 
        I 
        had 
        experienced 
        many,
many 
        sad 
        days, 
        and 
        I 
        am 
        afraid 
        many 
        more 
        sad 
        days 
        will 
        still 
        fol-
low.
In 
        1895,
        1 
        began 
        to 
        keep 
        a 
        diary; 
        five  
        stoat  
        volumes  
        have 
        been

<!-- page:362 -->

362 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
filled 
        already. 
        Should 
        I 
        ever 
        publish 
        them, 
        the 
        world 
        will' 
        be 
        surprised
to 
        learn 
        what 
        I 
        had 
        to 
        endure; 
        who 
        were 
        the 
        enemies 
        of 
        my 
        plan, 
        and 
        on
the 
        other 
        hand, 
        who 
        stood 
        by 
        me.
But 
        one 
        thing 
        I 
        consider 
        as 
        certain, 
        beyond 
        a 
        doubt, 
        the 
        movement
will 
        last. 
        I 
        do 
        not 
        know 
        when 
        I 
        shall 
        die; 
        but 
        Zionism 
        will 
        never 
        die.
Since 
        the 
        days 
        at 
        Basle 
        the 
        Jewish 
        people 
        have 
        again 
        a 
        popular 
        repre-
sentation; consequently 
        the 
        "Judenstaat" 
        will 
        arise 
        in 
        its 
        own 
        country.
Israel 
        Zangwill, 
        the 
        popular 
        Hebrew 
        author, 
        is 
        now 
        one 
        of 
        the
enthusiastic 
        believers 
        in 
        Zionism. 
        But 
        even 
        before 
        he 
        identified
himself 
        with 
        that 
        movement, 
        he 
        said 
        of 
        its 
        great 
        leader:
A 
        majestic 
        Oriental 
        figure, 
        the 
        president's
        —
        not 
        so 
        tall 
        as 
        it
appears 
        when 
        he 
        draws 
        himself 
        up 
        and 
        stands 
        dominating 
        the 
        assembly
with 
        eyes 
        that 
        brood 
        and 
        glow
        —
        you 
        would 
        say 
        one 
        of 
        the 
        Assyrian
kings, 
        whose 
        sculptured 
        heads 
        adorn 
        our 
        museums, 
        the 
        very 
        profile 
        of
Tiglath-Pileser. 
        In 
        sooth, 
        the 
        beautiful 
        face 
        of 
        a 
        kingly 
        dreamer, 
        but 
        of
a 
        Jewish 
        dreamer, 
        who 
        faces 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        flowers 
        are 
        grown 
        in 
        dung.
A 
        Shelley 
        beats 
        in 
        the 
        air 
        his 
        luminous 
        wings 
        in 
        vain; 
        our 
        Jewish
dreamer 
        dreams 
        along 
        the 
        lines 
        of 
        life; 
        his 
        dream 
        but 
        discounts 
        the
future, 
        his 
        prophecy 
        is 
        merely 
        fore-speaking, 
        his 
        vision 
        prevision.
He 
        talks 
        agriculture, 
        viticulture, 
        subvention 
        of 
        the 
        Ottoman 
        empire,
both 
        by 
        direct 
        tribute 
        and 
        indiscreet 
        enrichment; 
        stocks 
        and 
        shares,
railroads, 
        internal 
        and 
        India; 
        natural 
        development 
        under 
        exploitation
        —
all 
        the 
        jargon 
        of 
        our 
        iron 
        age. 
        Let 
        nob 
        his 
        movement 
        be 
        confounded
with 
        those 
        petty 
        projects 
        for 
        helping 
        Jewish 
        agriculturists 
        into 
        Pal-
estine! What! 
        improve 
        the 
        sultan's 
        land 
        without 
        any 
        political 
        equiva-
lent guaranteed 
        in 
        advance! 
        Difficulty 
        about 
        the 
        holy 
        places 
        of 
        Chris-
tianity and 
        Islam?   
        Pooh! 
        extra-territorial.
A 
        practiced 
        publicist, 
        a 
        trained 
        lawyer, 
        a 
        not 
        unsuccessful 
        comedy
writer, 
        converted 
        to 
        social 
        self-consciousness 
        by 
        the 
        "Flep 
        Fleps" 
        of
Vienna, 
        and 
        hurried 
        into 
        unforeseen 
        action 
        by 
        his 
        own 
        paper 
        scheme 
        of 
        a
Jewish 
        State, 
        he 
        has, 
        perhaps, 
        at 
        last
        —
        and 
        not 
        unreluctantly
        —
        found
himself 
        a 
        man 
        as 
        a 
        leader 
        of 
        men.
In 
        a 
        congress 
        of 
        impassioned 
        rhetoricians 
        he 
        remains 
        serene,
moderate; 
        his 
        voice 
        is 
        for 
        the 
        most 
        part 
        subdued; 
        in 
        its 
        most 
        emo-
tional abandonments 
        there 
        is 
        a 
        dry 
        undertone, 
        almost 
        harsh. 
        He
quells 
        disorder 
        with 
        a 
        look, 
        with 
        a 
        word, 
        with 
        a 
        sharp 
        touch 
        of 
        bell.
The 
        cloven 
        hoof 
        of 
        the 
        Socialist 
        peeps 
        out 
        from 
        a 
        little 
        group. 
        At 
        once
"The 
        congress 
        shall 
        be 
        captured 
        by 
        no 
        party!" 
        And 
        the 
        congress 
        is 
        in
roars 
        of 
        satisfation.

<!-- page:363 -->

THE 
        JEW. 
        363
M. 
        Zangwill 
        further 
        says 
        about 
        Dr. 
        Herzl's 
        great 
        plan:
Dr. 
        Herzl's 
        movement 
        is 
        a 
        movement 
        for 
        the 
        integration 
        of 
        the
scattered 
        forces 
        of 
        Israel, 
        and 
        the 
        expression 
        of 
        this 
        unity 
        by 
        a 
        national
politically 
        guaranteed 
        home 
        in 
        Palestine, 
        that 
        may 
        serve 
        as 
        a 
        shelter
for 
        the 
        homeless 
        and 
        oppressed, 
        and 
        a 
        beacon 
        for 
        those 
        prosperously
sheltered 
        elsewhere.
Like 
        so 
        many 
        other 
        agents 
        in 
        this 
        epical 
        drama, 
        Dr. 
        Herzl 
        started 
        with
no 
        partiality 
        for 
        Palestine. 
        His 
        book, 
        "Die 
        Judenstaat," 
        published 
        in 
        1887,
which 
        was 
        intended 
        to 
        be 
        his 
        sole 
        contribution 
        to 
        the 
        national 
        migration
it 
        preached, 
        is 
        willing 
        to 
        accept 
        Argentine 
        equally. 
        But 
        he, 
        too, 
        has 
        been
set 
        on 
        the 
        road 
        toZion, 
        even 
        as 
        he 
        has 
        been 
        transformed 
        willy-nilly 
        from
a 
        writer 
        into 
        a 
        man 
        of 
        action 
        of 
        the 
        first 
        order. 
        It 
        is 
        the 
        best 
        sign
of 
        the 
        progress 
        of 
        his 
        cause 
        that 
        his 
        book 
        is 
        already 
        obsolete. 
        Yet
in 
        a 
        sense 
        all 
        his 
        ideas 
        have 
        become 
        realities. 
        The 
        annual 
        congress 
        is
the 
        embryo 
        of 
        a 
        National 
        Parliament. 
        The 
        Jewish 
        company 
        of 
        the
brochure 
        is 
        the 
        Jewish 
        Colonial 
        Trust 
        of 
        reality, 
        while 
        its 
        Constitutional
Council 
        represents 
        the 
        projected 
        Society 
        of 
        Jews. 
        In 
        a 
        brief 
        five 
        years,
he 
        has 
        piloted 
        his 
        scheme 
        through 
        storms 
        of 
        abuse 
        and 
        hostility 
        from
every 
        class 
        of 
        Jews 
        till 
        the 
        vaporings 
        of 
        a 
        visionary 
        have 
        become
a 
        political 
        possibility, 
        discussed 
        at 
        four 
        great 
        international 
        congresses,
approved 
        by 
        the 
        German 
        emperor, 
        not 
        disapproved 
        by 
        the 
        czar, 
        favorably
considered 
        by 
        the 
        sultan 
        of 
        Turkey, 
        the 
        ruler 
        of 
        Palestine; 
        worked 
        for
by 
        societies 
        throughout 
        Europe, 
        and 
        America, 
        and 
        South 
        Africa; 
        cap-
italized by 
        a 
        hundred 
        and 
        thirty 
        thousand 
        shareholders, 
        and 
        constituting
the 
        greatest 
        Jewish 
        movement 
        since 
        the 
        foundation 
        of 
        Christianity.
There 
        is 
        the 
        Jew, 
        then, 
        looking 
        back 
        upon 
        a 
        history 
        of 
        many
centuries, 
        which 
        pass 
        before 
        our 
        view 
        as 
        an 
        ugly 
        dream; 
        but
awakening 
        and 
        finding 
        the 
        brightest 
        prospects 
        for 
        the 
        future.
"Zionism," 
        says 
        Dr. 
        Herzl, 
        "will 
        never 
        die." 
        None 
        are 
        better 
        aware
of 
        the 
        obstacles 
        to 
        its 
        realization 
        than 
        are 
        the 
        Zionists 
        themselves.
But 
        to 
        the 
        eye 
        of 
        faith, 
        there 
        are 
        no 
        obstacles. 
        Speaking 
        from 
        a
merely 
        human 
        point 
        of 
        view, 
        it 
        looks 
        as 
        if 
        centuries 
        would 
        be 
        re-
quired to 
        prepare 
        the 
        way 
        for 
        the 
        re-habilitation 
        of 
        the 
        Jewish
state; 
        but 
        it 
        is 
        God's 
        work; 
        not 
        that 
        of 
        man. 
        And 
        the 
        Lord 
        can
accomplish 
        in 
        a 
        day 
        what 
        we 
        would 
        judge 
        to 
        be 
        the 
        work 
        of
a 
        thousand 
        years, 
        just 
        as 
        he 
        can 
        delay 
        for 
        a 
        thousand 
        years
what 
        we 
        would 
        think 
        could 
        be 
        done 
        in 
        a 
        day. 
        Because 
        we
are 
        apt 
        to 
        forget 
        this 
        truth, 
        we 
        often 
        fail 
        to 
        understand 
        God's
dealings 
        with 
        his 
        children.