Chapter XXXVI: Appeals for Colonization

A _Rabbinical_ appeal――_Rabbi_ Elias Gutmacher――_Rabbi_ Hirsch
Kalischer――Correspondence with Sir Moses Montefiore――Servian
Jews ready for Palestine――_Rabbi_ Sneersohn――Another appeal of
Henri Dunant――A committee in Paris under the patronage of the
Empress of the French――Zionism in French fiction.

IN 1867 an appeal in favour of the colonization of Palestine was addressed to English Jews by two well-known _Rabbis_, Elias Gutmacher (1796‒1874) of Grätz, and Zebi Hirsch Kalischer (1795‒1874) of Thorn. This appeal contains interesting references to a letter of Sir Moses Montefiore dealing with the same subject, to Servian Jews who were ready to go to Palestine, and to the activity of the “Alliance Israélite Universelle” in Paris in the same direction (Appendix lxix). Conceived in an orthodox Jewish spirit, it seems to have produced a favourable impression on some portions of the Jewish population in England; but it elicited few contributions. This is evidenced in another letter addressed to England by _Rabbi_ Sneersohn of _Jerusalem_ in 1866 (_Ab._ 8, 5626). “And now, my brethren in England, it is for you to be among the foremost in accomplishing the divine will. Hasten to buy fields and vineyards on the Holy Ground without looking for any immediate advantage. Do you not see that all nations around lay out large sums in buying up land here? Why should we not follow this good example, when thereby great benefits would be conferred on our brethren here: for they would till the ground and thereby maintain themselves, and no longer depend upon charity from abroad? By this means also would hatred and sorrow be removed from their midst, for being engaged in their work they would have no time for prying into the affairs of others. The time is most favourable for such an undertaking. About eighty heads of families, both _Sephardim_ and _Ashkenazim_, lately bought fields along the road to _Jaffa_, and some of them have commenced to till the ground. Who knows how soon the ground will be worth double the price for which it can now be had? There is now a large and most eligible piece of ground at a very reasonable price to be had, etc....”

Illustration:
_Rabbi_ ZEBI HIRSCH KALISCHER _Rabbi_ ISAAC JACOB REINES

_Rabbi_ MORDECAI ELIASBERG _Rabbi_ SAMUEL MOHILEWER

_Rabbi_ _Dr._ ISRAEL HILDESHEIMER _Rabbi_ ISAAC J. RÜLF

At the same time Dunant continued his propaganda, and addressed the following letter from Paris to the Jewish press in England:――

_Jewish Chronicle_, Dec. 13, 1867 (_p._ 6).

“Palestine Colonisation”
“To the Editor of the _Jewish Chronicle_.

“SIR,

“Permit me to recall to your mind the remembrance of me. At
that time you were pleased to take a truly humane interest
in the work in favour of wounded soldiers, of which I am the
founder, for which I then laboured, and which still occupies
my attention. You are no doubt aware that this work has
been as successful as such a work of philanthropy can be. It
has obtained the adhesion not only of all the Sovereigns of
Europe, and even those of the Sultan of Turkey and Emperor of
Brazil (1831‒1891),¹ but also the unanimous suffrage of all
benevolent persons in all civilized countries.

“In the whole European and American Continents――both of them
liable to the chances of war――committees and societies for
the relief of wounded soldiers have been formed, and are
in activity, and it may be said, without exaggeration, that
the service rendered by this institution during the late war
surpassed all expectation. Official reports from this society,
as well as from military authorities published more than once,
have sufficiently shown it. At present, sir, I am engaged
in another work, for which I hope you will not feel less
interest than for that to which I have just referred, the
more so as it concerns Palestine, the country made over by
God to the glorious people of which you have the honour of
being a member.

“You will find enclosed two copies of a notice which a
committee formed in Paris for the Colonisation of Palestine
――a committee of which I am a member, and which Her Majesty
the Empress of the French² has deigned to honour with her
patronage――have just published. The notice will explain
to you the object and tendency of our foundation. The
labours of your whole life, and the great merits acquired
by you in serving the cause, rights, and interests of your
co-religionists, inspire me with the lively desire to obtain
your valuable advice on the work on which we are engaged.
I hope that if you find our publication conformable to your
ideas, you will have the goodness to cause a translation
thereof inserted in the estimable journal which you edit, the
_Jewish Chronicle_.

“I also hope that you will likewise acquaint me with the
names and addresses of persons in England, whom you may
believe inclined to sympathise with the moral and economical
re-constitution of the ancient patrimony of the Hebrews; for
our work, supported by the greatest and most aristocratic
names among Christians, sympathises not the less, nay, before
all, with the Israelites, whose rights to Palestine are
superior to all others.

“I do not doubt but that the international sentiments which
animate you will call forth in old England, and among the
readers of the _Jewish Chronicle_, a sympathetic echo.

“Receive the assurance of my high consideration.
“(_Signed_) HENRI DUNANT,

“Founder and promoter of the international undertaking in
behalf of the wounded soldier, on land and at sea.

“Paris, 24, Rue de la Paix, _Dec. 3, 1867_.”

¹ Dom Pedro de Alcantara (1825‒1891).

² The Empress Eugénie, _b._ 1826.

Evidently Dunant expected more from England and English Jews than from any other country in the world. The liberties and rights of citizenship of the Jews have been more respected, and their social and political standing made more secure in this country than in any other. Here, at all events, the days of Jewish persecution have long since passed away.

In France, where a favourable atmosphere for Jewish national aspirations had scarcely been created, _M._ Dunant’s scheme does not appear to have made much headway in a practical direction; but there is no doubt that his efforts were watched with sympathetic interest. We quote again _M._ L. Lévy-Bing, who advocated the Zionist idea in several articles from 1864 onwards.¹ In French fiction _M._ Alexandre Dumas (_fils_) (1824‒1895) had made one of the heroes of his play _La Femme de Claude_ a Zionist character (Appendix lxx). Many more such quotations could be traced, but we mention this only as an example. Further, there was, at all events, the idea of Jewish brotherhood in the creation of the “Alliance Israélite Universelle”: as we pointed out above, the activities of the “Alliance” were directed chiefly to the East, where it found a vast sphere of labour. All this was consciously or unconsciously Zionist work.

¹ In one of his last letters _M._ L. Lévy-Bing wrote: “Quant
aux destinées du peuple Juif, la restauration de ce peuple
est l’une des conditions essentielles du système divin. Il
n’est pas un de nos écrivains sacres, depuis Moïse jusqu’à
Malachi, qui ne parle du retour infaillible.”