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Page 32 The Southern Israelite To Our Many Jewish Patrons Our Very Best Wishes for Your ISetc Year ® A RESTAURANT NOTED FOR ITS COFFEE 5c WE NEVER CLOSE LOUIS’ “IS DIFFERENT” 31 Luckie Street New Number Ninety-Five Luckie Street ATLANTA, GA. JOHN L LUDWIG, Mgr. IVY 8380 Two Historic Gatherings Zurich Sketches By A. WALDMAN There are so many international conferences in these days, that visitors to the XVth Zionist Congress are but little impressed by the fact that on the platform a gentleman from Lon don should be sitting next to one from America, a delegate from South Afri ca next to an orthodox Rabbi Jerusal em. It is doubtful if at any interna tional conference, there can have pre vailed among its members, a fraction of the cordiality which reigned among st the members of the Zionist Congress who had assembled from the most di verse countries and linquistic realms. Ever again one is overwhelmed by the fact of being under one roof with Jews from all over the world, in the service of one cause, buoyed up by the same hope. And that sentiment is so domi nating and all-powerful, that often for hours T have not the slightest in terest in listening and in learning what Jahotinsky has said, what Mere- minsky has roared, or what some American or other has yapped. To me it is enough that they should all be there, and I understand full well Weiz- mann’s dictum, that he only felt free on a very few days in the year, en tirely free ns a man and as a Jew— the days when he participated in Zion ist Congresses. ( HONE COMES FROM AMERICA No Congress is really complete un less it have its “originals.” Past Zion ist Congresses have been distinguished by the fact that Robert Gutmann, the painter-professor, from Prague, used always to arrive punctually at the stroke of the clock, after a long journ ey on foot. People then invariably said: “Robert Gutmann is here, the Congress may begin.” This year, Rob ert Gutmann is not there. Times have changed, romantic pilgrims are no longer in demand, the police in Aus tria and Switzerland look askance at vagabonds, even though they pad it to Zionist Congresses the protectors of the Arts have become scarce. Robert Gutmann was arrested in a Swiss frontier town, and the Congress had to run its course without him. It is true Providence saw to it that the Congress should not be without a sub stitute for the absent Robert Gutmann. Chone arrived from across the her ring pond. I call him Chone because I am ignorant of his family name, and only know this about him, that he is “hail fellow well met” with every one, and wears boots of such enormous size that the diminutive Italian dele gate could safely canoe in one of them on the Lake of Zurich. In that migration from Prague to New ^ ork, from Europe to America, there lies a deep symbolism. The cen tre of gravity of the Jewish people has shifted to America; thence comes the stream of money, thence come the ever-growing members of delegates; America has acquired the right to furnish the “originals” for the Zion ist Congresses. And, may Chone for give me—Robert Gutmann was in his way more engaging. Chone, you see, is an “original” of the American type, and perhaps some historian long after my time will be able to decide whether the exchange of Chone for Robert Gutmann was beneficial to the J e * ish people. RABBI UZIEL DOYENS MlNc HA There was a delegate who used the trite,the commonplace expression “y ou will settle that only across my dead body.” That was only a phrase, but the fact of its being uttered in the highest ecstasy, spoken and meant with the utmost seriousness, prove* that even in our days, grown-up thoroughly sophisticated and political ly disillusioned beings are capable of raising themselves to the highest emo- tional pitch, where matters that touch the roots of their being arc concerned. And that is the great thing about the Zionist Congress—the great thing f„ r Zionists. The most fundamental thing* are there brought to the surface, and there stands forth the primal Jew as he is, with the popularity of his na ture, with the immense sweep of his emotional life. A pity that so few great poets and plastic artists attend the Congresses. They would find there more motifs than anywhere else in the world. In the Agency Commission the fight is raging round words, in the Stand ing Committee round lists of Candi dates. The delegates not serving on committees, the journalists and the countless visitors are sitting in the brightly lit hall of the theatre; there is a swarming of functionaires, secre taries, journalists and shorthand typ ists on the stage; running, bustling, whispering, gossiping; important air-. . all kinds of wiseacres—in short the wonted Congress life. Behind the scenes—we happen to be in a theatre which is preparing its dramatic seas on for the autumn—workmen are saw ing laths, women are stitching cur tains, scenes are being got ready; and since the session has not yet begun, these theatrical labourers feel no con straint and make as much noise a« their temperament and their work de mand. In front of the blue curtain, however, which separates this part of the stage from the platform on which the Congress Presidium, the Execu tive, the Actions Committee and the prominent journalists are accommo dated, there was standing Rabbi Ihel of Tel Aviv, in his long-flowing blacK robe, with the big oriental turban on his head, and fervently praying his Minchah prayer. He was standing there, unnoticed by any amid the noise and hubbub, with closed eyes. On J his lips were moving softly. and t *• picture reminded me of an inciden during the War. When the Russians were on the point of marching int° 3 small Galician town, the entire popu lation were fleeing in wild haste * fore the Cossacks, I witnessed a see of tragic beauty. A Melamed -■ ■ j ting in a little basement-room and ung in a nine - . l teaching little children to read, in . traditional singsong. What did e - aged pupil-teacher, care abou fight between Wilhelm and Nic ° What need for him to trouble beca - the Austrian troops were in f J ^ ^ and Cossacks entering the t0 " n ‘ , his heart the conviction "a> r , or that things would remain so the next 2000 years, despite and Nicholas.