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Writing frankly and forcefully, Mr. Brainin gives his views on the status
American Zionism. His comment's are hound to arouse fierce discussion
nationally. They will be attacked as cruel; they will he praised as illumin-
,it:ng. But their fairness will he unquestioned.—The Editor.
P merican Zionism
A Survey on
the Zionist Convention
By JOSEPH BRAININ
Philadelphia they talked about
T HE Zionist Organization of America, once potent, numerous, crusad
ing, is ready to be interred. That is the impression to be gained from
a study of its influence in American Jewish life and of its power as
an agent for crystallizing sentiment for Jewish nationalism. The an
nual convention of the Zionist Organization, meeting in Philadelphia on July
Jnl and 4th, provided the rostrum from which some weak, gibbering voice
ma\ intone the swan song of that institution. That was the question which
besets the minds of those sufficiently interested in the prospect to explore be
neath the chaos and the apathy which shrouded the Organization. Potentially
the outstanding factor in Jewish life because of its relationship to the in-
creasingly successful experiment in Palestine, the Zionist Organization today
is merely a mockery to make non-Zionists feel uncomfortable, despite their
deep interest in “the economic and cultural” upbuilding of Palestine.
1 hree decades contain the history of American Zionism, three decades of
extraordinary changes in American Jewish life, three decades which have wit
nessed the shift from Jewish belief in the complete security of American life
to a more realistic understanding that there, as in other countries, the Jew
must take his chances. The Zionist Organization should have vaulted to
new peaks as the years passed. But as the few handfuls of delegates, most
ot them from New York and the Atlantic seaboard, huddled together in
an organization that has as much force
in directing the destiny of Jewish
life in this country as the Ku Klux
Klan has in molding public opinion
in New York City.
Two years ago, at Cleveland, Dr.
Stephen S. Wise electrified the Zion
ist convention with the brusk an
nouncement that American Zionism
was engulfed in moral and spiritual
bankruptcy. He tried to qualify his
indictment by asserting that a par
ticular group of individuals was re
sponsible for the situation. But there
has been no change in the assets and
liabilities in the two years during
which American Zionism has been ad
ministered by the group whose inter
ests he championed. Dr. Wise diag
nosed accurately, time has demon
strated. His only miscalculation was
the remedy which he suggested.
There arc two angles from which
the Zionist Organization today must
be judged: First, the personnel of its
leadership, and, second, the intellect
ual content of the general Zionist pro
gram. Those who have investigated
carefully, impartially feel that per-
,u *l is but a minor ailment in the disease from w'hich American Zionr m
rs. But it is interesting, from the human point of view, to o serv
unalities whose names dominate the Zionist stationer}'. . ,
le men who were in control are knowm traditionally a* t e ra JV u
P, But the appellation of a group no more applies to the miscellaneous
ction of men gathered under its banner than the wor whose
' any particular mode of political thought. It i* a inn e r i
f inel can be recounted quickly. Outside of J^ stl ^ e ra ? .. r j T
they are Robert Szold, Jacob de Haas, Abraham ull "',lTrAnt
nsohn and Israel Brodie. Men more startlingly different in tempe
intelligence could not be found anywhere, except a , \
n, they are characterized by the legalistic min . , more
ff them all Jacob de Haas is the outstanding figure. He knows mo
morris rothenberg
a mild-mannered person stands in
well with the non-Zionists . . .
ROBERT SZOLD
• . . .7 nervous finger-biting lawyer.
JUDGE JULIAN W. MACK
. . . stands outside the group
about Zionism than all of them combined. A genuine Jewish nationalist, he
n*s little patience with legalistic temporizing. But de Haas is essentially an
easy-going bohemian, who grows fatigued before he can carry through to
exuution an idea he has proposed. Robert Szold is a nervous, finger-biting
awycr, who hems and haws in sounding out people, who gives some the im
pression of being extraordinarily naive, while others see in his intellectual sim
plicity a pretense, a legalistic trick to fathom the other’s mind. Tulin is big,
pa ttntious, y\ith a tendency toward the blustering tactics of a fabotinsky.
lie pi ides himself on his technical knowledge of the w orkings of the Pales
tine (iovernment and on the intensity of his dislike for Chaim Weizmann.
But that is a characteristic which binds the Brandeis-.Mack group. Rosen-
sohn flounders about in argument, grows red in the face when he expounds an
idea that he thinks is not popular. Brodie is dogmatic, certain that the nos
trums he proposes are panaceas. He is convinced that his plan for the eco
nomic upbuilding of Palestine is the product of a Gargantuan mind, and fails
to be concerned with the fact that even though he has been talking about it
for two years, little has been done that is worth writing about. Judge Mack
really stands outside the group, which has chosen his name as a mantle. Ju
dicial in temperament, he is inclined to be fair, particularly when he sees his
opponent face to face. Willing to compromise, he makes an excellent person
for promoting understanding.
Powering above all these is Ixiuis Lipsky, for ten years the President of
the Zionist Organization until lie stepped down two years ago amidst a bar
rage of attacks which came on one hand from Stephen S. Wise, and from the
men who had abstained from Zionist work ever since they had scuttled in
1921. Lipsky stands alone. Many claim friendship for and alliance wfith
him. Few', however, would hesitate to sacrifice him. But they point out that
Lipsky follows a similar policy.
Who of these men should have been chosen leader of the Zionist Organiza
tion at Philadelphia? It is safe to predict that Lipsky could not. He has too
many enemies and his friends are his enemies. Furthermore, his present busi
ness ties would prevent him from taking the post. Talk has circulated that
Robert Szold declined renomination as Chairman of the Organization, and
that Emanuel Neumann was offered in his stead. It is no secret, however, that
the Brandeis-Mack group had no particular relish for Neumann. Stephen S.
Wise, it is said, pushed Neumann’s interests. Others say that the name of
Neumann was bandied about so that the Zoinist delegates became reconciled
to a Szold-type campaign. The consensus of opinion is that Neumann valued
a line of publicity above a chapter of unreported achievement. Knowm as a
“careerist” in Zionist politics, he has traveled from one Zionist post to an
other, adopting the sanctimonious air of personal sacrifice, even though he
had been on Zionist payrolls to a not insubstantial extent.
Rothenberg accepted the leadership, therefore succeeded Szold. A mild-
mannered person, Rothenberg stands in well wfith the non-Zionists, particularly
w ith Felix Warburg. Zionists like him, too. Essentially a liberal, Rothen
berg stands head and shoulders above the majority of the Zionists still left
in the Organization.
It was unlikely, however, that the Philadelphia convention would be illum
inated by any firew'orks of controversy. For within the Brandeis-Mack group
there is more personal hostility than there is between that group and the Lip
sky adherents. One regards the.other as incompetent, inefficient and intellect
ually paupered. If a secret poll were taken, among his group, it is doubtful if
Robert Szold would receive more than one vote in favor of retaining him as
Zionist chairman. _
The answer would seem to be: none at all. I oda> the Zionist Organi
zation has a deficit of close to $150,000, and Robert Szold has said that there
is a danger that the sheriff may put a lock on the Zionist doors at any mo
ment. The membership is somewhere around 7.000. I he Organization
publishes a new bulletin that any self-respecting {Please turn to page 15)
SOUTHERN ISRAELITE *
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