Herzl, Theodor, 1860-1904; Zionism; Zionists -- Austria -- Biography
Every group will have its Rabbi, travelling with his congregation.
Local groups will afterwards form voluntarily about their Rabbi, and
each locality will have its spiritual leader. Our Rabbis, on whom we
especially call, will devote their energies to the service of our
idea, and will inspire their congregations by preaching it from the
pulpit. They will not need to address special meetings for the
purpose; an appeal such as this may be uttered in the synagogue. And
thus it must be done. For we feel our historic affinity only through
the faith of our fathers as we have long ago absorbed the languages of
different nations to an ineradicable degree.
The Rabbis will receive communications regularly from both Society and
Company, and will announce and explain these to their congregations.
Israel will pray for us and for itself.
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LOCAL GROUPS
The local groups will appoint small committees of representative men
under the Rabbi's presidency, for discussion and settlement of local
affairs.
Philanthropic institutions will be transferred by their local groups,
each institution remaining "over there" the property of the same set
of people for whom it was originally founded. I think the old
buildings should not be sold, but rather devoted to the assistance of
indigent Christians in the forsaken towns. The local groups will
receive compensation by obtaining free building sites and every
facility for reconstruction in the new country.
This transfer of philanthropic institutions will give another of those
opportunities, which occur at different points of my scheme, for
making an experiment in the service of humanity. Our present
unsystematic private philanthropy does little good in proportion to
the great expenditure it involves. But these institutions can and must
form part of a system by which they will eventually supplement one
another. In a new society these organizations can be evolved out of
our modern consciousness, and may be based on all previous social
experiments. This matter is of great importance to us, on account of
our large number of paupers. The weaker characters among us,
discouraged by external pressure, spoilt by the soft-hearted charity
of our rich men, easily sink until they take to begging.
The Society, supported by the local groups, will give greatest
attention to popular education with regard to this particular. It will
create a fruitful soil for many powers which now wither uselessly
away. Whoever shows a genuine desire to work will be suitably
employed. Beggars will not be endured. Whoever refuses to do anything
as a free man will be sent to the workhouse.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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