Zionist library for boys and girls · 1908-01-01 · 5 · p. Seite 4

Smolenskin made most vigorous attacks against the Assimilationist point of view generally, and even attacked Moses Mendelsohn "because he interpreted his ideas of Emancipation as "being Assimilati onist (Moses Mendelsohn says that the Jews are not a nation "but a religous group.) Smolenskin was defintely a nationalist - and he was sure that the Jews would only regain their dignity and their pride if they would develop their language and love their own land - Palestine. He was therefore one of those great men who propagated the colonisation of Palestine (like Moses Hess - "before him. Lilienhlurn - after him - and then many others.) When for instance many Jews started to leave Eussia as a result of the terrible progroms of 1882, the Alliance Israelite Universelle helped the refugees to immigrate into America.* Smolenskin at once wrote to the Alliance and asked them why they did not direct the Jewish masses to Palestine. And when he received the answer that this was impossible (and at that time it was very difficult) Smolenskin launched a ferocious