Herzl Memorial Meeting.

The Order Knights of Zion held an impressive memorial meeting in honor of the founder of Zionism, in the Assembly Hall of the Institute before a rather small audience, on Sunday afternoon, July 22. What was lacking in numbers was fully made up in earnestness and sincerity of purpose.

The first speaker on the program contrasted the deeds of Theodore Herzl with those of the great philanthropists, viz., Moses Montefiore and Baron de Hirsch. He showed that the deeds of the great philanthropists were for the present and temporary, while those of Dr. Herzl were for the future and for the whole of Israel. And, this is why Herzl's memory lives in our minds at all times, while the memory of those great philanthropists, is largely forgotten. Herzl came to his people from the highest station in life, honored and admired 2by all. He came to his people after he became worldly great and gave his soul to his people. The speaker then proceeded to trace the similarities between Moses, Herzl and Justice Louis D. Brandeis.

Mr. Abrams, the chairman of the meeting, gave a historical perspective of the rise of small nations to political independence and emphasized the fact that only those nations have achieved their goal which had a land of their own. He brought out the fact that the Jews are not making their own history but are working for other nations. With the coming of Herzl, the Jew started to make Jewish history for himself based on an ideal and hope for a future.

Herzl brought to the Jewish people a message, an ideal and hope for a national independence. Herzl awoke in us a desire to participate and share in the great work of uplifting humanity. If not for Moses we would probably still 3be in Egypt, and if not for Herzl we would still be in spiritual exile. While his body is dead, his spirit is transferred and implanted in Justice Louis D. Brandeis.

Judge Philip P. Bregstone emphasized the point that the spirit of Herzl is not possessed by any one living individual, but is spread among the entire Jewish people and is the heritage of Israel at large. Herzl spoke not only to his people, but to the world at large. He spoke personally in behalf of his people at great courts of Europe, at the congresses and wherever and whenever possible, but his sublime spirit speaks to every individual Jew and posterity. In Herzl like in Moses, there were taking place great intellectual struggles of which we are little aware. He was the intellectual giant of our times. Herzl gave us something that cannot be robbed from us. He beautified and ennobled ourlife. He brought hope, love and idealism to our sick souls. He taught us to dream and idealize. He instructed us to live not only for 4ourselves and the present; but for humanity and for all times. Herzl wanted to secure a home for the Jewish people, a center from which the Jew could honorably contribute to the stock of human achievement and heritage of the ages as a nation and not as exiled individuals. Herzl enriched the Jewish people with his noble and magnetic personality, as well as with the grandeur and sublimity of his idealism at personal sacrifice. The voice from his grave calls to us for action for a united independent Jewry.

Mr. Maximon spoke briefly of Achad Haam's opposition to Dr. Herzl while alive and his appreciation of Herzl after his death.