Somehow Colonel

Nobody--at any rate, no layman-- knows what Zionism is. There is political Zionism and spiritual Zionism. There is Zionism as a commercial enterprise, Zionism as a metaphysical philanthropy, and every manner and degree of combination of all of them.

Last week came to the U. S. a funny-looking little man with a beard, named Abraham Isaac Kook. His visit may bring forth, for the benefit of the American Jew, as well as for the American Gentile, a more coherent account of this figure of speech, Zionism.

Col. Kook (for he is somehow colonel) is Chief Rabbi of Palestine. He is the most venerable figure in contemporary Judaism. Born in northern Russia, his early ambition was to go someday to Palestine. For this purpose he studied Hebrew clandestinely. Twenty years ago he was offered the Rabbinate of Jaffa, and, giving up a well-paying position as rabbi of Busk, Russia, he went. Today the Jewish world regards him as its philosopher-saint. His landing on American soil was greeted by 300 rabbis and thousands of aged patriarchs, standing in the windy cold. Why did he come?

Specifically, he came to get money for the Talmudic academies--the theological seminaries of Palestine. These schools are so orthodox that until a few years ago they regarded even the Bible as too modern to be studied. Modern schools are supported by the Zionist Foundation. These schools are not. But because they are the home of rabbinical inspiration, they are dear to the Chief of all Chief Rabbis.

More broadly, he is here to cooperate with other Chief Rabbis (e. g., the Chief Rabbi of Lithuania) to get money for all European and Near East Jewish schools.

More broadly still, he is here to quicken the Zionist movement which suffered a relapse when it was believed that the Balfour promises would not be fulfilled.

Chief Rabbi Kook stated that Israel Zangwill was absolutely mistaken in his condemnation of Great Britain. "The English are no angels, of course," said he, "but their Palestinian motives are in the main idealistic." He is on the most friendly terms with High Commissioner Sir Herbert Samuel. Sir Herbert, says he, has brought about close cooeperation between him, the Roman Catholic Bishop, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, and the Mufti* of the Moslems.

A reporter of the New York Evening Post (paper owned by Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis) innocent of all knowledge of Zionism, succeeded only in asking Rabbi Kook what he thought of America. Answer: "Very nice country. Nice reception. Nice mayor. Cannot tell yet about people."

*Chief of the consulting canon-lawyers in Islam, sometimes known as Lord of the Faith.