Judaism, Nationalism, and the Land of Israel by Martin Sicker

Author:Martin Sicker [Sicker, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Middle Eastern, Social Science, Political Science, World, Regional Studies
ISBN: 9780429722639
Google: ki2NDwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 44598040
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

In the United States

At the same time that Western European Jewry was struggling to shed its national traits, Napoleon's perception of the Jews as a nation rather than merely as a religious sect struck a responsive chord across the ocean, in the United States. Perhaps arrogating to himself Napoleon's aspiration to be the new Moses, according to some critics, the prominent American Jewish leader Mordecai Manuel Noah (1785-1851) spoke of the future of the Jewish nation in a "Discourse Delivered at the Consecration of the Synagogue Shearith Israel" in New York on April 17, 1818. Recognizing that it would take some time before the nation could be restored in its ancient homeland, he proposed, as an interim step, that Zion be temporarily reestablished in the United States. "Until the Jews can recover their ancient rights and dominions, and take their ranks among the governments of the earth, this is their chosen country; here they can rest with the persecuted of every clime, secure in person and property, protected from tyranny and oppression, and participating [in] equal rights and immunities." He took note that the seven million Jews of the world in his time represented a greater number than at any earlier period of Israel's history and possessed greater wealth, influence, and talents than any equivalent body of people to be found on earth. He saw in them the instrument of their own national salvation as well as that of Europe itself, "The signal for breaking the Turkish scepter in Europe, will be their emancipation; they will deliver the north of Africa from its oppressors; they will assist to establish civilization in European Turkey, and may revive commerce and the arts in Greece; they will march in triumphant numbers, and possess themselves once more of Syria [Palestine], and take their rank among the governments of the earth." Noah assured his listeners that all this was well within the realm of real possibility and not mere fancy. He was confident that the Jews of Europe and North Africa were ready for such a step. "They hold the purse strings, and can wield the sword; they can bring 100,000 men into the field. Let us then hope that the day is not far distant when, from the operation of liberal and enlightened measures, we may look towards that country where our people have established a mild, just, and honorable government, accredited by the world, and admired by all good men."10 This was indeed a far cry from the traditional notion of messianic redemption and restoration.

Noah soon conceived of a plan to prepare the Jews for a renewal of their national existence by establishing a Jewish colony in New York State. At the beginning of January 1820, Noah requested that the state government authorize the sale of Grand Island, in the Niagara River, near Buffalo, for the purpose of establishing a settlement to be named "Ararat." That was to be the base from which the newly revitalized nation would emerge. Although Ararat was subsequently

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