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and the arts. He was a member of the
French Académie des Beaux-Arts and
moved among intellectual circles. An art
aficionado, he assembled an important
collection of drawings and engravings,
eventually bequeathing it to the Louvre.
Rabbi Mohilever’s visit would convince
Rothschild to refocus his considerable
energy and passion to the cause of the
Jewish people.

Rabbi Mohilever describes being daunted
by Rothschild’s courteous but cool
demeanor. “For a brief moment,” he wrote,
“I was flabbergasted, but then I suddenly
reminded myself of the great purpose
for which I had come, and I ignored my
weaknesses and fragile health.” He pulled Rishon LeZion in the 1880s (PHOTO: PUBLIC DOMAIN/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
himself together, and said:
and have great difficulty communicating to Israel] I will be delighted to hear Hebrew
For years I was troubled by this vexing question: you how rewarding this project will be for you poetry.” Rabbi Mohilever’s stress on the
Why was Moses, of all people, chosen to lead the
Jewish people out of Egypt when he suffered and for our people. If you accept my proposal importance of this mission to ‘the spirit
and heed your people’s request to revive this
from such a debilitating speech impediment? of our nation’ made a deep impression on
As a political leader and representative, he barren land, it is only because the lot of this Rothschild. On one visit to Israel, he urged
ailing and oppressed nation has touched your
had to speak to the king and to other govern- heart. But if you dismiss my words and send me the members of Zichron Ya’akov not only
ment officials. The most basic requirement of to work diligently in developing the land,
a spokesperson is to be a good communicator. away empty-handed, I won’t regret my difficult but also to “observe the principles of our
journey with all its aches and pains – because
Exactly what Moses was not! faith, which is good and beautiful, and
I have fulfilled the obligation placed upon me. the ethics of Judaism, and our language.
…I was perplexed by this question, but only I’ve carried out my mission. Be loyal sons of our religion and our land
[now], during my trip to see you do I – as an so that you will be worthy of dwelling in
emissary performing a mitzvah – suddenly real- Rabbi Mohilever’s sincere words did our ancestral country.” He understood it
indeed touch the Baron’s heart. Together
ize the answer. Moses was chosen to be not only was not money and practical labor alone
the political leader of the Jewish people, but the with Yechiel Brill, the editor and publisher that would revive a dormant land, but the
of the Hebrew newspaper HaLevanon,
giver of the Torah. G-d chose him not only for Mohilever had developed a plan to set up power of an idea. He once commented,
the exodus from Egypt, but to bring the Jews an agricultural colony in Eretz Yisrael. This “The Zionists could not have done what
to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. Had Moses land was purchased with the help of a loan they did without my help... but I grew to
been charismatic and eloquent, knowing how to understand that the Zionist idea worked
influence people, the cynics would have claimed from the Baron. The settlement became in its spirit in the Land of Israel perhaps
Rishon LeZion, and Rothschild would go
that the Torah had come not from G-d but from more than my money did.” Rabbi Mohi-
him, because he knew how to seize the moment on to hire an agronomist to consult with lever’s simple but powerful message
the settlers, give the colony 30,000 German
and mesmerize people into believing. But if the franks in aid (while requesting that they penetrated Baron Rothschild’s heart. His
Jews accepted the Torah from a stutterer, it not announce his name publicly) and humble words that afternoon in Paris
would prove that G-d spoke through Moses – promise to extend additional support on would go on to not only foster the physical
that he was the messenger, not the sender.
the condition that they absorb 10–15 more development of the land, but to nourish
My lord Baron, before this very table come rep- families into the colony. During the years its spiritual core.
resentatives of many countries – some quite 1883–1889, Baron de Rothschild covered
powerful, with power of attorney on behalf of all the expenses of Rishon LeZion, Zichron
great financial institutions. They come with Ya’akov, Rosh Pina and Ekron, and donated
different proposals: about building railroads or over 5 million pounds for other settle-
canals, or colonizing desolate lands. They come ments. He paid to drain mosquito-filled
armed with a wealth of information regarding swamps and for clinics to care for malaria
the topic they want to discuss. With their elo- victims. In 1924, he established the Pal-
quence, they can impress you, explaining why estine Jewish Colonization Association
their projects would be so profitable to you and (PICA) which acquired more than 125,000
beneficial for mankind. acres of land in Israel.
I also come to you with a proposal from my Rothschild also established synagogues Odelia Glausiusz
people, a proposal so important that the spirit and schools that encouraged the use of recently moved to Jerusalem
of our nation depends on it – the settling of the Hebrew. “I have heard many French poems where she works as a freelance
writer and content curator.
Land of Israel. But I’m a man of heavy tongue in France,” he said. “Here [in the Land of

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