Page 216 - The Legacy of Abraham Rothstein - text

Articles

[AR’s involvement in Zionist affairs following World War One is noted
in two small clippings in local newspapers. One brief paragraph, headed
“L.A. Man Gets Wire of Zionist Success,” includes: “A telegram
received yesterday by A. Rothstein, who is secretary of the local Zionist
organization, quotes André Tardieu of the French peace delegation as
saying, ‘The powers are united on the establishment of the Jewish
homeland in Palestine under the trusteeship of Great Britain.’”
Another half-column article is titled “L.A. JEWS TO AID
MAKING OF STATE IN PALESTINE: Delegate Leaves to Attend
Zionist Convention Called to Discuss Plan.” It begins: “Representing
the hundreds of Zionists of Los Angeles, Abraham Rothstein, himself
one of the most active workers among the Jews of California, left today
for Pittsburgh, Pa., to attend the 21st Convention of the Zionist
Organization of America, the formal opening of which is slated for June
23.”
This sudden prominence may have led AR to write articles for the
local press, at least one of which was published in his lifetime. The
following historical analysis was transcribed by Fannie Rothstein in
pencil on seven sheets of stationery with the letterhead snipped off. It is
likely that she copied it from a lost AR original rather than taking it
down directly from his dictation, since the copy bears almost no
corrections or deletions—and no evidence of an eraser on the end of
her pencil. The pages are not dated, nor is the essay complete. The
references to Pittsburgh and Brandeis indicate it was composed around
1918-20. If it were published, no trace remains. It may have been
supplanted by the following essay, a typed version of which exists as
well as the printed newspaper article.]

Our Leaders

The Jewish race, it might well be said, owes its existence to a
certain extent to the fact that it has always produced able leaders,
men who directed with a steady hand the Jewish ship of state in many
lands and different centuries away from being wrecked, shattered and
swallowed up by the great nations amongst whom we have lived.
Beginning with the religious leaders, we have Johanan ben Zakkai,
who founded the great center of learning and religious teachings in
Yavneh. Its influence counteracted the Roman culture which had
swallowed hundreds of small nations of Europe and Asia. Could any
212