The Voice of the Youth

To Our Brethren and Sisters in the Exile, Peace Be with You!

Nearly two thousand years have elapsed since, in an evil hour, after an heroic struggle, the glory of our Temple vanished in fire and our Kings and chieftains changed their crown and diadems for the chains of exile. We lost our country, where dwelt our beloved sires. Into the Exile we took with us, of all our glories only a spark of fire, by which our Temple, the abode of our Great One, was engirdled, and this little spark kept us alive while the towers of our enemies crumbled to dust, and this spark leapt into celestial flame and shed light upon the faces of the heroes of our race and inspired them to endure the horrors of the Dance of Death and the tortures of the autos-da-fe. And this spark is now again kindling and will shine for us, a true pillar of fire going before us on the road to Zion, while behind us is a pillar of cloud, the pillar of oppression threatening to destroy us. Sleepest thou, O our nation? What hast thou been doing till 1882? Sleeping and dreaming the false dream of Assimilation. Now, thank God, thou are awakened from thy slothful slumber. The pogroms have awakened thee from thy charmed sleep. Thine eyes are open to recognize the cloudy structure of delusive hopes. Canst thou listen silently to the flaunts and the mockery of thine enemies? Where is thine ancient pride, thine olden spirit? Remember that thou wast a nation possessing a wise religion, a law, a constitution, a celestial Temple, whose wall¹ is still a silent witness to the glories of the Past, that thy sons dwelt in Palaces and towers, and thy cities flourished in the splendour of civilization, while these enemies of thine dwelt like beasts in the muddy marshes of their dark woods. While thy children were clad in purple and linen, they wore the rough skins of the wolf and the bear. Art thou not ashamed to submit to them?

Hopeless is your state in the West; the star of your future is gleaming in the East. Deeply conscious of all of this, and inspired by the true teaching of our great master Hillel: “If I help not myself, who will help me?” we propose to build the following society for national ends: (1) The Society will be named BILU, according to the motto: “House of Jacob, come, let us go!” It will be divided into local branches according to the number of members. (2) The seat of the Committee shall be Jerusalem. (3) Donations and contributions shall be unfixed and unlimited.

What we want: (1) A Home in our country. It was given to us by the mercy of God, it is ours as registered in the archives of history. (2) To beget it of the Sultan himself, and if it be impossible to obtain this, to beg that at least we may be allowed to possess it as a state within a larger state; the internal administration to be ours, to have our civil and political rights, and to act within the Turkish Empire only in foreign affairs, so as to help our brother Ishmael in his time of need.

We hope that the interest in our glorious nation will rouse the national spirit in rich and powerful men, and that everyone, rich or poor, will give his best labors to the holy cause.

Greetings, dear brethren and sisters.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one, and our Land, Zion is our one hope.

God be with us!