It goes without saying that the Jewish people can have no other goal than Palestine and that, whatever the fate of the proposition may be, our attitude toward the land of our fathers is and shall remain unchangeable
Theodor HerzlRead
It is true that we aspire to our ancient land. But what we want in that ancient land is a new blossoming of the Jewish spirit.
Interpretation
The quote reflects a desire for cultural and spiritual renewal in the context of a historical homeland.
Theodor Herzl expresses a longing for the Jewish people to return to their historical homeland, not just physically, but with a revived and enriched spirit. This aspiration signifies a broader vision of cultural and spiritual revitalization, emphasizing the importance of identity and heritage while fostering a new sense of hope and vitality among the Jewish community.
In practice
In a speech about cultural identity at a community gathering.
It goes without saying that the Jewish people can have no other goal than Palestine and that, whatever the fate of the proposition may be, our attitude toward the land of our fathers is and shall remain unchangeable
Palestine is our unforgettable historic home. The very name would be a force of marvelous potency for summoning our people together.
Dreams and actions are not so different as usually thought, as all actions of men are founded upon dreams, and their end - is a dream too.
What We want is to make it possible for our unfortunate people to live a life of industry for it is by steady work alone that we hope for our physical and moral rehabilitation. For this reason above all we have undertaken to rally our people around our ideal.
I will give you my definition of a nation, and you can add the adjective 'Jewish.' A Nation is, in my mind, an historical group of men of a recognizable cohesion held together by a common enemy. Then, if you add to that the word 'Jewish' you have what I understand to be the Jewish nation.
Realists are, as a rule, only men in the rut of routine who are incapable of transcending a narrow circle of antiquated notions.
And even a liar can be scared into telling the truth, same as honest man can be tortured into telling a lie.
Apparently Brooklyn needn't always push itself to be something else, something conscious and anxious, something pointed toward Manhattan.... Brooklyn might sometimes also be pleased, as here on Flatbush, to be its grubby, enduring self.
But I cannot forget that, at other times I have been deceived in sleep by similar illusions; and, attentively considering those cases, I perceive so clearly that there exist no certain marks by which the state of waking can ever be distinguished from sleep, that I feel greatly astonished; and in amazement I almost persuade myself that I am now dreaming.
They felt that science would be corrosive to religious belief and they were worried about it. Damn it, I think they were right. It is corrosive to religious belief and it's a good thing.
If I could only remember that the days were not bricks to be laid row on row, to be built into a solid house, where one might dwell in safety and peace, but only food for the fires of the heart.
Go within. Use the inner body as a starting point for going deeper and taking your attention away from where it's usually lodged, in the thinking mind.
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