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Sermon delivered by Rev. S. Levy before the delegates to the Fourth Zionist Congress at the New Synagogue by the Rev. S. Levy. The congress took place in 1900, and due to the great rarity of copies of the sermon, was reprinted by request in 1920. It begins with an invocation and, with several references to Psalms, Pesikta de Rav Kahana, and Avot, reflects the passion of the moment. Rev. Levy at one point stating “and from a religious point of view it is a source of gratification that such an assembly is able to gather together men of varying shades of thought and culture, who, by honest interchange of views, help to remove prejudices begotten of want of knowledge, and to emphasize agreement on common essential principles of Judaism.”
Zionist congresses were the highest authority in the Zionist Organization, created by Theodor Herzl . None of the previous attempts to convene general assemblies of the Jewish national movement, some of which were successful and some abortive, succeeded in creating an instrument similar in scope or nature to the Zionist Congresses. Herzl's aim in convening the Congress was "to close the Zionist ranks, bring about an understanding between all Zionists and to unify their endeavors… the Congress will show what Zionism is and wants." His other aim – to establish "the national assembly of the Jewish people" – was realized by many of the Congresses that took place both before and after his death. The problem of the location of the Congress was not confined to the First Zionist Congress alone. Several of the Congresses encountered problems in this sphere until the 23rd Congress, which met in Jerusalem (all subsequent Congresses have been held in Jerusalem). Previous venues were Basle, London, The Hague, Hamburg, Vienna, Carlsbad, Zurich, Prague, Lucerne, and Geneva. During the periods of the Ottoman regime and the British Mandate over Palestine, it proved impossible to hold the Congress in Ereẓ Israel.
The Fourth Zionist Congress was held on Aug. 13–16, 1900 in London. The reason for choosing London as the location of this Congress was given by Herzl in his opening speech as follows: "England, great England, free England, England looking over all the seas, will understand our aspirations. From here the Zionist idea will take its flight further and higher, of that we are sure." The Congress bore the imprint of the severe crisis in Romanian Jewry, with many thousands forced to leave the country and those remaining behind subject to pressure and harassment. Herzl viewed the persecution of Romanian Jewry as further proof of the urgent necessity for a Zionist solution. Since the "charter" was still a distant prospect, matters demanding immediate attention came to the fore. The position of the Jewish workers in Erez Israel was also brought up at this Congress.
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