Kneseth Israel - Address Delivered by Rabbi Eliezer Silver at Agudas Israel Conference - 1942

1942

caption:
Return O Israel!”
Written Plea by Rabbi Silver for Jews to Return to Observance
Translation from Yiddish:
 
By the grace of G-d
             Return O Israel!
 
Wake up Israel, Return!
 
Awake my nation Israel. Stand prepared for the Master of the Universe. Arrange yourselves for repentance and good deeds, to strengthen the Torah, and to belief. Return O’ Israel!
 
The entire world is lost in a fire-spitting cloud. Rivers of tears and seas of blood flow everywhere. Our Jewish misfortune, however, carries everyone over. Perplexed and downtrodden from all over, on all seas and between all animals, do we find our brothers and sisters. Elders and children wander and run in great danger everywhere and cannot locate a place of peace.
 
Do you hear their cry? From east and west, north and south, they call upon us. With pleas they stretch out their arms to us, our beautiful children who (missing) in a sea of troubles, needs and pain. Scary is the Jewish situation. Woe unto us. The entire Jewish nation comes to the heavenly gates with a sky-piercing, warm prayer: until when, Master of the Universe? How much longer will you allow your Jewish nation to be open to ridicule and spite? How much longer will our land be desolate, and our holy temple? How much longer will you tolerate the Ravens and the wild beasts, the falsehood and lies of the lowly leaders of the world? Until when, Hashem, until when?
                                                    
Our sages tell us however, if a person sees troubles coming on himself, he should take account of his actions. Let’s account for our actions. Let’s stop going in strange ways. Let’s make a soul-accounting. Now in the days of will and mercy, when the gates of repentance are open, and the Master of the Universe calls out: return Israel, return sons. Let’s heed to the call and let us and our children unite as one nation with one Torah with one belief and with one hope. Young and old, begin repentance and good deeds.