Interesting Letter to Theodor Herzl - Russian Zionists - Odessa, 1898

Interesting Letter to Theodor Herzl - Russian Zionists - Odessa, 1898
An interesting, handwritten letter, addressed to Theodor Herzl in Vienna, from a group of Russian Zionist activists. Odessa, June 20, 1898. French. The letter deals with the propaganda efforts of the Zionist Movement, and in particular with the plan to found a "National Bank" (a plan which materialized a couple of months after this letter was written, when it was decided in the second Zionist Congress to found the "Otzar Hityashvut HaYehudim" bank. "Russia opposes, and you, sir, know it better than us. Censorship creates difficulties as far as Zionist propaganda is concerned… through the press, and mainly the Christian politics of Zion's enemies which we witnessed in the Basel Congress… we ask to organize a meeting of all Zionist leaders in Kishinev to unite and propose verbal propaganda - the only means left for us regarding the national bank…". Further, the writers of the letter mention the "Warsaw Convention" (a conference of Russian Zionists, held before the second Zionist Congress), and the person elected as chairman of the convention, Jacob Bernstein-Kogan, to whom they refer as "crossed the lines and joined our enemy" (see item no. 4). Five Zionist activists are signed on the letter, including Boris Kazmann, chemist, one of the first members of "Hovevei Zion", one of the organizers and participants of the first Zionist Congress, active in the Zionist Organization of America; Nahum Slouschz, author, scholar of eastern languages and Jewish history in eastern countries, secretary of the "Bnei Zion" Zionist Society in Odessa; and Pinchas Friedman, a merchant and Zionist activist, one of the founders of Tel-Aviv. [3] folded leaves (11 written pages), 21 cm. Good condition. Folding marks, minor tears and damages. Deletions and additions in pencil. Ink stamp.