The Sykes-Weizmann Agreement: A Drama and a History

In 1913, Horace Kallen, a young professor at the University of Wisconsin, organized the Parushim, a secret society devoted to the establishment of a new Jewish commonwealth in Palestine. Frustrated that his fellow Zionists would only speculate about a new Israel, Kallen recruited distinguished and talented Americans who would commit themselves to secret action. One of those recruited was the progressive Boston lawyer Louis Brandeis. Spurned initially from service in the Woodrow Wilson Administration, Brandeis devoted himself to the public and private advancement of Zionism. Europe erupted into war in August 1914 but the outcome was a murderous quagmire of trench warfare with little gain for either side. While England and Germany attempted to blockade one another's access to outside trade, President Wilson proclaimed the insanity of the conflict and America's isolation from it. Where others saw death and destruction, Kallen saw opportunity for Zionism. He proposed to the British war