Spomenica Dobrotvornoga bazara u korist šume kralja Petra Oslobodioca u Palestini pod visokom zaštitom Njegova Veličanstva kralja Aleksandra I. : 17. i 18. maja 1930 u dvorani Makabija i vrtu G. Julija Königa

Abstract

Između dva svetska rata, u razdoblju formiranja kontura buduće izraelske države, masovnije imigracije Jevreja u mandatnu Palestinu, kao i pojačane delatnosti cionističkih organizacija u Evropi, dolazi do razvoja veza između Srbije, odnosno Kraljevine Jugoslavije i tadašnjih jevrejskih prvaka i institucija u Palestini. U znak zahvalnosti Kralju Petru I Karađorđeviću za njegovu podršku cionističkim idejama i naklonjenosti prema Jevrejima, donacijama jugoslovenskih Jevreja i uz pomoć KKL-a (Jevrejskog nacionalnog fonda, Jewish National Fund, Keren Keyemeth leIsrael), devet godina po njegovom upokojenju, aprila 1930. godine zasađena je šuma sa 10.000 sadnica koja nosi ime Kralja Petra. U ovoj Spomenici se navodi: "Posve spontano nikla je u našoj sredini misao da se spomen Kralju Petru Oslobodiocu ovjekovječi u narodnoj domaji svih Židova, u Erec Jisraelu. I tek što se iz osjećajnosti rodila ta misao, ona je privedena djelu. Isprva zavještaj jugoslovenskih Židova, ovaj spomenik naišao je na srdačan prijem u čitavom židovstvu. I jest izuzetna ličnost, kojoj se evo u slavu i za vječno spominjanje sadi na Ginegarskim brdima šuma nazvana Njegovim imenom. Zašto ovaj spomenik? Svima nama samo se sobom nametalo da u židovskoj Palestini tri imena budu ovjekovječena - upravo geografski povezana s našom domajom: prvi među njima - Kralja Petra. On je čeznuo, najmanje zbog Sebe, da se nađe Svome narodu na oslobodilačkom podvigu protiv tuđina, pa da pod imenom Petra Mrkonjića raskine verige tuđinstva, koje su Njegov narod sapinjale. I u Njegovoj šumi u Erec Jisraelu jugoslovenskim će Židovima, sa osjećajem da im noga korača tragovima jevrejskih praotaca, pod šuštanjem krošanja pred duševne oči stati strogi, očinski, grandiozni lik Kralja Petra. Za nas ta šuma ima dvostruko značenje. U jednu ruku izražava našu povezanost sa zemljom koju u ovom času izgrađuje svo židovstvo, a u drugu ruku čuva dragocjenu nam uspomenu na Onoga, čije ime nosi. Pokroviteljstvo nad bazarom u cilju prikupljanja sredstava za sadnju šume, preuzelo je Njegovo Veličanstvo Kralj Aleksandar I, davši time vidan znak sklonosti prema neposrednoj svrsi bazara kao djelu jugoslovenskih Židova. Mi hoćemo time da se odužimo Blaženo počivšem Kralju Petru. Time naše nastojanje za obnovu Palestine, povezujemo sa činom našeg pijeteta prema Velikome Kralju Oslobodiocu..."

Between the two world wars, in the period of the establishment of the future state of Israel, the mass immigration of Jews to mandated Palestine, as well as the increased activity of Zionist organizations in Europe, the connections between Serbia and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the development of Jewish leaders and institutions in Palestine at the time. As a sign of gratitude to King Peter I Karađorđević for his support of Zionist ideas and favour to Jews, donations from Yugoslav Jews and with the help of KKL (Jewish National Fund, Keren Kemet Israel), nine years after his death, in April 1930, a forest was opened with 10,000 seedlings planted which are named after King Peter. In the Memorial is written: "The idea that the memory of King Peter the Liberator should be immortalized in the national home of all Jews, in Eretz Yisrael, arose quite spontaneously in our midst. And as soon as that thought was born out of sensitivity, it was put into action. Initially a legacy of Yugoslav Jews, this monument was warmly received by the entire Jewish community. He is an exceptional personality, in whose honour and eternal memory a forest named after him is planted on the Ginegar hills. Why this monument? It was self-evident to all of us that three names should be immortalized in Jewish Palestine - precisely geographically connected to our home: the first among them - King Peter. He longed, at least for His own sake, to join His people in a liberating feat against foreigners, so that under the name of Petar Mrkonjić, he would break the chains of foreignness, which bound His people. And in His forest in Eretz Yisrael, Yugoslavia Jews, with the feeling that their feet are walking in the footsteps of their Jewish forefathers, under the rustling of the treetops, the strict, paternal, majestic figure of King Peter will stand before their soul's eyes. For us, that forest has a double meaning, on the one hand, it expresses our connection with the land that is currently being built by all of Judaism, and on the other hand, it preserves our precious memory of the One whose name it bears. Patronage over the Bazaar to collect funds for planting a forest was taken over by His Majesty King Alexander I, thereby giving a visible sign of preference for the immediate purpose of the Bazaar as a work of Yugoslav Jews. We want to pay our respects to King Peter, who rested blessedly. Thus we connect our effort for the restoration of Palestine with our act of devotion to the Great King Liberator..."