RHODES SCHOLAR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 191, 7 May 1908, Page 8

RHODES SCHOLAR.

MR. S. ZIMAN FAREWELLED. AT THE JEWISH SOCIAL CLUB. Tho members of .the Wellington Jewish Social Club, to ; the number of over one. hundred, gathered at tho club-room ;in Cuba Street, last evening, to do honour-to the last Rhodes Scholar, Mr.'Solomon Ziman, of tho Auckland University, and to bid him farewell; A very enjoyable evening was spent. Half-way through the proceedings some ro- "" marks relating to. tho 'guest of tho ovoning were made, among those who spoke being the . Mayor.'(tho Hon. T.-W. Hislop). .Mr. J.'D. Nathan, ;president of'rfio Club; in congratulating Mr. Zinian, mentioned the deep sourco of/satisfaction , it was to the members of tho Jewish , persuasion that lie should have been selected, to represent the Dominion. They were' all: citizens of New Zealand; and as such thoy were proud of his . selection ; as Jewish , members of the com-, munity they were moro proud; bnt as citi- ' zens of . Wellington they were still prouder, becauso' Mr. Ziman was a "Wellington boy. . (Applause.) They could not let him go with.out attempting to their greatest appreciation of-the efforts he' had already made,' ■ and expressing their sinccrest hope' that hp would be found even more successful in tho • fucuro. That Mr. Zimrin's fondest 'dreams might bo realised—dreams that a littlo; time ago seemed no doubt impossible of. realisation —would bo the wish, of them all, and ; theiy would all trust that patience;'and perseverance would receive reward.' Some .present would remember,' perhaps,-- Mr: Ziman's parents, who, ; though having a.bard ' struggle when they first.'came >. herb, had seen their offorts crowned with success. Going . back still further,. some, perhaps, would l'Or call Mr. -Ziman's grand-parents,- and if so they,would not bo,surprised.at the -attain- : ments the, Rhodes 'Scholar; was showing; (Applause.) And so they as citizens of Wellington and members of the Jewish persuasion would feel that they to a certain' ext-fent. were sharing 'the lustre that had fallen upon' their guest; and on behalf of ' the gathering -he' wished Mr. Ziman every success. (Applause.) Rov. Yan Staveren in .the course of a fewappreciative words ''mentioned other successes that.had fallen;to Mr. : Ziman's family. 'His undo was a master of the great Collego of. Preceptors of Philadelphia, and a cousin'had also attained scholastic distinction. -- . The Mayor, in response-to a request fotf a' speech,-said he -. would like .to claim the Rhodes Scholar for the larger. public, an. in this community they, wcroall members of an intelligent whole, going together for tho maintenance of their common- institutions. Mr. Ziman was tho product of their, common ' educational institutions. (Applause.) ,He had commenced his career at' the Clyde Quay School and had ;gono through the various gradations of the/ Dominion's .' education. Now ho was going'to measuro himself-with . tho giants of : tho -world —other Rhodes ' Scholars. Mr. Ziman had selected a great subject—mathematics—but. from , what the, ' sneaker'had heard of him'and had seen of his modesty, he was -sure, they would find him taking;-a- good place amongst, his i-.fel-Iowa; ~ Eb congratulated him on his achieve'ments/and hoped;he would obtain yet greater . things' in tho future. ' Mr. M. Myers, as -a. young'moniber of the . community, said- he had,, known their guest from his childhood,, and;,had followed'his. ' career-with tho,greatest interest. ,He looked, forward, with pride and,, pleasure to what he. felt would be a great career. (Hear, hear:)' It was members of their race wlio had largely. helped. Cecil' Rhodes - to the position' ho attained in South Africa, and it was, something to be proud' ,of that Mr. Ziman was among the earliest selected to carry out the great man's -' aims. •; (Applause.) Mr. ' Myers also spoke-of Mr., Ziman's .attainments as' exemplifying the effectiveness of the' New Zealand education system,'and the great freedom' and opportunities all nations: 'enjoyed under the British flag. . They- should bo. loyal, not. only to- : then*race,but to their , foster country, and to'the flag; Mr. F. E. Baume, M.P. (Auckland), spoke of the. manly qualities that'-Mr.' Ziman had shown during his career at the , Auckland sec- : outlary school, and at tho University. One thing they should remember; Mr. Ziman's selection showed that in the Empire no . distinc- • t-ion in religion. was 'made m ,the ' selection of candidates. Hear, hear.)' From one part af the Empire to the other the search was , made for'good men, whatever they wore— ■ whether, Jew, Catholic, or Protestant; they '-'..vent to Oxford,.aiid then afterwards diffused •their knowledge .among the- people. To the "Jows it; meant that when they found an empiro in .which- these things were possible, . they must identify themselves with everything of interest. to the' Empire and keep -.their religion, to themselves as every other mcmber of; the community .did. (Applause.)' . Mr. Ziman, 'who. was "received with: loud ; and long applause,' .briefly and modestly re- ! . plied. He spoke with sincerity of the oppor- 1 tunities his parents had given, him—oppor-. ! tunities whichvthey: themselves had .been de- : ,'nied.There were. times when young when lie felt sorry lie was a Jew. Thank God ho ■ had got 'over 'that, now.' (Applause.) As. long as a; man; was proud of jbeing. a Jew 'the people of New Zealand'took'pride in him. (Applause.) He thanked them sincerely, and hoped'they would: not; be disappointed, in. ,his ; future, endeayours.v (Applause.) ■ Mr. Zachariah, in whose hands the arrangements' for' the evening were, then thanked : those present for their attendance. Refreshments wore handed round, and numbers of - inusical it-ems were contributed.