(pseud. of Asher Ginsberg. Leader of Chibath Zion, Hebrew writer and thinker, 1856-1927).

Achad Ha’am (1856-1927) was the “father of cultured, spiritual Zionism.” Titled “Masliansky,” this long poem of 16 quatrains includes lines in praise of Masliansky’s abilities as a Maggid of Zionism in America, including (freely translated to preserve the metre): “Behold! To the podium the preacher arises/ Two thunderous eyes can [verbally] brutalize/ He spreads his hands like a musician/ His words, like rain, work like a magician…” Russian born Tzvi Hirsch Masliansky (1856–1943) was the most eloquent and influential Maggid on the American scene. Part of the teaching staff of the Yeshiva in Pinsk, he became a proponent of the idea of a return to Zion. He emigrated to New York where he helped popularize Zionism, wielding much influence upon Yiddish-speaking immigrants. Achad Ha’am here heralds Masliansky as “The National Orator.”