The permanence of the Mendes impression on the outlook of the national congregational union as manifest through the years is to be seen, among other ways, in his positive attitude toward Zionism. It was expressed forcibly, at a time when the Reform forces then riding so high were in rabid opposition to the Zionist movement. Always, Dr. Mendes made it plain that what he stood for was a "Torah-centered Zionism." As noted by Dr. Eugene Markovitz in his essay, "Henry Pereira Mendes, Architect of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America":

The Zionist views of Dr. Mendes were close to those of the subsequently organized Mizrachi [movement], that of combining Torah (Jewish faith and observance) with Avodah (pioneer labor) to build the land. In a letter to the American religious Zionist leader Dr. Pinkos Churgin, in 1936, a year before his death, Dr. Mendes wrote that "I am a Mizrachi with all my heart" and restated his credo in religious Zionism which he preached during his entire ministry.

Markovitz also cites, from American Hebrew, January 4, 1901, a statement by Henry Pereira Mendes that bears enduring force:

I consider that the spiritual side of Zionism doesn't mean only the possession of a legalized home in the land of our fathers. It means that, and much more. Our possession is already legalized by Him who gave it to us forever and who gives all lands to whom He pleases.

The 1914 convention hailed "with great pleasure and approval the various Jewish movements for the resettlement and upbuilding of the ancient fatherland of the Jewish people," and called upon "all Jews to give their support to these movements insofar as they are in keeping with the principles of Orthodox Judaism." At the same time, the convention resolved:

... that we recognize in the organization of the Orthodox Agudath Yisrael a most important step for the strengthening of the traditional faith of Israel and we recommended congregations and individuals to join the same.

The resolution was obviously designed to complement the positive support of religious Zionism-the original, pre-Herzlian Torah Zionism of which the Mizrachi organization was the banner-bearer-with even-handed approval of the newly launched (1912) independent movement of Agudath Israel. In the years that followed, Orthodox Union leaderships sought, unsuccessfully, to bring together the American wings of the two movements.

The gap between the two Orthodox world movements added to divisive rather than cohesive trends within the traditional fold. Since Agudath Israel gained relatively few supporters in the United States up to mid-century, however, the rivalry was more a matter of potential clash than of felt public dispute. A more serious bar to communal cohesion was the separateness between the ranks of the rabbis of eastern European background and the Orthodox Union.

With the organization in 1902 of the Agudath Harabbanim, the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada, its members -products of the great yeshivoth of Lithuania, Poland, and elsewhere in eastern Europe-had gained an instrument for their collective interests. Their numbers had increased with the continuing influx of immigrants, but the status and vocational conditions of these rabbis had been sadly impaired amid the rampant disorders of the immigrant scene. It was hoped that now, through organization, better standards would be maintained, abuses would be curbed, and the dignity and material welfare of the rabbinate would be upheld. All the leadership and ranks of the congregational Union were in strong accord with these aims, and efforts were repeatedly made to establish a tie between the two organizations. Intermittently, the negotiations showed promise, culminating in acceptance by both organizations of an agreement, drawn up by a joint committee, that (as reported and approved at the Seventh Convention of the UOJCA, held in Arverne, New York, on June 20-21, 1914) read:

Resolved: That it is the sense of this meeting that the religious principles and objects of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America are identical, and that in order to strengthen Orthodox Judaism in America it is advisable to form a joint standing Committee representing the two bodies.

Quickly thereafter, however, the Agudath Harabbanim. retracted its agreement. The negotiations then lapsed and were never renewed, each organization pursuing its separate course ever since.