The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-12-16 00:00:00

STOURBRIDGE OBSERVE&
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"DANIEL DERONDA."

Dr. Hermann Adler, preacher of the Bayswater/Synagogue.
on Saturday nicht delivered a lecture on " Daniel Deronda"
to the Jewish Working-men's Club, Aldgate. Mr.JL Gaedalla
was in the chair.

Dr. Adler said that the latest work of George Eliot
contains the most faithful exposition of Judaism and
the Jewish character which has ever been published in
this country by any one not an Israelite. A sad and
humiliating book could be written on the treatment of
Jews in literature, but against the calumnious misre-
presentations, of which there were many old and recent
examples, might be set the character of Ilsbecca in Sir
Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe," or the passages in which the
present Prime Minister proved that he was proud of
the Hebrew blood which flows in his veins. Dickens
had in his last completed tale represented the Hebrew
Riah as the quintessence of all virtues; but they did not
want exaggeration, they only asked for justice and
truth. Such a truthful deecription of several types of
Jewish character they -found in Daniel Deronda.
Thnief Deronda himself seemed designed by the
author to lay stress upon the peculiarity of Judaism
in that its profesaors are not bound together merely
by the tie of a common religion, Iliut that they have
another tie almost als- strong, that Of common descent.
Mordecai, an assistaiit in a second-hand book shop, a
vendor of watches; but a sort of Spinoza,, a poet and
'philosopher, into whose month sonxiof the finest refiec-
Voile contained in the wale were put, reminded them
of the fact that some of the' most learned Jews, from
the Rabbis of the Talmud down to Moses Mendeissohn,
had been followers Of handicrafts or trades. This man
had completely Relied the lofty spiritual character of
his religion and the great future in store for it. He did
not think the purification of Judaism meant the throw
lug off of all its distinctive rites and observances. He
looked forward to the Holy Land becoming an organic
centre for the Jews dispersed over the whole world—to
a new Jewish polity like the old, a Republic with
equality of protection, so that the outraged Jew might
have a defence in the court of nations, as the outraged
Englishman or American. And when he had ceased
the speech in which he expressed these aspirations to
the members of the Philosophers' Club, so solemn was
the effect produced that no One ventured to resume the
discus6ion. It was as though they had come to-hear
the. blowing of the shofar, the trumpet which is
sounded on the New Year and on the :day of 'Repent,
awe. The author must have read very extensively on
the subject of Jewish life and prayer, but that would
not wholly account for the fidelity of her descriptions.
We must also ascribe it to that power of divina-
tion which made Schiller give the most vivid
description of the Lake of Lucerne, though he had
never visited Switzeiland. Names and allusions often
b-speak her familiarity with ancient customs and
little-studied literature, When Dr. Adler had read a
few pages of the book and met the name Klesmer, he
said to himself, "The author of this boa is deeply
read in Jewish folk-lore." The name K!esiner, com-
pounded of two Hebrew words, was given to the
musicians who used formerly to play at Jewish wed-
dings. No apter surname could be adopted to
denote the Hebrew extraction of the clever aiheruian
or Polish musician of the style of Rubinstein. There
are passages in the book in which we may fancy that a
Polish Megid is expounding st difficult Hagade. "A
Rabbi said, The Omnipresent Is Occupied in making
marriages." Was not that nonsense or blasphemy; No;
"the levity of the saying lies in the ear of him who hears
it. By marriages the speaker meant all the wondrous
combinations of the universe whose issue makes our
good and evil." Many theories had been Et ,rted to
explain how it was that George Eliot wrote the Jewish
episodes if her bo-k. Dr. Adler WA4 of opinion that
Fhe was inducad to take her deep interest in Judaina
by the fact that she, in common with every profound
thinker, could not fail to become interested in a faith
which, as she herself stated, has penetrated the think-
ing half of the world fled moulded the forms of the
world's religions. And tne central figure of the great
work thus inepired, a book which was certainly an
English classic, was a person like themselves, a Jewish
working-man. The lecture was frequently interrupted
by applause, and at the end a vote of thanks was car-
ried by acclamation.

Arabic; aftor which he laid a hand on the head of
each, and gently knocked them together, which opera.
Mon could not be performed without a general smile.
Then two rings were produced, the hands joined under
the bride's veil, and the rings put on by the pries. All
this time the pair sat quite passive—not a word spoken
by either; and after some more prayers read in Arabic
and some Coptic chanting, the whole was concluded,
and the bride, still in ber blindfold condition, was
marched off by bee attendants to the women's room
to receive the visits of her female acquaintance,
while the huebana went up to salute the Pa-
triarch, kissing a small cross he held in his hand,
and in return having his bridal mantle unfastened
by the great man. After all was over, Mr.
Shakoor asked an obtained permission for the bride 'e
old schoolfellows to slog one of their hymns, which
they did very nicely, led by their excellent teaclrr. It
was the first time, probably, that the Patriarch had
ever heard a Gospel hTmn in his own tongue; he ex-
pressed his delight in the warmest terms, and actually
sent next day to isk for a hymn-book to take for him-
self. And 'here rabbuld mention that tire Patriarch
has shown himself 'uniformly most friendly to my
sister's sehools; and treats the ' missionaries
with marked courtesy he is aware of 'their
differences of • opinion, of course ; but in -Spite
of all the disadvantages of being brought up
In an unreformed Church, he seems to have a
genuine value for and love of the word of God. On
one of his female acquaintances, the mother of a pupil
In the school, telling him she was learning to read, he
encouraged her to perigevere, and promised to give her
himself a New Testament as soon as she should be
sufficiently advanced to MAI it:. -He is known as a
man of remarkably liberal view. We are glad to
observe that during the whole ceremony of the
marriage no allusion was made to the Virgin or saints
nor was any image or pietnre presented for Worship.

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