The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-11

preachers among the Jewish congregations in
this city. Thers ara in New York about sixty
thousand Hebrews, old and young, native and
foreign born, who sustain twen.y-seyen syna-
gogues scattered throughout the city, bu,
mostly along the east side. And yet these
sixty thousand Hebrews and twenty-seven
congregations count only three English speak
ing rabies among them, and one of these, in
the Temple, breaches in English every second
Sabbath only. shave for many months pre-
sented weekly reports Of sermons delivered by
these ministers and called special attention to
the style of their pulpit discourses; but We have
never before brought to notice the great
need of an English ministry for our Jewish
congregations We consider it one of increas-
ing Importance, and one which must be
promptly supplied if the rising generations Of
Hebrews are to be kept within the fold OF
Judaism and obedisnt TO the faith of their
fathers. The rabies frequently lament the
absence from the synagogue of the young
men and women, who, with the practical turn
of mind of Americans. fail to have that abid.
ing faith and interest In system of worship
of which they know and understand so little.
And this lamentation is well grounded, as any
Gentle or Christian stranger may be con-
WINGED of by few occasional visits or by
series of regular ones. They cannot fail to
notice the predominence of old persons and
children and the absence of active young men
or those in middle life in almost every congre-
cation in the city.
ia IF amin t1u fhof tI1ar
should be pulpit instruction for German He
brews in their own vernacular; but is 1t not
equally proper. and is not the call an impera-
tive one, that English speaking Hebrews
should have the Scriptures expounded to them
in English, which, if it is not their vernacular,
is undoubtedly the language best understood
by thousands of them? Our public schools
are continually turning out graduates Of this
creed and class who know much more of
English than they do of German or Polish or
Russian, and every generation will but make
this need felt tho more, so that now is the
time for the different synagogues to provide
themselves with English preachers. We
know the want is keenly felt by
the younger portion of the congre-
cations who take any interest in Church
questions but they are either in q minority at
present or too great Difference is paid to the
counsel of the older members to admit of the
required change. But one decade more must
make marked difference in the result. With tho
Performers" both English and German, teach
ing their people that the Mosaic law and the
Levitical priesthood, with their complicated
rites, sacrifices and observances were but
means to lead their fathers to something
higher and better; and with the ORTHODOX"
holding on to ritualstic ceremonies which evil
IDENTIFY were of local origin and Importance in
their best estate, and which have no tangible
meaning now to young minds, the rising
Jewish population of America cannot help
drifting away from the ancient faith of Abraham
and Moses, and seeking spiritual instruction
elsewhere. And we do not wonder that so
many Of them even now run around among
the Christian sects to be amused or instructed,
as the case may be- or neglect to 60 anywhere.
The result will be by and by that the next
generation or two Of Hebrews will know vir-
tually and practically less of Judaism than
tney VIII OF uluu0OlSm.
But fact which is stranger still is that there
is not single American rabbi in this city, and
very few such In the country. They are all Of
foreign importation. While they may be very
excellent pastors and preachers they cannot
certainly understand very readily the inde-
pendent mode Of thought and the free social
and political institutions of this country
which act and react upon each other,
and which, separately or together, are
so widely different from the institutio ms
and mode of thought of Europeans. The
Catholic and the Jewish are the only Churches
in the United States which, to any extent,
maintain the institutions of their faith by the
aid of foreign teachers. And, while the latter
may be very good men, we believe this courl-
try can turn out as good as they, and it GER
tainly can produce men trained in every
respect up to the average Of the Am erican
mind, which Europe can never furnish. We
believe there is college in Philadelphia,
established few years ago by the Board Of
Delegates of American Israelites, designed to
supply this want. But Il cannot meet more
than fraction of the necessities of the case,
and other institutions Of the kind should be
established elsewhere. New York is q first
class centre for a Jewish college, and with
little energy our Hebrew friends here might
very promptly improvise temporary college
where half a dozen or more picked young men
could be trained and educated for the Jewish
pulpit, to meet this pressing demand Of this
age and nation. Who will undertake this
work, or lead the way so that others may
follow?
We are glad to sec that this subject has
claimed the attention of the Rabbinical Con-
ference which met last week in Cincinnati,