The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-03-04
"fHE PECULIAR PEOPLE"
Some Facts About the Million Jews
In the United States.


In the United States.
No one but Jew can commensu.
rately appreciate the intense happiness
Of the Hebrew people in this country
Free America is the modern Moses who
has delivered them from European
bondage, perhaps far worse than the
Egyptian. They have not been made
to drink the bitter waters of Marab in
this land; they have not thirsted in the
wilderness Of Shur, not hankered after
the fiesh-pots. They have sped to this
hospitable province, this modern ELM,
however, where there are more than
twelve wells of water, and three score
and ten palm trees and they were
wanderers no more" This is the lam
guage of clear-headed Hebrew, Mr..
J. }. Noah, who has contributed to Mr..
EatOn's new Report on Education one
of its most valuable Appendices. Os-
tensibly, this Appendix is an account
of Hebrew Education in the United
States; but it is more than this. We
do not know of a better historical and
social sketch of the American Jews
than that which Mr.. Noah has put to-
gether, nor one which compresses so
much curious information within a
limited space.
There are in the United States about
one million resident Jews; and it is a
singular circumstance that the majority
of this number no longer consider a
knowledge of the Hebrew language
essential. On this point we quote Mr..
Noah, who says: Education in the
Hebrew language is now purely second
ary, and it is only taught for the pur-
pose of enabling them to participate i'm
the various religious ceremonies which
are given in Hebrew. Modern Ameri-
can reforms introduced in synagogue
worship do away with the exclusive
ness OF the Hebrew, and sermons or
lectures are now commonly preached
in English and German languages.
Some reformers insist that all the SER
vices should be conducted in English
or German, so that all the congregation
should understand; for it is true that
the per centage of Hebrews attending
synagogue, and employing the Hebraic
understandingly, is very small. In
other words, it is evident that the He
brew language is fast losing its import
ance among the Jews, it being no longer
necessary to employ it hermetically,
although the orthodox Isr;elites cling
with great pertinacity to the old habits
and customs, and refuse to be separated
from the ancient landmarks. 1t is but
a aquestiOn oftime, however, with ortho-
doX Judaism-it must give way to the
reformatory spirit of the age.u
The Talmud continues the writer
is no longer taught in Jewish schools as
an exclusive study. 1t is referred to
and interviewer with other school ex-
ercises, but is not a speciality. The
lSrDliteS do not, as heretofore, compel
their children to an exclusive study of
Hebrew, and of Hebrew law, at the age
OF five or six years; but they impart to
them general knowledge of Hebrew,
so that they may read it fiuently, even
if they understand 1t but imperfectly,
to the end that when they become Bar
nitzrdh, or thirteen years of age, (the
Oriental age of manhood, when parent
al authority is considered to cease
they may read their portion of the
I6rtth, or the law of Moses, i'm the syn
agOgue, as the first witness and exhibit
of their entry into the mystic rite of
manhood. The Hebrew has been here
tofore wrongfully classified as one of the
dead languages. 1t has never expired,
but has constantly ha life. When it
is considered, however, that the He
brew youth are no longer compelled to
master it, or to use it as language of
it is fast going into deca-
dence, and, like the Latin, will only
serve the purpose of a language of relig-
iOus ceremony.
On the general subject of Jewish ed
ucation, Commissioner Eaton remarks:
'"The hereditary characteristics of this
peculiar people are shown to be in a
degree the result of a train
ing at once so minute and so compre-
hensive as to embrace almost every act
in the life of an Israelite, from the cradle
to the grave. Education with him is
not Il thing apart as with the other ma
tions; it is rather the companion of his
whole existence. His relations to his
family, to his fellows, to the synagogue,
and to strangers; his habits of life, the
preparation of his food, the ceremonies
of his religion, are all ordered in accord
ance with traditions centuries old. This
constant education has produced ho-
people, whose characterist-
les, preserved under SO widely varying
have Outlasted the most
persistent and fearful prosecutions.
Their fondness for American liberty,
and their support of the common school
system, are specially worthy the atten-
ton of those foreigners who come here
to perpetuate antagonism."
And Mr.. Noah confirms this state
ment in the following passages, which
give some interesting incidental infor-
nation on other points:
AMERICAN EDUCATION FOR THE JEW.
One of the most praiseworthy results
of Hebrew education is the fact that it
teaches and begets education. They
keenly appreciate the idea of Plato,
that Education consists i'm giving to
the body and the soul all the perfection
of which they are susceptible" There
fore poor Isra;elite will sacrifice every
thing he possesses in order that his
children may be educated. In European
countries where it was not possible to
promote Jewish schools, the Isrplites,
whenever it was permitted, contributed
freely to the schools of other sects, to
the end that they might enjoy the ben-
eft of educating their youth therein,
even at the expense of their religious
conscience.
In the United States, however, it is
worthy of remark that, as We have pro-
gressed in education, liberal laws, and
unrestricted liberty, the progress and
reforms of the Israalites have been
commensurately achieved. 1t was re-
served for the republic first to unveil
the obscurity and hermetic character of
Jewish education. 1t has not been
compelled to secrecy, as in madieval
and even in modern times it existed in
Europe, and therefore has been thrown
open for public examination.
The American Isr;elite undoubtedly
rejoices in our system of free schools,
and watches with anxiety and hope the
progress of American education. He is
grateful for the blessings offree govern
ment, and therefore is in accord with
the wisdom of Aristotle, who asserts
that "the most effective way of preserv-
ing State is to bring up the citizens in
the spirit of the government, to fashion,
and, as it were, to cast them in the
mould of the Constitution"
JEWS AS CITIZENS.
1t is Hebrew education to insist that
inasmuch as the promoting of wise and
liberal government is the true aim of
education, so the Government, in re-
turn, should foster and conserve it as
the most important end to be attained,
and as contributing the greatest happi-
ness to the masses. 1t therefore follows
that prominent educational refoimers