The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1872-06-12
Jewish.
The Observer last week contained the fol-
lowing interesting letter, which we give en-

lowing interesting leCIer, WHICH We give GU
tire:
"MoBnE, May 18th, 1872.
"Your readers cannot but be interested
to hear of the conversion to Christianity of
the Jewish Rabbi of this place. 1t is GER
tainly one of the most wonderful manifesto
tions of the grace and power of God in the
human heart, and it is more like the CONVEX
sion of Saul of TarsaS than anything l ever
heard of. He has been in Mobile about
eighteen months, and was in charge of a
large congregation of Jews, besides teaching
very foursting Hebrew school con
nected with it. He seems to have been
great man among them, having written a
number of very learned articles for the Is
raslite, trying to prove, and very conclusively
to his own mind then, that Jesus was not
the Christ For about eight years he has
been admiring Christ as an historical char
acter, but spurning the very idea of his be-
ing the Messiah promised to his people. All
of sudden, he says, while he was lying on
his bed resting after the laborS of the day,
the conviction suddenly flashed over his
mind, "Christ, my Redeemer!" and an in
expressible joy pervaded his whole being
He tried at first to keep the precious secret
in his own heart, but he felt constrained to
tell his people of the great treasure he had
found, besides considering it dishonorable to
be acting part which he did not feel. So
he. called the congregation together, told
them the change of views, and resigned his
position as Rabbi and teacher, thus cutting
himself off from all his old ties of race and
family. His mother is very bitter in her
denonciations of his apostacy, and all his
relations revile him for bringing such dis
grace upon their family, which has boasted
of pure Rabbinical line for centuries back.
Of course nothing is too hard for the Jews
to say about him for having proved traitor
to his faith, and bitter persecution is kept
up against him; but he is so full of his new.
found Saviour, and so perfectly happy in
the companionship of his 'One Friend, that
none of these things move him.
"He was baptised a week ago Sunday
night, in the Baptist church, which has
proved to be the one of his choice, and he
certainly then made "a good confession be-
fore many Witnesses the church being
crowded, including many Jews who came
out of curiosity to witness the ceremony
He spoke then very earnestly and beautiful
ly of the solemn step he was about to take
which would almost break his mother
heart and cut him off entirely from all thai
he had previously held dear. He said
he had never loved his people so dearly be
fore or worshipped with more alteration thu
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He il
go full of love to Christ that he talks abou
it all the time, and nothing seems to Civ,
him more pleasure than to tell others of tn,
wonderful change wrought in him. He ha
spoken several times in the Methodist, Bap
tist and Presbyterian churches, his learning
and wonderful power of illustration giving
him great power with an audience. He ha
not yet decided what course to pursue, bu
it is hoped that he will enter the ministry
as he seems calculated to do much good.
J 81 have written rather longer accoun
than I had intended, but the conversion o
the Jewish Rabbi has of late been the grea
, excitement in religious circles"