The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-02-01
ADLERS LECTURES.
An Ereoriafing AItjcte upon Their Ten
denotes as IHnorations upon Hebretr
Unity, Doctrine and Dogma.

| Try the same experiments over again, the
results of which history records, and
must often pay dearly for this negligence.
Is not this the case also with our Jewish
| leaders? Did they not, and does not
each of them try to make history anew,
and each on his own account. without
consulting for moment the records of
past events? We believe they do. If
each synagogue has another liturgy and
ritual, and each school another cate
chism, Judaism must be broken up in
fractions, in its form of neutrality-suspicious.;
and this, although mere form to men
of learning, is essential to the congrega-
ton, standing at the foot and seeing but
the base of Mt. Sinai. The Tsnaaia,,
after the fall of Jerusalem, and after the
Amaraim G"c0nin, rabbinists and phi
losOphers had set the example of liturgi-
cal unity in Israel but it did not teach
those a lesson who learn nothing from
history. They have been told, request
ed, begged, under humiliation and self
denial, they have been entreated. let us
! unite Israeps houses of worship as in
days of yOre, but they refused persist
emily. Now comes Prof Adler and the
Sunday lecture association, and inform
them of the logical sequences of those
premises. The thing is broken up right
there, and it cOulG not possibly come
otherwise. Where every Jewish man, in
stitutiOn, book, every attempt at union
and united action was dragged down in
the mud, each and every Jewish au-
thority had been violently butchered,
and Strauss cold and New Faith" had
been publicly rehashed before the young
there had to come indiHerentism first,
contempt next, Prof. Adler and his assO-
cation last. 1t could not fail; it is the
natural course of events. Perhaps this
will arouse some of our readers there to
consciousness that all can do more than
one; that Israel united is Isreal indeed
Perhaps they will begin to see that the
strong authority and the united intelli-
gence of the union of American Hebrew
congregations, in annual council, is more
efficient than that Of any one man or
congregation; and tmight be better, after
all, to submit individual opinions to be
legitimate resolutions of all or the ma
jority than to make history anew, each
on his own account. Perhaps it might
rouse some to see if we let our future
rabbis be educated under the material
! ism of Berlin, or under the very chris
| tian vigilance of Columbia, Yale or
Trinity, they will be no Jews but if we
take this matter in our own hands, we
could do much better, and there can be
none to care better for our interests than
we ourselves could do it, ard the union
of American Hebrew congregations is
ourselves exclusively. Perhaps some of
IsraePs honest friends in New York will
begin to see where they have been led
! to, and reflect what will become of it I'M
| der such leaders, such workers, such
scribes and such isolation, blind and
naughty contempt of men and lessons,
We say perhaps" for nothing is sure
in this world. Perhaps Prof. Adler and
his association will go on, preach atheism,
materialism and utilism, if that is their
/ object, until the young shall turn away
with disgust from the naughty indifer-
entism Of the DID, and the in
vincible seIfsatistaction of the leaders,
and open a new ere of Judaism; or per-
haps, they will let the whole thing 60 to
pieces to save their pride. Who can
tell? One thing is certain, hover, linda.
ism depends not on New York or any
other city, country or generation. All
New York may be heathenized; this
whole generation may follow after Baal,
/ Moloch or Mammon it will do no harm
to Judaism, which Is indestructible be-
cause divine. Neither Haman nor An
| tiochus, Epiphaues nor Hadrian, nor the
crusaders, nor any man or body of men,
could possibly destroy eternal truth,
with which Judaism is identical. There
is ono eternaly living God, an all-wise
and adjust Providence, immortality for
man and eternal justice for men, to tri-
umph at last; and mans will is free.
whatsoever chooses may run himself to
hell and self-destructiOn, but Judaism
Ill H., E,-.,.,. Il = Gods derraa.