The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-09-26
Jew the Most Honorable Title for
The ChiIdren:Of Israel TO be known

Jew the Most Honorable Title for
The ChiIdren:Of Israel TO be Known
Ey.
New York::Times.
Rev. Gustav Gottheil, Rabbi of the
Temple Emmanu-EI, preached sermon
| yesterday morning, in which he took the
| ground that the prejudice of lsraelites
against being called Jews is an unbound
ed one, and that the name OF Jew is one
which any person might be glad to bear.
| The Rabbits text was from Jonah, l., s, 8:
Then said they unto Him, Tell us, we
pray Thee foi whose cause this evil is up
on US; what is Thine occupation2 and
whence contest thou? What is thy coun-
try? androf what people art thou? And
he said unto them, / am an Hebrew, and
| fear the Lord. the God of Heaven,
wnleh hath made the sea and the dry
land The subject OF the sermon, as
announced by Mr.. Gottheil, was "He-
brew, Israellte, jew" He began by say
ing, i am Hebrew This admission
was forced from Jonah. He simply de-
signated his nationality without any ref
erence to the social position he claimed
and he cared little what his tellow-men
! thought of him. Some time ago that
name became the subject OF public discus
sion. and Tor the first time we had 10
choose by what name we would be called.
There are in common use Hebrew, Israel
tie. and Jew, the latter being the least
favored. The English language, to her
disgrace be II said, gave 1t Glshonorabie
tInse Joaan's reason for choosing He
brew. however, was not that he courted
: social iavots or entrance into privileged
circles. Not being engaged in mercantile
pursuits it was matter OF indifference
20 him whether he wss called Hebrew
~ Jew. He simply stated his rationale
ty but TO avoid mistakes ne added, Il fear
| the God who made heaven and earth
Let us consider the origin and historic
import of the three names, and 1t Will,
tank. become clear that jew is the most
significant and the most honorable OF
them all"
"Of the name Hebrew" DR.. GOttheil
continued. 1.-TWO derivations are common
" glven-one tracing 1t TO one OF Abra-
hams ancestors, called Eber, and one
from u root which means 80 pass on the
crops A Abraham came into Canaan
across the Euphrates, and his descer d.
ants were known rs OF trsns-Euphratlc
! extraction. The word 'psssers-over' IN
| later times assumed the meaning of pass
| nag over the Jordan. But whatever its
/ uhilolOglcal character, this is certain, that
| II WAS purely external, II L may say so,
| and no IN )re, and bore no relation what
! ever to the intellectual or religious life
| o! the people; Just SIS American IS de-
! rived from the account of one Amerlgo
/ NespuccI having published the first de-
sCriptlon OF the ly-discovere CONT
rent. 1t suggests little or nothing rs to
It's history, or the great men who founded
tne Republic, or the people who fought
lor her independence. Hence the
language, which is the most distinguish
ing feature of nationality, is called, not
Jewish nor Israelitisb, but Hebrew. He
brew is the least significant name, en-
bodNiag nothing pecullar-nothlng that
l. associated with the history, or the mis-
sion. or the work, or the aspirations OF
the children of Abraham. Those, there.
lore. who would give it preeminence
over the others have merely the darkness
of their ignorance; they may be excel
lent Christians; but they have read the
Bible to little purpose. 1t Is different
with the lame OF Israel. That was
solemnly conferred upon Jacob on the
night wnen he wrestled with the mighty
beng. Thy name shall not be Jacob,
but Israel, and it is explained to mean
ore who strove with men and gods and
prevailed. The word embodIes the idea
of being victorious, and from the be-
s,owal OF that name Jacobs eagerness
for wealth is abated-he begins 10 think
of the worship of God. His descendants
che Sc that name tor themselves Child
rem of Israel-and allowed Hebrew to
fall almost into disuse. 1t only occurs
sbout n dozen times. and mostly In the
mouths ct foreigners; and Hebrew and
Israelite stand in the same relston as
Greeks and Helenes, Ottomans and
Turks. Israel or lsraelite, on the strength
OF ScrIptual testimony, Is indicative oil
severe struggles in the night OF trial, and
is = title the dignity OF which cannot be
surpassed. Need We blush to be called
bv that name? Yet 1t falls behind the
name OF Jew, for it recalls the spostacy
of the ten tribes from the faith OF A6ra-
ham and Moses. The name of that tribe
to whom the preservation OF the Israel
insb religion is entirely due-the tribe OF
,Judan-superseded al others, and retain
us supremacy to this day; for Jew is but
the Anglclzed Judah. That tribe was
eminent from the beginning for its num-
beers. its power, lis arlstocrstic tendencies,
and its earnestness IN the matter of re-
Toion. The Bible, such rs we have 1t
now, is due to its energy, culture, and
literary skill. Taking ali this
into consideration, ask whether there
. is any name which we might bear with,
: l will not say pride for pride is foolish,
|, but with more just feeling OF satlsisc-
|. ton; whether there is any national or de
!. nominational name around which cluster
nobler "reminiscences, more honorable
records OF unswerying fidelity to great
, cause, brighter galaxy OF Industrious
q men and women, and richer harvester:
> o heroic deed,2 What is there 10 b,
: ashamed OH Is it that some, known II:
Jews, act mesnly, are sharp IN their prsc