The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-02-02
A Convert to Judaism.

IT is Il very unfrequent occurrence for
an Israelite to embrace the Christian
quently that Christian embraces the
Jewish faith. The Israelites are the
most exclusive race on the face of the
earth, and to this eXclusiveness and
their reluctance to mix with persons of
other faiths, and to the aversion to in
termarriage with them, the mainte-
nance of the purity of the race, from
the days of Moses to the present time,
is due, in spite of their being scattered
over the whole of the civilized world
and being often subjected to ignomini-
Gus treatment and persecution by Chris
tan and other Gentle powers. Unlike
any other race, the Jews employ no
missionaries to make converts: on the
contrary, if persons wish to embrace
the Jewish religion they have to do so on
account of the promptings of their own
hearts. The Jewish law says: Con
verts are as annoying to Judaism as
leprosy is to the body" and that per-
sons wishing to embrace the religion
should be persuaded to desist from their
design. Nearly all the ills and misfort-
unes that have befallen the Jewish race
in olden times are attributed to con-
verts, and not to the regular members
of the faith. All possible obstacles are
thrown in the path of those desiring to
become Jews, and they are only adj
mitted to the faith after it has become
evident that such desire is prompted by
none but the purest motives. About
the only instances where converts to
Judaism are received are where obsta-
Giles to the union of two loving hearts
are to be removed. A jew who mar
nounced her religion and embraced Ju-
daism is considered dead to parents
and relations and is mourned for in
the same manner as one who has de-
parted this life, and for this reason
man, in order to marry Jewish girl,
becomes a Jew, and more often, be-
cause less painful, Christian girl en-
braces the Jewish religion to marry the
choice of her heart.
A case of this kind occurred in the
city yesterday. Mr.. Julius Posner, a
young man of the Jewish faith, some
time ago fell in love with Catholic |
girl named Kittie Sullivan, who recip-
rocated his feelings. They were de-
termined to become man and wife in
spite of the oppositiost of their parents.
The girls mother, her father being
dead, had nothing against the young
man, who is respectable, well educated
and holds a remunerative position in
wholesale clearinghouse in this city,
except religion. The parents of the
young man had nothing against the
young girl, who is a rather cookbook
ing blonde and apparently well calcu-
lated to make a good wife, except that
she was not Jewess. But, in spite of
all opposition, the twain went before a
Justice of the Peace, who tied the nup-
bal knot. The new-made wife was so
impressed with the devotion of the
young man who sacrificed almost every
hing for her sake that she determined
% embrace his religion and thus not
'nly make him happy, but his parents.
It is claimed that the young man knew
nothing of the step she was about to
axe until few days ago. The Rev.
Rabbi Gersoni prepared her for the i'm
,ortant change, and he wrought the
yesterday afternoon at
he residence of the young mans par {
nts, No. 2SS Clark street, in the pres
nee of small circle of relatives and
riends of the groom. None of the I