Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-25
A Jewish Rabbits Opinions.

DR.. Kleeberg, the Jewish rabbi in New
Haven, Conn, who breaches in the Court
street Synagogue, was visited, Wednesday
morning, with reference to the council of
the union of American Hebrew congrega-
lions now in session in New York. The
rabbi said that he took very little interest
in the council, and all he knew about it
he gained from the New York papers.
There was no representative present from
this city, DR.. Kleeberg said, and he even
doubted if a single New England state
was represented. Yet he read that the
attendance represented two-thirds of the
200 American Hebrew Congregations In
the country. At one time DR.. Kleeberg
took great 6eal of interest in these gath
erlngs, but of late years he had lost
interest, tor too many times about
all that some OF the delegates
seemed to labor for was to push them
selves into prominence-tos seek their own
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Furthermore" said the
reverend gentleman, II feel that the gen.
tlemen who 60 to these council meetings
are hardly progressive enough for me.
For instance, you will see that the New
York meeting wrangled over the observ-
ance on Saturday of our Sabbath. Ten
years ago discussed the same question,
| and | arrived, so far back as that, at the
same result that they did yesterday-that
it should be left with the individual. and
no general rule made. Ten yerrs ago l
told my people, Your religion does not
rest ON the Sabbath This Sabbath ques-
ton is now coming very prominently be-
fore the Jews of this country. Those who
are merchants do not like to close their
doors on Saturday, the best day for trade
of all the week, and they are beginning
10 ask if it would make any differ
ence if the Jews worshipped on Sunday
instead of Saturday. 81 have" con-
tinued the doctor, preached and drawn
deductions that showed, I think, satisfac-
torily, that this Sabbath matter Is not SO
important as some of the faith would
make it. Our religion can live whether
we hold our Sabbath on Saturday or Sum
day. Take d parallel case: Eighteen
hundred years ago the Jews fought with
might and main against the destruction
of the temple, for they thought when the
temple went Judaism would go. The
temple was destroyed, but Judaism sti
lives and is more triumphant now than
ever before. Well, that was a fight for
place; now comes a fight for time-the
Sabbath. There is fight now to keep
the Jewish Sabbath, and some are raising
the cry that if we lose it We lose Judaism.
l think there is not the slightest fear"
"And you think the Jews will in time
lose their SABBATH"
Undoubtedly. Iwould rather keep it.
but we must submit. to it with as good
grace as possible. Eighteen hundred
years ago the Romans overpowered us
and took our temple: now the state OF
civillzation-the spirit of the AGES
against US, and see our Sabbath slowly
slipping away. We cannot prevent it
any more than we could the loss Of our
temple, and neither will interfere with
the progress and growth of Judaism.
IF Judaism throughout the world is
flourishing so much, what do you think
OF Christianity"
81 think this" DR.. Keelberg made an
swer with much earnestness: 81 think
Christianity is doomed. Why, Its own al
legged professors are helping to expose its
faIlacies. Then you have Frothing ham
handling itwith kid gloves and Ingersoll
approaching it with club. The Christian
clergy are bewildered, and no two agree
and while they wrangle and dispute Chris
tianity keeps going down. Still l can
stand it, it's fight where we Jews can
quietly look on and hold our peace As
the people become more enlightened they
have less faith in Christianity. In
Germany all the men of learning, with
but few exceptions, have lost faith. In
the university at Gottingen, where 1 was,
none of the professors, except the theo-
logical, believe in Christianity. They
admire the story of Christ and his doings
as they would beautiful legend-treat-
ed it like one of those ancient stories OF
mythology-good enough to restrain the
rabble, but not anything which they
would expect man of science or research
to believe. That's how l look at Christi
anity to-day"
"And now before you CO." said the
speaker, 'let me go back to the Sabbath
question for moment, and I'll tell you
what think it will come to. 1t lies in
the progressive spirit of the age that the
Sabbath will not be limited to one-sev-
enth part of the week as it Is now, but in
stead part of each day will be set aside
for the worship of God. Why should it
not be 500 You don't eat enough or sleep
enough in one day to last you through
the week, and why should you partake
of soul-food enough in one day to carry
you through seven. No sir; in the future
!; the far future-I foresee that mans
hours Of labor will be reduced, and that
while he will work four or five hours g
day for his body and mankind, he will
also have several hours day to devote
to his soul. You get the rough idea
Well, believe that, and l feel certain
that it will come to pass. It's far bet