Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-08-19

skeptlc, rationallst, or man OF the world
thoroughly imbued with modern ideas ss to
State-even an ultra Socialist, as La Sale
aud Karl Marx-neyertheless, in The home
the traditions of the forefatheIs are religi-
Gus y observed, and none the less SO because
IheI i-nconsequeutisl nature is fully recog-
niZsd.
The Jew is by no means a newcomer in
New York. He was here in pretty stroug
force in the earliest beginnings, and, strange
enough, had secured for himself religious
liberation when Catholics, Qlakers and
Bapiists were still clapped into prison for
censcience's sske. Among the earliest sell
tlers of Manhattan Island were a number CT
jews, principally Of Portuguese descent. AT
htst they worshiped as best they could, not
being permitted TO own a place in which to
praise God after their own manner; but in
time, and more particularly after some of
their number had contr bu,ed literally to-
ward the building of the first Trinity church,
in 1885, they were permitted TO erect a tenn
pie. The Shearilh Israel, now worshipiDg
in a magnificent synagogue in Nlneteen n
street, near Fifth avenue (sJll known as the
Portuguese Society, WAS The original cou-
gregsIion, and dates ito org sniz alton TO 1850
III first synagogue was erected at the close
of that century. There are still nu-
merous descendants of the original
sock IN this community, and, true to
human nature, they are d sposed TO remem.
Der their ancient lineage and conduct them
selves accoIdrpgly. the synagosues Of New
York are am)ng the ciIy's most notable
structures; and while here and there in the
Old World, as in Prague, for example, a
specimen or two may excel those on Que ave-
nues, no city can show so many Of the first
order, nor, for That matter, so many of any
| order, since, when all are counted, there are
above thirty, some of them, 10 be sure, moth
ing to bofst OF except that they bear the
name.
Il is characteristic Of all Jews that, being
children Of the world, without sny country
Of their own, they are loyal to The country of
their adoption, and they are intense patriots
and nationalist The G .rm IN Jew is a Ger.
mao, the E Igli h Jew is al EnglIshmeD, the
Bohemian Jew a Bohemian, the Polish Jew
a Pole, the French Jew a Frenchman, and
in less time than any Other people after ar
irving en- these shores they become full
hedged Americans. None are more esger 10
acquire the language, and none do So more
re~adilT-that is to say, enough to do bust
ness with. For the finishing touches few as
yet can spare the time.
The Industry of the Jew is proverbial. So
is his sobriely, his reverence for old age, his
intense love for family. And no less marked
lDdu dbJ vi LhC5C adIlo Al hio "
and this is by no means confined to his own
people. The modern Jew is a generous giver
10 all good works. His religion is chsrity
and his practice is as good as his preaching.
| Not only d ees he maintain all manner OF in
situations for his owu people-hospitals, or
phan asyluma, homes n the aged and desti-
tute, and the llke-buI he does a great deal
for others besides. Like all other ciliz ana,
he pays taxes 10 maintain State and city in
stitutions, but it is seldom that he makes use
of any Of these; with an open hand be as
sists numerous private charities OF q nom
pectarian character; and again his people
derive almost no benefit from them. Aud
above and beyond all this, he maintains a
variety of exclusively Jewish institutions,
all Of them Of the first order and conducted
on 30 extensive a scale that every Jew IN the
community has q place OF r, tuge, or Is sup
piled with the means to keep want from his
door. The Jewish charity work of New
York is admirably systematized and con-
Quoted on a generous basis. The Jew Civ, S
more than his money; he gives time, atten.
ton and sympathy as well, and there is
more than one non sectarian work, as, Tor
example, the secular branch OF the Saturday
and Sunday Hospital Association, which
would Ianguish and probably go under we're
it not that it has the good will Of our Jewish
population, and with that always goes an
active support, a ~person.l attention, which
their Christian brethren do not always find
time or inclination to give.
The picture is, OF course, not yet complete.
Only the bright ,ffects have nus far been
brought into notice. Tnere is a rather ON
Der background, which, however, through
prejudice and lack OF a proper sense of pro-
por ions, is ordinarily made 10 play the part
OF foreground. No people should be judged
i .-asn k,t -. 81. kna4
There is in New York a downtown Jud aism
and an uptown Judaism. The two have
little in common, except that the uptown
mansion never forgets the downtown tene-
menthouse in its distress. Ignorance and vice
and filth are the same things the world
over, with this difference, perhaps, that
Whatever there is about a Jew, be it a dis-
mond or dirt, il ia conspicuous. This is his
chief offending. "Why do you insist on call
Jog them Polish jew, Bohemian jews, or
Russian Jew? ?" remarked aJeWess who traces
her lineage to the Original Portuguese settler.
"Why not call them Poles, Bohemians, Rms
siaus, in a word, low class Foreigners, no bet
ter and no worse than other low class 70. eign-
ers.D While the lady was right in one sense,
she was yet wrong in another. The generic
term foreigner" covers one side only. The
other is distinctive and equally important.
He may be a German, but he is still a Jew
he may be a Pole, but he is still a Jew, and
this distinction ia not only religious but il ia
chronological. The German or the Pile il
only skin deep. The Jew part goes to the
bone and into the very center and marrow
of his being. The Foreigners is the acci-
dental, the Jew is the inherent and IN
chaugeable in him. The lady is now
an Americspy her ancestors were Portu-
guese; the Jew remains. sand | am proud
- .. - 10Th .ha nth aAs.Tt aaA IN nh ao1o
Socially the Jews OF New York are still
largely q world by themselves. There are a
number of exclusively Jewish clubs, some OF
them, like the Harmonic, in Fory-secend
street, domiciled in handsome and commo-
dious clubbouses, Old World Jews, espe-
cislly the Polish variety (which includes,
also, those Of the Vistula provinces OF Prus-
sic, Austria and Russia), take life as a very
solemn fact, with little 10 make merry over.
The well-to-do Germsn-born or American
born Jew, on the other hand, is, as a rule, an
exuberant individual, as if the suppressions
of past centuries we've Gro wding for expression
in a single generation. He enjoys life to the
utmost, likes to see and be seen, is full Ct
restless push, and when this is coupled with
ignorance and vulgsrity, ss naturally hap
pens now and then, the impression made on
sensitive and refined people is not always one
Of sgreesbIeness. However, this develop
ment il as much deploFed BY cultivated Jews
as by aoy other class, and some excellent
advice has Of late been given from Jewish
pulpits and through jewish periodicals on
his subject. 1t is a development resulting
from Abnormal relations to society, past and
present. and with a better adjustment, such
as time must necessarily bring about, most
that il now cGensiYe yill no doubt be toned
down.. if not entirely er:dieated. No race of
men have ever been handicapped ss the
Jews: taken ali in all, none have stood the
ordeal rs we'll. And inasmuch as he is an
important factor in this community, and is
likely to grow pore and more important, a
Wise economy you'd dictate the cultivation
of a spirit OF aecommodatioR: Our neigh
bors are often what we make them, the Jew
of to-day is largely a product OF the worst
developments in Christianity-its prejudices
and oppressions. 1t is time that the better
side OF Christian civiliz alton was turnsd to-
ward him, Who can doubt that such q
course would cali out ell that is most es-
Unable in this interesting racer
Leaving the strictly social aspect OF this
subject, With its somber fringes, the way i'm
medistely opens to all that ia bright, cheer-
full and most c~ommendable in Jewish chsrac-
ter. The Jew is fairly alive with benevolent
instincts. sEd this characteristic is as conspic-
uous in the Bowery ard its e~nvirons rs on
the avenue. Every synagogue is the center
Of charitable work, and las hsppens in the
case of the vast majority when they main
| tain no church relation, the jews are mem
bsrs of one or another Of the benevolent 30
| cieties whose number Is fairly bewildering.
What New York Judaism is from . bust
| uesg point of view 10 too we'll known to re-
| quire setting forth, or, if any adequate pre-
sentstion were attempted, the task would
| certainly prove a very formidable one. While
the Jew has the commercial instinct deE 81
oped to an extraordinary degree, and trade
is undoubtedly his forte, the more prudent
among these who have the direction of af-