, 1884-08-10
DEAD TO HER
The Sentence Of a Convert from Juda-
ism to Christianity.
RaeheI KohIen, n Dark Rrosved
Beauty, Renounces the Faith OF
Her Fathers-Her metapho-
ricaI Funeral.


lNcW 1Ork Letter.J
Rachael Kohlen.. a girl OF IS and u
convert TO Christianity. was baptized by
Rev. DIR. Freshman last Sunday. e"
quote from a religious weekly the brief
and only account heretofore published Of
the apostasy Of this young woman from
Judaism Already knowing something Of
the temporal consequences OF such a
thing. l sought out the particulars in this
particular case. | went first to a meeting
held In n room in Cooper institute by DR..
Freshman, lie IS an evangelist devoted.
with indications Of conscienliousness. to
the conversion of Jews to Christianity.
In this work lie has the financial aid
of several philarthropists- who re
gard the 80. 900 Jews of New York city rs
especially proper subjects for proselyiism.
Those who nave studied the subject say
thu no more than half of these lsmelites
are Jews In religion. though nominally
rsckoned a. such. the majority
having dropped completely away from the
faith Of their fathers. but they have not
taken up any new religion in place of the
discarded one. and consequently are In a
condition of pure agnosticisin. or entire
unbelief In any kind of supernatural revel-
alton. | found in one of the small halls Of
the building which the late Peter Cooper
erected for the free instruction of the
public in practical science and art, but
parts Of which, with a shrewd
eye TO sustaining revenue he set apart tor
rental, a gathering of twenty-seven per
sons They were engaged in singing,
praying. and speaking. after the manner
of ordinary meetings in Christian denomi-
nations. There was no great amount of re-
vival fervor, though some Of the worshipers
showed a great deal of earnestness. These
were Jews by birth. but they told of their
religious experience in the manner and
largely In the familiar phrases common to
plous persons In general. so that there was
nothing distinctive about them and their
doings. One bore none of the facial
characteristics of a Jew. and he felt CON
strained TO declare that he was one. despite
his lack OF the looks. He lies, - muttered
a maj AT my side. Hes no Israelite.
He's n fraud
There could be no such in~credulity re-
garding the next CONVEX who stood up to
speak. This was the Rachael Kohlen of
whom | was In quest. She was a Jewess
beyond all possible question. Her hair
was a crows black, her complexion was
nearly as coppery as a squaw's. her nose
was aquiline. and the pout Of her lips and
droop of her nostrils were peculiar to her
race. She was rather a pretty girl, and
she bore indications that she could easily
be fervid in any direction which her senti-
ments impelled her. Her eyes were
troubled and her color flushed as she said.
simply, that she desired the prayers of
Christians to sustain her In a special trial.
Her sacrifice to her new religion was
gnevous IN some respects. she in
timated. but she was well con
tent to suffer them. l talked with
her after the services and found
that she was a Pole. Now. TO what |
wrote about the infidelity of New York
Jews, should be added the statement that
the Polish lsraelites are very rarely apos.
tates. On the east side of town, in those
square miles of densely congregated fore
igners. dwell thousands of Poles who have
not been in the slightest degree permeated
by Americanism, or anything else that
modiies their race peculiarities. They are
indeed d separate people-ignorant. poor.
industrious. filthy and quiet. They are
ruled by their rabbis, to whom they take
their quarrelA instead of TO the law courts,
and by whom. iris said. serious crimes are
considered and punished. The
among this class of Jews are usually a
room in a tenement house, with a Hebrew
inscription on the door post as the only
outward indication of a sacred interior.
There is one at 80 Forsythe street. l went
there because Miss Kohlen told me that
her funeral services were to be held.
when a member of IN orthodox jew
ish family Of Poles their relig-
ion, - she said, she becomes dead to them.
They have just the same kind of cere-
mony that they do when a person actually
dies. and they will never see the unfaithful
one again if they can help It. l was
driven from home the instant my folks
found out l had become a Christian. l
knew II would happen, and it was a dread
full think to cut myself off entirely from
the relatives and friends l loved, but / was
sure that salvation depended on it, SO
they are going to bury me"
And therefore you would attend your
W funeral services. If you cared TO-, 1
remarked.
mo. " she replied, Il would be shut out
II ! went there.
The ceremony was In Hebrew, and l
was informed that II differed in no respect
from what it would have been If the corpse
Of Rachael Kohlen had been in the coffin
which stood before the altar. The mourn
ers were US fearful. and doubtless felt
their sorrow quite as keenly as though the
scene had not been a mockery. They will
now speak and think Of the girl as dead.
What will become of herr Well, 1t is to
be hoped that she will get some worldly
consolation from those who have CON
verted her away from home and kindred,
aside from that spiritual comfort which
she processes TO have already received in
abundance.