The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-28
ORTHODOX JEWS ANGRY,
They Are Greatly Stirred Up
by Rabbi Voorsanger'S
Remarks.
the Source of His Judaic
Principles.

Intentionally or not, Rabbi Jacob Voor-
sanger of the Congregation Emanuel
stirred up a veritable storm of indignation
and anger among the more conservative OF
his coreligionists, when, in the course of
his Friday evening lecture on 'Why Am l
Reform Jew?" he said.
The second reason why am a reform Jew is
because believe in the progression of religion.
do not believe in the religion of 5000 years
ago, Nor do you. My orthodox brother says
he does, but he doesn't The Israelite of old
held his God in terror which do not. Ny
religion has become nobler and greater re-
ligion that stands above all limited express
SlonS OF worship. | reject absolutely forms
that have been conceived and established in
Babylonia, in Palestine, in Italy, in Spain, in
Egypt.
l want my religion and political opinions to
be alike progressive and liberal, intended to do
the greatest good to the greatest number.
am reform Jew because twenty years of
experience have convinced me of the dis
honesty of American orthodoxy. There should
be consistency in every form of faith. There
is respect and reverence to be yielded to
every religion, provided it is honest. I can re-
spect Catholic if that Catholic be honest.
can admire Protestant if he be sincere. I
class all religions in the same category. For
that reason l could, even though l am an
American, reconcile myself to orthodoxy,
if it were honest in this country
as abroad; but I say there is no
over petty rites and transgresses the principal
commandments of the faith. There are men
who are terrified because you bare your head,
and who with the greatest equanimity violate
the Sabbath. There are people who are horri-
fed because you widen the dietary laws, yet
they do not abstain from work on the hottest
day of the year.
They are dishonest and inconsistent because
orthodox Judaism, as understand it, must be
for one thing or another; it must stand upon
talmudical or rabbinical ground or not at all.
If it is not that then it becomes the inconsist-
ency denounced by DR.. Einhorn as skeleton
which robes itself in gorgeous dress to delude
the public.
His discourse was the subject of general
conversation among the Israelites of the
City Yesterday, and there is every proba bill
ity that he will be answered in the near
future from the pulpit of one of the other
synagogues.
AS representing one of the least reformed
of the better known congregations, Rabbi
NJ. S. Levy of the Congregation Beth Israel
was asked to express his views on the ut
terances of Rev. DR.. Voorsanger. He
said:
I do not see how DR.. Voorsanger can speak
authoritatively for his orthodox brother when
he says he (Dr. Voorsanger) does not believe in
the Judaism of 5000 years ago, which is based
on the revealed word of God as handed down
to Moses, and which has for its fundamental
principles the ten commandments.
Orthodox Judaism also possesses principles
nothing in reform Judaism that orthodox
Judaism does not possess. Orthodox Judaism
is progressive and liberal and is intended to do
as great good to the greatest number as is
claimed is done by reform Judaism. 1t is
mistake to convey the idea that America
possesses the only panacea for Judaism when
we take into consideration that there are
100000 of Jews throughout the world,
100000 or more being orthodox.
The best theological institutions that the
world has, the greatest schools are the creation
of the orthodox Jew; the leading philan-
thropists, the men of greatest culture are or
thodox Jews. The Montefiores, the Hirsches,
the Mocattas, the Goldsmiths, the leading
Italian and French and the eminent Jews of
other countries are actively identified with
orthodoxy. And as specimens of manly and
patriotic citizens of the respective countries
in which they live they are the equal of any
American Jew.
| represent a conservative orthodox congre-
CATION. believe that the Jew has yet to fulfill
the mission for which he selected and that
for great number of centuries to come ortho-
dox Judaism will serviye.
l regret personally, very much that there