The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-12
JEWS DID NOT CRUCIFY HIM.
Have Bcen Uujustiy Accused of Causing
the DcuIh of Icsus

Rev. ]. Feuerlicht Rabbi of the Lin
den street Synagogue, read an admir-
able paper before the Methodist minis
terlum. at Elm Park church. yesterday
morning, in which he gave two reasons
why the Jews had been the victims OF
religious oppression and persecution
for the past 1900 years. 1t had been
said thatt the Jews had cruclhed Jesus,
who Is called the Christ and the jew
was branded rs the Christ-killer, and
with the mark of Cain upan him had
wandered during all the centuries an
object of scorn and hatred They were
further charged that by reason OF their
law they had drawn an isolating race
line between themselves and the rest of
the world. Both charges, he asserted,
Were groundless and false, Jesus Christ
was held In the highest esteem and ven
eratlon by all Intelligent. modern Jews.
and as u son of their people. they had
the greatest respect for him, as he lived
Il pure ana holy life on earth. but they
believed that Jesus of Nazareth was
not the founder of Christianity In Its
present aspect.
II Jesus would rise again he would not
recognized Christianity rs the religion
which he and his immediate disciples
practised. Jesus was true and faith
ful son of Israel and he did not design
To change the religion In which he was
born and brought up. He referred to
Matthew V. Il 10 -. Luke Ii. ~ and 10.
II, in support of his contention. The
author of the present Christianity was
Paul, who never knew Jesus in life, and
whose Ideas and religious principles
differed widely from those of Jesus.
Jesus observed the law; Paul broke the
law. ThS speaker then gave several
apt Illustrations to show the differences
In their opinions and teachings.
Jesus death was not desired by the
Jews; to them he was not dangerous,
but he was to the Roman Emperor
and to the priests holding Office under
him. 1t is not true that the Jews cru
Gifted Jesus. but even If some OF them
had, 1t is unjust To condemn all the
Jews. There may have been some
among the rabble at Jerusalem who
cried aloud Cruelty him." but 1t is
surely unjust 10 condemn the masses
of the people. among whom Jesus was
highly esteemed and who would surely
have saved him from the hands of the
Romans, and their hirelings, the priests.
If they could. II Is a fact that the peo-
pie hailed the entrance of Jesus into
Jerusalem with "Hosannah," and the
priests did not dare to lay hands on
him on the feast-day lest there be nm
uproar among the people. That the
Jews did not cruelty Jesus could be
proved by the fact that the Jews had
no right to penal jurisdiction. Cruel
fication was not a Jewish form of put
ting to death; it was Roman. The
Jewish code prescribed four methods
of death. stOning, burning, throttling
and killing with the sword, all exc
cuted in the most humane manner pos
sible. Even ii the Jews had crucitied
him, their descendants have eXplated
the crime thousand times.
The reverend getleman then made an
eloquent plea for tbs removal of the
prejudice and hatred against the Jews
that still prevails in European countries
and to a great extent in this country.
He explained the Jewish belief as to the
reward and punishment In future life
and prophecied that the Messiah would
unite under the canopy Of universal
peace, the Jew, Christian, Moham-
medan. Buddhist, and Brahmen.