The San Francisco call., 1896-04-28
He Challenges Rabbi Fryer to
Translate the
Bible.
SOME CAUsTIC COMMENTS
He Will Sweep B,fore His Own Door
Eefore He Does the Same
for GentileS.

Naphtaly Herr Imber has been chal-
Ienged by the spiritualists of Oakland-or
is about to be-to meet Professor Zanzic
in some sort of manifestation.
Professor Imber Oh the other hand has
challenged Rabbi Fryer to meet him at the
vestry of the Temple Emanuel, and there
offers to point out to him three words of
the Hebrew Bible which he AYERS the Rabbi
cannot translate.
So Professor Imber is having an in
challenge of the spiritualists with a few
caustic reflections, but as to the Rabbi
he holds to the subject at great length.
The Rabbi has been criticizing Imber
severely, characterizing him as a fraud
and imposter, and it is this that has put
Imber into fighting mood.
"Fryer's attack upon me was not un-
looked for" said I'M Der yesterday. "On
the 10th of April 1 was invited to Jewish
home at 1723 Buchanan street, and this
rabbi was present. He left at about mid
night, bidding me a perfectly friendly
good-by. i told the lady of the house at
that time that he was shallow and bad
man, and that he would speak evil of me.
She was surprised that L should say so,
because he had seemed so friendly, but
the next Sunday morning in his pulpit he
fulfilled my prophecy. He said L was act
ing under false pretenses in many claims
have made. but [ have established my
reputation as truth teller.
"Acting under the advice of friends
have challenged him to translate certain
words in the Bible. He certainly ought
to know the Bible. was going to chal.
lenge him to translate from the Talmud.
expect of him.
Il understand that he has accepted the
challenge, and 1 now and here name the
time and place-to-morrow Tuesday after
noon, at o'clock. in the vestry of the
Temple Ernanu-El. invite all the rabbis
of the City and reporters of the press.
81 am not through with RABBI Fryer"
continued Imher. ''The Jews of the City
agree generally that he has treated me
badly, and it is for meto reply to him. In
all my fights with rabbis-and l have had
a number-I always win, because / repre-
sent the truth.
Not only am I assured of the support
of all the rabbis here, but am supported
by the extreme orthodox Jews, who come
congratulating me in having exposed that
ignoramus.
''To show the character of the man who
has abused me and the cabbala, of which
he has no idea, l have to say that he has a
Bible class at the Bush street Tabernacle
composed of young girls from 16 to Is
years of age, and instead of teaching them
the Bible he has been lecturing them for
weeks about marriage and charging them
never to marry gentle; implanting racial
hatred in their breasts.
Again, he says that smoking on Sunday
is not violation of the law. That may do
for gentiles, but not for Jews.
"The difference between orthodox and
reformed Jews is that the former believe
in the old law OF the Talmud while the
latter stick ouly to the Mosaic law. But
as making fire in any form is a prohibition
of the Mosaic law. smoking is violation
according to the reform conception.
II asked him how his smoking agreed
with his congregation, and his reply was
that as soon as the present president of
the synagogue got out, who, he said, was
half fanatic and half lunatic, he would do
away with these rules and regulations,
which had stunk in Jewish nostrils for
1000 years.
Now this is the man with whom
deal. The ancient Jews worsh iped a
golden calf. That certainly had some
value. The Jews of the Bush street Syna :
gogue worship an ass in human shape
that can only bray"
Concerning the spiritualistic agitation
concerning him Professor Imber says: 81
am not a materializer of the spirit, but
spiritualizer to spiritualize the body. If
these spiritualists who are so eager to
deny that l am one of the thirty-six
had read The CALL they would have
seen that I do not claim to be one of the
thirty-six but that l have been chosen by
them to expound the Cabbala. But will
accept their challenge. When 1 have
swept before my own door it will be time
enough to do that for the gontiies. It is
true l have no one to back me. do not
need any one. 1, with truth, am a ma
iority ,,