The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27
OF JEWS,
The Converts SnId to b. Fast Rising to
Eminence In Their New Faith.

A Frenchman. DR.. l.. Gaze. tries to demon
strate two unusual propositions in an article
which he has written .or the Rtrrt icS Rcrues.
The first il that the Jews are fast abandoning
their religion for Christianity, and the second
aud more surprising. that the converts or their
descendants are fast winning for Themselves the
same prominence in the Christian Church that
men OF their race have so long enjoyed in
finance. philosophy. and other lines
OF human erdeavor.
Judaism. he says, has to struggle against not
only the skepticism and the Ind ference which
are attacking ali religions. but also against pow
trful social conditions. Ilcine describes il as
no: a religion, but n great misfortune. AS proof
that this state of affairs is resulting in con-
versions by wholesale. he says that notwith-
standing the proliticness OF Hebrew families
the number of Jews does not appear TO be any
greater than it was thirty years ago. 1t is as
serted that in ls43 one-half OF the members of
the Jewish community in Berlin had deserted
the religion OF their fathers. Statistics are
given to show that between 1890 and
1898, I'll Jewish families in the same
city were converted to the Protestant re-
ligion. Tho movement is said TO have
attained even greater proportions In France.
As for Austria, in 1895, in Vienna alone. more
than $50 Jews are said to have become Catho-
lies. In Russia and In Poland, where the strong
holds OF Judaism are found to-day, the CONVEX
slons are no longer counted. Persecution and
pressure OF many kinds are bearing fruit, some
times In the shape Of tho so-called reformed
sects. sometimes in conversions to the Ortho-
dox. Catholic, or Protestant religion.
The difficulty OF judging the extent Of this
movement Is the greater because the converts
avoid drawing attention either to their former
faith or to their abandonment of 1t. Thus upon
the death OF Achille Fould. Minister OF Finance
In France under Napoleon ILL.,. the Emperor re-
quested the chief rabbi Of Paris to pronounce a
funeral Grafton oyer him; but it was then dis
covered that Fould had been u Catholic convert
for a dozen years before his death. Dr. CaZo
enuIncrates men ana families famous in Europe
who either were Jews themselves at birth or
are the descendants OF Jews. lie argues that If
so many conversions are discovered In the cases
OF people well known, the, number among
those more obscure must be vastly greater.
lie says that, tho descendants OF the
PHILOSOPHERS Of whom modern Judaism
t.ans. In several instances these converts or
their sons and daughters have become eminent
section among the Jews seems 10 have been
exempt from this movement. Israel Jacohsohn,
eminent among Jews In GERMANY MS a reformer,
had the sorrow OF seeing his own son desert the
beliefs so dear to him and become IA Protestant
clergyman and distinguish himself by ardent
missionary zeal. But he was not alone in this
respect, for other Jews as prominent as he have
had the same experience in recent years.
Alarmed nj the number OF desertions, certain
Jews In Germany founded in 1870 an ASSOCIATION
to combat this tendency; but it had existed only
n few years when IL was dissolved because 50
many OF It's members had embraced Christianity.
One OF these members was Heinrich! Heine.
Rabbis themselves are numbered among tho
converts: A Hungarian rabbi, j. L.ichtcnsteir,
attracted attention a few years ago because he
continued. after his change of faith. to exercise
his functions ut his post IN Tapio-SIelc with the
sole purpose OF preaching Christianity to his
jewish congregation. He was Obliged 10 resign
IN 1892, but he continued, his missionary work
thereafter rs an Individual, still calling himself
aJew. IL II even asserted that his case is not
sG1HSsptii"m@ as Snd n ,na To- ether ra6nls are preaching
,hrlstah Hu'a a 49, oteir congregations
children IN the Christian Church. ii Is stated
that between 1850 and 1890, In Great Britain
alone. 200 clcrgymen or Hebrew origin were
ordained, O,thGrs have attained high ecclcsIus.
tlcGl rank. Indeed, 1t may he recalled tEnt sCv.
eraI books have been written To- prove Inn
Plus IN. himself was a descendant o: u .Jcwish
risen to nigh rank IN the Catholic Church are
named Archbishop Theodore Kohn OF oImutS
richest sees in Hungary, besides several Bishops.
The same is true OF the Protestant Church.