The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-07
EPHEMERAL SYNAG0GUES.
Certain Outfitters flake Honey by
Providing Them.


time comes around, when all orthodox
Hebrews hold special religious services,
and not only are the regular synagog-
ues full, but the temporary synagogues
as well, there comes out the accusation
that Judaism is being disgraced by be-
ing turned to monetary profit. Com
monty the accusation is directed
against this city, because the tempo
rary synagogue hourishes here. owing
to the enormous number of poor Jews
who do not attend any regular place
of worship. The latest attack comes
from Jewish Comment a weekly OF
some standing, published in Baltimore,
and is signed G. III Il. 1t is in part as
follows:
The state of affairs in the Jewish
community of New York city is a dis
grace to every temple there. lie ex-
pose of the temporary synagogue and
It's abuses had To come, and, now that
il has been made, what are the New
York Jews going to do about it? A
Christian, by name Theodore Neits,
has carried on the business of pro-
Viding services on the holidays for New
York Jews. and during the last ten
years has cleared over $4,000. He pre-
tended To be Jew, taking tf~~+aame of
Isdore Engel. He started by opening
one hall, hiring a cantor buying table
and seats at auction and the first year
cleared some 5000. Each year there
after he added to the number OF places
OF worship until he had nine in diff
ferent sections of the city. Do we
blame this false angel? BY no means
He found the Jews making money out
of religion and he simply initiated
them. We are happy to credit our
contemporary, the American Hebrew,
with an annual protest against these
temporary places OF worship, but ii has
accomplished nothing. Perhaps the
exposure I'm the secular press will awak-
en- the slumbering self-respeCt of the
New York Jews. Why is il that in all
these years money has been lavshed
upon gorgeous buildings and expensive
choirs? Thirty and forty thousand
dollars year are expended to tickle
the eyes and ears of a few plutocrats,
while thousands of fellow Jews are
made the victims Of Jewish and Chris
tian spectators. These thousands who
crowd the temporary halls for wor-
ship on the holidays have no place of
worship the rest of the year; their
children grow up barbarans."
A Sun reporter asked several promi-
nent Hebrews about this article yes
terday All said that there was some
basis for the charges, but that the mat
ter was greatly tNdBEtItltu.
These temporary synagogueS do eX-
ist." said one of the men interviewed,
"aud the better class of Hebrews de-
precate their being conducted for
profit. but, after all, the evil is not
great The state of the case is Just
this: There are 400, 600 Jews in this
city, great portion OF whom are very
poor These are mostly the Russian
and Polish Jews. who are fiercely or.
a., a IN ha
expenses Of maintaining synagogues.
and if they could the matter would be
difficult of arrangement because these
people hold worship not only on Sat
urdays alone. but every morning i'm
the year. The only occasions on which
these people wish TO worship I'm the
synagogues are the Jewish religious
holidays. the Day of Atonement and
New Years. For this period public
halls. stores. or perhaps vacant rooms
over "A saloon are hired. fitted with
seats. and established as temporary
synagogues. The worshippers pay ST.
81. 81, or perhaps 81 apiece for a seat
throughout the three weeks of the fes-
tival time. II Is simply new rent. With
this money the rent Of the hall is paid.
and n preacher, a reader. singer. and
other religious officials are employed
VI Is not an aesthetic form OF worship.
but il is honest and heartfelt. Very
likely somebody makes a profit from
these synagogues. That is wrong. but
~ cannot be helped until We get enough
of free svnnCogues to accommodate all.
and that will he slow work. As for
this Neits, or Engel. ! never heard OF
him.
Nobody was found who could locate
Noits. The Jewish Messenger. which
has always stood for free synagogues.
win comment editorially on the stric-
lures of &C H. L." saving that the
charges are much exaggerated and that
temporary holiday services arc useful
for the large mass of recent immigrants
who can be reached In no other way
The sun.