The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-06
ANTI -SEM|T|SM
IN NEW YORK
Former Rabbi Depre-
Gates Its Growth.
SAYS HEBREWS ARE ABUSED
ADDRESSES AN APPEAL TO THE
PRESIDENT.
Cites Instances Where Jews Have
Been Prosecuted by Roughs,
While Police Refused
to Interfere.
Special Dispatch to The Call.


NEW YORK, Jan. 5.-The alleged
anti-Sem1tic prejudice existing in this
country and displayed in a steady in
crease of acts of violence toward the
Jews in the poorer quarters of Manhat
tan and Brooklyn, was made the sub
1ect of lengthy letter sent on New
Years day to President Mckinley by
Leopold Cohn Of Brooklyn The writer
was once a Jewish rabbi, but was con-
verified to Christian belief seven years
ago in this city and joined the Baptist
church. He is now conducting mission
airy work among the people of his race
and has charge of the interests of three
missions.
Mr. Cohn, in his communication to
the President, states that in the prose-
cuhon of his missionary work he has
had continuously thrust upon his notice
the eVer-increasing hatred displayed in
this city toward the Jew, until he has
found 1t his imperative duty to sound
note of warning. The letter contin-
ueS:
Peaceful Jews walking the streets of
TINS city are habitually called by oppro-
DflouS eplthetS or are loudly hoOted and
1nsulted, as though they were mounte-
banks or criminals, and when the threat
enlng shout will not attract response
then the throwing of mud and stones is
reSorted TO, and, L repeat, not in an iso-
lated instance but constantly as the
weeks pass, and as q result of it MANY
persons have been injured, sometimes
seriously
When a streetcar passes through the
Jewish quarter, hooting, kissing and call
ing OF names from it's platforms are GUS
tomary incidents, and within these public
cars nave seen Jews pulled by the beard
and pushed from one man to another and
back again like a football, in which horse
play the conductors have themselves par
tclpated, and IN some cases, which l am
ready to prove, these actions have Grip
pied the victims for life. A Jew with a
push cart is everywhere esteemed as a
legitimate object to be mobbed and
robbed.
On one occasion 1 saw a Jewish peddler
with horse and wagon set upon by a mob
OF large boys with stones, the man trying
to protect himself by drawing his coat
over his head. On running to his defense
l was myself attacked on appealing to a
group of citizens and admitting, upon
their questioning, that the victim was a
Jew, they laughed boisterously, adding,
with an evident sneer, that was myself
of the same despised race; and upon nv
then appealing to a policeman he coolly
replied, after great elaboration, that the
affair was not on his beat. In the mean
time, with his head bleeding, the peddler
was driven from his wagon and the wagon
looted and overturned
Another case, similar except that the
wares were scattered about the street,
though not stolen, occurred in front of the
Boys High School, where young gentle
men are prepared for college at the public
expense, largely paid from Jewish taxes
The aggressors were the students, and
the teachers viewed the scene from the
windows.
These incidents-a few selected from
many coming unsought under my personal
observation, must not be esteemed merely
as occasional disorders, liable to occur
under the best procurable condition, but
rather as manifestations of a prevalent
widespread, deepening and expanding
public sentiment fraught with the gravest
consequences to the wellbeing Of the ma
ton.
Copies of the letter to the President
were sent to the Board of Education
and to Mayor Van Wyck by Mr. Cohn,
with the suggestion that the growing
faint of anti-Semitism be made the
subject Of series of lectures in the
schools.
Mr.. Cohn said he did not expect re-
plies to either of his letters, but intends
to address communications from time
to time to the leading men of the city
State and nation, calling attention to
the threatening growth of anti-Semi-
ism