The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-06
CHRIsrIANS IN TEE GHETTO.
A Jew On tho Great Missionary Problem
Ia 1hat District.

a Jew On t00 0Pc8t mHesonory fT0Dlem
In 1hat District.
To The EpIroR OF TIE suN-SI: To
speak frankly, I would this time have pre-
ferred II you had not thrown your searching
X.rays upon the natural reaction OF small
group Of pious Jews against the missionary
propaganda. Individual and collective, among
the. children OF the poor Russian. Rumanian
and Galiclan immigrants Of this and other
cities Of our country. But now that tho
wound has been laid bare. may the experts
In religious surgery on both sides bend their
best efforts toward its radical cure. since
you were kind enough to allude TO my own
diagnosis Of tho present spiritual status OF
American Judaism. you Will not find II amlss
II offer my services - volunteer consulting
physician.
II there were In existence central con.
sistory Of the Jsws Of America. yea, only
regularly established Jewish community OF
New York. their boards could and probably
would have taken up this momentous mis-.
sionary problem, bringing 1t near to q solu.
ton satisfactory, II not 10 the overzealous
RELIGIOUS followers both Of Jahveh and Of tho
carpentens son Of 0Alilee. at least to all true
friends Of religious freedom. But alas! tho
100, 900 Jews residing In our city and the other
10000 spread throu ghout the forty-nve
states and Territories Of the United States
are split UP. 90 far as their religious interests
are concerned. In about q thousand frag.
ments, called -congreGations. the Union
. Of (Reformed) American Hebrew Congrega-
lions bounded 1881 and the Union OF ortho.
dox Jewish Congregations Of the United
States and Canada tfoun ded 1901 exerting
but small direct influence upon their con-
stituents. The stereotyped phrase used by
the Old Testament writer's TO describe the
religious and national anarchy prevailing IN
ancient israel. in those days there was
King In Israel; every man did that which was
right In his own ey es. can indeed be rightly
applied to the state Of absolute anarchy
relsning nowadays In the American syna-
gogue.
To take now the steer by its horns: Is it
and can It be In the real and higher interests
OF Christianity II. by whatever means. In the
course Of years. few scores. few hundreds
or . few thousands Of Hebrews nominaly
abJure their ancestral faith. embracing the
dogmatlo beliefs OF one OF the numerous
Christian denomln atoms which. in their turn.
represent the mstnbra disjecta OF the noble.
superhuman Gospel Of Jesus OF Nazareth?
No man In his senses will doubt OF the gous
sincerity q the over whelming majority, Of
Of distant Asia and Africa or open their
spiritual recruiting posts among the children
%orhier of The divine founders ~ Of the tWo
great monothelstic religions. and at the same
time more In hnsLmony =, vi, the PRINCIPLES Of
ton Of Independence, II their authoritative
representative In congress- assembled could
be induced TO dig beneath the relatively shall
low bottom OF both Jewish and Christian
theolosies, laying pare tine eternal founda-
ton Of religion itself. which Is and can be bus
one for US all, children Of the same Father?
The rsbbnical candidate OF 1873 Prof.
Felix Adler, founder OF the Society for Ethical
Culture tried In his recent work on "Ths
Reli gion OF Duty" to outline the ideal com.
mon religion OF the enlightened citizen OF
the twentieth century-to whatever race or
religious persuasion his t9refathers may havs
two p three men In the Ameri lean rabbpate
York philosopher. who renowned the sue:
censorship to HIS father In the ministry. OF
rich Temple Emanu. 81 because he found that
the altitude he had reached with regard 10
Jewish religious helefs made it impossible
for him to enter the active ministry" to use
the terms OF his biogrApher in the Jewish
Ency clopedia. But there are, according to
my conviction, two-thirds among the 1870
members Of the Central Conference OF Ameri-
can Rabbis. who would not hesitate to sub
scribe to most Of the principles laid down
by their ex-collea que II they could consist
emily continue to occupy their on1cial position
Of this anomalous religion. p cloey Of the
leaders Of the American synagogue their
annual nieetinRs remain, and must remain.
without the slightest influence upon the re-
ligious life OF their constituents. and conse-
guently few Eealous volunteers have 7,
fight on their own hook the struggle for the
rellgious integrity OF Judaism.
NKw YORK. AuG2. lsIDoRE SINGER.