The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-29
AMERICAN RABBIS ron RUSSIA,
"RAbblnieal OVerprOductlon" Here. Need
OF Spiritual Doctors There.

BNAOQAAAANoi ONCAP hhNAtt WV
Of Spiritual Doctors There.
To n EDITOR or THE Sus-Sir! In n
couple OF weeks the greater part Of our 200
10 800 rabbis will leave the old God OF Israel
to the care OF their respective sections while
they themselves will I'LL mountains and sea-
shores to rest from the enervating task ~
the winter season, preaching before hair
empty benches on doctrines and traditions
in which both pew and pulpit have long since
lost belief, but which for various reasons
neither Of them is prepared TO give up for.
mally and oflclally just now, preferrinC tina
game OF fooliug one another to making a
manly religious declaration OF lndepsndssse
May 7 then he permitted. after an interval OF
nearly one year, TO preach from Park rows
national pulpit a new little lay sermon for
my dear friends the theologians, who while
packing their trunks may find some relief
from. their own theoretical fatigue in listen
ing for once to what other people have to say?
The subject will. however, certainly interest
gleo the tens OF thousands of Jewish laymen
who take a deep and sincere part In the woe
and welfare Of the 5000. 900 jews courageousIy
fighting and heroically suffering for their
Anal political and social emancipation.
He who Ia studying Russian affairs at a
close range has to admit that not only the
dynasty of Romanoff as snoh-not TO speak
individually Of it's present imperial repre-.
sentative. Nicholas H., or OF a handful Of
incorrigible Grand Dukes and Grand Ouch
esses-but also a considerable portion OF the
Russian aristocracy and bureaucracy have
reached the conclusion that the institution
OF the Duma will have TO stay. the i25. OOO,OOO
Of moujiks. tradesmen, artisans and intel
~lectuals having definitely made up their minds
TO shake of the intolerable yoke laid upon
them by the 5000. 900 individuals constituting
the so-called Shlachtia. 1t can, further,
suffer no doubt that although the Constitu.
tional Democrats and Socialists in the Rus.
sian Parliament and a diminutive part Of
their constituency are, as a question of prin.
cipIe, not opposed to the granting OF fun
political freedom to their Je wish fellow slaves,
the overwhelming majority OF the Russian
people are still. si-instinctIvely, filled
with anti-Jewish prejudices.
The struggle for liberty will therefore BE-
hard and protracted. and IL is the duty
Of the west European, and in particular ofthe
American Jew, to oher efficient help 10 his
The non-occurrence of pogToms Of any
serious nature during the last eighteen months
power and the will 10 keep in check the Bls OK
Hundreds and their sanguinary rabble. Not
even. the most fanatic, anti Russian American
rabbi will, further. dare pretend nowadays
on account OF his religion or prevented from
o lITiHsd 1P to Have Ia %S %s. r tsea. tenet nes the OF duty { tIie' 4
we really have the desire and courage 10
reach the bottom Of truth to ask ourselves
rather OF. a pathological than OF a sur glcal
kind. and w%hetheE therefore a Thorough
fhisHy " Of his case Should not precede the
make it short. il the aEelonG social '~aloofnes,
habitants Of the Russian Pale by the code Of
{e ~ iSs d S-IShS ssSisd d 1Si S SG;ihig ts ssiHiPSns sSd
policy OF the Russian mujik and Govern
I know that at this passage some Of my
instinctively raise their arms and in silent
devotion utter words Of amazement and cor
GsdmHssiG9i s eSie lit US ASIDE sFus and fG sone Dl e ne
kernel OF my proposition.
To give even the shortest survey Of the
wouid be beyond the reach Of this letter Of
mine. wish, therefore. to point out only
he feet that ha in spite Of any codfhi oi fli dselarf:
sur ering from rabbinical oyerprodpction, or,
to lay the finger more directly upon the wound.
Reputation OF the tnited States have onI-
grown the theological. stage, not needing any
longer for their moral and spiritual uplifting
'ns S s : o. JS aS5S" IL. sohin, Daniel Guggen-
helm. Adolph Lewisohn. Louis Stern and
our communal Ieaders-as scientifically
trained business men know in which way to
obviate the evil quen ees Of the unequal
then, gentlemen. II we were, at once 70 trans
fer as first cargo to the ghetti OF the Pale
those Of our rabbis who we're born and trained
in Russia as American missionaries, o. that
progressive school OF Judaism which. was
mainly instrumental IN the final, social and
ropean Jew and in the Americanization-
without any Zionistic roseTudtio montdlis
Of the Jewish immigrant of 1882?
To conclude. IL is by no means my intention
to disturb by my proposition the cemeteriSl
stiffness OF the Hebrew mausoleum, which
has been erected in memory Of German
in the year 10000 and endowed by q trio Of
well intentioned philanthropists with a few
costly chairs for veterans. old and young.
OF Jewish science to doZe away their time
and muse over the melancholy glories Of Z
dead past. My appeal is directed to the
present spiritual leader Of American judaism,
pr, Kaufman Kohler, president Of the Hehre
Union College Of Cincinnati. who no doubt
will sympathize with the gist OF my thesis,
and perhaps GRASP the Opportunity tn spread
the doctrines OF the heroes of Reform 1uda-
ism, among. the, Q 5000, 900 benighted denizen@
OF the Jewries Of eastern Europe. thus making
OF his institution a new centre OF light for The
House of Israel and securing for the same
the unanimous and unstinted support OF the
100. 600 progressive Jewish families OF this
great'and free republic.
NEW YORK. May 2s. 1sIDoR SISoER.