The sun., 1908-05-07
STRIFE IN JEWISH SEMINARY
STRIKE or NOT, SOME ar THE
STUDENTS HAVE QUIT.


studles-The real Reason, Says the
Secretary, Is the Lack Of Money.
Something il wrong with the Rabbi
/ Isaac Elohonen Theological Seminary, iSS
Henry street, where young men OF the
East Side go to prepare themselves to
become rabbis.
One may believe the students, as their
opinion Is voiced by Louis Epstein, a
student also at City College and ringleader
! Of the macontents, or one may accept
| the explanation forcefully given over
glass Of hot tea by Secretary Abmowitz.
! Both are plausible But the fact remains
| that OF sixty students who used to assemble
daily but thirty-nye remain, and these are
youngsters
The seminary was established 10y the
man whose name il bears ten years ago
! lts purpose was and still IL, 80 the directors
/ say, to instruct Jewish youths In the rigor-
| Gus fundamentals Of orthodoxy, 80 that
they may preach to the Jews Of New York
the faith handed down in its purity from
! the fathers. The school provides for each
! student that attends his clothes and $3.50
a week to help defray the cost Of his living
] at home. The student in turn is supposed
! to sit before his high desk FIVE hours every
| day, except the Shabbes, and fill his head
with the ancient arguments Of long dead
rabbis on the substance and Interpretation
Of the Word ofGod.
The trouble has been Of late said
( Louis Epstein, the ringleadeT Of the stu
| dents as he stood in the centre OF ring OF
! supporters on the school premises yester-
/ day that this school is run without prln-
/ ciple and with no programme.
There used to be- about thirty grown
! students here and thirty children. They
/ came when they wanted to and studied as
long as they pleased. There was no course
/ One could stay here one year or one could
stay five, studying always the Talmud
and the Torah. There was never any be-
ginning and no end.
-Six months ago all Of the students re-
ceivei an announcement from the directors
that no one was to be allowed to get any
secular knowledge. No one must 20 TO the
public school who attended the Talmud
/ Torah schule No one who hoped to be a
rabbi should know anything but what he
learned out Of the books here offered for
study. No one was to STUDY secular knowl-
edge at his home.
mir. Jacob Schf once was regular
| contributor to the funds Of the school
( giving 81 .OOO a year. He sympathized with
| the protest the students made against the
| prohibition Of all secular knowledge and he
withdrew his support a year ago. The
4 Il. "A 81 az s.
and the president Of the school. Nathan
LRmpert. that they be allowed to study
Jewish grammar. philosophy and other
. branches Of learning. The demand was
refused
Two weeks ago the directors expelled
t fifteen Of the grown members uf the school.
They gave - their rrG son that the finances
, were not sufficient to support all the sixty
pupils that attended, but the fact is that the
fifteen men expelled were all those who
Z studied secular knowledge either at home
or in night schools. When the directors
| said that money was lacking the older
students offered to cut down their weekly
/ allowance Of s. 90 to s. 81 or even to 81, but
the directors refused
AS a result most Of the rest Of the older
men struck, that Is they refused 20 receive
any money from the school, even while they
continued in most instances to attend and
do their studies ! eS u u btrlke, even
though we do come here, for We do not take
any Of the schools money, We are inde-
pendent"
"All lies all lies. - said Secretary Abram-
owitz in reply. I'VE never forbade any OF
the students any secular knowledge
They can study at home AZ much as they
please and what they please. Some Of them
even go TO Columbia University and We
do not object
The whole trouble has heen caused
because Of lack Of funds to continue the
large number Of students We had in their
course. II costs SlOO a week to maintain
the school with sixty pupils and two teach
ers OF late We have been running short
about Sl50 a week and We have had TO pay
of a mortgage. Contributions have dlmln-
ished We have not had enough money
1T is fOolshness for the pupils to say that
they never had programme OF studies.
Several times the directors have offered
Them n programme and they have refused
Mr.. Schih did not withdraw his support
because OF sympathy with the students
tie gave only for year and then stopped
giving
Some Of the students may he Socialists
and that accounts for their strange ideas
Maybe some of them are anarchists, Iheil
actions seem to indicate that But there
is no strike and no trouble, except only
financial trouble, which will I've settled
! uithout student Interference or aid