New-York tribune., 1909-11-18
ATTACKS RADICAL RABBIS.
Jewish Minister Thinks Conference
Shows Materialism.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: viii YOU permit me a part of your
space to endsavor to set to rights many
who have evidently formed mistaken inn
prcssions about Judaism and Jewish be-
liefs. as the result of "A conference now be-
ing held in this city?
Were any one TO enter a church and hear
an invested bishop declaim against pria-
ciples or set doctrines of his own denomi-
nation. would not the question force itself.
Why this man remains within the church
at all? But here are rabbis-American ra
rabbis, II you piesse-obtaining their titled
appeilations from the men of old, who stood
firm and resolute for Jewish law. who CON
sttuted a solid phalanX. proclaiming the
inviolability ef the Fentateuch. the eternity
OF the Decalogue and the validity and force
OF the traditional teachings.
Here are American rabbis who would set
aside. and. for that matter. have set aside.
a part Of or the whole law at their col
lective, or even individual pleasure. Here
are men who. dueried i'm their own midst
upon what Reform Judaism stands-other
than upon a platform of denials-remain
silent. but still so on and on, looping off
branch after branch from the Judaic tree.
with the thinly veneered excuse of accr-
matizing and accommodating everything to
modern conditions, of course Influenced Ey
the material state of affairs.
Judaism never was near system of mega
tions: it could never have obtained even a
fOothOld by simple denials of other creeds:
it could never have lived without posi.iv-
ist faith OF unchanging power. of fixed and
unalterable principles. The ages testify.
Even the would-be destrOyers admit this
when they themselves have discovered
cause for alarm, In the newer element here
from Muscovite countries. which takes not
10 the innOvators. or their schemes. mas
queraded as attempts to Americanize Jutla-
ism. But granting. for arguments sake.
their point of acclima,iza.ion. there wouId
then be separate and distinctive sort f
Judaism for every time. for every place
Judaism has never been out of harmony
with life and with practice Judaism. how
ever. has never surrendered jot iOta
to the material side. and : hen its avoVed
exponents have trihed with it's essence in
tIis regard indubitable history has shown
a weakening all along their line.
The self-respecting Jewish adherent alone
mot the one who apes ne ajority-claims
and will ever obtain tine respect of his
neighbor but the zone VINO searches fer
-
who turns the sacred pulpit into vehicle
for claptrap sensationalis-n and a preach
ing of mOngrel type. lowers the standard Of
Israel. and makes the Jew not the admired
but the reproach of the nations. as events
have proved
Judaism. as a gift of Almighty God. must
be preserved from inrOads within the camp
far more dangerous, tine inspired
Prophet Isaiah warns Ts. than attacks
from without Surrender. accIimatization
of truth to materialisn, means death to
every ennObling aspiration, TO every spir-
itual ideal; means decay to a system bullS
up by sacrifice. maintained by sacrifice
which alone renders II worthy of preserva-
ton
Hence the myriads Of Jews who mold 10
the DecalOgue the Pentateuch and the
traditional law as their codes. their guide
posts, want the world to know that the
modern innovators represent what is rot
Judaism I'm the light of unvarnished history.
in the light Of truth. held 20. - midst fire
and water. and gibbet and stake, and rack
and thumbscrew.'
The Jewish people (ex@eDt very small
fraction of dissenters and schismatlcs. vino
as such proclaim themselves outside) re-
pudiates this latest attempt as it does every
other. to acclimatize the faith of Israel at
the cost of God-given principles; To surren-
der not alone the letter, but the spirit. that
has held Jew TO Jew and ihe Jews to Juj1-
ism throughout the ages. and that will
hold them until the end Of time
HENRY s MORALS.
Minister of the Congregation Mickveh
Israel, OF Harlem.
Ne,v YORK Nov Il 1000