Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-12-29
RABBI OBJECTS TO
MOSES REFERENCE
TO JEWISH FAITH
Orange Clergyman Criticises
Address of New Yorker Be-
fore Mems Federation.

by Frank Moss, former assistant dis
tfict attorney OF New York in the
course Of his address last night before
the Mems Religious Federation of Or
ange, Rabbi Alter Abelson. of the
Congregation Sharey Tehlo, of Or
ange, proceeded TO show that the
speaker had erred in some of his
statements. Rev. James f. Church
man, a negro, who is not attached to
any church in Orange, also uttered q
disturbing note when he said that
the Christianity OF the American
white man was farce.
Rev. Walter Reid Hunt, pastor OF
she First Unitarian Church, where
the meeting took place, attempted TO
smooth matters over by suggesting
that hereafter the federation take up
problems of a local nature At his
invitation Rabbi Abelson offered the
closing prayer, making an appeal for
q wider brotherhood and love OF the
common God, regardless OF race
creed or nationality
The talks that enlivened the session
OF the recently organized federation,
which includes men Of various de-
nominations, came at the close Of the
meeting. Mr.. Churchman made the
first speech. when he told Of sections
IN this country where 1t is a crime
Tor a white man and a negro to sit
IN the same car, and children Of the
two races are separated at school. He
said there is "a spirit of terrible rot
fenness in certain section of the
country, a spirit to permanently sub
ordinate the negro" He said men
have gone to the South to investigate
conditions only to return and dread
TO tell the truth.
"They say AN Is well in the South
All is not well. Much that was as
sured as a result of the war OF the
rebellion has not been gained by a
portion of our people and there is
not the love for the flag that Is sup
posed to obtain everywhere You
must brace yourselves to stand fast /
for the principles in the Declaration
of independence. I am glad to see
our negro clergy and men of our
churches here and that in this organ
ization men are not Disseminated
against because Of their color. We
want you to stand with US ana we
shank God and you that somewhere
sn this country Is place where the
negro can stand as a man"
Moss In Error, Rabbi Says.
Rabbi Abelson mentioned his regret
that he had TO taEe exception to the
talk of Mr. Moss. He heartily in
dorsed his speech in support Of
American ideals but said the New
York man depressed from his topic
and went into the broader field of
theology. His remarks he thought
were out Of place on the platform and
the speaker had made a mistake he
insisted The speakers reference to
the Jewish prophecies as indicating
the limit of nationalism, he said, was
wrong, and Mr. Abelson declared the
81 A Y1rinRint tho
Declaration of independence, the be-
quests to citizenship of the Puritans
and Pilgrims were all taken from the
oible. The Mosaic ideals ne declared
we're in Abraham Lincoln's lofty pro-
nouncements, and the spirit Of the
American Revolution was found in
the same authority. Isaiah's proph-
Giles were of world breadth for all
mankind. 4
who was It that first said, One
Father, one Cod? continued the
rabbi. was that a limited vision;
was that a narrow vision? The ideals
of the Jewish prophets are today the
ideals of dreamers OF peace. Our
ideals are not those of the factions
ahat are warning for aggrandizement.
The people of Israel today stand for
The battle OF peace. Was 1t not Isaiah
who dreamed that the sword would
Nc CtldnSeu 10 Llc DluuRu b1dE z anu Z
the spear to the pruning hook? Our ,
people. because they stood for the
dignity and the humility of peace.
nave suffered to be Disseminated
against, Knocked and sneered at. They
nave been willing to stand up and
suffer for an ideal. Is not that the
preaching of Christianity? We have
been cruclfied for our Ideals. Are we
not the only people who when struck ,
Il I
cheek7 We are the only people to-
day who are practicing the Christian
ideals. We are saving life; not seek
ing to destroy 1t. Our people have
suffered to be slain, rather than to
slay."
Christianity Bankrupt, He Thinks.
Rev Abelson said the Christian
world never noticed Japan until that
country went out and defeated
Russia in war. When Japan showed
The Christian nations she could fight
they quickly noticed the oriental
people had art. literature and states
nlen. TT looks as If Christianity
vas bankrupt. It certainly is so in
Europe. All Europe is at war,
Christian nations are sacrificing life,
yet no one can intercede. Where is
Christian sacrifice and suffering?
They are deciding the fate of
humanity. Their armies represent
the chosen people For twenty-five
centuries the Jews have suffered to
be scoffed at and sneered at because
they would not fight. They pre-
ferred to be killed than to kill and
that is our Joy and pride today"
Mr. Abelson closed his talk which
at times was impassioned. with the
statement that he would have well
coined Mr. Moss's talk II It came
rom a clergyman, speaking in his
own church, and would have ad-
aired and respected him for de-
!, ense of his ideas, but that spoken
aon common platform, he regretted
1t was made.
Mr.. Churchman made a second talk,
and A w. Abbott. the presiding Of
ficer. asked him to be brief as the
hour was late. He retorted that the
president had evidently. been ayerse
10 his first talk and he closed by
stating that the negro's views Of
Christianity being farce might be
formed after treatment by the white
man, who, he said, kept his foot on
our necks."
Mr.. Moss spoke Of the American
people as chosen by God to carry on
an important work. He mentioned
the present war as indicating the
German people had a limited vision
of Christianity and thought of God
as their national ideal. England, too,
ne said, had the limited idea, but
their vision was broadened by theif
colonial possessions We are the ma
ton that will be the one to take the
hands of the warning combatants and
place them together, he said, and re-
ferring to Llncoln's prophecy about
a world freedom in due time as pos
sibly referring 70 the present time.