Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1921-02-05
MOB ATTACKS
JEWISH rabbi
Angered Because He Cast Off
Bride Whose Bolshevism Con-
fIicted With Americanism.
COMES FROM RUSSIA
RevlIed Man In Yiddish Terms Because
He Believed In God-Rejects Re-
lieious Ceremony and Confesses
Free Love.

Poughkeepsie, N. Y.-When Bolshev-
ism conflicted with Americanism. here
recently, a marriage was annulled, the
bride committed suicide and the bride
groom was nearly lynched.
Rabbi Joseph Louwisch was born in
Russia, and he lived there many years
before he came to America. Before he
left he had fallen in love with Shewa
Levine, "a pure, faithful, lovely girl,
as he describes her.
Last year l sent for her to come
here and be my wife, the rabbi said.
"She had promised herself to me before
we parted. l never loved any one
else then or since. and she had never
cared for a man up to that time.
"She arrived on the steamer United
States from Danzig, August "a. The
following day we were married by
civil ceremony on Ellis Island. Shewa
appeared to be the same lovely girl
she always was, and | was happy be-
yond words.
"But the Jewish ritual requires GER
tain additional ceremonies to be gone
through beforehand, and so, after the
civil marriage Shewa and l separated
for this purpose. She spent the night
at the Central hotel In New York ana
] at q boarding house-for we were not
yet married in the eyes of Judaism.
Laughed at Belief in God.
'"The' next morning we met and L
told her how glad was that we would
soon be man and wife in the eyes OF
God.
"'God? You don't mean to tell me,
Joseph she said, that you still be-
lieve in Cod And she laughed.
81 was Mortified 1 asked her about
her beliefs. She said that she, like
other young women of Russia today.
believed in no God. And all her pure
lovely beliefs were gone, too. When
she asked me for 500 to buy her a
dress and told her didn't think she
should spend so much on clothing, she
reviled me with the vilest Yiddish
names, and said that her lover in
Russia would not hesitate to give her
anything.
"'Your loverY I asked her. She
said, Yes, my lover And then she
told me she had been living with a
man for two years that she believed
in free love, and in having children
without marriage. She said she was a
Bolshevist and that all she wanted of
me anyhow was to get her into the
United States.
"As good jew" the young rabbi
continued slowly, 81 could not remain
married to such a woman. So that
very day placed her upon q train
for Boston where she has an uncle,
Benjamin Rahalsky. I told her
hoped she would change her feelings
and become a good American
He obtained annulment Of the mar
rage.
Radical Society Mobs Him.
Later, however, some Of the men,
bers of Poughkeepsie radical society
Informed the rabbi that Shewa Levine
had committed suicide. This organiza-
ton has always hated the rabbi for his
thorough Americanism and because he
opposes not only Bolshevism, but even
Socialism, believing they lead to more
radical tendencies.
The members of the society tried to
mob the rabbi. They attacked him
when he was leaving home, bowling,
Lynch him." The rabbi finally took
refuge in a police station and the mob
was dispersed.