Address On The Life And Services Of The Rev. Isaac Leeser? Under The Auspices Of Elijah Lodge No 50, IOBB At The Jewish Synagogue, Washington, D.C.

Title: Address On The Life And Services Of The Rev. Isaac Leeser? Under The Auspices Of Elijah Lodge No 50, IOBB At The Jewish Synagogue, Washington, D.C.
Author: Simon Wolf
Date Created: 15 March 1868
Location(s): Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia
Format: Print. 1 page(s) on 1 sheet(s).; Letter
Type: Print
Physical Characteristics: Typescript
Is Part Of: The Dropsie College Isaac Leeser Collection at the Penn Libraries
content: “ISAAC LEESER WAS NO ORDINARY MAN. FEW OF HIS CONTEMPORARIES had less advantages of education of education or influential surroundings. Poor in purse, umknown, a stranger in a strange land, the language to be learned, friends to win, and inf uence to make, he commenced his career. Fortunately nature had gifted him with extraordinary powers of language, and what he lacked of scholarship was more than mae up by a broad, deep, fervant energy to do, and perseverance to accomplish. He came to the United States when an Israelite was an anomaly, when his religion was condemned, his habits derided, his motives misjudged , and his actions ever held up to the oublic gaze for derision. Forty years ago, when Leeser commenced his labors, our people were like the State few. Influence they had none. Men of mind were not; and the public press was asunsparing in their criticism as the cause was uncalled for.
At a time when an American Jewish paper or periodical was unknown; when the Jewish merchant princes of New York and other cities were yet wending their way over their native hills, trying to earn a livelihood; when no pala-tial mansions or places of business gave evidence of Jewish prosperity; when Jewish orphan asylums and hospitals were embedded in their native quariies; when the order of en Berith had not ripened into a plan of charity; when, in short, our peoplewere a mere cipher publicly and socially, Isaac Leeser commenced his labors for the cause of Judaism and true humanity.
What a crying shame it XX is that his labors were not duly appreciated as they should have beeb; that his motives and actions were often dragged into the arena of personalities; that he was in truth tortured to death. Isaac Leeser was only sixty-two years of age, and might have lived full twenty years, had not his life been em-bittered by attacks from unthinking, ungrateful, and often malicious contemporaries. His was a very sensitive nature. Knowing the integrity of his conduct, the sincerity of his motives, every aspersion caused a wound, until at last, he died a martyr, and no ? warrior clad in mail ever battled more heroically for his lady fair, no king or empereor ever defended his throne more manfully, no painter ever depicted on canvas more glowingly, no poet ever sang more inspiringly that Isaac Leeser battled for his people and defended his principles, depicted in word-painting the glory of Israel and Israel's God, or sang more hallelujahs a songs of praise for the progress and regeneration of his people.
And here we have the perfect example of the ingratitude of the masses toward their real benefactors.
And as of nations, so of individuals, Mr Leeser knew that our only hope lies in education.
Wolf, Simon, ADDRESS ON THE LIFE AND SERVICES OF THE REV. ISAAC LEESER? Under the auspices of Elijah Lodge No 50, IOBB at the Jewish Synagogue, Washington, D.C. On Sunday, March 15, 1868. Washington City; Phillip & Solomons, Printers and ?
Identifier: LSDCBx3FF3_7
Date: 1868-03-15

Part of Address On The Life And Services Of The Rev. Isaac Leeser? Under The Auspices Of Elijah Lodge No 50, IOBB At The Jewish Synagogue, Washington, D.C.

Simon Wolf, “Address On The Life And Services Of The Rev. Isaac Leeser? Under The Auspices Of Elijah Lodge No 50, IOBB At The Jewish Synagogue, Washington, D.C.”, 1868-03-15, Isaac Leeser Digital Repository, accessed September 18, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/leeser/item/67676