Letter from Joseph Jacobsohn to Isaac Leeser;June 28, 1865 · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from Joseph Jacobsohn to Isaac Leeser;June 28, 1865

Author

Joseph Jacobsohn

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Date Created

28 June 1865

Location(s)

New Orleans

Philadelphia

Format

Letter. 4 page(s) on 2 sheet(s).

Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Hebrew

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p36688q0p/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p36688q0p

Physical Characteristics

Lined Paper

Manuscript

Is Part Of

Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Isaac Leeser Collection

content

New Orleans June 28 1865
To Revd Isaac Lesser
Editor “Occident
Philadelphia
Revd & Dear Sir
Though not your correspondent I still take the liberty to gratify your desire and inform you of the reason of Dr Illowy's refusing a reelection after he had affected so much good in the Congregation.
In the outset I beg leave to make you acquainted with the new circumstances as they are now prevailing in our midst. Our Cong. Schaarey Chased was originally founded a orthodox Cong. still we had not more than the mere name in reality however we were nothing Hebrew our fine Synagogue was empty on Sabbath and Holydays and it was not seldom the case that the reader had to stop and wait a considerable time before the due number of worshippers was complete. Over ten or eleven persons never (the day of atonemet excepted) attended divine service Hebrew were useless and unknown articles; among several hundred children there were not ten who could read a hebrew word and no religious education was given to them; the never pronounced the glorious name of God except when swearing or cursing; of the History of their nation they knew no more than that they were jews, and this they only learned from their christian schoolmates who called them so. There was but one Hebrew for the four Congs. whose members live scattered all over this large city. The „ ladies Gallery “ was in such a state that every decent man was bound to keep his eyes fixed to the ground lest by an unintended glimpse on the gallery he should violate

the laws of decency and respect due to the sacred abode.
Yes New Orleans was at time not much better than an Hebrew there was no religious superindendant and the Hebrew and butcher acted just according to their pleasure.
From all these and a good many other evils Dr Illowy healed the Cong. immediately at his arrival. The President S. Friedler Esq supported him with all his ? might and influence and in a very short time he succeeded in establishing a Sabbath's rest in the Cong; over eighty wholesale and retail merchants closed at once their places of business on Hebrew; the house of worship was crowdedly every Sabbath; the railing around the Ladies Gallery was draped from inside and assistant Hebrew was engaged and peddler with Hebrew commenced to make elegant business here. The Hebrew had to subject to the rules of their Superintendant and the butchers who sell on Hebrew had to have their meat sealed with a seal procured by the Cong. for that purpose.
The word of God was taught and expounded every Sabbath by Revd Dr Illowy in a very able and eloquent manner and his words fell upon many a bless fertile heart and yielded blissful fruits. Besides a sunday sunday school, we have yet two large day schools in which besides all the higher school branches taught therein by competent and experienced teachers, the utmost care and and attention are paid to the religious education of our children, as instruction in hebrew reading, translating the bible and the prophets the History of our Nation from the time of Abram to the destruction of the second temple. The great change in our religious life could best be seen last Hebrew when there were ove fifty tabernacles in the city whilst when Dr Illowy arrived here there was but one.

But while we were greatly rejoiced at our great success, our rapid progress was suddenly checked by a party of young men the most of them hailing from the North, who came to this city a few years ago and formed an association under the title of the “Deutche Company.” This society increased rapidle during the last two years Hebrew and became numerous enough for the daring enterprise to build a large and gorgeous reform Temple, which should eclipse in magnificence that of Jerusalem and in comparison to which the great Temple of New York should be as the hut of the esquimaux?, to the royal palace of Napoleon, in the upper part of this city. Meetings were held for that purpose officers elected committees appointed and circulars sent around to all the Hebrews in this city, and many reform friends and mal-contents joined the Association
Already every one young and old began to see gay visions of a fashionable divine service. Family pews Ladies and Gentleman together, beautiful choirs, operatic music, airs form “Robt Le Diable” to the Hebrew airs from the “Barber of Seville” adapted to the Hebrew and many other pleasant things too numerous to mention
But when after all the exerted efforts they discovered secession to be a failure, they gave up their first plan as empracticable & a new one and indeed a very ingenious one was formed. The most of their members tried and succeeded to become members of the Cong Schaarey Chased. the board of officers who accepted them, not dreaming like Joshua when he made a treaty of peace with the Gideonites, that any harm was meant by their joining into the Cong., and but too late the found out that they had run into a snare. The reform friends have no

need any more of building a new Temple, they will realize all their fine visions without any expense, they have now a majority in the Cong. and will use the fine edifice of the Rampart St Synagogue for their purpose, and the old members who will not agree with the to the new order of things can build themselves another Synagogue. Now they went to work the meanest and foulest tricks were set in operation for the purpose of removing all the faithfull men from the administration, and they succeeded. Mr Friedlander who for 4 years worked indefatigably for this Cong. was most ungratefully treated, provoked and constantly vexed untill he left with disgust the chair and resigned. This was just what they wanted. Mr Klopman and Mr Lehman followed his example, and the field being thus all at once evacuated the invaders took possession of it elected as President the man of their choice, fully fit to answer their purposes, and a certain individual who since years past indulged in the habit of keeping his hand in the pocket of the Cong. shouts and rejoices now at the great victory of the liberals.
Dr Illowy seeing the approaching storm brooding over the orthodox party of our Cong. did not desire to wait untill it would discharge its destructive contents, for he foresaw that the people of the would conquer and the old and the old Southerners be subjugated; he resigned therefore at the at proper time with the best satisfaction in his heart of having faithfully discharged all his duties and with a firm adherence to his principles and the doctrines of our fathers
I remain dear Sir
Your most obedient Servt.
Joseph Jacobsohn
Atty. At Law. No 33 Exchange place.

The above text refers to Occident Volume 23 No. 3 page 143. Click here to view.

Identifier

LSKAP0230

Date

1865-06-28