Letter to Dr. Wise
- Contributor
- Isaac Mayer Wise
- Location(s)
- Philadelphia
- Format
- Letter. 5 page(s) on 8 sheet(s).
- Type
- Letter
- Language(s)
- English
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p34b2xr2f/manifest.json
- Physical Characteristics
- Lined Paper
- Manuscript
- Is Part Of
- http://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q125097480
- content
-
a card
To the Rd Dr. Wise Edt Israelite
The following Art. appeared in your Paper on Tudy 1. April “Mr. Bruel on Talmud Yelodim institute) speaks thus Mr. B in a lengthy Letter to the Occident notices the T Y I. thus “The school under Dr. Wise is similarly circumstanced its annual report show a dificiency of 7. to 800? but the members of his congregation are very proud of their school. They attach to it a greater degree of consequence than some might think it deserves hence they endeavor to preserve its existance by private contributions and other sources,”“ would I have preferd answering your remarks to the above in your own Paper but as you have denied me a hearing on 3 seperate occasions though you profess to admit Articles of all kinds of persons in the Israelite. I am reluctantly compelld to seek a hearing elsewhere, reluctantly, because the public can have little interest in such affairs„ The constant readers of yr. paper have satisfied themselves that it invariably provokes dissention and when legitimatily opposed, one is sure to be met with a torrent of abuse or a total denial is given the things it has provoked. these facts can be verified by the Paper itself. You Sir, are not alone callous to ? the feelings of others, but are also indifferent to your own standing as a journalist, it should be your duty in accordance with your profession on the forthcoming of the Israelite, to place both sides of public questions before the world particularly matters pertaining to religion theology since justice toward individual members of society, will reward the press, in the form of increased confidence and respect in conclusion I may remark that no public man should object to have his official conduct criticised when the criticism manifests a desire to reveal truth and useful information. I cannot conceive that the article now before the public is in itsself of so flagrant a character as to cause such a torrent of bitter recrimination, as you have bestowed on it, particularly as you are aware I have only stated facts,, you commence thus “One would scarcely think that fanaticism could thus mislead an old man, as to speak slightly of an institute in which his own
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x complaind
Grand children receive their education and are counted among the best of their age” In reply I have reason to say, that my Grand children are as intelligent for their age as most children are, It is because they can show so little for their prompt attendance of nearly 3 years in a school that boasts, having preeminent adeantaps? that cannot be had in the U. S. or England nor elsewhere, it is because they make no progress in things most essential at their age, that I have repeatedly x to their parents, and if they are faithfull to their children, and to themselves I trust they will soon perceive that I have not complaned in vain, but sir in what I have said I have not injured the reputation of the school, unless you consider it Treason to speak the truth. I am not the only insidid individual who think so its members attach more a greater degree of consequence to their school than some might think it deserves. I can name several if required, that will say the same, but sir their must be othr causes which has so sorely displeased you, a side from the Article in question. May it not be that you being aware of the members mistaken attachment to their school, and as the Editor of an Hireling Press have again prostituted your Ephemeral sheet to please your supporters, you know you did in the like manner in the fall Edition which greatly faciliatedtated to crush the cause you then espoused. I spoke of the financial affairs of the school from its annual report without coment. You continue that “The orthodox are enimies to instruction. They are therefore opposed to schools” you boast, “That the school sends forth American Jews no Poles, no Germans, no English, and no Irish, but Genuine self reflecting indipendant American Jews, whom you cant trample whom you cannot trample under the feet of Preists. This is all true and we can immagine your grief, your burning pain, your sacred woe, you should respect this sacred plae? but your boundless fanaticism your unholy Zeal as a partisan would not allow you to do justice to a place which is more sacred than your Synagogue together with all your singing chanting crying and jumping. Well Dr. Wise you certanly x must have
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to their school
labord under some spiritual illusion, when you composed the foregoing sentences, but can it be believed that the man who profess to defend the Jew, and Judaism against every outside attack, will himself address his coreligionists so wickedly spitefull, and for no other reason than their misfortune to differ with him, and because an individual hath said, “They attach a greater degree of consequence “Than some might think it deserves„ Great man how contemptily have you fallen how differently did Moses our faithful preceptor act, on a similar occasion.
“Because one man hath sind, wilt thou O Lord be indignant with an entire community.” witness the language of a reformed Rabbi a teacher of Israel the head and soul of a school, when the sacred pupils are trained to a moral and religious course of education, that such a sacred place under such a leader is more sacred than your Synagoge to gether with your singing chanting crying and jumping„ shame Dr. Wise a person of your cloth, to speak so insultingly to a god serving people, now can any thing be more Priest trodden than this.„ let me tell you Dr. Wise there is not a jewish congregation on this or the old continent, that is so Priestly imposed under fair pretences, as your congregation are witness their reception of your new Minag (liturgy) which they accepted by acclamation in its printed form, they having full confidence in all things you write or preach while it is rejected by every congregation in the union excepting a miserable few. Thus you revised a prayer Book, and have stricken out passages & prayers, the best to fortify Israelites in a belief in god, as a benevolent rewarder of the good, and the strict judge of sin, the belief in the life of the spirit after death, and the eternal permanence of Israel as gods people, as also in the restoration of the Temple of the Lord now in ruins and of our state, which is now no more, yes in order to deprive your congregation of this belief, were all those prayer which refer to it Banished and the remainder so mutilated, and discoverable only to the initiated, and to make room for such a po patch work„ you have caused them to reject a prayer book composed by Israels heroes, by the most famed teachers, whose spirit so
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survives to this day among us, as the ornament and glory of Israel whose names will never be blotted out b y time, but which one age hands down to the other by men who did not degrade science into an instrument for their own advancement or employed as a mere means of getting bread. I will spare you the pain of naming your associate authors, in the work of yr. new liturgy enough to say they are all worthy of each other. You conclude that “Mr Bruel boasts that his orthodox congregation are free of debt!!! “This is because they do not pay their Hazonam (Readers) enoug to make a living, because they have no synagogue of their own, because they care not for the poor, they pay not a cent for education excepting a few only they pay not a cent to our Hospital nor to our relief society nor to any charitable institute ton purpose, therefore there Synagogue are free of debt. Open your ears Dr. Wise and I will tell you truths, things indeed out of your line. Know then that our small congregation pay our chazan (reader) an amt of salary fully equal to that which your synagog or any other in this city are paying, we have a Synagogue & furniture of our own on a lease, a Cemetry for our dead real estate paid for, our congregation synagogue pay as much to the Hospital and relief fund as yours do. The Hospital originated with the orthodox while the releif society grew out of a benevolent Institution, in a word, you have placed a false constriction on the whole, because all the charitable institutions you have enumerated are supported entirely by voluntary subscription, and all of them were in existance before you came here, nor do any of the synagogues here pay one cent to them from their respective treasury, therefore we pay as much as you do every family obtain private Hebrew teachers for their children, they need not support your schools if they disaprove of its chief head. They avail themselves of our districts schools believing they are better than yours. What benifit have for taunting a religious institution for being cold and indifferent to the wants of their needy correligionists when you know to the contrary. If I have said any thing offencively concerning their school I can assure its leaders that none was intended, and none but a persons having the principles of Dr. Wise principles, who constantly is striving to sow the seed of contention would have made so much from so small an affair S Bruel ND „The Occident is now a weekly paper every Israelite should read that old established sheet, whose uniform course have obtained for itself a reputation for ability, truthfulness, and consistancy, it is a faithful and reliable Jurnal whose views and principles remain unchanged by reading the weekly Occidn. persons will have the opportunity of examing both sides of disputed public ? the camp of Israel
S Bruel
at. D. Wolf 50.
? S. Wert
Part of Letter to Dr. Wise
“Letter to Dr. Wise”, Isaac Leeser Digital Repository, accessed September 18, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/leeser/item/68533