Letter from Joseph Jonas to Isaac Leeser;September 06, 1845
- Title
- Letter from Joseph Jonas to Isaac Leeser;September 06, 1845
- Author
- Joseph Jonas
- Contributor
- Isaac Leeser
- Date Created
- 6 September 1845
- Format
- Letter. 2 page(s) on 1 sheet(s).
- Type
- Letter
- Language(s)
- English
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3sx64f63/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3sx64f63
- Physical Characteristics
- Lined Paper
- Manuscript
- content
-
Cincinnati Sept. 6. 1845
Revd Isaac Leeser
My Dear Sir
Your two letters are now before me, and I have particularly noted the contents;—with respect to the subscribers to the Occident, I will endeavor to collect the subscriptions as soon as possible & remit you the amount: with respect to the Institute which we are endeavoring to establish here, I am afraid it will come to nothing, for our Brethren here as you correctly state are indeed 'rude and uneducated,' and are also tainted with infidelity, bigotry and superstition;—We have a constantly encreasing Jewish population, nearly numbering 3,500 but they are not of the right sort, a moiety? of them being more willing to receive assistance than to assist or lend their support to either of the two Congregations; or for educational purposes;—but at the same time must give them credit for being Charitable; for calls of that nature are indeed numerous; as a specimen, upwards of $500 was collected from them & the societies for the suffering at the Pitsburg fire;—when your Hebrew is compleated it is probable I may be able to dispose of a few, if you think proper to send them out;—The Occident does not appear to the taste of our members, a work of the plan of the “Voice of Jacob,” or the “Jewish Chronicle” would suit much better, their are several subscribers to those works, & they appear to take very much, controversial works in favor of our Religion are required very much in the West, I am a considerable portion of my time, answering different text of Scriptures, for Clergymen in various sections of the Western Country; brought me by our Israelitish Pedlar; a cheap pub--lication of that nature would be very beneficial; as
constant struggles are made to obtain converts amongst our Brethren;—and those Pedlars 'tho honest moral men, are in general composed of very illiterate Germans, who are not able to give an answer to the plainest text;—Your Occident is calculated for the Rich and educated Jew, not for the poor and illiterate Sons of Israel, who only know that they are Jews. they want something to warm them up as patriots in a
Rev. Isaac Leeser
118 South 4th Street. Philadelphia
Pa
The address is written sideways in the center of the page.
national point of view, as well as to stir up their zeal in our holy Religion;—we are not as in Europe writing with this word of Persecution at our throats;—being on an equality with the Gentile, we are required to be strong & courageous; and altho' few in numbers against the Midianitish? Camp, to sound our 'Trumpets' break our 'Pitches,' and Proclaim aloud “The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon.”
Yours Sincerely
Joseph Jones? - Identifier
- LSKAP0134
- Date
- 1845-09-06
Part of Letter from Joseph Jonas to Isaac Leeser;September 06, 1845
Joseph Jonas, “Letter from Joseph Jonas to Isaac Leeser;September 06, 1845”, 1845-09-06, Isaac Leeser Digital Repository, accessed September 7, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/leeser/item/69016