Letter from Moses N. Nathan to Isaac Leeser;July 05, 1863 · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from Moses N. Nathan to Isaac Leeser;July 05, 1863

Author

Moses N. Nathan

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Date Created

5 July 1863

Location(s)

Kingston

Philadelphia

Format

Letter. 6 page(s) on 3 sheet(s).

Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Hebrew

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p31834700/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p31834700

Physical Characteristics

Unlined Paper

Manuscript

Is Part Of

Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Isaac Leeser Collection

content

Kingston, Jamaica 5th July 1863
My dear Mr. Leeser
Your various letters received here between the 20th April last and 5th June did not meet my sight until the latter date, on my return from a voyage to St. Thomas Curaçao during those 6 weeks. My tour was ostensibly to see my brother off. We had not set eyes on one another for 14? years, during which time he had got married, but his wife, like mine, is Hebrew. Prior to my departure, the Congregational ruler of St. Thomas had invited me to permit them to put forth my name as a candidate fro the vacant situation of minister, which I prudently declined; as is the event of the Congregation's refusal to elect me, my position here would have been injured. On my arrival at St. Thomas, the rulers invited me to meet them, and, after that interview took action. After I sailed (3 days after) the interview for Curaçao. A meeting of the voting members was called in my absence and two propositions were submitted for their decision. The first, to raise the salary from $1200, the amount of stipend advertised, to $1800; which was carried, 10 only dissenting, and they, only on the plea that the congregation could not afford the larger sum. The second, to elect a minister. The President proposed me, adding that he had not my permission, but hoping that the expression of the member, in my favour, might induce me to accept. The proposition was carried without a dissenting voice. The second day after my arrival, a deputation waited upon me with a numerously and respectably signed address, inviting me to stay a fortnight longer, before going to Curaçao. I was obliged to decline, but, to soften the refusal, read and preached for in the Synagogue on Friday night the 1st May. The next morning I embarked on my return from Curaçao in the 20th May, I stayed at St. Thomas
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till the 1st June; and on Hebrew read Hebrew and preached again. Each time the Synagogue was filled. My reception in both places was gratifying in the extreme. Now about Curaçao. ? is a generous, charitable man, of large proportions and with a larger heart. In five minutes we understood each other perfectly. We had many discussions on various Jewish subjects, Scriptural, Rabbinical, Synagogal, raised, I suppose, for the purpose of drawing me out. Books were introduced, and many a hard passage in Hebrew was submitted for my opinion. Whether I acquitted myself will or ill, I cannot say; but I am sure you will be pleased to hear that the Chactaeu?, when he came to accompany me to the vessel, presented me with a Hebrew in Hebrew & English, conferring on me the rank and title of Hebrew and, calling upon all congregations to acknowledge and receive me as such. I suppose you know his title is Opper Rattiner?, or Chief Rabbi. He teaches extemporaneously, much in the style of Plessner, illustrating his discourse copiously from midrash. He asked me to give him a test one Sabbath just before the sermon was to be delivered, and I selected Prov. XVIII.I. on which he discoursed for about 30 minutes, in Dutch. I was told by good judges it was an able exposition, but, tho' I understood parts here and there, I cannot say anything about it. Sometimes he preaches in Portuguese. His performance of the marriage ceremony, I also witnessed. It was very impressive. He always addresses the young couple before the ceremony; and besides, has interviews with both in private before the union, at which I understand he talks very seriously to them about their duties as husband and wife, and also to God and Israel. His charities are disputed akin to Jew & Christian. During the epidemic of small pox last year, when the other clergy fled for their lives, he was at the bedsides of white, Black colored, administering medicines, pecuniary relief (in which the government gave

him carte blanche to draw) spiritual consolation, offering up prayer at the instance of Christian sufferers, and helping occasionally with his own hands, to put the dear in their coffins. He is highly respected by the Dutch Government. His stipend is paid by the state, not by the Synagogue. I did not preach at Curaçao, for the following reason. A requisition, respectably signed was sent to the Mahamad, that I should preach. The mahamad sent for the Chacham?, and asked him if he had any objection to me. On his answering, none, they told him that his pulpit would be occupied by me the following Sabbath. To this, he replies, he would not object, provided the mahamad asked his permission to have the pulpit so occupied. This they refused to do, but sent me an intimation by letter that they would be happy if I would comply with the request of the Congregation. Having been informed of what had taken place, I declined, in my reply, to give an affirmative answer, as the letter from the mahamad did not state expressly that the Chacham's?, permission to occupy his pulpit had been obtained; but on receiving their assurance that he had sanctioned it, I would be happy to comply with their request. This led to another communication implying that I wished to dictate to them, and informing me that the matter was at an end. Tho this I answered, disclaiming most solemnly any intention of dictating to them the line of conduct they should pursue, but adding that the line of conduct I had to pursue, agreeably to the rules of good breeding and social etiquette which ? every obtained wherever civilization and refinement existed, was not to occupy any pulpit until I received the permission of the party to whom it rightfully belonged. In a postscript, I said that being a stranger they would pardon me for declining any further correspondence on the subject. There is a board called the Conseijo deo Anciannos, consisting of past Presidents, which acts as a court of Review of, or appeal from, the acts of the mahamad. To this board, the proceedings in the matter were submitted a few days after, and out of 15 members present, 14 decided that the pulpit could at no time be occupied without the previous

consent and permission of the chacham. The dissentient? was the brother of the President. To the chacham's honor I must state that he waited personally on 7 or 8 of the most influential and wealthy of these A? and, knowing the resentment they felt at the indignity put upon him by the mahamad, as well as apprehending violence in the debate, exacted from them a solemn pledge that they would keep away from the sitting, otherwise their number would have swelled the notes condemnatory of the mahamad. This question had been long pending, but not opportunity was afforded for settling it before. The chacham's assertion that the pulpit belonged to him and my firm support of his rights have now set the matter at rest, and strengthened his position against the attempted encroachment of the mahamad. During the progress of the discussion, I kept at home convinced that, in the influenced passions of the Congregation against the mahamad, the latter would have been bodily ejected from their seats in Synagogue, if I had gone up and down and proved the impropriety of their action. I send you these particulars in the event of your hearing any thing about it from the other side. The Revd. Mr. Santcroos is the first Hebrew, he is the son-in-law of the chacham, and gives instruction in Hebrew & Religion to the youth of the Congregation, in the Hebrew a certain number of hours p day; morning and evening. He is a very able man. In his and his father-in-law's society, I spent much of the 18 days I was at Curaçao. The wives of both are, I think, even more scrupulous than the husbands. They are very pious and charitable women, and their kindness to orphan children most touching. No shop or store is open among our on Sabbath or Holy day; even the second days are strictly kept. Their rejoicings, as weddings, circumcisions, consecration of deadlings? are indeed joyous, whilst their mournings are sad and melancholy. The abattons or butcheries are out of the town, and they have, if I mistake not, two Shoctim and two Shomeim over whom, as well as the butcher, the Chacham keeps a most watchful eye. The Chazan, the Revd. Mr. Cardozo, altho' 73 years of age shows in his decline what he must have been in his prime. He reads the service and Parashah with fine musical intonation and accurately grammatical pronunciation. The Synagogue is a fine old building, but the centre is spoiled by the hugeness and massiveness of the pillars which intercept the view and prevent the eye from taking in the bold proportions of the interior at a glance. The ladies' galleries are latticed in true moorish style. It is useless too look up, the eye of a lynx would fail to make out ? the features of any fair one seated there. The Reading Desk and pulpit are fine, the Hechal out of all proportion with the height of the building, and the exterior of the building is hideous ugly; the western front positively hideous. Divine service is performed twice a day, morning and evening the whole week through, with always plenty of minyan. In the Hebrew

3 times; and in those weeks, the chacham lectures generally every other evening, either from Scripture or from the mishna, always extemporaneously without a note before him. Curaçao, in fine, so far as practical Judaism, on old orthodox, rabbinical principles, is concerned, is very considerably ahead of our sister Congregations in the other W. I. Islands, and need not fear any comparison as regards adherence to the ancient landmarks of our revered religion.
I am waiting momently for the arrival of the steamer from Europe, to receive the yea or nay to my ultimatum, from the St. Thomas Congregation. My terms are, no specified term of engagement, salary as fixed by the congregation, and a pension, if after 10 years I am unable, or may be declared incapable of, mentally or physically, of performing my duties. This pension, modestly fixed at $600 ? is the pons asinorum betwixt us. The good folks kick against it, whilst ready to pension off their hitherto acting Chazan Maduro tomorrow at $400 half his salary, (I only ask for a third) and also admitting that no man will suit them so well as I, combining as I do the capability of a teacher, whom they require so much, with that of a chazan and Preacher. The Government had told them plainly that if they do not take ? me one, it will send them onea minister from Copenhagen, with whom the Congregation Government will make a contract whether its provisions be palatable or not. I have offered to allow myself to be put on the same footing as other government officers, at the instance of the governor. Today's mail
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will decide the point in dispute. If against me, I will, at once take up the letter from Cincinnati, which I have answered today. It only arrived on the 30th May, tho' written in April, and I received it on the 5th June, the day I returned home, but too late for replying to that it by that months mail. I will not, at present, correspond with you on the subject in deference to your wishes, but I expect Mr. A. will. I have, at all events, opened up the subject to him, and communicated how I am at this moment situated with the St. Thos. Cong. It will be a trying position for any man, with such opponents as silent that and wise. Yet it is worth holding for that sake alone. But what will principally deter me is the present unsettled state of the country. Were I to take it, I would not keep any school, as I would have enough to do with men of giant intellect, without being bothered with teaching children. I am afraid, the mail will be closed before the European steamer arrives, and I will have to wait for the next monthly American steamer, as no dependance, can be placed on sailing vessels.
I deeply sympathize with you on the death of your old aunt Mrs. Rehine, Hebrew. The Revd. Mr. Myers is just at my elbow, and begs me to say he will take an early opportunity of writing you, that he sent you some newspapers, and desires his kinds regards. The same to J., Mrs. N. and Mrs. S. and with apologies for not answering your letters more fully, which I will do next time, and also hoping that my long Meguillah may not
tire your old eyes, which I suppose like those of all old Patriarchs Hebrew and deserving you are old inquiring friend ?
I am
Yours ever truly
M. Nathan

Identifier

LSKAP0040

Date

1863-07-05