Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Title
- Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Author
- Morais, Sabato
- Date Created
- 1893
- Format
- 10 pages on 4 sheets
- Language(s)
- English
- Source
- Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- Sabato Morais Collection, Box 10, Folder 10
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p30g3hh1c/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p30g3hh1c
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx10FF10_3.xml
- content
-
S. MORAIS,
546 N. FIFTH STREET,
PHILADELPHIA.
A criticism & a recommendation/93
Two statements in the last week's Philadelphia Jewish organ of last week' Philadelphia awakened in me opposite feelings--displeasure at the account of an reported interview view, satisfaction at the announcement of a pro--posed conference. [Inserted from front cover, verso:] Readers of periodicals devoted ostensibly, at least, devoted to Jewish interests, cannot fail to have noticed the favorable opinions and conversely the un--favorable strictures passed on a book recently brought to light. Both views have commanded my attention, but I was specially attracted by what the Jewish organ of Philadelphia published a short time since in connection with the subject. However two statements in different columns of the same issue, awa--kened within me different feelings--displeasure at the account of a reported interview; satisfaction at the announcement of a proposed conference [end insertion] I may perhaps be guilty of self-plagiarism, when I say that I do not glory over the achievements of those who have issued from the stock of Judah, but who voluntarily became engrafted upon a foreign stem. The humblest son or daughter of Israel, who chooses to bear the ill will of a prejudiced world rather than desert the ancestral fold; the lowliest one of us, who labors, as far as allowed, both alike physically and mentally for the so-cial welfare and religious permanence of all born in the belief of Abraham, has the best highest title to my undying gratitude. The fasci--nation of names, great in the domains of art, science, commerce, literature or politics,--that racial pride--I mean--evinced everywhere among a certain class of our brethren in modern times, is not shared by me. Like the Psalmist I prefer to set
my eyes on the staunch and true, though lowly unknown to fame, and I choose to seek the association of the faithful [Hebrew] Now: Mr Israel Zangwill, author of the work called "Children of the Ghetto", wields a pen, that promises a fame reputation and temporal success, rivalling the public re--cognition, which renowned English novelists have attained. But taking as a criterion the production which that gifted son of our people, was inspired by the Philadelphia Jewish public--ation society centred in Philadelphia to give give for the edification of our young readers, I am emboldened to predict his unwillingness to make reputation a secondary thought, and the defence of the ancestral creed and of all who still suffer for it, a primary thought consideration. I confess it: I was unduly hasty on a former occasion, when I represented the author writer, as letting a Jewish maiden, who figures conspicuously in his work, flee from elope home with her rationalistic lover, the first night of Passover, while her pious father was perform--ing the devotional exercises attending the festival. She did not act so unfilially then, but later on, I hear her regret that the plan of that flight
had not been carried out. In all truth, Were I asked to record in all truth the impression left on my mind by the two volumes, now widely perused where the English language is spoken, I would venture to express myself thus: In the first, orthodoxy is given over to made an object forced into the fillory of universal contempt; in the second, heterodoxy is promised a sure gladsome reward; while from every part of the book, America looms high in sight of the changelings, as the happy goal to be reached by all, who wish to enjoy the liberty of reject- abjur--ing the Law and traditions. But I did not start with the purpose to offer an adverse criticism upon an effort, which unquestionably abounds in literary merits. Besides my censure would be deemed ungracious; certainly most assuredly gratuitous. What I simply desire to animadvert upon, is a sentiment advanced by Mr. Zangwill in the course of an interview recently held with him in London--a sentiment too generally entertained, to let it pass unnoticed. Quoting himself, the writer author said to his visitor: "Think of the part which the Jew has played--Moses giving the world its morality, Jesus its religion, Isaiah its millennial
visions, Spinoza its cosmic philosophy, Ricardo its political economy, Karl Marx and Lassalle its socialism, Heine its loveliest poetry, Mendels--sohn its most restful music, Rachel its su--preme acting--and then think of the stock-Jew of the American comic papers!" Yes, my brethren, think, oh think of the pretension to a realistic present--ment of the jew by the enumeration of men, who turned their backs upon the belief that Moses confided to the safe-keeping of an everlasting people when he so addressed our progenitors [Hebrew] "Hear O Israel, ado-naï is our God, Adonaï is One"; a belief that Isaiah thus arose in the name of His Master thus to declared imprescriptively true. [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "I am the first and I am the last, and besides Me there is no God" [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "I, I am the Lord, and beside Me there is no Saviour," think, my Brethren, oh think of blending together Benedict d'Espinoza, the pantheistic Hollander, whose god is nature and nothing else naught else but Nature, David Ricardo the wilful apostate Jew of England, and the German Marx and Lassalle and Heine and Mendelssohn, all
recreants to finally estranged from that faith by which their sires swore; think of placing those indifferentists, I say, in one category with the man zealous shepherd who under Providence, created led a nation aright and gave it formulated statutes by which it might live eternally upon earth, and or with the Prince of sacred oratory, the glorious son of Amoz! But leaving aside the man of Na--zareth, aside whose mythical existence I will care not to discuss in a Synagogue, and Rachel, the French tragedienne, who, at all events, died and was buried in the religion of her fathers and was buried accordingly, would fain ask Mr Israel Zangwill to point out who among the American Jews of comic papers, ought to be classed with the inspired author of the Pentateuch, or with the Seer, whose lips a Serpah purified. I know Are the editors of none such of the New York Puck, entitled to a privilege so preeminently great? That this country, toward which the Strelizke of Mr Israel Zangwill and his Esther Ansell and his Raphael Leon strained their looks, as towards a harbor of irreligious safety, does offer every worker of faithlessness impunity, I admit; but should that be pictured to the young and unsophisticated readers in Israel, as a cause of pride? Is not that portrait, calculated
to excite a prominent wish for imitation, wherever religious ecclesiastical authority is yet acknowledged, and salaried preachers dare not spurn the rules which they are expected to respect and to protect? I let the un--prejudiced answer, after upon mature reflection. Enough of a subject to me very vexatious.
Now, what was it that afforded my mind satis--faction among the various reports of last week's [?] as lately conveyed through the Jewish Exponent? It was the proposition of planting a school in the very midst of a locality, reeking with the fumes of religious falsities denominational unrighteous sacrifices. That neighborhood has long been to me a source of humiliation. Ought I not to leave tried my utmost to roll away the reproach that stares us there in the face? In that section of our city, schools undisguisedly de--signed to lure our children away from the ancestral fold, increase. Some I have stealthily visited, others I was forbid to enter, but in each little ones of a whose tender age, when minds are open to early impressions, are lasting, are made to sing the praises of a man-god, and to learn by rote
a history antagonistic to the tenets and doctrines of Judaism. What a burning shame! those young creatures, born of Jewish Hebrew parents, form nearly al--ways the majority of the attendants in spots, that blacken the Jewish soul. I have met with inseperable difficulties in procuring a list of such. I have stationed myself in front of those schools of propaganda, to ascertain how many issued forth at the end of the sessions. I have remonstrated in no uncertain measured terms with wretched fathers and unmotherly mothers, who for the sake of a small consideration offered us a bait, deliver consign their flesh and blood into the nets of spread by wily missionaries. I have begged of the directors of our United Charities to refuse assistance to any, suspected of or charged with the heinous sin of selling thine offspring to the Moloch of apostasy. But the readiest, wisest and most efficacious plan appears to be that for the carrying out consummation of which a conferred conference was announced, to so be soon to that we may soon decide, as to about the means wherewith to attain the desired object.
I may be met with the argument that we have already a group of schools, all centred in a build--ing, vast and commodious, commanding the incessant attention and restless efforts of public spirited Jews. Surely, I do not could never ignore that comforting fact, but our Hebrew population is spreading extending far and wide, and the environments lay our children open everywhere open to the seductions of unscrupulous conversionists. We must rise equal to the demand. Largely as some of our religious free schools are attended, more room could be filled North and South of our city with those of our own seed, who need a healthy culture, capable of yielding such spiritual fruits as our souls long for. I commend the proposition of a kindergarten, close to St. Mary street, to the good and true in Israel, who dwell in Philadelphia, the proposition of planting a kindergarten and a Sunday afternoon school, as close as possible to Saint Mary street. - Identifier
- p30g3hh1c
- identifier
- SMBx10FF10_3
Part of Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
Morais, Sabato, “Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed September 19, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/83231