Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Title
- Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Author
- Morais, Sabato
- Date Created
- 1896
- Format
- 10 pages on 4 sheets
- Language(s)
- English
- Source
- Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- Sabato Morais Collection, Box 10, Folder 11
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3zg6gr9s/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3zg6gr9s
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx10FF11_2.xml
- content
-
S. MORAIS,
546 N. FIFTH STREET,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
96
About Mission schools
Two articles in a New York Jewish Weekly and one a lengthy communication in our Philadelphia Organ, have affected me very painfully. They showed that the exertions of well meaning brothers and sisters in faith of mine striving to prevent the young in Israel from being caught in the nets which Christian conversion-mongers are spreading out abroad, have been altogether inadequate. Perhaps, the num--ber of boys and girls of Hebrew parentage reported to attend mission schools, is exaggerated, but, beyond all doubts, many can be found there regularly.
It had been earnestly hoped that the afternoon Sun--day school, opened last winter a year in a locality, round which propagandists--mostly hired recreants renegades former -ly of to formerly connected with our faith--ply their trade, would counteract what we must deplore as an unmitigated evil; but that school did not prove sufficient. At the outset, a multitude which the hall could not pos--sibly hold, thronged it, but soon the crowd soon thinned off. The reason is obvious. We would not, we dared not demoralize our children, in obedience to the Jesuitical maxim: "the end justifies the means." Occasionally, we might recognize reward punctuality and good
behaviour by a present; particularly so, when our own festivities are celebrated, but we made it universally understood that we do not intend to enter into competition with apostatising shops. Our dealings are not like their dealings we do not bribe any into religion. In the language of our prophets we say: [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "yes, let all peoples walk, each one in the name of his own god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord Eternal our God for ever and and ever." We do not go in quest of proselytes. If millions of our fellow-creatures are happy in the belief that the Almighty begot a son, and in order to deliver all born of woman from the torments of a life here--after, made that son die as a vicarious sacrifice; if a creed dogma against which every sentiment dictate of ours na- reasoning -tive mind protests, appeals to the feelings of non-Israelites, and affords them comfort, surely the Synagogue will not send to the Church messengers, to the Church, commision--ed to disturb the public mind. Tolerance is the Jewish motto. But we insist upon the right of receiving the same degree of consideration. We decidedly object the measure to measures, which falsehood alone can suggest. We object to the opening of schools,
ostensibly for Hebrew teaching, but really for the hidden pur--pose of distorting the understanding of our little ones. We object to the luring of such into the acceptance of a religion creed which we, their parents, discard reject alto--gether, by the allurements, I say, in the shape of gifts of different kinds at all times, and notably when the alleged natal day of the man of Nazareth, is kept amidst high festivities. Enough that we are constrained compelled to act un--Jewishly, just as our Rabbis feared we would so under foresaw and deprecated. compulsion. [Hebrew] Enough that we must suffer in do violence to our convictions, because we form only a small minority in the community. I know that not alone at that period of the winter season, which recalls the sore trials of our martyred people during eighteen cen--turies, but every day, educational institutions in Ameri--ca expect all pupils to sing hymns and listen to invocations of a character, hostile to Judaism. Re--monstrances repeatedly made availed nothing. We succumb to the idea that the majority rules, al--though in matters of religion the Constitution of the United States does not acknowledge that idea as an axiomatic truth.
But if we submit to a great wrong, in order not to deny our sons and daughters the advantage of secular earning, we will not tacitly submit to a provocation deliberately devised to the advantage of the Church. The mission schools in the southern section of our city--now spreading extending still further--are an open insult to every Philadelphia Jew and Jewess, who has not sold delivered heart and soul to sinful indifference. We have read in the issue of last week's Exponent, the assertion made by a teacher of the gospel, that parents as a whole do not at all find fault with their children for attending the mission school in St Mary Street, held at the building of the College settlement intimating a parental approval. For the honor of the name which those parents bear, I trust that the assertion is false groundless; I hope that, knowingly, fathers and mothers in Israel do not permit a heinous sin to be recorded to the perdition of their own households. Still, I would act with deception, if I did not admit that, in some a few more than one in--stances, avarice does overcome a sense of duty to God and our people. I met once a parent, whose children frequented a mission school, then on 9th near Lombard street. I administered
a reproof. The saucy answer retort was, that no harm would result, while the good derived in the shape of presents, was felt. Very recently, addressing a large meeting in the inte--rest of a down town Hebrew school, I cautioned, with all the power of speech, Jews within hearing of my voice against the wily schemes of missionaries. I have at times faced the unscrupulous and pictured to them the effect of their shocking heedlessness, but more than words, actions are needed, concerted actions. Say brethren; what tangible benefit to our religion are Synagogues or Temples of a superb architecture, luxuriously tapestried, fashionably cushioned and electrically lighted, while the lurid darkness of ignorance, the unrelieved poverty of intellect con--tinue to reign among masses, who can reckon an ancestry of prophets and Sages? But another reflection presents itself in connection with Syna--gogues and temples. I am thoroughly nauseated with lessons emanating from such monuments of wealth. Almost weekly the man, whom the Churches invoke and extol and bless, is pic- depicted -tured there as the typical Jew. What reply answer could I give to some reckless parents, whom the love
of unlawful gain induces to wink at or to permit in their young sons and daughters the singing of the doxology, or other hymns by their young sons and daughters to the glory of Jesus, if I were shown that Rabbis always pronounce his name with profound reverence? Now; I will be asked: If, as our preachers believe, the founder of Christianity is on a par with Moses, greatly superior to Ezra, surpassing in purity our olden preceptors, what harm impropriety can there be in sounding his praises? I am not drawing on the imagination. I could prove that scores of times have pulpits, spuriously reputed Jewish, have pictured portrayed that man in such high colours. Brethren. One tenth of the thousands spent for the payment of rhetorical gymnastics in stately edifices, would give us many a college settlement to initiate our children in accomplishments, within the pale of unexceptional Jewish circles. We do need it. The best armor with which we can panoply clothe the young among the Jews against the barbed ar--rows of a Christian propaganda, is sound know--ledge and broad culture.
Last week a coreligionist called on me. He was accompanied by His wife who accompanied him was in tears. Both seemed deeply distressed. Inquiring about into the cause, I was handed a letter. It had been written by their son, who is yet still a lad. Misconduct had brought him to a reformatory. In his letter, the youth confessed that he deserved the punishment under--gone, but, as the time for his release was ap--proaching, he would tell his parents that since he left his home, his mind had changed greatly radically. He became convinced that Jesus is the promised Messiah, and consequently he had become a Christ--ian. Mark it well. That is the reformation which a nationally American Institution has brought about. The betterment of a lad's morals, was the alienation estrangement of his heart from the hearts of his parents. Brethren: The opponents of Judaism are everywhere at work, and they do not stop short, should all the ten commandments be set at nought, provided that they bring one, whose belief in the indivisible Unity they hate, to the foot of the cross. Likely, the Jewish boy with whose feel--ings soul-catchers tampered, had never learnt the prin--ciples on which the Israel's faith stand for support. He may have seen outward practices mechanically
performed [Hebrew]; he may have heard mutterings, interpreted as prayers, but not solemn invocations. The spirit of Judaism had never penetrated his heart. I pitied his parents, & wrote to their son a letter of gentle advice and friendly admonition; the effect of which I have not yet learned; but in all candor I declare riches that abundant silver & gold are ill bestowed on music and sermons lectures. The great desideratum in a community of Hebrews, that has in--creased unprecedentedly within the last decade and a half, is Jewish institutions amidst surroundings per--fectly Jewish; instruction calculated to breathe a sense of noble pride for the religion that never bent to man's worship, that proclaimed a code of ethics in which the love of God, as the archetype of spi--ritual perfection and love of our neighbors, is inculcated. Admit: We have not been inactive, and I took occasion to tell editors so, in Justice to our people in Philadelphia, but we have not done more than a fraction of what it behooves us to do. Who will stir up to largely increase the number of our schools, widen the sphere of pure learning, waken devotion to the cause of Israel? God's blessings will accompany them, here and beatitude hereafter. - Identifier
- p3zg6gr9s
- identifier
- SMBx10FF11_2
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/83239