Anniversaries marking Morais' ministry (25-26th, 37-39th, 43-46th years). Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1894 · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Anniversaries marking Morais' ministry (25-26th, 37-39th, 43-46th years). Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1894

Author

Morais, Sabato

Date Created

1894

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

10 pages on 4 sheets

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?

Language(s)

English

Source

Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

Sabato Morais Collection, Box 11, Folder 3

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3bk17787/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3bk17787

Provenance

Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx11FF3_6.xml

content

S. MORAIS,
546 N. FIFTH STREET,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.

For the 43rd anniversary of my ministry

Sincerely attached as I am to the country, in which I have dwelt uninterruptedly made my home permanent home these forty three years; glad as I have felt to serve here the cause to which I consecrated myself life forty three years ago; fortunate as I consider it myself to be well kindly thought of by--not by very few, I hope, among my not very few I hope brothers and sisters in faith, who constitute the congregation Mickvé Israel, to whom I have ministered forty three long consecutive years, had yet, I must nevertheless make a disappointing confession. Had I imagined ever so remotely that I was doomed to see the Samuel Holdsheims, the David Friedlanders, the Aaron Choriners transferred to Philadelphia, I would have returned, whence I came after this first Sabbath of my first probation, whence I came. The position of Hebrew master, which I had filled in London, had been left purposely open by the directors of the Orphan School, who waited to hear that I preferred England to America. In real--ity, viewed from an orthodox stand point, the me--tropolis of Great Britain offered strong inducements to a young man cradled in a nursery of piety. The prestige of Moses Montefiore, vastly contributed to keep Jews in the famous city on the Thames, steadfast in their adherence to the Law and traditions. The grand nephew of the immortal philanthropist was not born there.

Claude Montefiore, doubtless clever, well meaning and public spirited, had not arisen yet to associate himself with Israel Abraham, the scholarly descend--ant of devout and learned sires, and to advocate intermar--riages between our sons and daughters and the offspring of non-Israelitish parents, as pleaded for in some late numbers of their "Quarterly Review." Admit, in religious culture London did not compare in the days of my youth, with Le--ghorn, which had supplied it its ancient Congregation of Sephardim, with Rabbis and teachers, but it rivalled my native place in the observance of time honored practices. And we have been told by the Sages, that not erudition, but devotion to the Torah, is most commendable [Hebrew] Now, the truth must be spoken. Philadelphia fell short of the requirements that give a title right to the name title of "religious." Still, forty three years ago, it was the home residence of many an Israelite who took a pride in raising rearing his children after the standard of Biblic--al and Rabbinical Judaism. The charge flippantly made that Judaism in this city of ours, was lifeless, that a lurid darkness overspread it until light shone upon it from the West, is a libel, unless the disappearance sinking of scripturalism, deserves to be interpreted as the dawning of a soul illumining Orb.

Mark it well. Forty three years ago, Philadelphia possessed a well consistently conducted Jewish organ a moderately gotten up Jewish publication society, it had a called point to a Hebrew Education Society and a Hebrew Sunday School, the pioneers of similar institutions elsewhere throughout the Union. Forty three years ago the two, who subsequently claimed to have breathed a new spirit into the dry bones of the ancestral creed, had not travelled beyond the precincts of the New York State. Dr Lilienthal was then so pronouncedly conservative, as to commend and recommend the practice of wearing Te--fillin, or phylacteries; as all can ascertain who have read consult early numbers of the Phildelphia Occident. In those days, the genial Dr. did not think correct it suitable for a Rabbi to tell his interviewer that he, the defender of the Tefillin rite, had intended to unfurled the banner of a modernized Judaism; a meaningless phrase, if it does not signify the playing of Judaism, with Judaism out. The other claimant to a resurrecting power, a new Elijah, who, in an outburst of material admiration styled his associate a Ben Zackaï, while he was called in turn Moses Ben Hanach, Dr I. M. Wise, forty three years ago, wrote for the conservative Asmonean of New York, and for the orthodox Occident of Philadelphia.

Only in Charleston, South Carolina, an attempt had previously been made to introduce unauthorized changes in the govern--ment of the Synagogue. But Poznansky, the Polish foreign Jew who threw a fire brand to kindle the flame of discord, which disrupted a venerable and influential intellectual Sephardic community, did not go further than the first step towards the transformation of our tenets and regulations. As a body, Philadelphia Israel--ites continued stauch, uninfluenced by the example of Charleston, which the West brought in later times to a culmination not dreamed of, forty three years ago. Samuel Holdsheim sanctified Sunday to oblige German Jews, too broadly liberalized to keep Saturday holy; David Friedlander would have entered with compromises to roll away the odium which German Christians heaped upon his people; Aaron Choriner sought to meta--morphose every thing, in order to prove that the outcasts of Judea have their Jerusalem in the lands that grant their toleration. But in Philadelphia of to day, Sunday is a Jewish apostleship to Christianity. It has already converted Christian maidens into an affectionate regard for Jewish youths, and has ripened into a matrimonial alliance the esteem of Christian gentlemen for the fair daughters of Israel. I do not malign indeed throughout make insinuations with malice aforethought. Current events will free me from the imputation.

As to compromises for the sake of showing the world that we have broken with the past, let rituals which have very nearly suppressed all Hebrew, expunged from the pages national hopes and aspirations let must will demonstrate them. Temples inviting placing trinitarians to speakers speak and hiding the forward while the diminutive scroll of the Law from their pre- hides backward, -sence must demonstrate them. And now a voice re shrill sound echoes from the West. "Tear off into shreds the parch--ment, wipe off the writing; cease to carry in procession what you idolize. It is only the tanned skin of an animal, with some characters unintel--ligible to the present generation. Do you wish still to read what you do not observe? A printed page will answer the purpose better." Thus vehemently cry the iconoclastic braggarts radicals of the West. We may prophesy that before long the advice will be eagerly followed accepted in Philadelphia the East, on the plea of a general longing for a modernized Judaism. "Insane! You forget that the glory of Judaism lies in its hoary anti--quity. When I raise the Sepher Torah, when I read the Sepher Torah, when I simply look at the Sepher Torah, my memory instinctively goes back to the restorer of the Torah to Ezra our zealous scribe [Hebrew] even to Ezra, our veritable Reformer, if not to still remoter ages. Been When I simply look at the Sepher Torah Ben Teradion, our martyr, derisively cruelly wrapped by inquisitorial Rome, in the sacred scroll that he loved, to be burned with it at the stake,

rises before my vision. He The venerated martyred Sage calls them recreants, who lay an impious a sacrilegious hand upon that venerated scroll. to commit a sacrilege.... "No: thou shalt not be rent apart into rags, so long as I watch on th yonder shrine. But can we vouch for the Sooner would I tear the grey hair failure of her that gave me birth." But can we vouch for the future, in amidst the deliberate ignorance enforced of the language of the scroll, enforced by a contemptuous indifference apathy for what is venerably old in the religion of Israel? Let me tell it. At the first sign of a falling off, I interposed, with using the slight influence which my seniority in the ministry lent me, to prevent ward off a greater decline. I prayed for firmness and warned several, who put on the sacerdotal garment here and in New York. I welcomed later on, others whose antecedents and public speeches pronused augured well for an intelligent conservatism, but the a vacillating characters, of some, the love of ease which gold pro--mises, became an all-destroying mildew in the field of our a conservative religion. I cannot say with positiveness, that that the inconsiderate demeanour is now sorrowed for, but I do know that firmness steadfastness would have pre--vented much that we lament, much that has en-gendered schisms and occasioned irremediable incurable heartburnings.

Certainly This is certain This however, is most certain; I would not have imagined it possible forty three years ago that on the first Purim, when I arrived, that forty three years later the Purim greetings from some who bear the title of Rabbis, would have been an invitation to participate in a projected convention of Universalists, ethic culturists, unitarians and similar liberals, with the view of effecting a co--alition among various beliefs. But even that has actually come to pass, and it would be rash to predict that the axe will not be applied still more radically to uproot out the Judaic tree altogether beyond the power of replanting. Perp Perhaps, we shall be allowed to pick up a few stray leaves dropped by a freer Christianity and show them off as the laurels of wherewith a modernized Judaism is crowned. "Do you remain at your post still, notwithstanding such provocations?" I am asked. I do, whelmed with shame. Not indifferently, I assure all, not indifferently I remain, but humi--liated by the happenings that have robbed me of any my utter incapacity to stem the swelling current of turbulent waters which carry capacity for good. every thing before it into an ocean of oblivion. Consummate hypocrisy, it would be in me to say that I am ready to following abdicate, imitating following the ex--ample of the Baptist minister of our city, who, a few weeks since, insisted upon the acceptance of his resignation by the people whom he had served much less time than I have served mine. His plea was age and in-ability to make clerical visits among his flock.

I could not imitate the course which the Baptist clergyman pursued, without inflicting upon myself and mine an irreparable injury, though I do ask indulgence for having greatly reduced my calls by reason of because of age and infirmities, ex--cept to on the sick and the mourners, to whom I may bring messages of comfort. What I most crave for, during my continuance in office, is the encouragement which a larger attendance; a harmonious mingling of voices, of the young in prayer, inspires. To that end I coo--perate with the teachers in our Congregational schools, and with all, wherever my instruction and counsel are sought after. If the few years that I may reasonably expect to be yet vouchsafed to me, can accomplish that small measure of good, if during my latter days I shall not bear be spared the grief of hearing others in this consecrated edifice, because my strength to serve has vigour shall have failed, and my memory proved treacherous, I will return thanks to my creator, as the psalmist of yore [Hebrew] "I will bow down at my holy oracle for Thy mercy and Truth, [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "On the day that I called, Thou didst answer me, thou hast raised me up with strength in my soul" So may it be. Amen.

Identifier

p3bk17787

identifier

SMBx11FF3_6