Letter from Isaacs, A. S. to Morais, Sabato. New York, NY; Feb 1880
- Title
- Letter from Isaacs, A. S. to Morais, Sabato. New York, NY; Feb 1880
- Date Created
- 10 February 1880
- Format
- 5 pages on 3 sheets
- Language(s)
- English
- Source
- Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- Sabato Morais Collection, Box 2, Folder 9
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p37m04k2m/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p37m04k2m
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx2FF9_10.xml
- content
-
313 W. 45th St.
N. Y. Feb 10th 1880.
My dear Friend:
I have thought a good deal further about the subject to which I called your attention lately. When I was downtown last Sabbath I heard some particulars about the state of affairs at Ridley's, which made me very anxious, & rendered prompt action imperative. The number of intermarriages which have taken place is large, & the morality where Christian & Jewish young people are thrown together without any restraint the morality is loss questionable. I saw Mr. R. to-day: he says that he feels it his duty, even if it be opposed to business, to advance the moral standing of his Employees, the ward stated further that it was his desire that his entire force of Jewish working people (196 adults mostly young people (15 to 30 years)
should attend the service & he would grant them one hour, without reduction (Saturday 10.30 to 11.30). He told me that he discussed last year an employee who worked on Kippur. His son (who married a Jewess) is also strongly in favor of it. Perhaps his is the tale of Queen Esther is being played here again, & we must thank Ridley's Jewish wife for the interest taken. He also bid me to infer that he might in time make further concessions, if his employees attend regularly!
I am acting cautiously, however, & do not wish to compound a felony. I told him that I only wanted his Jewish employees to know that they were welcome if they wished to come that I desired only a few to attend & these the younger ones, as I wished to make no change in my present service, that my quarters were
limited & that. He appeared satisfied & will send me tomorrow a list of the names & addresses of his Jewish employees. I shall Possibly I may know some. Anyway Sunday I shall call on half a dozen, & have simply 10 or 15 to attend for the present, & trust to them to spread the affair, if they like it. Meanwhile, I have recommended to the Sabbath Association (along with other suggestions which you will find in the Messenger) the holding of lectures on Wednesday Evening for this very class of people.
From Ridley's tone, I anticipate the happiest results. He deplores that the Jews violate
the Sabbath, & hopes that in time other Christian retailers may join in allowing them a respite on Saturday. I do not see anything inconsistent in letting them hear words of prayer on Sabbath & a brief the Bible, & a brief discourse, if the aim of the latter shall be to remind them of their duty to keep the Sabbath holy & keep alive a little Judaism in their hearts, even if for a short time, & they depart again to business. I believe firmly that the children's psalms & hymns will ring in their minds, when they return to work, & ultimately bring them to a sense of their duty. If I find that after 3 months, no one is induced to leave Ridley's & enter some business (where?) in which the Sabbath can be observed, I may then adopt a different plan. Of course I do not know the young people, & I cannot [?] how I may effect them; but if there is any Judaism left in their veins, I believe I can work it up with a flame. I feel impelled to work in this matter. Nobody else seems to care. It s The olden prophets
would not have done otherwise, whatever the later [?] might have thought. Our Judaism, to live & influence the rising generation, must be less iron-clad. I feel that, properly managed & supported, there is infinite hope in carr this plan. As it is, unless something is done, Felix Adler may start another in that very neighborhood & for that class. He gains by our laziness, he succeeds by our neglect.
I expect an answer from you to the effect that I am doing right.
Yours
A. S. Isaacs
Rev S. Morais
Myer had a sad loss this week—in the death of his eldest child, a remarkably bright girl. Crémieux is gone, I read yesterday. He died not long survive his wife. - Identifier
- p37m04k2m
- identifier
- SMBx2FF9_10
Part of Letter from Isaacs, A. S. to Morais, Sabato. New York, NY; Feb 1880
Isaacs, A. S. and Morais, Sabato, “Letter from Isaacs, A. S. to Morais, Sabato. New York, NY; Feb 1880”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed September 19, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/87129