Letter from Mendelsohn, S. to Jastrow, M. Wilmington, NC; Jan 1884
- Title
- Letter from Mendelsohn, S. to Jastrow, M. Wilmington, NC; Jan 1884
- Date Created
- 15 January 1884
- Format
- 5 pages on 2 sheets
- Language(s)
- English
- Source
- Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- Sabato Morais Collection, Box 3, Folder 6
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p38s4k80j/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p38s4k80j
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx3FF6_27.xml
- content
-
Wilmington, N.C., Jan'y 15th 84.
Rev S. Morais;
Philada., Pa.
My Rev. Teacher:
First of all I have to crave your pardon for addressing myself to you in the vernacul-ar, & not in the language you prefer to correspond in with your pupil. The arrival of the last issue of the Israelite put me out of the humor of writing Hebrew. Hebrew, the language of Truth, is the language of the Is-raelites & before me lies a paper [Hebrew], replete with bare-faced falsehoods!--
By this time you have doubtlessly seen the paper in question—did you read my article on "Intermarriages" & the "Editorial Postscript" therein contained? I do not ask this question out of impure motives: out of the desire to know whether my kind teacher has honored me by perusing my crude thoughts; but because I am anxious to know [Hebrew]? &therefore I propound the above question. [Hebrew]
[Hebrew] this is not the question. But do you find my humble effort faithfully representing the views of the opponents of the amalgamation schemers?
That I have succeeded to[?] in upsetting Wise's theories [Hebrew], I infer from the fact that the Wise man has nothing to say in reply to my arguments ([Hebrew]) except that 'none of his statements is attacked by me'-- & this is a [Hebrew], English:a black lie!__Who said,"You see that ^ the reason of this prohibition [of intermarriage][previous brackets inserted by author] is not] none of race, color or any other corporal accident"? Not Hirsch, not Stern, but Dr. Wise; & at the close of Part 1 of my paper I prove that race had as much to do with the prohibition as religion.--Who asserted that 'the Rabbisadopted the minority opinion of R. Simeon[?], & not that of the majority opposed to him'? Dr. Wise! And in part 2 of my paper I show that R.S. was not the author of that opinion, but that he simply delivered it as a Halakha adopted
[Hebrew] long before his birth.__ Who wrote, in connection with the condition of the offspring of illegal marria-ges: "R.S. Z. [Y.] is left there in the minority, & strange to say, has been made law by the code. We know not on what principle"? The paper itself answers: "Ed. Israelite"; & in part 3 of my paper I controvert this assertion, & in part4 expound the principle on which the law is based! In-deed, my whole essay is directed against Dr Wise whose every assertion is demonstrated to be the creation of his brains & [Hebrew], not even [Hebrew]__ Dr'sHirsch & Stern being brought in just for company's sake__& yet he says in his "Postscript," that 'none of his points is attacked in the above essay!!__ Moreover, [Hebrew], he reiterates in the "Postscript" the very ideas I refute in my paper, ] & styles these "facts," as if there were no doubt as to their being facts!__Un-forunately, & I say this with a sense of sorrow for the Re-ligion I have been taught to revere, I know that only [Hebrew] will read my article, while all will read Wise's postscript & ninety nine out of every 100 will take his words for it & consider it as [Hebrew].--
Now, what is to be done to counteract the effects of the idolatrous worship paid the Wise man of the West? My voice is too weak to silence him. Besides, his false-hoods are more powerful than my truths. [Hebrew][Hebrew] --& Wise [Hebrew]! And yet, is this [Hebrew]? The pacific policy of the conscientious Rabbis in this country has raised that man to the dignified position he occupies & rendered him second only to the keeper of St.Peters's key to heaven, & the continuance of that policy is paramount to wearing around his brazen brow a crown of laurels every fiber of which is a thorn in the side of Judaism. Can the [Hebrew][Hebrew] afford to maintain silence?-- Pardon me for speak- ing thus to you [Hebrew]! My heart actually aches within me whenever I think of the evil that man has brought to Judaism, [Hebrew]. I am powerless & my pen is suffering with chronic impoten-cy; your arm is strong, your pen prolific, your name revered, your word respected: I candidly think that you are the one [Hebrew].--
Yesterday I received from Berlin a copy of Frankel's
[Hebrew], & am therefore able to return to you the copy you kindly lent me some seven months ago. I forward it to your address by to-day's mail, registered, & hereby tender you my heartfelt thanks for the loan. I have made frequent use of it, but hope that you will ^ find the book in no worse condition for all that.__ The copy I received will cost me some $4 50100/ __ an enormous price for such a work, but I must have it & pay for it!
For the present I shall be a [Hebrew], i.e. I shall not reply to Wise's postscript, but wait till I hear from Hirsch & Stern & then shape my course.
With kindest regards & best wishes for yourself & your dear children, in which my wife cordially joins, I have the honor to subscribe myself,
Your faithful pupil
S. Mendelsohn - Identifier
- p38s4k80j
- identifier
- SMBx3FF6_27
Part of Letter from Mendelsohn, S. to Jastrow, M. Wilmington, NC; Jan 1884
Mendelsohn, S. and Jastrow, M., “Letter from Mendelsohn, S. to Jastrow, M. Wilmington, NC; Jan 1884”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed October 18, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/88157