Letter from Morais, Sabato to The Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. Philadelphia, PA; 1877
- Title
- Letter from Morais, Sabato to The Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. Philadelphia, PA; 1877
- Date Created
- 1877
- Format
- 5 pages on 5 sheets
- Language(s)
- English
- Source
- Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- Sabato Morais Collection, Box 8, Folder 13
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p30v8b304/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p30v8b304
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx8FF13_1.xml
- content
-
To the Council of the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations.
The Committee appointed by the Council assem--bled at Philadelphia in 1877, to conduct, this year, the annual examination of the students of the Hebrew Union College, beg to submit the following report.
The general result of the examination proved quite very satisfactory. Taking into consideration that the students were engaged, during the best hours of the day in secular studies at the Public Schools, the proficiency exhibited in va--rious branches of sacred lore, exceeded, in many instances, the anticipations formed.
Bible
The students have obtained a considerable knowledge of the Scriptural text, and the manner in which they mastered difficulties attending the construction of the language,
showed a degree of application quite gratifying.
The examiners recommend, nevertheless, greater accuracy, in reading the original, applying in practice the rules learnt theoretically.
The readiness with which the students tran-slated historical portions, and to a great extent poetical effusions in the Bible, gave un--mistakable evidences of the progress made. The successful attempt to render into Hebrew some passages from the vernacular tongue, bore testimony to the effective teaching received. Still, your committee agree as to the ne--cessity of reducing somewhat the time set apart for the study of Mishna and Ge--mará, and devoting more hours to such exercises as may sooner lead to a thorough ac--quaintance with the contents and diction of all the books of the sacred Scriptures. To accomplish that end, the examiners re--commend that the students be trained to consult some of the best commentaries.
Among waters of the Middle ages, those of Aben Ezra, David Bemchi and Gersonides; and among modern expositors, the production productions of Mendelssohn, Reggie and Luzzatto, and others, that have thrown much light upon the original by profound criticism.
Your committee deem it important like-wise that a taste for Hebrew composition be awakened and encouraged. And to effect the object, occasional exercises in letter-writing are or easy essays are suggested.
Mishnah and Gemará
The examiners express gratification at having convinced themselves of the learning attained at the College in those branches of Rabbi--nical literature. The intricacies of Talmudical discussions, the perplexities which all scholars must meet in the style, and in the definition of terms, upon
which, at times, the understanding of a whole paragraph depends, did not deter the students from bending their minds upon conquering what, to many of them, must have appeared unsurmountably difficult.
History
Events Chronologically related in both Biblical and post-Biblical history, con--vinced your committee of the attention paid to that essential study, and the familiarity gained therewith. An acceptable improvement, however, would be to accustom the students of the highest Grade to tell consecutively, in a language of their own, the leading causes which gave rise to some striking events in the annals of our people.
Mechiltá
Your committee noticed the facility with which portions of that ancient work were read and explained. But as
the lessons therein conveyed, exegetically and figuratively, can be learnt subsequently to more advantage in Rabbinical commentaries, notably "Rashi" the discontinuance of that study is recom--mended.
Your committee perform an act of justice in highly commending preceptors and pupils for the unwavering exertions crowned with unprecedented success in America. The College at Cincinnati may unequi--vocally be pronounced an object deserving of the support of all Israelites, who wish that attachment to the ancestral faith be founded upon a knowledge of its precepts, and an perfect extensive acquaintance with the national literature. Respectfully submitted S Morais - Identifier
- p30v8b304
- identifier
- SMBx8FF13_1
Morais, Sabato and The Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, “Letter from Morais, Sabato to The Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. Philadelphia, PA; 1877”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed October 18, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/88990