Dr. ABRAHAM GEIGER. 
 
 Born May 24th, iSio, at Frankfort-on-the-Maiu. 
 Died October 23d, 1874, at Berlin. 
 
REFORAIED JUDAISM 
 
 ITS PIONKKRS. 
 
 A Contribution to Its History. 
 
 DR. EMANUEL SCHREIBER. 
 Rabbi, Congregation Emanu El, Spokane, Washington. 
 
 " Irrevocable as is the victory of the liberty and civilization 
 of the Jews, is the Reform." (Zunz: Gottesdienstliche Vortraege, 
 p. 4S1.) 
 
 SPOKANK, WA.SHINC/rON, 
 
 SPOKANK PRINTING COMPANY 
 
 1892. 
 

 / 
 
 ENTERED ACCORDING TO THE ACT OF CONGRESS, 
 FEBRUARY 8th, 1S92, BY 
 
 Dr. E. SCHREIBER, 
 
 in the office of the librarian of congress, 
 
 at washington, d. c. 
 
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ^ 
 
 (j^ 
 
 V^ 
 
TO THK 
 
 Memory ok mv Thrkk Tkachkrs, 
 
 Mv Dkar P'athkr, 
 
 HERMAN SCHRKIBER, 
 
 Mv Grandfather, 
 
 L IC VI SCHRKIBER, 
 
 of 
 
 LlCIl'NIK MaEHREN, 
 AND 
 
 REV. Dr. ABRAHAM GEIGER, 
 whose noble teachings have influenced my way 
 
 OF THINKING, IN DEEP APPRECIATION AND 
 
 GRATITUDE THIS VOLUME IS LOV- 
 
 INCiLY DEDICATED, 
 
 By thf: Author. 
 
 442331 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 I present this book to the public in general 
 and to the American Jews — the name Jew is our only 
 historically justifiable name — in particular. 
 
 It is a fact that the public at large knows little or 
 nothing concerning ''Reform-Judaism." As to the 
 Jews themselves, the majority have a most superficial 
 knowledge of the subject-matter. Some know of it 
 only from the slanderous attacks heaped upon it by the 
 orthodox press. Others have the notion that a, 
 disregard for effete religious ceremonies and a denial of 
 exploded dogmas is all that Reform-Judaism stands 
 for. The fact, however, is that Reform-Judaism is not 
 merely destructive, but also constructive, as readers of 
 this book will find. 
 
 The idea to write such a work occupied my mind 
 already fifteen years ago while Rabbi in Germany. My 
 sense of justice was aroused whenever I had occasion to 
 read the eleventh volume of Graetz' "History of the 
 Jews." The way the Jewish Reform-movement and 
 its representatives are treated there is so contemptible, 
 that a man who loves truth and hates falsehood must 
 throw away with disgust and loathing such a miserable 
 apologv of " history." The whole volume is a tissue 
 of falsehood, slander and petty invectives against the 
 ablest and best Jewish men of this century. The pen 
 which wrote the eleventh volume of Graetz' "History" 
 was not prompted by love of justice and truth, but by 
 jealousy, envy and intentional meanness. That volume 
 is not history, but a falsification of history, a pasquinade, 
 through which its author has forfeited the name of a 
 historian. I have proven this by incontrovertible evi- 
 dence in niv book: "Graetz' Geschichtsbauerei" 
 
VI PREFACK. 
 
 (Berlin, iSSi, Wilhelm Issleib). In io8 pages I have 
 demonstrated by copious extracts from Graetz' 
 "History," that not religious motives^ hMt personal spite 
 and jealousy were the ruling powers of (zraetz' unjus- 
 tifiable and mean attacks against the Jewish Reform- 
 movement and its pioneers. I have asserted and prov- 
 en that "die Tendenz des elften Bandes der Graetz- 
 schen Geschichte der Tendenz des ersten nnd zweiten 
 Bandes derselben Geschichte diametral entgegenge- 
 setzt ist." (The tendency of the eleventh volume of 
 Graetz' history is diametrically opposed to the tenden- 
 cy of the first and second volumes of the same histor}-. 
 See page io8 of my "Graetz' Geschichtsbauerei." ) In 
 the first two volumes Graetz denies the belief in reve- 
 lation, miracles, and treats the patriarchs, Joseph, etc., 
 as legendary heroes. In the eleventh volume he 
 condemns the most-innocent Reforms like the "organ" 
 in the Synagogue, confirmation, in a manner worthy 
 of the Rabbi Jacob Joseph, of the Russian Congrega- 
 tions in New York. — I said then what I repeat now. 
 " Ich sell eucli zweierlei Gesichter zeigen, eins darun- 
 ter ist nothwendig falsch." (I see you, sir, bearing 
 two faces, one of which is necessarily false. ) 
 
 I challenged Graetz or his disciples to refute my ar- 
 guments, if they coitld^ adding however, that such a 
 thing would be hardly possible considering the fact 
 that I quoted Graetz' own words for the purpose of 
 strengthening my evidence.* Instead of proofs and 
 arguments, however, they answered with mean invec- 
 tives and personal abuse, which since time immemorial 
 was the only weapon of cowardice. My book has ever 
 since been extensively quoted and referred to by writers 
 on Jewish history, who agreed with my views. 
 
 Some people may think that I had a personal 
 grudge against Graetz, and that my views on his "his- 
 toriography" are prejudiced and not shared by authori- 
 
 * "Wer mit Oxruenden widerlegen kann der thue es. Ob diess 
 ini vorliegenden Falle ueberhaupt moeglich ist, nachdem tvir immer 
 Graetz' eigene Worte als Beweis zitirten, wird abzuwarten seini " 
 (ibidem). 
 
PRKFACK. VI 1 
 
 ties. I therefore feel impelled to declare, that I never 
 met Graetz, never wrote to him, in fact never had the 
 least personal reason to attack him. Love of truth, 
 justice and fair play alone are the motives of my criti- 
 cism. 
 
 Now it would make no difference at all, whether 
 other renowned scientists and historians agree or dis- 
 agree with me on the subject. For truth and one are a 
 majority. lu fact majorities are not often found on the 
 side of truth, as falsehood and hypocrisy pay better. 
 
 Still, for the sake of those who have no confidence 
 in their own sound judgment, I quote some authori- 
 ties. 
 
 Abraham Geiger has the following to say on 
 "Graetz' History of the Jews:" "To my regret I 
 must confess, that the work is by no means entitled to 
 the pretense of being the product of genuine historio- 
 graphy and research. For I would greet with true joy 
 a really good work on Jewish history. The work con- 
 tains histories, which are loosely connected, but no his- 
 tory. We miss the development and the moving force. 
 While I dislike an artificial pragmatism, I cannot favor 
 a history utterly devoid of ideas. Now, Graetz' his- 
 tory has no beginning, how can it rest on a foundation? 
 It is a peculiar proceeding, indeed, to begin a history 
 with the fourth volume, to have it followed by the 
 third, then the fifth. And what do we hear concerning 
 the character of the Talmud, the Mishnah, the Bo- 
 raithas, the Gemarahs? A mass of names, which are, 
 after all, entirely indifferent to us. The religious con- 
 ception of the epoch in its totality, the legal-religious 
 character, the development of these periods are hardly 
 touched upon. Thus the whole history of the later 
 time remains incomprehensible. We notice painfully 
 the absence of the dignity of historical treatment, of 
 that consecration, which lifts up the historian when 
 about to present a grand picture of humanity." — (See 
 Geiger's Zeitsclirift, IV, p. 146-150, VI, pp. 220, 221, 
 222, 291). "Graetz is utterly wanting in historical in- 
 tuition and intellect which can master the material," 
 
Vin PREFACE. 
 
 (Posthumous Works, V, pp. 293-294) "is a charlatau 
 of the first water" (ibid. 257). "Heine and Boerne 
 are treated in the eleventh volume worthy of Graetz" 
 (ibid. 329). IMommsen, the greatest living German his- 
 torian calls Graetz' "Talmudistic" historiography "a lit- 
 erary corner." Prof. Bresslau compares him with 
 Onno Klopp. Dr. Bamberger calls him the "Stoecker 
 of the Synagogue." Dr. Oppenheim, Prof. Cohen, 
 Marburg, Claude ]\Iontefiore, Emil Lehman, Prof. Neu- 
 bauer, Dr. Felsenthal, Chicago, Prof. Ewald, Goettin- 
 gen, Dr. Kohler, New York, Prof. Ludwig Geiger, Dr. 
 Leopold Loew, Szegedin, Prof. Lazarus, in Berlin, and 
 numerous other Jewish scholars have expressed similar 
 views on Graetz' historiography. The Rev. Dr. Gut- 
 heim had the following to say on Graetz' eleventh vol- 
 ume of his history: "It is a source of general regret, 
 that the learned author descended from his exalted 
 standpoint, by passing judgment on events and persons 
 that are within the memory of men still living, in the 
 spirit of bitter partisanship." (Translation of the 
 fourth volume of Graetz' "History of the Jews," New 
 York, 1873.) 
 
 But the wrong inflicted on the leaders of our Re- 
 form-movement by Graetz' misleading statements can 
 only be corrected by an unbiased historiography. The 
 following nine chapters are an earnest attempt to set 
 aright before the people the men who were partly slan- 
 dered, partly ignored, or belittled by Graetz. 
 
 "Unschuldig Verurtheilten zu ihren Rechte 
 verhelfen ist die groesste Mizvah, die man ueben 
 kann." f 
 
 I originally intended to publish the work in Ger- 
 man, but having removed from Bonn to this country I 
 concluded to write it in English, the more so, as no 
 work of this kind exists in the English language.* 
 
 * To set aright before the eyes of the world those men who were 
 innocently condemned, is one of the noblest acts. (See ni}- Graetz' 
 Geschichtsbauerei, p. IV, preface). 
 
 t H. S. Morais' " Eminent Israelites of the Nineteenth Century" 
 has a few pages on Holdheim and Geiger. 
 
prp:kack. IX 
 
 Mv special thanks are due to Dr. luniuumel Kil- 
 ter, Phoebus Philippsohn, and Leopold Loew. Their 
 writinj^s on Friedlaender, Salomon, Chorin and Hold- 
 have greatlv assisted me, although I had not seldom 
 occasion to disagree with them on important points. 
 
 Prof. Ludwig Geiger, Prof. M. Lazarus, in Ber- 
 lin, and Dr. Immanuel Loew in Szegedin encouraged 
 me in dilTerent ways, and considered the idea of pub- 
 lishing a work of this kind a most happy one. 
 
 Should God grant me health and strength I shall 
 publish several more volumes of this kind, and con- 
 clude the work with a complete ''History of the Jew- 
 ish Reform-movement to the Present Day." 
 
 Those who are afraid that the great influx of Jews 
 from Russia and Poland will retard the progress of the 
 Reform-movement in this country, I refer to chapter 
 VII of this book. There they will learn that " Hold- 
 heim," one of the greatest of Reform-Rabbis, hailed 
 from Kempen, which is even to-day a hot-bed of Polish 
 orthodoxy. Let us trust in the power of the spirit. 
 It will conquer in the end. 
 
 I have consistently refrained from writing the bio- 
 graphies of men who still live, labor and help to make 
 history. While opinions may differ on the subject, and 
 the remark of a friend, that a' little '• taffy" during life- 
 time is preferable to a large dose of " epitaphy," may 
 contain more truth than poetry, yet I consider my prin- 
 ciple good. As long as men's lives are not concluded, 
 we cannot pass a final judgment on them. Men and 
 circumstances are too much subject to change. Bio- 
 graphies of living men, particularly when they are in- 
 fluential, are as a rule eulogies, hence worthless. Biss- 
 marck, for instance, in the last few years, after his fall, 
 has shown traits of character which were utterly un- 
 known to his biographers of former years. 
 
 :My special thanks are due and cheerfully offered 
 to the following men, who have taken special pains to 
 further the publication of this book: Hon. Jacob Schiff, 
 New York, Hon. Julius Rosenthal, Attorney-at-Law, 
 Chicago, Rabbis M. Samfield, of Memphis, Bien, of 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 Vicksbiirg, Bogen and Goldsclimidt, of Greenville, 
 Leuclit, of New Orleans, Cohen, of Mobile, Berkowitz, 
 of Kansas City, Grechter, of Milwaukee, Felsenthal and 
 Isaac Moses, of Chicago, Bloch, of Portland, Freuden- 
 thal, of Trinidad, Charles Weil, Pres. Congregation, 
 Pine Bluff, B. Wolf, of Fort Smith and Congregations 
 of Denver, Los Angeles, Little Rock and Spokane. 
 
 I also acknowledge with pleasure, that Messrs. 
 Ansell & Reeves, of the Spokane Printing Company, 
 have from beginning to end, in every possible way as- 
 sisted me in the publication of this work. I can con- 
 scientiously recommend them to my friends. 
 
 In thus giving the history of this publication, I 
 must also add an information, without which this 
 history would not be complete. It might be asked, 
 and not a few of my friends have asked the question, 
 why I had not given this book to the "Jewish Publica- 
 tion Society of America," the apparent purpose of 
 which, in accord with its Constitution, is to encourage 
 American-Jewish writers. In my own justification I 
 must make a statement. On June ist, 1889, I propos- 
 ed to send my manuscript to the "J. P. S." But no 
 answer came. I waited patiently several months, but 
 no answer came. I addressed at last, in December of 
 the same year, a personal letter to the President of the 
 Society, Mr. Morris Newburger, politely requesting 
 him to see to it, that my letter is answered and my 
 manuscript is asked for. He, like an honest, straight- 
 forward man, who knows no duplicity, replied at once, 
 and the Secretary of the Society requested me to send 
 the manuscript, which I did. This was in January, 
 1890, at a time when not yet one book of the Societ)- 
 was published. Again no answer came. In June of 
 ■ the same year a Convention of the Society was held. 
 Not even mention of my manuscript was madethere. 
 Dr. Felsenthal, a jiiemher of the Publication Cotnviittee^ 
 told me in July in Chicago, that not only has he not 
 been informed during all this time, of the existence of 
 my manuscript, but even while in Philadelphia at the 
 Convention, no intimation was made to him about it. 
 
I'RKKACK. Xl 
 
 And vet, as a niciiibci of the Publication Coniuiittcc, the 
 manuscript, or part of it, ought to have been sent to 
 him. At the Convention in June it was carried, in the 
 face of a strong opposition, that the J. P. S. should re- 
 print Graetz's " History,'' while not even mention was 
 made of my manuscript, notwithstanding the fact, that 
 I had offered it twelve months before the Convention 
 met. Although disgusted, I addressed once more a 
 letter to the President, Mr. Newburger, telling him in 
 plain language my candid opinion about the business 
 methods of the Publication Committee.* I intimated 
 that it was controled by satellites of Graetz, who would 
 like to suppress the publication of my book, because I 
 dared to criticise a historiography, which an authority 
 like Mounnsen designated as a "literary corner;" be- 
 cause I showed up in his true light a so-called histo- 
 rian, whom Geiger styled as "a charlatan and swindler 
 of the first water" (Geiger, Nachgel-Schriften, Vol. V, 
 p. 257). How right I was in my supposition is 
 proven by the following answer of Mr. Newburger: 
 
 Philadelphia, July 21st, 1890. 
 Dr. I{. Sciikkibp:r, 
 
 Little Rock, Ark. 
 
 ''Mv dear Doctor : — Pressure of business and ab- 
 .sence from the city must serve as my excuse for not an- 
 swering your favor of the 15th ult. sooner. 
 
 / have carefully read your letter and zuill keep it be- 
 fore me. fust uoza^ when Graetz s first volume is under 
 consideration, the time for urging your book is unpropitious. 
 — Dr. Felsenthal, of Chicago, stands very high with his 
 
 * I repeat aj^ain that I have no fault whatever to find with the 
 President. Mr. Newburj^er. He acted from beginning to end like a 
 MAN. It is the Committee I blame, which, lacking the courage to 
 say openly that it would not publish Reform literature, made use of 
 the unmanly weapon of disgusting procrastination. The fact is, the 
 Publishing Committee of the J. P. S. is controled by two or three men 
 who are enemies of Reform, while the J. P. S. is supported finan- 
 cially by people, 95 per cent, of whom are Reformers. Such a state 
 pf affairs is, to say the least, ridiculous in the extreme. 
 
xii PRKKACli. 
 
 colleagues in the coniinittee, and it may be well for you 
 to correspond with him on the subject. In the mean- 
 time why not organize a local committee * * and 
 add as many as possible to the membership of the J. P. 
 S. ? I am sure that a good effort on your part in that 
 direction would be appreciated by all. If you are willing 
 to accept the post, I shall be very glad to appoint you 
 Chairman of the Committee for your District. 
 
 I remain, 
 
 Yours sincerely, 
 
 MORRLS NeWBURGHR." 
 
 This letter is indeed instructive. It tells in so 
 many words that a Society, started ostensibly for the 
 purpose of encouraging home talent, would not publish 
 a book which criticises falsifications of our history. The 
 fact that I entered into correspondence with the Society 
 a year before Graetz's English reprint was under con- 
 sideration, is of course of no consequence whatever 
 with a committee which is controled by open and secret 
 enemies of Reform-Judaism, who would, if they could, 
 suppress every free word. Of course, at a time when 
 Graetz' publication is under consideration, it would not 
 be "propitious" to urge the publication of a book 
 which demonstrates beyond the shadow of a doubt 
 the fact that Graetz's historiography is unreliable.^ 
 utterly zuantiiig in historical intuition.^ and influenced by 
 personal spite and bitter partisanship. The President of 
 the J. P. S. deserves the credit of being candid in ex- 
 posing the policy governing the Society, which 
 CLAIMS to encourage American authors. 
 
 That the honorable President meant well, is fur- 
 ther proven by his advice to correspond with Dr. Fel- 
 senthal, "who stands very high with his colleagues" in 
 the committee. It shows how high he stands, when he 
 was not considered worth while to be informed of what 
 was going on in the Society. But this passage is in- 
 terestinof for another reason. Hear ve then. It is not 
 
I'RKFACH. Xlll 
 
 the ability and worth of a pul)licalion which ixx^oiu- 
 mends it. The author iiuist try and influence the 
 nienil)ers of the committee. I think if Dr. Felsenthal 
 had been shown my manuscript he would not have ob- 
 jected to its publication. When in Chicago he recom- 
 mended my work on the strength of his knowledge of 
 my literary activity, and personally induced his Chicago 
 friends to subscribe for my book. Twelve years ago, 
 in a review in the "Zeitgeist" of my " Selbstkritik der 
 Juden," * Felsenthal among other things said: ''Dr. 
 Schreiber, the author, is Rabbi in Bonn, and belongs 
 to the few German Rabbis of the present who do not 
 consider it as their whole life's work to indulge in 
 archaeological, philological and literary historical 
 studies, but who express honestly their convictions and 
 who do not covertly keep it back and hypocritically 
 denv it or turn it into the contrary. He is one of those 
 who are active for the progress of Jewish life, and for 
 its purification." + 
 
 No doubt just for this very reason, that the oppo- 
 nents of Reform in the Committee knew of Felsenthal' s 
 opinions about me, his honest, outspoken views on Re- 
 form-Judaism, and his hatred of hypocrisy, underhanded 
 work and duplicity, they shrewdly concealed from him 
 everything relating to my manuscript. For they know 
 full well that Felsenthal is on record as holding the 
 same views on Graetz's disgraceful historiography as 
 are held by Geiger and other honest historians of re- 
 nown. 
 
 I can give names of other members of the Publi- 
 cation Committee who live nearer Philadelphia, and 
 yet were never informed of the existence of my manu- 
 script. Shame on such l)nsiness methods ! 
 
 * Berlin, iSo Carl Duncker, i6o pages. This is one of the very 
 few Jewish books which made after nine years a second edition 
 necessary. It was republished in Leipzig, 1SS9, b) F. Wilhelni 
 Friedrich, Ilofbuchdrucker. This book was quoted copiously 
 in the German " Reichstag" by Professor Haenel. one of the leaders 
 of the " Fortschrittspartei." 
 
 t Dr. Felsenthal of Chicago, on Dr. Schreiber's " Selbstkritik 
 der Juden," Zeitgeist of August 5th, 18S0, page 253. 
 
xiv PREFACK. 
 
 P)Ut the most interesting part of the letter is the end. 
 For there a distant hope is held out, that an effort to get 
 a number of subscribers might possibly induce the Com- 
 mittee to publish my book.* 
 
 It is needless to say that after this letter I peremp- 
 torily demanded back my manuscript. But my book 
 is published, and may the unbiased reader judge for 
 himself whether it deserved such treatment at the 
 hands of the J. P. S. Let those who have read the 
 publications of the J. P. S. impartially compare my 
 book with those, and I am not afraid of their honest 
 verdict. I call for their unbiased judgment, because I 
 have greater confidence in the vox populi than in a Pub- 
 lication Committee which is apparently controled by 
 people who have personal axes to grind, who are influ- 
 enced by partisanship, bigotry, and that petty spirit of 
 inquisition which has created in Rome an '^ Index libro- 
 rnm proJiibitoriini.'''' There are men in the Committee 
 of the so-called Jewish Publication Society of Ainerica\ 
 who would to-day suppress a reformatory publication, 
 just as was done by that hypocrite S. A, Tiktin in 
 Breslau, who, like a censor of the Inquisition, prohib- 
 ited the Jewish printer Sulzbach irom publishing M. 
 Brueck's "Rabbinical Ceremonies" (1836), because 
 cant and hypocrisy ^vere unmasked in that book. But 
 Brueck's book was published after all in Breslau, + and 
 was the indirect cause of breaking Tiktin' s influence. 
 Hypocrisy and Jesuitism are, thank God, rapidly losing- 
 ground in America, and its main representatives are 
 being shelved bv their own Congregations. 
 
 * Such a principle might be excusable in political organizations, 
 where the "workers" for the party are rewarded with offices. A 
 ru])lication Society ought to reward ability and ideal work, and 
 nothing else. 
 
 |- Lucus a non lucendo. For in reality it suppresses American 
 Jewish literature, and goes begging to England for rehashing of old 
 matter. Just because the "Society" published Graetz's history, the 
 Committee ought to have given the other side a chance to express 
 its views. This would have been fair play, truly American. As it 
 is, the "Society" is un-American, an B^nglish branch. 
 
 X See page 290 of this book. 
 
PRE HACK. 5iV 
 
 And SO go out into the cold world, thou, my be- 
 loved book ! ?ilany a sleepless night and many a 
 troublesome day thou hast caused me. • Being a child 
 of truth thou hast met, like thy mother, with many 
 enemies, even before thy birth. Many are they who 
 wanted to strangle thee before thy birth. For eight 
 gloomy weeks I mourned thee as dead,* and wnth the 
 prophet of old I cried: "So have I then labored in 
 vain, and for years wasted my strength for nothing." 
 But, thank God, thou wast found again. Thou goest 
 on a great journey, on thy own merits. Thou 
 
 art not backed by the name of a leading publisher. 
 This, my dear child, requires money in this great 
 country. A Society, which ought to have taken pleasure 
 in introducing thee lias neglected this duty. ' 'The watch- 
 men, instead of caring for thee smote thee and took 
 awav thy veil." And why? Because as the child of 
 truth thou didst not learn to flatter, to cringe, " LO 
 JADAATI ACHAXEF," and because thou didst not learn 
 to call "good evil and evil good, sweet bitter and bitter 
 sweet." Thou wilt have a rocky road to travel on this 
 account. For only the good people love truth, and 
 they are, alas, in the minority. And yet, thy mission 
 is enviable. For "truth is the seal of God " Chothvio 
 Shel Hakadosh Bornch Hoo Emess. Thy purpose is no- 
 ble. Thou nietest out justice to those grand men in 
 modern Jsrael, who were innocently persecuted, because 
 they struggled in the cause of truth and light. "Happy 
 then art thou, how pleasant is thy lot, how beautiful 
 thy inheritance." The time will come when thy work 
 will be recognized and appreciated. 
 
 SCHKEIBER. 
 
 Spokane, Wash., February 25, 1892. 
 
 * Thf iiirimisrripl was lost, and by mere accident it was found 
 aeain. 
 
COXTl-:XTS. 
 
 PAGK. 
 
 Prkkace, ----- v-xv 
 
 Contents and Introductory, - x\-xxxii 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Moses Mendelssohn, - - - 9"^^ 
 
 CHAPTER IT. 
 David Eriedi.aendi';k, - - - 18-44 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Israel Jacobsohn, - - - 45-59 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 A RON CiiORiN, - - - - 60-94 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 GoTTHOLD Salomon, - - - 94-^63 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Abraham Kohn, - - - 164-178 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Samlel Holdheim, - - - 179-254 
 
 CHAPTER VIH. 
 Leopold Loew, - - - 255-271 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Abraham C.eh;er, - - - 271-381 
 
CONTEXTS OF CHAPTERS. 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 MOSKS MENDELSSOHN. 
 
 Meiulelssoliii. though claimed by the Reformers and by the Con- 
 servatives, was neither a Reformer nor was he orthodox. He was a 
 philosopher of the rationalistic type, but had no understanding for 
 historical criticism. Hence the conflict in his teachings. Judaism 
 for him was legalism. His translation of the Pentateuch into Ger- 
 man causes a profound revolution in the Jewi.sh religion. It opened 
 to the Jews the treasure-house of modern thought, weakened the in- 
 fluence of Talmudism, and emancipated Judaism in (Germany from 
 the baneful control of Polish Kabbis. Mendelssohn's disciples, the 
 "School of Biurists" demolish mountains of legal observances and 
 usher in the new era. PP- 9-'S- 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 
 DAVID FRIKDLAENDKR. 
 
 Reared under exceptionally favorable circumstances, he enjoys 
 a happv vouth. A better education of the Jews is his ideal. His in- 
 timacv'with Mendelssohn. The " Salon." a literary center of Ber- 
 lin's aristocracy, breaks through the social restraints that obstructed 
 the intercourse of Jews and Gentiles. The "Free-school" (Frei- 
 schule), non-sectarian. Its influence in Germany and Austria. 
 Friedlaender's first translation of the Hebrew Prayer-book into Ger- 
 man caused a storm. His struggle for the emancipation of the Jews. 
 He is no Jewish chauvinist. We are Jews, not by race, but by re- 
 ligion. Lazarus Bendavid, forerunner of radical Reform-Judaism. 
 Graetz's falsification of modern Jewish history. Friedlaender's sen- 
 sational letter to Teller. Other literary work. Friedlaender and 
 Israel Jacobsohn. The Jacobsohn-Temple and the first German ser- 
 mons in Berlin. The orthodox party alarmed at the great success of 
 Reform in Berlin, denounces the Reformers to the Pru.-,sian govern- 
 mer.t as innovators. Friedrich \Vilhelm III, justly afraid lest a more 
 attractive mode of wor:;hip among the Jews might diminish the 
 numbe:- of Jewi.sh converts to Christianity, pleases the orthodox 
 Jews bv closing the Reform-Temple. wiiole.sale apostasy of the 
 better class of Jews in Berlin and other Prussian cities the conse- 
 quence. " Society for Culture of the Jews" (Culturverein). Leo- 
 pold Zunz. Political reaction and Judenhetze. Friedlaender hon- 
 ored. PP- ^^-•^- 
 
^^y:''.* ";'• ■^- -■• I^KFORMEJ) JUDAISM. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ISPAEI. JACOBSOIIX. 
 
 Jacobsohn, a self-made man. No scholar, but highly practical. 
 A successful merchant and enthusiastic philanthropist. He begins 
 the Reform with the school children. The "Jacobsohn School" and 
 "Jacobsohn Temple" in Seesen erected by Jacobsohn at at cost of one 
 hundred thousand dollars. First organ in a Jewish house of worship. 
 Ritual Reforms. The German sermon in the Synagogue strongly 
 opposed b}- orthodox Rabbis. Pijutim. The German sermon in 
 America. The Hebrew language in the Synagogue. Dedication of 
 the Temple in Seesen. Jacobsohn as a preacher. His energy. The 
 Sanhedrin at Paris convoked by Napoleon, iSo6, proves a farcical 
 show, utterly void of principle, and hurtful to the cause of Judaism 
 in France. The Central Jewish Consistory of France, as the result 
 of the Sanhedrin, moulded on the pattern of the secular power, 
 tinged with a semblance of Catholic hierarchy, is the cause of the re- 
 ligious stagnation of Judaism in F'rance. F'rench Jews atheistic, and 
 at best indifferent the whole year, but orthodox on the Day of ,\tone- 
 ment, i. e., Jewish Catholics or Catholic Jews. In the science and 
 Reform of Judaism F'rance is an unknown quantity. The little there 
 is was done b%' German scholars. England, under the sway of Chief- 
 Rabbis, offers the same spectacle. Wherever the Church is the sub 
 servient vassal of the State, hypocrisy and servility flourish and lib- 
 erty of conscience is curtailed. Consistorj- in Cassel. F'irst Confar- 
 mation of boys and girls in the Synagogue. Jacobsohn in Berlin. 
 The closing by the police of his Temple breaks his heart. The cen- 
 tennial of Jacobsohn's birthday fittingly celebrated in Berlin, Hal- 
 berstadt, Braunschweig and Seesen. pp. 45-59. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ARON CHORIN. 
 
 The Earldom of Maehren, a most prolific contributor to the 
 science and history of modern Judaism. Moses Brueck, a forgotten 
 radical Reformer. Chorin's youth. Unsuccessful in business. His 
 preparation for the Rabbinate. Rabbi in Arad. His salary four 
 florins weekly His " jeshibah" (Rabbinical school). His eloquence 
 as a preacher. His correspondence Vv'ith the leaders of Judaism in 
 Austria and Hungary. "Mordechai Benet, the IMoravian Land-Ral)bi, 
 calls him the " light and pillar of Israel." Cliorin as a Reformer. 
 He permits in his Congregation to eat of the sturgeon (fish). Other 
 Rabbis declare it an "unclean fish." Ezechiel Landau on Chorin's 
 side. ]\Iordechai Benet turns against his former favorite Chorin. 
 The literature on the sturgeon burnt. Chorin victor, but exposed to 
 the enmity of unscrupulous fanatics. The Pressburg clique perse- 
 cutes him. His book: "Reconciliation of F'aith with Practical Life" 
 (1803), advocates Reform, the study of philosophy, and attacks su- 
 perstitious customs. ]Mordechai Benet insists on the burning of the 
 heretical book, but Chorin is upheld by his Congregation. Disturb- 
 ances in the Synagogue on the Sabbath of Penitence, when Chorin is 
 cur.sed by an influential member of his Congregation (1804). Cho- 
 
CONTENTS OF CIIAI'TKRS. \\i 
 
 rill's l;u-t preveiils ,i frcL' flight in tlie Syiia,i,'(),<,'iie. Duplicity of Moses 
 Mueiil/, Ral)l)i ot" Altofeii. Clioriii goes to Altofcn, rL-caiits his 
 ■'heresies," is received with a volley of stones in tiie yard of the 
 Synagogue, and his self-appointed judges, two fanatical Ral)l)is, re- 
 duce his small salary. Chorin's Congregation stands bv him, 
 and the government annuls the verdict of the Rabbinical tribunal. 
 (iSos"). Chorin's pen rests for ten years. In iSiS he gives an opin- 
 ion in favor of the Hamburg Reformed Prayer-book The interest- 
 ing controversy on the subject. Owing to pressure brought to bear 
 on him, Chorin recants again, but soon reaflirms his views a j-ear 
 later in his "Word at the Right Time." Chorin attacks the Talmud 
 with the Talmud. M. L. Biedermau proves Chorin's influential 
 friend. The "\'ienna Ritual " influenced by Chorin. The Berlin 
 Reformers and the government of Baden appreciate him. His " Ig- 
 gereth Hlassaf." He pleads for a "Synod." He permits worship 
 with uncovered head, riding in railroads on Sabbath and Holidays, 
 and Jews playing the organ on the Sabbath. The organ question in 
 the Synagogue of (iermany. Graetz belittles Chorin, while Leopold 
 Zunz requests a diploma of Chorin. His " Hillel" and "Jeled Ze- 
 kunim." He is insulted by fanatic disciples of the Rabbi of Bosko- 
 witz. Moravia. He proves a friend of the Jewish women. His per- 
 mission to eat rice and legumes on Passover. His favorable opinion 
 on the second Hamburg Prayer-book (1841), and on Geiger as author 
 and Rabbi. In the Catholic Churches his death is announced, and 
 the bells toll during his funeral (.\ugust 15, 1S44). His bust unveil- 
 ed, 1 85 1. pp. 60-94. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 GOTTHOLD SALOMON, 
 
 Zunz on the Jewish pulpit. Salomon's youth. The "Cheder." 
 His rigid orthodoxy. His departure to Dessau. Salomon as teach- 
 er of the " P'reischule." His Jewish and Christian friends. His 
 first addre-ss in pul>lic. The deplorable lot of a Jewish teacher. 
 Salomon's literary activity. Plis acquaintance with David Fried- 
 laender, and first contact with the Jewish Reform-movement. The 
 Chief-Rabbi of Dessau condemns his pamphlet on the Jewish wor- 
 ship, to be delivered to the flames. His first sermon in the Jacob- 
 sohn-Temple of Berlin a great succe.ss. He is a born preacher. His 
 call to Hamburg as second preacher of the Temple. He electrifies 
 the Jews by his sermons, and wins back to the cause hosts of indif- 
 ferent men and women. E.xtracts of his sermons. He deals with 
 vital topics of every day life, forcibly advocates reform and keeps 
 many families away from the baptismal font. Graetz' unjust criti- 
 cism. Salomon as a <levotional poet and polemical writer. His 
 controversies with the Jew-haters Th. Ilarlman and Bruno Bauer. 
 Judaeophobia in Germany. The second Hamburg Praver-book con- 
 troversy. Bernays' "interdict" Thirteen famous Rabbis give 
 "opinions" in favor of the Reform Prayer-book. Bernays' "inter 
 diet" annulled. The Reform-movement in England. The West 
 London Synagogue. Rev. W. ^Lirx. Sir Moses Montefiore proves 
 a fanatic. Francis Goldsmith holds his own against ^Montefiore' 
 
XXn RKFOKMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 ;ir1)itrai V measures. Salomon's twenty-fifth jubilee as a preacher. 
 vSalomon the pioneer of German Jewish liomiletics. He frees the 
 Jewish sermon from the imitation of Christian preachers. His ex- 
 tensive travels. Salomon and ihe Rabbinical Conferences in Braun- 
 schweig, Frankfort and Breslau (1844-1846), in the interest of Re- 
 form. Abraham Geiger as instigator of those Conferences. Salo- 
 mon as a member of the liturgical commission advocates strongly 
 the u.se of the vernacular in the main prayers. His seventieth birth- 
 day. His published sermons form a library. His farewell sermon 
 in 1857. His death in 1S59. He was one of the last "Biurists." His 
 German translation of the Bible. Geiger speaks of him as "the first 
 and most eminent Jewish preacher," who has "made the Jewish ser- 
 mon a power" which "now takes the first rank among the means of 
 religious edification." pp. 94-163. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ABRAHAM K O H N . 
 
 His youth. He studies the Talmud in [ eshibahs, and devoted 
 secretly his time to so-called profane studies. For two years he sleeps 
 only four hours a night. Pie lives on dry l^read as a student in 
 Prague. In 1830 he dedicates the Sj'uagogue in Pisek, Bohemia. In 
 1833 he is called as Rabbi to Hohenems, Tirol. As an enthusiastic 
 Reformer he contributes to Geiger's " Zeitschrift," comes out in 
 favor of the Hamburg Temple, and takes Geiger's part against Tik- 
 tin in Breslau. His success as a preacher and teacher. In 1844 his 
 misfortune calles him as "preacher and teacher" to the very large 
 Congregation in Lemberg. His school there is a most phenomenal 
 success. His mis.sionary work as a Reformer in Galicia. The new- 
 Temple (1846). The oppressive and disgraceful special taxation of 
 the Jews in Galicia. After hard and weary labors, Kohn succeedes 
 in abolishing the taxes on meat, candles, fish, a. s. f., although Jews 
 opposes the abolition from selfish motives, because they have a lease 
 on the taxes. Out of revenge they try to hurt Kohn in ever}' pos- 
 sible wa}\ Failing, however, in checking his growing popularit}', 
 they make ruse of the despicable weapon of murder, by poisoning the 
 noble and good man. He dies the death of a martyr, in the cause of 
 Reform Judaism. pp. 164-178. 
 
 CHAPTER VH. 
 
 SAMUKL HOLDHFUM. 
 
 In Holdheim can be seen the evolution from the lowest type of 
 orthodoxy to the extreme wing of radical Reform. This develop- 
 ment is gradual. Graetz utterh' fails to understand this, and hence 
 describes him as a "hypocrite" and "enemy of ludaism." When a 
 boy he is recognized as a Talmudical luminary. In Prague, as a 
 man in years, he sits down on a bench with young students in the 
 lecture room. As Rabbi in F'rankfort, on the Oder he labors for 
 the recognition of Judaism by the Prussian government. He blames 
 
CONTEXTS OK ClIAl'TERS. XXlll 
 
 the Rabbis for their iiulifference to the affairs of life. Holdheini the 
 first Rabbi-Preacher in I'r\issia. He opposes the dualisin. which 
 separates the offices of Rabbi and preacher. He pleads for decorum 
 in the divine service (1S37) in forcible sermons. Zunz and Geiger 
 greatlv influence his mode of thinking. He espouses Geiger's idea 
 of establishing a Jewish theological faculty for the training of Rab- 
 bis (1S37). In the Geiger-Tiktin controversy he breaks a lance for 
 Geigen Holdheini in Mecklenburg-Schwerin organizes schools and 
 introduces a reformed " Or.ler of Service." His visit to Hamburg, 
 and "opinion" on the Prayer-book controversy there. He protests 
 against the inconsistent and vacillating attitude of Zacharias Frank- 
 el. Geiger and Holdheini, their different view-points of Reform. 
 Holdheini, like Mendelssohn, is a dogmatic nature. Geiger de- 
 cidedlv historical. Holdheim's opinion on "compatibility of free 
 research with the ofHce of Rabbi." He strongly attacks Tiktin and his 
 clique. His "Autonomy of the Rabbis" creates a stir, antl causes a 
 literarv warfare. He is attacked by Conservatives and Radicals. 
 The Reform-Society at Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1S43. Their radical 
 platform. It is styled an Anti-Circumcision-Society. "Twenty- 
 eight Rabbinical decisions on the circumcision." Holdheini 
 and Hess the only Rabbis who defend the "Reform-So- 
 ciety." Holdheim's pamphlet on "Circumcision" (1844). Circum- 
 cision is merely one of the many Jewish ceremonies. Not circum- 
 cision, but Jewish parentage constitutes the necessary element of al- 
 legiance to Judaism. Geiger calls "circumcision a barbarous, bloody 
 act, based on custom and fear only, for which we are not willing to 
 build Temples." Holdheini discriminates between "political-na- 
 tional" and "religious" ceremonies. Holdheini in the Rabbinical 
 Conferences of Braunschweig, Frankfort and Breslau, 1844-1S46. 
 These Conferences popularize the Reform-movement. Graetz 
 ridicules them. Holdheini, next to Geiger, the most striking 
 figure in the Conference. His modesty and independence. Frankel 
 leaves the Frankfort Conference, because the majority declares 
 against the retention of Hebrew in the prayers. He fails in start- 
 ing an Opposition-Conference. Holdheini sees in the Hebrew lan- 
 guage a check and impediment to the development of our religious 
 life. The Sabbath-question in the Breslau Conference. Holdheini 
 favors the transfer of the Sabbath to Sunday. The Reform-move- 
 ment in Berlin. Dr. M. Sachs' romanticism, coupled with fanati- 
 cism. Dr. Sigismund Stern's lectures on Judaism inaugurate the 
 organization of the " Reform-genossenschaft " in Berlin. June 4tli, 
 1845. Bernstein's powerful "appeal" (1S45). A Prayer-book on 
 radical Reform principles and the transfer of the Sabbath to Sunda}-. 
 (ieiger declines the position of Rabbi offered him. Holdheini elect- 
 ed Rabbi of the Reform Congregation in Berlin. The Sabbath ques- 
 tion. Holdheim's and Samuel Hirsch's opinions on the subject. 
 FUnhorn is Holdheim's successor in Schwerin. Holdheini brings 
 a sacrifice by going to Berlin. His aggressiveness in Berlin against 
 foes from within and without. Inter-marriage (luestioii. Oath "more 
 ludaico." He attacks Stahl's ideas of a "Christian government." 
 His " History of the Jewish Reform-Congregation in Berlin" (18571. 
 His successful " Religions-Schule." Mis " Maamar Haishuth]' (on 
 marriage and divorce), which receives the impetus fioni Geiger's 
 "Urschrift." ceates a sensation in literar}- circles. Holdheim's ser- 
 mons (four vol'.mus) are models, and the clearest expositions of Re- 
 
Xxiv REFORM Kl) JUDAISM. 
 
 form-Jiidaisin. Holdheim's death. Dr. vSachs' contemptible fanati- 
 cism, as compared with old Rabbi Oettinyer's tolerance relative to 
 Holdheim's interment. Geiger is called to officiate at the funeral. 
 
 pp. 179-254. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 LEOPOLD L O E W . 
 
 Born in Moravia of poor parents. Life in the Jeshibah. Hard 
 study in all branches of knowledge. Immigration to Hungarj-. 
 Rabbi of Nagy Kanizsa. Reform-Programme. Sermons in the 
 Magyar tougue. Rabbi in Papa, 1846. Great troubles and struggles 
 against fanaticism. Fair means and foul are used to make his sta}- 
 there impossible. Loew's " Ben Chananja," a valuable monthly in 
 the interest of Judaism. Loew takes prominent part in the Hunga- 
 rian Revolution against the government. His revolutionary sermons 
 masterpieces of pulpit orator}-. He and his father-in-law, Rabbi 
 Schwab, are imprisoned for weeks, and the only two prisoners who 
 are not shot, and freed for "want of proofs." Loew for years under 
 police surveillance. Red-tape in Austria and stupidity of government 
 officials. The Hungarian Jewish school fund. The orthodoxy in 
 Papa disappointed, that their Rabbi was not shot, attempt to supply 
 the government with the " wanting proofs"" and work for his re-ar- 
 rest, but fail. Loew called as Rabbi of Szegedin, 1850. His Reform- 
 programme. He enjoys peace and declines positions in Lemberg, 
 Bruenn, Bucharest, Buda-Pesth and Berlin. Extensive literary labors 
 in the field of Jewish archaeology. At loggerheads with the Austrian 
 government, he is nevertheless "persona grata." Geigeronthe "Ben 
 Chananja." Delitzsch on Loew's "Lebensalter." Loew's absence 
 from the Jewish Congress in Hungary due to principle. He is a 
 prominent member of the Synods in Leipzig and Augsburg, (1869- 
 1S71). He belongs to the "historical" school. pp. 253-271. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 ABRAHAM G E I G E R . 
 
 Berthold Auerbach places Geiger's work in the nineteenth cen- 
 tury in the same category with Moses Mendelssohn's work in the 
 eighteenth centur}-. Einhorn calls Geiger "the most prominent 
 teacher of Judaism in our generation." Geiger descends from a fam- 
 ily of scholars. At the age of six he reads the Bible and Talmud, 
 Hebrew and German. Disgusted with the " Cheder," he is be- 
 sieged with doubts concerning the divine origin of the books of Mo- 
 ses. In 1S29 he enteres the Heidelberg Universit}', and meets there 
 
CONTENTS OF CHAPTKRS. XXV 
 
 with such specimens of Jewish candidates for the Rabbinical pro- 
 fession that he is disgusted with Jewish theology. He goes to Bonn, 
 with the intention to study oriental languages. There he meets 
 with a better class of Jewisli students, and resolves to devote his 
 talents to tlie Reformation of Judaism. S. R. Hirsch, Gruenebaum, 
 Freusdorff, S. Schever, Dernbourg and UUman. He forms a Society 
 for the purpose of p'reaching. He pleads for the establishment of a 
 Jewish theological faculty. He wins the prize by his essay: "What 
 has Mohammed taken from Judaism?" He starts a "Society for the 
 Furtherance of Culture." tieiger becomes Rabbi in Wiesbaden 
 (1S32), introduces weekly sermc^ns and an "Order of the Synagogue." 
 Geiger's "Zeitschrift fue'r Juedische Theologie" (1835). Zunz, Rap- 
 poport, Stein, Dernbourg and other contributors. The historical 
 critical School, Reform-Rabbinism and a scientific Jewish tlieology 
 inaugurated bv Geiger. First Rabbinical Assembly in Wiesbaden 
 (1S37). convoked by Geiger, is attended by fifteen Rabbis. Geiger is 
 called to Breslau (1838), where under fiktin orthodoxy has full 
 sway. Hot contests. The Prussian government is urged by the or- 
 thodox party not to naturalize Geiger. i. e., to annul his election. 
 His enemies use the foul means of political denunciation, but fail. 
 Eight foolish charges against Geiger. Tiktin's followers excited by 
 his speech at a funeral want to throw Geiger into a grave. They 
 urge the government to depose Geiger. Geiger insists upon the 
 name of "Rabbi" instead of "Preacher, "as a question of vital principle 
 for the growth of Reform-Judaism. Geiger sacrifices his "Zeit- 
 schrift" as a peace-offering. Eight Rabbis of Silesia and Posen de- 
 clare Geiger unfit to be a witness in a court of justice. Seventeen of 
 the most prominent Rabbis of Germany and Austria break a lance 
 for Geiger and free research. The " Rabbinical Opinions on the 
 Compatibilitv of Free Research with the Office of Rabbi." The Re- 
 former Philippsohn. though requested by the Breslau Congregation 
 to give an opinion on the subject, does not answer, out of personal 
 animosity against Geiger. These "Rabbinical Opinions" belong to 
 the most interesting literature of responses in Jewish history. 
 Friedlaender's, Chorin's, Holdheim's, Wechsler's, A. Kohn's. Herx- 
 heimer's, Einhorn's, Hess', Guttman's, Wassermann's, I^evy's, 
 Aub's, Maier's, Cahn's, L. Adler's, Stein's and Gruenebaum's 
 "opinions." Dr. Aub calls Geiger " the first representative of the 
 scientific theology of Judaism."' Resolutions, signed by the mem- 
 bers of the Breslau Congregation, expressing their admiration for 
 (ieiger, are presented to him (1S42). Tiktin dies (1S43). but no 
 peace restored. Geiger's salary increased, and Tiktin's son elected 
 Rabbi of the orthodox party, but paid by the Congregation. Geiger 
 favors a split, which has to come sooner or later in e4-ery large Con- 
 gregation. Geiger declines a call to St. Petersburg, tendered him 
 through Dr. Lilienthal, of Riga, later Cincinnati. Geiger's Prayer- 
 book,' 1854. His opinion on "Sunday service." His pamphlet on 
 the " Hamburg Prayer-book," which he criticises as too conservative. 
 " Merelv outward embellishments of the service might prove to be 
 luxuriant death-chambers of our religion." His criticism of the 
 Frankfort Reform-Society. , " Revolution is not Reform." Reform 
 of the entire community preferable. " Reform shouUl emanate from 
 Rabbis and Congregations." Geiger the organizer of the Rabbinical 
 Conferences of 1S44-1S46. He is the President of the Bre.slau Con- 
 ference, 1S46. Geiger's labors for the emancipation of the Jews in 
 
Xxvi REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Prussia. His extensive literary work. His "Leo Da Modena," 
 most interesting. His contributions to the " Zeitschrift tier Deutsch- 
 Morgenlaendischen Gesellschaft." Geiger the "hi.ehest living author- 
 ity on Samaritan literature." His lectures before the candidates 
 of Jewish theologv. They are discontinued after the establishment 
 of the Rabbinical' Seminary in Breslau. Although the institution 
 owed its existence to Geiger, he was cheated out of the position as 
 its Director, in violation of the desire of the founder of the Semi- 
 nary, Jonas Fraenkel. The institution becomes a hot-bed of Jesuit- 
 ism, standing for no principle, consistent only in its inconsistency. 
 Geiger's " Urschrift," 1S57, is next to Zunz's " Gottesdienslliche 
 Vortraege," the most epochal Jewish publication of this century. It 
 revolutionized the study of Bible and Talmud, of the ideas on the 
 origin of Christianity, on Sadducees and Pharisees, and its results, 
 are gaining ground among leaders of Christian theology. The 
 twentv-fiftii anniversary of^Geiger's Rabbinical career grandly cele- 
 brated (1857). Death of Geiger's wife Pmiilie (i860). Geiger on the 
 "Talmud." His sensational letter to Zunz against circumcision and 
 dietary laws. He resumes the "Zeitschrift," which he published 
 uninterruptedly until his death. The greatest literati of Europe, 
 Jews and Christians, among its contributors. Dr. Stein's resigna- 
 tion, and Geiger's acceptance of the position in Frankfort-on-the 
 Main. Causes of this important step. Farewell demonstrations. 
 Geiger in Frankfort. He is disappointed on account of his failure to 
 establish a theological faculty in Frankfort, which hope is the 
 main reason of his departure from Breslau. " Society for Jewish Af- 
 fairs." Literarv activity. Geiger on the Jews in Roumania. His 
 views are applicable to the Jews in Russia. He opposes "political 
 missionary activity.". "Civilization cannot be imported." "The 
 sources of the evil. Ignorance, fanaticism, hostility to culture 
 must be stopped. Out of the midst of the land itself must emanate 
 the forces of civilization and regeneration. Who has ever assisted 
 the Jews in Germany ? Did they ever ask the mediation of France, 
 England and America ?" Geiger in favor of the "resurrecting Rab- 
 binical Conference." The Conference in Cassel, 186S. The Synod 
 in Leipzig, 1869. Geiger compares it with the Philadelphia Conference 
 of the same year. The comparison is most favorable to American 
 Reform-Juda'ism. "Here we meet with flesh of our flesh, spirit of 
 our spirit." Indecision one of the great defects of the 
 Leipzig Synod. Philippsohn's bombastic '• resolution " devoid 
 of principle, betrays the desire to make a sensation and to cau.se an 
 effect outside of Judaism- (Jeiger's "Prayer-book, second edition," 
 1870. His '-Judaism and its History" in three volumes, is most pop- 
 ular. Geiger's poetical genius. Call to Berlin. The assurance that 
 he would find opportunity to teach Jewish theological students in- 
 duces him to go to Berlin^ Geiger in Berlin (1S70). The Synod at 
 Aug.sbnrg. Geiger more in harmony with the assembly, as more 
 radical resolutions are passed there. The " retarding elements are 
 absen", and a fresh, courageous spirit pervaded the vSynod." His 
 activity in the " Hochschu'le fuer dieWissenschaftdes Judenthum's" 
 is most straining for him, but he looks upon it as the happiest period 
 of his life. A "band of brave, enthusiastic students" constitutes 
 his audience. He is troubled about the hostility of the majority of 
 young Rabbis to progress and Reform. "Where is the after-growth 
 which will replace us ? " " People want a man, who, however, should 
 
CONTivNTS OK CI I A I'T I.RS. 
 
 \ x \- n 
 
 nol l)f ;i iiuiii." Geif^er's deatli and funeral. vSince his demise Re- 
 foriii-Jndaisni in Cjerniany j^oes backward. Gros.s niateriali.sui 
 and atheism, apostasy, on the one side, Jesuitism, hypocrisy and Ro- 
 manticism on the otlier, are the sad consecjuences of this deploraljle 
 fact. America enters upon the heritage of (ierman Reform-Judaism. 
 Tliere is no specific American Judaism. It is nothing less and noth- 
 ing more than German Reform-Judaism, or as Geiger so well put it, 
 "bone of its bone and flesh of its flesh. pp. 272-381. 
 
INTRODUCTIOX. 
 
 This book does not claim to be a complete history 
 of Reform-Judaism. The time for such a work has 
 not arrived yet. As a contribution to such a history, 
 however, the author flatters himself to have rendered 
 some service to the future historian. 
 
 The history of Reform-Judaism may be di\ided 
 into three distinct periods. 
 
 ist. The Humanistic period. 
 
 2nd. The Aesthetical-Homiletical period. 
 
 3rd. The Historical-Critical period. 
 
 Mendelssohn, Friedlaender-, Isaac Euchel, Lazarus 
 Bendavid, Herz Homberg, Hartwig Wessely, Peter 
 Beer, the men of the ''first stage ^'' as Geiger desig- 
 nates them,* hold a similar relation to the Jewish Re- 
 form-movement that the Humanists Reuchlin, Erasmus 
 of Rotterdam, Melanchthon and Ulrich von Hutten 
 held tothe Christian Retormation. 
 
 Israel Jacobsohn, Aron Chorin, Joseph Perl,t 
 David Fraenkel, editor of the "Sulamith," J. Heine- 
 man, editor of the "Jedidjah," Wolf Heidenheim, 
 grammarian and translator of the prayer-book, the 
 Hamburg preachers and the teachers of schools and 
 authors of catechisms, Johlson, and to a certain ex- 
 tent I. X. Mannheimer were the men of the ''second 
 stagey Their main work and object was to make 
 the character of the Jewish worship less repulsive to the 
 
 * Posthumous Works, II, p. 260. 
 
 t Joseph Perl, born 'larnopol, 1773, died there 1839. He estab- 
 lished (1S13) a school at a great sacrifice of time and money, and 
 boldly attacked the Chassidim in his "Mf^alleh Tmirin," a Hebrew 
 imitation of the "epistolae obscurorum virornm" (1819). He enter- 
 tained a lively correspondence with the representatives of Jewish 
 culture in Germany, and was appointed honorary member of the 
 Berlin "Cultureverein" (Society for the Dissemination of Culture 
 among the Jews). See I. N. Manheimer's eulogy, and his biography 
 in Mush's Jahrbuch. 1S46-47, by N. Horowitz and Kerem Chemed, V, 
 p. 163, by Sal. Rappoport 
 
6 RKKORMKI) Jl'DAlSM. 
 
 youiii^', to llic more educated classes of Jews and to 
 Christians, who ha|>pened occasionally to visit a syna- 
 gogue. ^ 
 
 Questions of decorum and order in the service, 
 sermons in the vernacular, the introduction of German 
 hymns and prayers, music and liturgical changes were 
 the sharp end of the wedge. But useful and necessary 
 as these changes were, inasmuch as their impulse 
 sprang from a purely aesthetic want, they were not born 
 of the true spirit of Reform.* This spirit is based on 
 inward principle and not on a mere outward aesthetic 
 want. The political reaction in Prussia after the over- 
 throw of the Corsican Titan made the civil and political 
 condition of the Jews most deplorable. The better ed- 
 ucated Jew had to face the painful alternative, either to 
 forego all hope of honorably devoting his talents to the 
 government or to forsw^ear the religion of his fathers. 
 Many also were too weak to resist the temptation, and 
 sold their birthright for a mess of pottage. While we 
 cannot excuse such apostas}', it cannot be denied that 
 Judaism in the official form in which it presented itself, 
 was not of a character to inspire with enthusiam the 
 new generation, bred under the most refining influences 
 of classical Hellas and Rome, so as to make them pre- 
 fer the glory of martyrdom to the crown of civic 
 honors. 
 
 The contrast between cosmopolitan rationalism and 
 belief in tradition, the conflict between the philosopher 
 Mendelssohn, f and the orthodox Jew INIendelssohn, I 
 were too glaring to be smoothed by a sentimental piety, of 
 which the new generation knew very little. The gen- 
 eration, reared under the influence of Mendelssohn's 
 legalism, refused to lead a double life. If reason is 
 free, they claimed the right to be free. If Judaism is 
 
 * See Geiger's criticism of the Hamburg-Temple in his pamphlet: 
 "Der Haml)urger Templestreit eiiie Zeitfrage." See page 336 of this 
 book. 
 
 t As a philosopher Mendelssohn believed in natural religion, de- 
 nieil revelation, miracles, and condemned soulless ceremonialism. 
 
 i As a Jew Mendelssohn insisted on the eternal validity of every 
 Mosaic Rabl»inical law. 
 
IXTKODUCTORV. 7 
 
 less than reason, then it was a stranger in the world of 
 modern thonghi^. Indeed, ^Mendelssohn's own children 
 and thousands with them, who cared more for a heart- 
 appearing, soul-stirring religion than for a Jewish Com- 
 monwealth and its Palestinian national laws left 
 the storm-beaten, flag, inscribed with the immortal 
 truth: ''Hear, oh Israel, the Eternal is One." "Do 
 we not find analogous cases to-day? Do we not see, 
 how, under the very eyes of orthodox parents, their 
 Jewish sons and daughters are swelling the ranks of 
 IngersoU and his partisans?* The few liturgical Re- 
 forms, which were introduced in some Synagogues in 
 obedience to asthetic wants failed signally to cure a 
 disease, which was eating into the Very heart of 
 Judaism. To this must be added that the better ele- 
 ment was disgusted w^ith the aping of Protestantism 
 lack of substance and vitality, the shallow moralizing 
 tone of. the new preachers, the superficial views of 
 Judaism, which not a a few of them scattered among 
 the multitude. It may indeed be asked, ho\v could 
 better things have been expected at that time? The 
 great facts o{ Jewish History w^ere not yet clearly known, 
 the philosophy of Judaism was proportionately vague 
 and uncertain. No Jewish author of consequbnce had 
 undertaken to wa'ite the annals of his coreligionists; 
 chaotic confusion reigned in their chronicles. To know 
 what Judaism is, it is of the utmost necessity to ascer- 
 tain in the first instance, wdiat it had been. The past 
 would prove the index of the future, f 
 
 This was one of the most critical epochs in the 
 cfieckered history of Israel. Was then Judaism doomed 
 to death? Was it preserved during the presecutions 
 of centuries at the price of the precious blood of so many 
 martyrs and heroes, in order to die now of inanition? 
 Could it only thrive and flourish in the darkness of the 
 
 *A11 those Russian Jewish Nihilists, who disgrace yearly American 
 Judaism by celebrating wild orgies on the Day of .\tonement are 
 sons of ultra-orthodox parents. 
 
 + See a very graphic description of this period in Jost. "Das Ju- 
 denthu n un<l .seine Sekten," III, pp. 333, 334 and especially 335. 
 
8 REKORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 ghetto, -but not beaY' the refreshing and emancipating 
 influence of the Nineteenth Century? No, a hundred 
 times no. When the night is at its darkest the sun's 
 reviving light is nearest- In those trying days the 
 science of Judaism, was born. It became the Savior, 
 who consoled weeping Judaism in the words of the 
 prophet to the mourning Rachel, "Cease crying, 
 for there is a reward for thy work, and thy children 
 will return unto thee." 
 
 Two men arose, Leopold Zunz and Abraham Gei- 
 ger. The former was the founder of a Science of Judaism, 
 the latter was the founder of a Scientific Theology of 
 Judaism, and laid the basis of the Reform on the 
 adamantine rock of science. 
 
 With Geiger's "Zeitschrift fuer Juedische Theolo- 
 gie, " the ''third stage' of Reform Judaism,/.^., the histo- 
 rical^ critical period was inaugurated and conquered in 
 its victorious march, one citadel of orthodoxy after the 
 other. The triumph of Reform-Judaism in America is 
 due to the labors of this historical-critical school, to 
 which the author of this book has the honor to belong. 
 To this school belongs the future. The frantic efforts 
 which are made from one side to set Romanticism on 
 its throne, and from another to supersede it by shallow 
 sensationalism, coupled with arrogance and ignorance, 
 will be impotent to hurt it for any length of time. As 
 soon as the charm of novelty will be over, the reaction 
 is sure to follow. 
 
 Applying this method of treating the history of 
 Reform-Judaism to this book the first "humanistic- 
 period" includes Mendelssohn and Friedlaender. The 
 second "aesthetical-homiletical-period" includes Jacob- 
 sohn, Chorin, Salomon and Kohn. The representatives 
 of the third "historical-critical-period" are Geiger, 
 Holdheim, Loew. It must however be conceded, that 
 Holdheim cannot be fully counted to this last period. 
 It was only towards the end of his life, especially in his 
 book ''Maamar Haishnth" that he succeeded in apply- 
 ing the methods of the historical-critical School of Re- 
 form -Rabbi nism. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 MOSKS MEXDKLSSOHX, 
 
 Moses Mendelssoliu is generally termed the 
 "Father of Reformed Judaism." On the other hand 
 the so-called "Liberal Conservatives" or, as Leopold 
 Loew in his caustic style called them, the "Neuortho- 
 doxen Romantiker" claim Mendelssohn as their 
 champion. The fact, however, is, that Mendelssohn 
 was neither a reformer nor was he orthodox. By dint of 
 his philosophical and aesthetical writings, he was the 
 first to break through the social restraints that ob- 
 structed the intercourse of Jews and Christians. He 
 had, however, neither the aggressive temper nor the 
 bold self-confidence that stamp the leader of parties. 
 Practically, he was most sincerely devoted to the ortho- 
 dox form of Judaism and complied with the most 
 rigid injunctions of the "Shulchan Aruch." Mendels- 
 sohn was a philosopher of the Eighteenth Century, 
 somewhat tinged with rationalism, but not a historian 
 or a critic. His was the contemplative spirit which 
 instinctively shrinks from rude contact with reality. 
 Judaism ' was for him law and nothing but law, im- 
 mutable, and eternal. Religion, he claimed, is natural 
 to all men; Judaism, however, is a revealed legislation. 
 As such it is binding upon all Jews, and for all times; 
 its ceremonies and symbols are the bond of union of the 
 scattered sons of Jacob. These ideas are clearly and 
 unmistakably expressed in his Polemical book "Jerusa- 
 lem," concerning blind obedience. He says: "In- 
 deed I cannot see, how those born in the House of 
 Jacob can in any shape or manner, emancipate them- 
 
lO REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 selves from the law. VVe are, to be sure, permitted to 
 think about the law, to search occasionally into its 
 spirit, and where the lawgiver has not given a reason 
 for the same, to conjecture a reason. The reason for 
 the law was perhaps determined by time, place and 
 circumstances. Hence the law could possibly be 
 changed in accordance with time, place and circum- 
 stances — provided it would please the Almighty, to 
 make known to us fiis will concerning the same, just 
 as loud, as publicly, and beyond every possibility of 
 doubt as He did, when giving the law. As long as 
 this does not come to pass, as long as we cannot show 
 such an authentical immunity from the law, our subtle 
 reasoning cannot release us from the rigid obedience, 
 which we owe to the law."* This is not the language 
 of a reformer. For according to this uncompromising 
 point of view not the least reform, ho matter how in- 
 significant and innocent, is justifiable. This stand- 
 point ignores entirely the historical development in 
 Judaism, for which, I repeat again, Mendelssohn, had 
 no appreciation and no understanding. Mendelssohn, 
 himself plainly says with respect to Lessing's Religio- 
 Philosophical conception, "I for my part, have no 
 comprehension of this education of the human race, to 
 which my late friend Lessing has been persuaded. 
 There is only such a thing as progress for the individ- 
 ual man. But that mankind as a whole should steadily 
 advance and perfect itself in the course of time, is, it 
 seems to me, not the intention of providence, "f 
 
 According to this theory Hillel, Rabbi Jochanan 
 Ren Saccay, Rabbi Jehuda Hannassi, Sin"ion Ben 
 Shetach, Shmaja, Abtalion, Johannes Hyrkan and 
 other prominent teachers of the Talmud, who have 
 changed and abolished laws of Moses, I have com- 
 
 * Mendelssohn: Jerusalem III, 356. 
 
 tGesanimelte Schriften in, 317-31S, letter to Ilenninj^s v, p. 59S. 
 He himself tries to explain or to jvistify this lack of historical under- 
 standing with the fact, that the Jews of that time were "people with- 
 out a fatherland." (Letter to Abbt v, p. 36S. ) 
 
 } See my "The Talmud," p. 36-40. Denver, 1S84. 
 
MOSES MENDKLSSOHN. II 
 
 mitted sins. But aside from this, Mendelssohu him- 
 self has expressed views, which are not at all consist- 
 ent with this conception, in fact utterly incompati- 
 ble with the exigencies and wants of Judaism of the 
 Nineteenth Century. As I do not propose to say more 
 about ^lendelssohn than is absolutely necessary for the 
 better appreciation of the spirit of that time, f 
 I have to confine myself to a few quotations from 
 his writings. Speaking of the Rabbinical interpreta- 
 tions of the Mosaic Laws, he is compelled to concede 
 "that the folly of men has through misunderstanding 
 and misleading transformed the good into evil, 
 the useful into the harmful'' (III, 350;) and again: 
 "The climate and the times make the observ- 
 ance of the religious ceremonies, in many re- 
 spects more burdensome than they are." In his corre- 
 spondence with Lavater he uses the following language: 
 "I will not deny that I have noticed in my religion 
 human additions, abuses and excrescences which, alas, 
 only obscure its splendor." 
 
 A Geiger, Holdheim and Einhorn could not have 
 put it much stronger, considering the time these words 
 were uttered, and considering the fact that Mendelssohn 
 had to be cautious in view of his numerous suspicious 
 opponents, who saw in him an Apostate and Heretic, 
 because he had translated the Pentateuch into Ger- 
 man. 
 
 Those who understand how to read between the 
 lines will notice that Avhenever Mendelssohn speaks of 
 Socrates and the "vSophists" in his "Phaedon" he 
 means himself and the Polish Rabbis. Just read the 
 following: "At that time, as in all times, the mob of 
 (xreece paid the highest respect to these scholars, 
 whose principal purpose and object has been to favor 
 
 + More on this subject see my "Mendelssohn's Verdienste um 
 die Deutsche Nation (Zuerich, 18S0) translated into English in 
 the .\merican Israelite, Cincinnati, 1880. 
 
12 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 deep-rooted prejudices and old superstitions, and to 
 fortify them by all sorts of seeming reasons, sham 
 arguments and cunning subteleties. " * 
 
 These words fit better the Rabbis of Mendelssohn's 
 time than the Sophists of the Age of vSocrates. And 
 again: "W'e all who seek the truth recognize this 
 poisonous breath of hypocrisy and superstition, and we 
 wish to be able to wipe it off without doing harm to 
 the true and the good." * 
 
 But Mendelssohn had entirely forgotten or per- 
 haps, intentionally omitted, to point out to his con- 
 temporaries these "human additions, abuses" and 
 "superstitions," which maybe "wiped off" without 
 harm to the Essence of Judaism. He wisely left this 
 by no means easy task to his Disciples and to the re- 
 form Rabbis of a later period. But no unbiased 
 admirer of Moses Mendelssohn can gainsay that his 
 last passage is, to say the least, utterly at variance 
 with the above quoted declaration that "nobody 
 born in the House of Jacob, can in any shape, manner 
 or form whatsoever, emancipate himself from the yoke 
 of the law," no matter how much circumstances might 
 change the life of the Jew, except it be that God 
 Almighty Himself has solemnly, released him of the 
 same. In other words the alternative is placed before 
 the Jews, either strictly to observe every ceremonial 
 law — and Mendelssohn does not except the Talmudic- 
 Rabbinical laws — or to forego his right to be a Jew. 
 No wonder, that such a conception forced, as it were, 
 the Jew, who could not believe in the obligation of 
 every ceremony, and who yet shrunk from joining the 
 ranks of Atheism, to embrace Christianity which teaches 
 through the Apostle Paul, that a second dispensation 
 or covenant has done away with the first. 
 
 We see from these quotations, that Mendelssohn 
 cannot well be claimed by the reformers, and still less 
 
 i Mendelssohn: Gesammelte Schriften, von G. B. Mendelssohn, 
 II, p. 72. 
 
 *Ibidem. 
 
MOSKS MENDELSSOHN. I3 
 
 by the conservatives. But he became by his very ap- 
 pearance on the scene a silent reformer, unconsciously, 
 perhaps even against his will. Especially by his 
 translation of the Pentateuch and the Psalms into 
 German, a work, originally undertaken by him in the 
 interest of his own sons, for their private use, he be- 
 came the author of a profound revolution in the Jewish 
 religion, the scope of which the "Sage of Dessau" 
 hardly dreamt. 
 
 For the Jew of Germany in those days was 
 German in geographical location only. In speech 
 and habit he was a foreigner in the land which 
 he inhabited. It would lead me too far to ex- 
 plain here the reasons of this sad state of affairs. 
 Suffice it to say, the Jew of that period was the pro- 
 duct of centuries of the most outrageous persecutions, 
 and entrenched behind the Cyclopean walls of Talmudic 
 sophistry and idle argumentation he became indifferent 
 to the world outside of his ghetto. Especially in 
 Prussia the Jews were treated most shamefully. They 
 had to pay a toll like animals, and when a Jew 
 wanted to enter the enlightened city of Berlin he could 
 do so through one gate only, the so-called ''Rosen- 
 thaler Thor." But a limited number of Jews were 
 permitted to marry, and had to pay dearly for this 
 privilege. The great infidel and friend of Voltaire 
 the "Philosopher of Sanssouci," I mean King Fred- 
 eric the Great, who is credited with the noble saving, 
 "Jeder Kann Nach Seiner Facon Selig Werden." 
 (^everybody can carve out his salvation according 
 to his own way) did not live up to his own preaching, 
 at least so far as the Jews were concerned. 
 I will only mention his shameful ordinance that all 
 Jewish young men contemplating matrimony had to 
 buy goods from the Royal Porcelain factory of Berlin 
 for a considerable amount. And what kind of goods ? 
 Not useful crockery of some benefit to a household. 
 Oh no. They were compelled to buy those wares 
 which nobodv else wanted — the unsaleable Sfoods. 
 Thus our good Mendelssohn had to buy twenty life- 
 
14 REFORMED JI'DAISM. 
 
 sized monkeys iiiamifactured of porcelain, which can 
 be seen this very day anioiii; the relics of the Mendels- 
 sohn family. * 
 
 Hut the oppression from without is nothing as 
 compared to the persecution from within. 
 
 The baneful influence of Poland was holding full 
 sway over the Jews in Germany. Polish Rabbis relent- 
 lessly controlled the synagogue. Polish "teachers" 
 held their tyrannical scepter over the school and suc- 
 ceeded in shutting out from it every ray of light and 
 air. Their language was a terrible "Kauderwelsch," 
 a hybrid Jargon of Hebrew, German, Slavonic and 
 God knows what. The Rabbis did not tolerate the 
 reading of a German book. One day IMoses Mendels- 
 sohn sent a boy whom he had befriended for a book. 
 The poor boy thinking of no evil, book in hand, was 
 harshly accosted by an officer of Jewish charities with 
 the question: "What have you here? I hope it is 
 not a German book." But as soon as the fanatic, 
 heartless and cruel "man of charity" had found his 
 suspicion verified, he dragged the unfortunate lad to 
 the bailiff, and not even Mendelssohn's interference 
 could save the innocent boy from expulsion from Berlin. 
 This was done in the capital city of Prussia in the year 
 
 1746. t 
 
 Moses Mendelssohn's German translation of the 
 Pentateuch sounded the first bugle call by which the 
 fortresses of iMediaevalism crumbled into dust. This 
 work was an event and holds the like relation to the 
 Jewish reform movement that Luther's translation 
 held to the great protestant reformation. The in- 
 fluence of this translation was manifold. In the first 
 place it facilitated a more correct understanding of the 
 doctrine, the literature and language of the Bible. 
 
 Secondly — and this is of the greatest importance, 
 — it served the purpose of a text-book of the German 
 
 * Hensel: Die Familie Mendelssohn I, p. 2. 
 
 t Kaiserling: Moses Mendelssohn, Sein Leben, 1862, p. 12. 
 
MOSES -MKXDKLSSOHX. I5 
 
 for the crreat mass of the Jews, who were at that time 
 unable to read a book written in the Vernacular. * 
 
 Most likely for this very reason the Cierman of 
 Mendelssohn's translation was written in Hebrew 
 letters. Thus it opened to the Jews the treasure house 
 of modern thought. Last but not least, this trans- 
 lation was the means of weakening the preponderating 
 influence of the Talmud, which not only engrossed 
 the attention of the Jewish youth to the utter exclusion 
 of secular knowledge, but even perverted the exegesis 
 of the Bible and caused the study of the scripture to be 
 comparativelv neglected. I 
 
 The Talmud says: "The Thora had fallen into 
 oblivion; then came Ezra of Babylon and established 
 it anew, and once more it was forgotten and Hillel ar- 
 rived from Babylon and established it anew." We 
 are fully justified in saying, the Thora was forgotten, 
 but Moses Mendelssohn came from Dessau and bv pre- 
 senting its teachings in the garb of a modern tongue, he 
 rendered its true meaning apparent to every reflecting 
 mind and gave back to the Thora its proper place in 
 the education of the young. 
 
 The refining influence of this translation soon be- 
 came evident among the contemporaries, friends, fol- 
 lowers and immediate disciples of Mendelssohn, the so- 
 called "Mendelssohnians" or "Mendelssohn-school," 
 which in a wider sense comprises the vast circle of all 
 those noble men, who, in different parts of Europe, 
 zealously labored and worked for the better education 
 of the Jewish masses. A wide field of knowledge, em- 
 bracing the rich results of modern science, philosophy 
 and art, was thus laid open to their industry. Eagerlv thev 
 availed themselves of the proffered opportunitv. 
 Schools were established in e\erv important citvofOer- 
 
 * The V. M. H. A. In New York instructs Jewish-Russian im- 
 migrants in English. They do for these people almost as nolile a 
 work as Mendelssohn did for the Jews in Germany hy means of his 
 translation of the Pentateuch. The V. Y. M. H. A., proposes to do 
 this work in all larger cities of the I'nion. 
 
 ; Felix Adler: Creed and deed, page 220. 
 
l6 RKKOR^rKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 many and Austria, (Berlin, Koenigsberg, Frankfort, 
 Wien, Prag, Breslan, Wolfenbuettel, Seesen (and other 
 cities, in which the elements of liberal culture were 
 iui parted to the young. Ere long we find a new 
 generation of Jews engaged in honorable competition 
 with their christian brethern for the prize of learning 
 and the reward of literary distinction. A new vital 
 energy was coursing through the veins of the Jews. 
 
 The following men may be considered as "Mendel- 
 ssohnians:" 
 
 Salonio Dubuo, born 1737, Died 1819; Hartwig 
 Wessely, born 1725, died 1805, famous for his brave 
 struggle in the cause of school education in Austria; 
 Herz Homberg, born 1749, died 1841, superintendent 
 of all German schools in Galicia. These men w^ere 
 Mendelssohn's co-laborers on the commentary to his 
 translation, and formed the "School of Biurists," who 
 undertook to read the Pentateuch with an eye to 
 grammar, taste and sound logic. This work proved a 
 death-blow to the subtle play of dialectics and idle 
 argumentation of the Talmud, and perhaps without 
 even intending it, demolished mountains of legal 
 Rabbinical observances. To the same circle must be 
 counted Isaac Euchel, born 1756, who translated the 
 Jewish Prayer-P>ook into good German. This was, 
 if I am not mistaken, the first attempt of this kind; 
 Aron Wolfssohn, (1756- 1835) teacher of the Wilhelms- 
 school in Breslau; Lazarus Bendavid, (1762-1832); 
 Dr. Herz Salomon Maimon, (1753-1800)^ Isaac Satnow, 
 (1733-1803, ) who published several books "Immanuel," 
 "Meor Enajim," and others; Joel Loewe, (1790-1803,) 
 the grammarian; Jehuda Loeb Ben Seeb, (1764-1811,) 
 author of a Hebrew grammar which was quite popalur 
 in those days; J. Heiman, (1778-1855,) publisher of 
 the German periodical "Jedidjah;" David Fraenkel, 
 publisher of "Sulamith," a Jewish monthly; Wolf 
 Heidenheimer, (1754-1832,) editor of the Prayer-Book 
 
 i See Salomon Maimon's Autobiography translated into English 
 by Murray, (Boston, 1888, Cupples and Hurd.) 
 
MOSES mp:ndklssohn. 17 
 
 and translator of the Machsor, quite a scholar; Joei 
 Bril, Peter Beer, (i 758-1838,) philosopically inclined; 
 and most prominent of all David Friedlaender. While 
 these men, most of whom were contributors to the 
 Hebrew Periodical "Hameassef the "Gatherer," and 
 therefore called "Meassefim, " one and all have done 
 their duty towards bringing about a better state of 
 culture among the Jews of that period, it is only the 
 last named man who is entitled to a place among the 
 Pioneers of Reform-Judaism. 1 will therefore proceed 
 to a biography of David Friedlaender, and I do it with 
 special pleasure, as he is most unjustly dealt with by 
 Prof. Graetz in his "History of the Jews," Vol. XI.'' 
 Before proceeding to the biography of David 
 Friedlaender it will not be superfluous to show 
 his estimate of the work of the "Measseph." I do 
 this from two reasons: In the first place, because he, 
 as an untiring contributor to the periodical was fully 
 competent to speak on the subject impartially. 
 Secondly, because these words give the best insight 
 into the state of Judaism in those days and explain the 
 true inwardness of F'riedlaender's utter disgust with 
 it, and his consequent famous letter to Probst Teller, 
 which orave rise to so much sensation and comment 
 and produced such a tremendous commotion in the 
 camp of Israel. In a letter to Aron Wolfson, he said 
 almost despairingly: "I consider the nation, f as it is, 
 in spite of all show of culture, taste and intelligence, 
 incorrigibly bad, and I deem useless the work of en- 
 lightenment as carried on by the "Meassefim," and in 
 a vein of the most bitter sarcasm he continues: "No- 
 body reads our books written in Hebrew — for whom 
 do \\«e write them?" Somebody proposed indeed to 
 have placed the following sign before the Jewish 
 
 * See my "Graetz' Geschichts l)auerei," Berlin, iSSi, 
 
 t Mendelssohn always applied the expression "nation" when 
 speaking of the Jews. But, as we have ceased to be a "nation" after 
 the destruction of Jerusalem, this term is erroneous. See my 
 Mendelssohn's Verdieuste uui das and Judenthum Bonn, 1880. 
 
iS REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 printing establishment: "Here books are printed 
 which are never read. This is, I think, trne in the 
 fullest sense of the word." Still more melanchoh' 
 and gloomily he expresses himself in a letter to the 
 same friend in the year 1805, saying: "The cause of 
 Judaism is done for; utterly done for." 
 
CHAPTER II, 
 
 DAVID KRIEDLAENDER. 
 
 David Friedlaender was born in Koenigsberg in 
 1740 and died in Berlin in 1834. He was reared under 
 the most favorable circumstances, as his father, 
 Joachim Moses Friedlaender, was well to do, intelligent 
 and respected for his integrity aiid charity, and his 
 mother, Henriette, born Fisheles, a noble, pious and 
 most benevolent woman of whom Hartwig Wessely 
 spoke as a ''mother to the poor." His parents took 
 great care in securing for him the opportunities of a 
 good education. He spent his pocket money in the 
 pleasure of dispensing charity, and to practice virtue 
 was his beau-ideal. He could not imagine even in the 
 halcyon days of his youth, that such a thing as doing 
 wrong is in the least possible. He was greatly 
 worried on account of the impracticable education of the 
 Jewi.sh youth of those days, which was due to the un- 
 fortunate social, civil and political position of the Jews 
 in Prussia. In the "Reglement" of September 29, 
 1730, the King of Prussia openly and unmistakably 
 expressed his intention to make the laws concerning 
 the Jews outside of Berlin of such a character that they 
 would become extinct. In Koenigsberg, however, the 
 Jews were protected by the more liberal administration 
 of the Province, and in consequence they felt keener 
 the necessity for a better education of the young. Thus 
 more practicable disciplines were taught and less time 
 was given to the study of the Talmud and Hebrew, 
 at least among the well-to-do classes. Friedlaender, 
 
20 REFORMED JUDALSM. 
 
 endowed with great talents, took advantage of the op- 
 portunities offered him to secure a good education. 
 
 In 1 771 Friedlaender, then twenty-one years old, 
 moved to Berlin, where in 1772 he married the 
 daughter of Daniel Itzig, one of the wealthiest and 
 most charitable Jews of Berlin. But his wealth and 
 influential connections did not, as is alas too often the 
 case nowadays, dampen his idealism and enthusiasm 
 for Judaism and Jewish knowledge. On the contrary, 
 they induced him to devote more time to study and 
 learning, to widen his sphere of activity, to broaden 
 his intellectual horizon and to labor untiringly for the 
 enlightenment, elevation and amelioration of mankind, 
 but more particularly of his politically and spiritually 
 enslaved co-religionists. It was in fact his thirst after 
 knowledge and his burning desire to do something for 
 his down-trodden brethren that caused him to leave 
 Koenigsberg and go to Berlin, the home of Mendels- 
 sohn, whose social intercourse he enjoyed daily for fif- 
 teen years.* 
 
 Every evening, and especially on Sabbaths and 
 Holidays, Jewish young men came to Mendelssohn's 
 house with the purpose to learn and improve intellect- 
 ually. Pedagogics, religion, education and Bible 
 formed the topics of conversation. Friedlaender, 
 Kucliel, Undau, Wolfssohn, Bendavid, belonged to 
 the most regular visitors. No wonder then, that these 
 and many others became in time the most enthusiastic 
 Apostles or Disciples of the "Sage of Dessau," or the 
 "Plato of the Jews" as Mendelssohn was popularly 
 called. But David Friedlaender was not content with 
 these daily conversations in the house of the philoso- 
 pher. He was to Mendelssohn what Mendelssohn was 
 to Lessing, an intimate friend, a faithful follower and 
 admirer, a most ardent Disciple and Apostle, and last 
 but not least, his confidant, to whom he revealed his 
 innermost thoughts and ideas on the progress and 
 
 * Moses Mendelssohn, Fragmente von ihrn und neber ihn von 
 David F'riedlaender, Berlin, 1819, p. 21. 
 
DAVID FRIEDLAENDER. 21 
 
 future of Judaism aud on the most delicate questions 
 of religion. * 
 
 It is with him, that Mendelssohn minutely dis- 
 cusses the plans concerning the amelioration and edu- 
 cation of the young among the Jews, and other im- 
 portant subjects. To him the master confides his 
 ideas as to the measures to be taken against fanaticism 
 from without as well as from within. 
 
 No wonder that through the high esteem in which 
 Friedlaender was held by Mendelssohn the Jews in 
 Berlin commenced to respect and to love him. His 
 good humor, wit, eloquence, and kindness were quali- 
 ties which could not fail to make him popular. It was 
 to a great extent his merit to have brought about a 
 certain social intercourse between the more cultured 
 Jews and Christians. This was accomplished through 
 the literarv circle which met weekly in the "salon" of 
 Dorothea Veit, daughter of Mendelssohn, and Henriette 
 (De Lemos) Herz, wife of Dr. Markus Herz. This 
 woman who possessed a face in which the features of 
 Hellenic and oriental beauty were blended in exquisite 
 harmonv, had acquired, under the guidance of compet- 
 ent masters, considerable proficiency in the ancient and 
 modern languages, and to her great talent and mind, 
 stored with various knowledge, was added the charm 
 of a very sweet disposition. Attracted by her fame 
 and captivated by her genius the most eminent men of 
 the day sought the privilege of her society. The art 
 of conversation, in which the French were the masters, 
 and which until then had received but little attention in 
 the Prussian capital, was for the first time cultivated 
 in the "Salon" of the "Tragic Muse." For thus they 
 called Henriette Herz. Sparkling wit and profound 
 philosophy were alike encouraged. Statesmen, 
 princes, men of science and artists considered it an 
 honor to be permitted to attend these gatherings. 
 Xicolai, Engel, Ramler, Schleiermacher, Teller, 
 Zoellner, Knuth, Alexander and Wilhelm \'on Hum- 
 
 *"Unterhaltungen" in the quoted "Fragmente" p. 38-62. 
 
22 RHKORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 boldt, Count Alexander von Dohna-Schlobitten, 
 Gentz, Friedrich Von Schlegel, Mirabeau, Dorothea 
 and Rahel Levin, afterwards Varnhagen Von Ense, 
 were among the intimates of her circle. At the same 
 time by Fanny Itzig, sister-in-law of Friedlaender 
 there was opened a similar Salon in the capital of 
 Austria. This salon was the center of the world of 
 literature, art, diplomacy and nobility of birth. Such 
 circles contributed considerably towards breaking 
 throueh the social restraints that obstructed the inter- 
 course of Jews and Christians. Among the most inti- 
 mate friends of Friedlaender were Knuth, the tutor of 
 the two Humboldts, and later Wilhelm and Alexander 
 Humboldt themselves. But Friedlaender was not a 
 man of mere theory. He therefore founded, in com- 
 pany with his friends Mendelssohn, Kuchel, Daniel 
 Itzig and Wessely, the Jewish free school "Freischule," 
 at Berlin in 1778, which was opened to pupils in 178I. 
 The building was given by Daniel Itzig while his son 
 Isaac and his son-in-law, David Friedlaender, worked 
 out the plan of education. In connection with the 
 school an oriental printing establishment and book 
 store were established. It deserves mention that the 
 Prussian government favored these institutions and 
 granted them freedom from taxation. In 1786 the 
 "Freischule" had already eighty pupils, half of whom 
 were instructed free of charge. David Friedlaender 
 and Isaac Daniel Itzig were the directors of the school. 
 The teachers were part Jews and part Christians. The 
 following were the branches taught. Penmanship, 
 mathematics, bookkeeping, drawing, geography, 
 Hebrew, German and French. Every year 
 a public examination was held. Within ten 
 years no less than six Kundred pupils were 
 educated in the "Freischule." But unfavorable 
 political circumstances, jealous rivalry and orthodoxy 
 did not a little toimpede the progress of that institution. 
 In 1805 Lazarus Bendavid was chosen superintendent 
 of the school. He devoted in the most unselfish man- 
 ner, and with untiring zeal, his labors to this school 
 
DAVID P'RIKDLARNDER. 2^ 
 
 until December 29, 1825, when it was closed, as its 
 })upils were transferred to the Jewish "(xenieinde- 
 schnle," of Berlin, which was opened in the year 1826, 
 It was characteristic of the ''Freischnle," that it was 
 non-sectarian, opening its doors alike to Jewish and 
 Christian i)upils. Bnt on September 15, 18 19, owing 
 to the spirit of re-action in Prnssia, the law prohibited 
 Christian children from attending the school. 
 
 The inflnence of the "Freischule" was by no 
 means merely local. For the light kindled sent forth 
 its rays thronghont (Germany and Austria. vSimilar 
 "Freischulen" were founded in Breslan, Frankfort, 
 Des.sau, Wolfenbuettel, which had the honor to number 
 among its pupils Dr. Marcus Jost and Dr. Leopold 
 Zunz, Seesen and others. But especially for Austria 
 the exami)le of the Berlin "Freischnle" was of the 
 utmost importance. In consequence of the "Toleranz 
 Kdict of the Emperor Joseph II, Herz Homberg was 
 appointed Royal vSuperintendent of all the Crerman 
 schools of the Jews in (ralicia and Lodomeria. In this 
 quality and later as "Schulrath" (counsellor of the 
 schools) in Prague he faithfully labored in the spirit of 
 Mendelssohn and Friedlaender, by making the schools 
 of those countries nurseries of German culture and by 
 introducing appropriate text-books on Judaism and its 
 ethics. These schools became excellent levers of pro- 
 gress and paved the way for the great work of religious 
 Reform of Judaism. Inasinuch as all those schools 
 were non-sectarian in character their influence in those 
 days can hardly be overrated. In this connection it is 
 but proper to mention Friedlaender' s first attempt at 
 literature, undertaken in the interest of the "Frei- 
 schnle." I mean the little "Reader for Jewish children," 
 for the benefit of the Jewish Frei.schule, (Berlin, 1780,) 
 which contains the German, Latin and Hebrew 
 al])habet, the articles of the Jewish creed according to 
 Maimonides, and .some moral stories from the Talmud. 
 
 Friedlaender translated two German idyls of 
 Gessner into Hebrew. They are published in the 
 "Meassef, " llu- one treating of "charity" the other 
 
24 RKFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 of "prayer." In 1785 he wrote two essays on tlie ethics 
 of commerce for Zoellner's "Reader for all classes. 
 
 After Mendelssohn's death, January 4, 1786, the 
 eyes of the world were naturally directed towards 
 David Friedlaender, who more than any other of 
 Mendelssohn's disciples was expected to carry on the 
 work so auspiciously begun by his venerated master; 
 and he did not disappoint those hopes. Aside from 
 his attempts to translate into German passages from 
 Isaiah and Job,* he published "prayers of the Jews for 
 the whole year, translated and explained by David 
 Friedlaender, Berlin, 1786." This work was done 
 mainly for the benefit of the women.;*; In his "Open 
 letter to the German Jews" he complained greatly of 
 the neglect of woman in matters of Judaism. The 
 "Berliner Monatsschrift" in reviewing this translation 
 said, among other things: "It is indeed an important 
 step towards the furtherance of enlightenment among 
 the Jews." 
 
 This translation of the Hebrew prayers, however, 
 met with the same storm of opposition on the side of 
 the German-Polish Rabbis, who were at that time en- 
 trusted with the guardianship over j_the spiritual wel- 
 fare of the German Jews, as did the introduction of 
 Moses Mendelssohn's German translation of the 
 Pentateuch and Psalms and their introduction into the 
 schools and homes, and as did the establishment of schools 
 for the young, where other things besides Talmud 
 were taught. Even "Dikduk" (Hebrew Grammar) 
 and Bible-reading in the original text were regarded by 
 those Rabbis, at least as a waste of time, even if not 
 sinful. A certain Eleasar Fleckeles in Prague in a 
 pamphlet" "Olath Zibbur" declared in all earnestness 
 the translation of Hebrew into German "the greatest 
 of all sins," which is followed by the most horrible 
 curse. In answer to this Friedlaender published his 
 
 *Jedidjah, vol. VI, p. 3. 
 
 t Every attempt at Reform in Judaism started with the emancipa- 
 tion of woman. 
 
i)A\in kriki)I.akni)i-:k. ^5 
 
 ''open letter to the (ierniau Jews," (Berlin, 178S.) In 
 this little pamphlet he treated Rabbi Landau and his 
 Satellite Fleckeles without gloves. He said, among 
 other things, that they did not care for the ''Holiness 
 of the teeachings, the enlightenment of the spirit of the 
 holy scriptures, but for the dead letter of scripture 
 only. If I do not understand one word of the prayer 
 which I prattle, as long as it is in Hebrew, it will — 
 according to the ideas of these men — produce devotion, 
 knowledge of God\s benevolence and resignati(m to the 
 divine will. If I do not know what the prophets and 
 the teachers of the law have said and taught, as long 
 as I repeat often mechanically their words, it will make 
 me better, wiser and more rational." He also tells 
 , them in as many words that their opposition to Ger- 
 man translations is not so much based on zeal for relig- 
 ion as on their fear of losing their authorit\- and pres- 
 tige. 
 
 In 1788 David Friedlaender published mainly for 
 pedogogic reasons, "Koheleth" (Ecclesiastics) into 
 German. In connection with this appeared an essay on 
 "the best of the Holy Scriptures, from a pedagogic 
 point of view," in which he pointed out the necessity 
 for a compendium of the Jewish religion and ethics 
 (catechism.) This, he said, must be based on a 
 thorough understanding of the Biblical literature, and 
 must be more than a mere slavish imitation of similar 
 products in another religion. His earnest admonitions 
 in this respect did not fall upon barren ground, as he 
 lived to see men forthcoming, who have done noble 
 work in this direction. 
 
 In 1787 Friedlaender published in Hebrew "Hane- 
 fesh" (the soul,) for the use of pupils in the higher 
 classes of Jewish schools. In this he comprehensively 
 summarized the proots of the immortality of the soul as 
 laid down in Moses Mendelssohn's "Phaedon.', 
 
 As this present work is in the main devoted to 
 the history of the Jewish Reformation we can only 
 incidentally dwell on the great struggle for political 
 and civil emancipation of the German Jews, in which 
 
26 REI-'ORMKI) JUDAISM. 
 
 Kriedlaender had taken so prominent a part. In this 
 connection must be mentioned his "Ontspoken 
 thonghts of a Jew abont the proposition, that the Jews 
 abolish the Pnrini Festival.*" It had been claimed by 
 a Christian writer that the Pnrim fosters hatred 
 against the Christians among the Jews, which state- 
 ment P'riedlaender strongly refnted.:[ Another publica- 
 tion of the same character, is his "Answer of the Jews 
 in the Province of Lorraine to the petition offered to 
 the National convention by all the communities of the 
 city of Strassburg," translated from the P'rench into 
 German by Kriedlaender, October, 1791. The com- 
 munities of Strassburg were opposed to the grant of 
 equal rights to the Jews. 
 
 In 1793 Kriedlaender published "Documents con-, 
 cerning the reform of the Jewish colonies in the 
 Prussian states." He succeeded in setting aside many 
 burdensome and disgraceful laws, to which the Jews 
 in Prussia were subjected. To his ulitiring labors is 
 in the main due the famous edict of 181 2, granting to 
 the Jews equality of right with other citizens. 
 
 In this document he said to the state: "Do not 
 wait with the grant of the emancipation to the Jews 
 until they are all cultivated and reformed. No. On 
 the other hand he urgently admonished the Jews, not 
 to delay the reformation until they should have gained 
 their emancipation; for the reformation is in itself the 
 noblest and best part of the emancipation, while the 
 emancipation is the most effective means to make use- 
 ful citizens of those Jews, who were by legislation de- 
 prived of the privilege and the opportunity to serve 
 their country. This is, by the way, the best refuta- 
 tion of the trite argument brought forth by the 
 enemies of reform in Judaism, that the Jewish reform 
 movement owed its existence and origin wholly to the 
 
 *Berlinische Monatsschrift, June, 1790. 
 
 i The book "Esther" gave rise to this accusation. It is a novel 
 composed during Maccabean era, and naturallly reflects the senti- 
 ments of those years of religious persecution and irreligious 
 apostasy. 
 
DAVID FRIKDI.AKNDKK. 2/ 
 
 desire of the German Jews for emancipation. Tin's 
 shameful argument which is even to-day used by the 
 "new orthodox romantics," as represented by Dr. 
 Hildesheimer, and others, against reform, finds a mo.st 
 crushing refutation in the powerful Jewish reform 
 movement iu Free America, where, thank (xod, a 
 struggle for emancipation of the Jews was never 
 necessary. 
 
 Another merit of Friedlaender's "documents" is 
 the unbiased and impartial spirit pervading them. He 
 did not belong to the Jewish Chauxinists, who always 
 sing loud praises in favor of their race, and never tire 
 of reiterating the myth of the superiority of the Jewish 
 talent. All he conceded was, that in consequence of 
 long oppression in certain branches of business, from 
 which he was not debarred by law, the Jew developed 
 greater shrewdness. This may be a hint to some of 
 our "great orators" in "Bnai Brith" conventions and 
 even in the pulpits, to indulge a little less iu their 
 spread-eagle speeches about the superiority of our race 
 and to pay more attention to the actual needs of Juda- 
 ism. It is not the race but the religion of which we 
 ought to feel proud. D' Israeli's declamations about 
 our race have been paraded too often to be effective, 
 even if they were true. Let us not delude ourselves. 
 When we look more critically, and less enthusiastically, 
 upon those passages of Lord Beacon.sfield's work, where 
 the mental superiority of our race is so eloquentlv de- 
 scribed, we will find that they are full of inaccuracies. 
 Just look at that "grand passage" iu "Coniugsby" iu 
 the dialogue between Coningsby and Sidonia, on 
 which our Jewish new.spapers still harp with great 
 relish. How incorrect: How far rcnu)te from histori- 
 cal truth; it is not true, that the prime ministers and 
 leading diplomats of Europe have been at any time iu 
 this centun,- composed of Jews. Such unfounded 
 statements instead of doing good, create envv, jealousy, 
 ridiculous overrating of the power of the Jews and pro- 
 duce in its wake Antisemitism: Neither can it be 
 historically proven, that artists like Rossini and others 
 
28 RKFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 were Jews. Kiit "granted they were desceiidents of the 
 Hebrew race, they manifested no interest in the cause ot 
 Judaism. On the contrary, instead of glorif\ing them 
 we ought to reproach and denounce them, that they, 
 endowed with great talent and genius, have, like Esau, 
 sold their birthright for a mess of pottage; have de- 
 serted our stormbeaten, but never surrendered flag: 
 have gone over to the enemy and thus set the bad 
 example of apostasy and treachery to their contem- 
 poraries and to the youth. It is high time, that our 
 orators and journalists should cease to laud to the skies 
 men who were, or are, successful in the domain of art, 
 science and politics, simply because they were acci- 
 dentally born of a Jewash mother, although they have 
 never shown the least interest in our cause. If you 
 are afraid to denounce them or to remind them of their 
 duty as Israelities, to struggle in the cause of God, be 
 it so and ignore them, but cease to lionize them. Sup- 
 pose Lord Beaconsfield, Gambetta, Sarah Bernhardt 
 and other eminent persons were Jews or of Jewish 
 descent? What of it? One Riesser, Zunz, Geiger, 
 Cremieux, Jacobsohn, Friedlaender or Kosch has done 
 more for Judaism than all those great politicians, artists, 
 millionaires and professors combined. 
 
 A worthy ally of Friedlaender was Lazarus Ben- 
 david, who in his pamphlet, ''Something on the Char- 
 acteristics of the Jews," urged upon his coreligionists 
 in Austria not to b^ idle in accomplishing their own 
 emancipation, and in proving that their real faults 
 originated from their oppression. This pamphlet cre- 
 ated so great a sensation that Bendavid was summoned 
 before Cardinal Migazzi on a charge of assailing Chris- 
 tianity. I 
 
 Bendavid proved that he did not attack Christianity, 
 as his traducers asserted. But he spoke his mind very 
 plainly on the Jewish ceremonial law in a manner 
 
 i It is greatly to be regretted, that the attention of the Cardinal 
 was called to Bendavid's so-called onslaughts on the Christian religion 
 by men, who claimed to be orthodox Jews. But history repeats it- 
 self. Maimonides underwent a similar experience. 
 
DAVID KRIEDLAKN'I>KR. 29 
 
 which reminds one ot the inodern reformers. He said 
 aiiion^i^ other things: "If in Austria an excellent 
 prince (Emperor Joseph II) has committed the error of 
 commanding t the enlightenment of the Jews as a duty 
 of the state; * * * if the outward change is to 
 have a salutary effect, the Jews themselves must create 
 the reform from within. They must learn to under- 
 stand, that their ceremonial laws have become inap- 
 plicable and senseless for the present time, and thev 
 must have a purer religion, more worthy of the com- 
 mon Father of all mankind." He complains that 
 there are four classes of Jews: Those who observe 
 strictly every ceremonial law; those who neglect the 
 ceremonial law out of mere convenience and frivolity, 
 and are the cause of the antipathy against enlighten- 
 ment on the side of the first class; those who, while in 
 favor of progress, practice the old ceremonies out of 
 mere weakness; and those who, while they do not 
 practice the old observances, are God-fearing, highly 
 moral and virtuous, but are placed in the .same category 
 with the second class. '' Oh!" exclaims Bendavid, 
 who belonged to this last mentioned class, "do away 
 with the senseless ceremonial law; tell your children 
 that it was once placed as a useful hedge around the 
 garden, but that what has served for the slavish sense 
 of past centuries, for the sake of saving and preserving 
 the inner kernel, has to be given up as inappropriate 
 to-day. Then they will recognize and understand, 
 that it only depends upon this inner kernel. Guard 
 you then this inner kernel by bettering and ennobling 
 the character of man. Show yourselves to be believ- 
 ers in the one, eternal, benign Being who has created 
 all men, preserves all, has endowed all with the feel- 
 ing to acklowledge Him, and has laid upon this beau- 
 tiful world the charm which impels us to adore Him." 
 These were remarkable words spoken almost one 
 
 t Bendavid apparently means, that mental, moral and spiritual 
 progress cannot be enforced, and is a result of slow preparation and 
 gradual development, as Isaiah said: "Can a whole nation be re- 
 generated with one stroke?" 
 
30 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 hundred years ago. They were words in the wilder- 
 ness, and yet germs planted into the soil of history, 
 buried for a time only, destined, however, to bear ripe 
 fruits in later years. But let us never forget that it 
 was Lazarus Bendavid, a disciple of Mendelssohn, who 
 dared to speak thus in 1790 at Vienna. He deserves 
 a prominent place in the history of reform-Judaism, 
 although GriEtz deems it necessary to state: " Auf den 
 gang der Juedischen Geschichte in der Neuzeit hat Ben- 
 david nur unmerklich eingewirkt."* It cannot be too 
 often and too strongly urged that it was a great moral 
 movement which lay at the bottom of the Jewish 
 reform movement. While Bendavid' s words might 
 not immediately have exerted their deserved influence, 
 they surely became the general conviction of all en- 
 lightened Israelites. Like all great leaders in the 
 world of thought, who exerted seemingly but little 
 influence upon their own generations, Lazarus Ben- 
 david' s prophetic words were addressed to generations 
 yet unborn, and have been taken up and woven into 
 the accepted teachings and opinions of our own days. 
 Many a great reformer, who was decried and mis- 
 judged by the masses of his time, is remembered and 
 honored to-day, while his traducers, who condemned 
 him or belittled his just merits, are forgotten, or looked 
 ujjon as narrow, small-minded and bigoted people. 
 As the mists of superstition and error disappear, the 
 heretics and infidels of ages gone by are coming to be 
 appreciated. Time is a better judge than a partial and 
 biased historian. It plays havoc with many a great 
 name, and it likewise brings us to a true appreciation 
 of the services rendered to mankind by men long 
 ignored and disparaged. "They who make up the 
 final verdict are not the partial and noisy men of the 
 hour, but a court of angels. A public not to be bribed, 
 not to be entreated and not to be overawed, decides 
 
 *'-Bendavid's influence upon the development of Jewish history 
 in modern times was hardly noticeable." Hist, of the Jews XI, 152. 
 Not noticeable to — Graetz! How true are the words of the 
 Psalmist, "some people have eyes and do not see, have ears and do 
 not hear!" (Ps. 105, 5-6.) 
 
DAVID KRIHDI.AKND?:k. 3I 
 
 upon every man's title to fame." While these tru- 
 isms are of general interest under all circumstances, 
 they apply with special force to the unjust way in which 
 men like Kendavid, Friedlaender, Zunz, Geiger, Hold- 
 heim and the great galaxy of Israel's noblest leaders 
 of the nineteenth century are dealt with in the last vol- 
 ume of Graetz's "History of the Jews" for no other 
 reason than that they had the misfortune to father 
 and foster what was then very unpopular in Ger- 
 numy, the Jewish-reform movement. In this connec- 
 tion I call attention to my book where I criticised 
 Graetz's unjust historiography.* 
 
 I come now to a very serious crisis in Judaism, to 
 a struggle of despair within the camp of modern Israel 
 in general and of the Jewish community of Berlin in 
 particular. A tidal wave of apostasy hurled itself 
 upon Judaism in Germany. The reasons for this sad 
 state of affairs were manifold. In the first place young 
 men eager for advancement in life found their Jewish 
 creed an insuperable obstacle in their way. The pro- 
 fessions, the army, the offices of the government were 
 closed against them. On the threshold of every higher 
 career the Jew was placed before the painful alterna- 
 tive, either to forego all hope of honorablv devoting 
 his talents to his countr}% or to forswear the religion 
 of his forefathers. In the second place, Judaism of 
 those days, with its netw^ork of legal trivialities, with 
 its " Beth-Hamidrash,t" "Cheder" and 'Schul,f' with 
 a worship utterly incompatible with the culture and 
 civilization of the age and repulsive to the aesthetical 
 requirements of the rising generation, had no charm or 
 interest for the youth rai.sed under the refining in- 
 fluence of the classic thought of Hellas and Rome. 
 
 Let us further place ourselves in the position of 
 
 *Graetz's Geschichtsbauerei von Dr. E. Schreiber, Rabbiner in 
 Bonn. (Berlin, 1881, Wilhelni Issleib.) 
 
 {So-called higher .\cadeniy for the purpose of studyiui^ the 
 Talmud. 
 
 tLiterally "school." It is however, used as ;i term for house of 
 worship" (Synagogue.) 
 
32 RKKORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 those intelligent Jews, who, in their conversations 
 with enlij>"htened Christians ha\-e fonnd more points of 
 atrreenient than of disagreement; and yet they were op- 
 pressed and repelled as members of the same conntrv, 
 althon^h knowint^ and feelintr themselves belonoin^ to 
 it with every fibre of their heart. 
 
 Add to this that rationalism stri])ped the positive 
 religion of mnch of its substance and individuality. 
 Schleiermacher, the same preacher, who delivered the 
 famous "discourses on relijj^ion for the educated in- 
 fidels," (reden ueber die religion an die gebildeten 
 unter ihren veraechtern,) although the author of the 
 protestant revival in Germany, spoke the language of 
 Pantheistic teachings. Theological dogmas, according 
 to him are not true in the sense of scientific proposi- 
 tions, but approach the truth only so far as they typify 
 emotions of the most noble and exalted character. 
 His ardent sermons full of depth, and appealing fer- 
 vently to feeling, sentiment and emotion, could not fail 
 to greatly impress those Jews who never had heard a 
 stirring Jewish sermon. Take all these causes com- 
 bined and the example set by Moses Mendelssohn's 
 offspring. His datighter, Dorothea Veit, embraced 
 Catholicism, left husband and children and married the 
 immoral Friedrich von Schlegel. 
 
 It occasions but little surprise, that intelligent 
 Jews, allowing Christianity to be what its expounders 
 have defined it to be, found it not very difiicult, to as- 
 sume the name of Christian, without adopting the 
 creed of Christianity. That fidelity to the faith of 
 their forefathers which had so long marked the con- 
 duct of the Jews, began seriously to waver, and in 
 many instances gave way. Many were led to the 
 baptismal font by ambitious parents, who prized the 
 crown of civic honors more highly than the glory of 
 martyrdom. Many of the most illustrious names of 
 contemporaneous German history were thus lost to 
 Judaism. The Jewish communities of Berlin, Breslau, 
 
 *Author of a frivolous novel, "Lucinde." 
 
DAVID KRIKDI.AKXDKK. 33 
 
 and Koenigsberg suffered most 1)\- tliese wholesale eon- 
 versions. The Apostates were as a rule wealtlu' ])eople, 
 and well educated. Not indeed, that the new converts 
 became true and loyal Christians. On the contrary, 
 they considered the rite of baptism a mere hollow form, 
 and left it to the state, which had insisted upon their 
 conformity to justify the deep dis^^race that was thus 
 brought upon the Christian sacraments. Those who 
 left the old, the storm-beaten flag of Judaism from 
 mercenary motives deserve, of course, much more blame 
 and reproach than those who have surrendered it, be- 
 cause Judaism failed to satisfy their innermost cravings 
 and longings. The great mistake of the latter class — 
 and they were in the majority — was two-fold: In the 
 first place they were lacking the historical sense which 
 teaches that great movements can only take place 
 gradually after a long and very slow preparation, that 
 history does not jnmp and that the parents have to do 
 hard, very hard work, before their children, and not 
 seldom their grand-children, are permitted to reap the 
 fruits of their untiring labors. Secondly, they did not 
 understand the idea of a progressive development and 
 hence did not believe in nor appreciate the possibility 
 of a Reform of Judaism. 
 
 But need I reiterate here that Mendelssohn him- 
 self, in fact the whole generation, labored under this 
 same want of understanding of a historical progress 
 and development? Was not this wild haste, this im- 
 patience, this restless tearing down of all and every- 
 thing that centuries had built up, characteristic of the 
 era of Rationalism of the epoch of the French Revolu- 
 tion, which like a hurricane swept over France, and 
 with bloody hands tore down not only the ancient 
 bulwarks of superstition, but destroyed the fortress 
 of every religion and society. The inert ma.s.ses, who 
 did not want to follow their rapidly advancing leaders, 
 who in their enthusiasm had lost their due ai)precia- 
 tion for those who could not follow them, must bear 
 the res])onsibility for the deplorable conx'ersion cra/.e of 
 that period. Then it was, that Da\id Friedlaender 
 
34 RHFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 created a sensation by publishing an "Open letter of 
 Jewish fathers to Councillor Teller of the consistory."* 
 In this letter in behalf of himself and some co-religion- 
 ists he offered to accept Christianity in case they might 
 be permitted to omit the observance of the Christian 
 Festivals, to reject the doctrine of Trinity of the 
 Divinity of Jesus and whatsoever is commonly regarded 
 as essentially and specifically Christian. In fact he 
 wanted a Christianity with Christianity left out. 
 Judaism, Friedlaender claims, recognizes three eternally 
 true principles: The Unity of God; the immortality 
 of the soul; and the mission of man to strive after moral 
 ])erfection and happiness. The ceremonial laws are 
 perishable, and wdiile they conveyed at one time moral 
 lessons, they are valueless now. The belief in a Mes- 
 siah, as contained in the prophets, has been misunder- 
 stood and misrepresented in the Talmud. We do not 
 hope or wish to return to Jerusalem and to establish there 
 a Jewish kingdom. Teller' s answer was as could not other- 
 wise have been expected, discouraging in the extreme. 
 Some Christians saw in the "Sendschreiben" an at- 
 tempt of the Jews, allied with Christian rationalists, to 
 destroy positive Christianity and to introduce in its 
 stead the religion of reason. § Schleiermacher looked 
 at it in the light of a satire on intolerant Christianity, 
 which excluded the Jews from the enjoyment of their 
 rights of citizenship. While Friedlaender doubtless 
 made a serious mistake in publishing the "Sendshrei- 
 ben," his intentions were good. As he himself puts 
 it, in said letter, he was afraid that the younger 
 generation would fall a prey to orthodox Christianity, 
 and therefore he wanted to save what could be saved 
 on the principle that half a loaf is better than no bread 
 at all. It was an act of despair and the fact that it has 
 proved a failure, is the best that can be said of it. We 
 
 *Sendschreibeii einiger Juedischen Hausvaetcr an den Probst 
 Teller, 1799. 
 
 1^ J. A. De L,uc "Lettre aux Auteurs Juifs d'un memoire addresse 
 a Monsieur Teller," Berlin, 1799. 
 
DAVID FRIKDLAENDRR. 35 
 
 fulh' endorse Cieiger's opinions on this subject: "He 
 (Friedlaender) entertained to the end of his life the 
 deepest aversion to the acceptance of Christianity. 
 But it cannot surprise us in the least, that he became 
 downhearted at times and was prepared to make certain 
 concessions, which, while in full accord with his 
 conscience and honesty, he ought not to have made. 
 But this extravagance is only a" characteristic of that 
 restless self consuming epoch,"* Graetz, however, in 
 his "impartial" history accuses Friedlaender in connec- 
 tion with this "letter" of impure motives, cowardice, 
 selfishness" and "ambition." It is w^ith due apprecia- 
 tion of such epithets, that Geiger says: "Whosoever 
 is impudent enough to attack the venerable Fried- 
 laender on account of some expressions of impatience 
 and disgust sins against the noblest aspirations of 
 Judaism. ">; Friedlaender labored untiringly for fifty- 
 five years in the cause of Judaism. Such a man can- 
 not help making mistakes. The literature on the 
 "Sendschreiben" was quite extensive. The following 
 phamphlets appeared in rapid succession: "An 
 Einige Hausvaeter Juedischer Religion, by a preacher 
 in Berlin," Beantwortung des an Herrn Probst Teller 
 erlasseneu Seudschreibeus, nicht von Teller;" "Beant- 
 wortung des Sendschreibens" by Teller himself; 
 "Moses and Christus," by a protestant pastor; "Lettre 
 aux Auteurs Juifs," by J. A. De Luc; "Briefe Bei 
 Gelegenheit der politisch — theologishen Aufgabe und 
 des Sendschreibens Juedischer Hausvaeter." though 
 published anonymously is conceded to ha\'e been 
 written by Schleiermacher; "Gespraech Ueber Das 
 Sendschreiben." Beitrag zu den Ueberzeuguugen 
 einiger Hausvaeter Juedischer Religion, by Dr. 
 Kochen. (Jena, 1800.) 
 
 On March 11, 181 2, was published the famous 
 edict according to which the Jews were declared 
 citizens of the Prussian state. The Jews naturally 
 
 *Geiger; Wissensch. Zeitscbrift, vol. IX. p. 24S, 
 ijibideru. 
 
^;6 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Icll liapp)-. Tlicy were anxious to show their grati- 
 tude and patriotism. When the Corsican Titan, the 
 heir of the revolution, marched with iron heel over the 
 writhing bodies of dowaicast Royal Al^solutism, sweep- 
 ing away the frail cobwebs of Autocratic presumption 
 and humiliating Prussia in particular, the people rose 
 iu arms against him, and among the fighters for Ger- 
 man independence was the flower of the Jewish youth 
 of the Fatherland. Their blood irrigated the battle- 
 fields; their graves opened by the side of the tomb 
 which sheltered the mangled corpses of their Christian 
 comrades. Had not the King appealed to their 
 patriotism? They equipped a volunteer regiment at 
 their own expense and in a letter to Count Von 
 (xrote, dated January 4, 1815, the Prussian Minister, 
 Prince Von Hardenberg, says among other things: 
 "The history of our late war against France has proven 
 that the Jews have by faithful adherence become 
 worthy of the state which had made them citizens. 
 The young men of the Jewish faith have been the com- 
 rades of their Christian fellow citizens and we have 
 among them examples of true heroism, of the most 
 praiseworthy contempt for the dangers of war; and the 
 Jewish inhabitants, especially the ladies, have vied 
 with the Christians in sacrifices of all kinds."* Fried- 
 laender recognizing that the outward emancipation 
 without the inward reorganization of the Jews would 
 prove a failure, and be accompanied by the most dire- 
 ful results, commenced seriously, his untiring work 
 in the cause of Jewish reform, the more so as the edict 
 of 1812 w^as the outcome of his indefatigable labors 
 during thirty years. He published a phamphlet en- 
 titled "A word at the right time," on the necessary 
 reformation (umbildung) of the service in the syna- 
 gogue and the educational system of the Jewg. (Berlin, 
 181 2.) Although he did not sign his name, everybody 
 knew that P'riedlaeuder was the author. The follow- 
 
 *See my Prinzipien ties Judenthum's, verglichen mit denen 
 des Christenthum's Leipzig, Baumgaertner, 1S77, p. 60. 
 
DAVID FRIEDLAEN'DRR. 
 
 ^7 
 
 ing passage in this pamphlet was not only the right 
 word for that time but has not lost its force in our 
 days, seventy years later: "Concerning the cult every 
 religious Israelite must say to himself that many 
 things in the prayers are incompati])le with the wishes 
 of his heart, and that they are therefore an 'abomina- 
 tion of the Lord,' as Scripture puts it. Here I stand 
 before (lod, I pray for my King, for my fellow-citizens, 
 for myself and mine, not for return to Jerusalem, not 
 for the restoration of the old Temple and Sacrifices. My 
 heart has nothing to do with these wishes, their 
 realization would not make me happy, my mouth shall 
 not utter them.'' Friedlaender appeals then to all who 
 value truth and conviction, to unite in creating a 
 rational divine service in a language intelligible to all. 
 He further claims that too much time is devoted in 
 the Jewish elementary schools to the study of Hebrew 
 at the expense of other more important and more 
 practicable disciplines. But he most urgently pleads 
 for the publication of suitable text-books of the Jewish 
 religion, in accordance with a scientific spirit.* Strange 
 to .say, notwithstanding the thousand and one text- 
 books which have been published in the German, Eng- 
 lish, French and Italian languages since that time, this 
 desideratum is still a pious wish. Our Sabbath-schools 
 are still wit4aout a good text-book. It was also Fried- 
 laender, who pleaded foi a thorough religious instruc- 
 tion of the girls. At that time he found an ally in his 
 work in Israel Jacobsohn, of whom more shall be said in 
 the following chapter. Although Jacobsohn was more 
 conservative, less thorough and capable than Fried- 
 lender, they worked harmoniously together on various 
 occasions. The prayer-book of the Jacobsohn-Temple 
 and the "Sermons devoted to the edification of educated 
 Israelites," edited by Friedlaender, >j are the fruits of 
 this co-operation. 
 
 These sermons were not delivered by Friedlaender 
 
 *I read a paper on this very subject in the Cleveland Rabbinical 
 Conference of I S90. (See Conference papers, etc., Cincinnati, 1S91.) 
 ^'Berlin, 1S15, first series. 
 
38 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 himself, but by younger men, who often used them as 
 a basis for their discourses. The following passage of 
 a sermon on "religion and reason" is not yet antiquated. 
 Starting with a sentence of the philosopher Ibn Ezra, 
 ' 'reason is the angel which mediates between God and 
 man," he continues, "Reason and religion can never 
 contradict each other; religion teaches us our relation 
 to the creator and our duties toward him, while reason 
 enables us to discriminate between the good and the 
 evil, between the true and the false — The contempt of 
 reason has produced religious cranks on the one side 
 and scoffers on the other, both because people laid 
 greater stress upon the letter than upon the spirit. He 
 who judges the life of the present by the letter of the 
 scripture, is a dreamer and visionary; he who judges 
 the letter of the Bible by the measure of his own days, 
 by the standard of his age, becomes a scoffer. Both 
 do not enter into the spirit of the Allegorical expression 
 of the Bible; they do not know how to discriminate. 
 Therefore the blind believer does an injustice to the 
 f)resent, while the scoffer wrongs the past." 
 
 Alas! Friedlaender's last years were embittered 
 by the shameful way in which his co-religionists were 
 duped by the Prussian Government. Kings are slow 
 to learn the lesson of history, but quick to ^rget their 
 promises when exacted under the dire necessity of dark 
 hours. Hardly had the last sound of the musketry 
 rattled along the lines, hardly had the last cannon peal 
 died away among the echoes of blood-reeking moun- 
 tains, when, once more, the Jew was told that to him 
 the state owed no debt of gratitude and was under no 
 obligation. The doctrine of the "Imperium in Im- 
 perio" once more raised its hydra-head, and was pro- 
 mulgated even by the philosophers' cringing sycophants 
 who occupied the chairs at the universities.* The 
 victories of Waterloo and Leipzig completely upset the 
 feelings of the Germans. The novel sense of power 
 intoxicated them; their mind lost its poise; romanticism 
 
 *Emil G, Hirsch, The basis of reform, a discourse, jSSo, p. 5. 
 
D.W'Il) KKIKDI.AKNDKK. 39 
 
 flourished; the violence of the middle ages was mis- 
 taken for manhood and held up to the emulation of 
 the present generation. Whatever was not German 
 was not considered jj^ood; whatever was foreien was 
 despised, or, at best ignored,* and the Jews were made 
 to feel the sharp sting of this feverish vanity. 
 
 The hints which Friedlaender pointed out in his 
 pamphlet, entitled "A word at the right time concerning 
 reforms in the Jewish worship," were most severely 
 criticised by the orthodox Jews in Berlin, who were at 
 that time in the majority. The King of Prussia in- 
 tended to send a "cabinets order ' to Friedlaender, 
 couched in language by no means amiable, in which 
 he would have given him to understand his opposition 
 to reform. Minister Hardenberg, however, prevented 
 this message. In the meantime Jacob Hertz Beer, the 
 rich father of the highly talented ^Michael and Mever 
 Beer, had established in his house a private synagogue 
 with a service in accord with the plans mapped out in 
 Friedlaender' s brochure. So did Israel Jacobson, wdio 
 had moved from Cassel to Berlin. Jacobsohn con- 
 firmed I his son and delivered German sermons and 
 oomilies. The following enthusiastic young men: 
 Isaac Auerbach, Edward Kley, K. F. Guensburg and 
 Leopold Zunz, officiated as preachers in the Jacobson- 
 Temple.f But the Prussian Government in its 
 "parental care" for its Jewish subjects closed this 
 Synagogue in 18 17. The same fate would have be- 
 fallen the Beer-Temple, had it not been for the acci- 
 dent, that the old Synagogue of Berlin had proved too 
 small for the increasing membership and needed repair- 
 ing badly, so that the Temple of Beer was used as an 
 Interim-Synagogue by the congregation. Thus the 
 
 "*Deutsch Christlich ist mein Streben, unci wer nicht Deutsche 
 Roecke traegt ist nicht vaterlaendisch." See niv Principien 
 (les Judenthunis, 1S77, p. 56. The same causes are at the root of 
 modern German Antisemitism. 
 
 J This was, the first Jewish confirmation in Berlin. 
 
 t Isaac Noah Manheimer, later a power in Vienna, was {<dded to 
 the number of preachers. 
 
40 RRKORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 congregation was compelled to accept the Temple as 
 it was with its preachers, its German sermons, its 
 prayers, and scngs, accompanied by the stirring peals 
 of the organ. Now, while the progressive party and 
 the rising generation were happy over this state of af- 
 fairs, the old conservatives, assisted in their opposition 
 by the Rabbi Meyer Simon Weyl, strongly denounced 
 this kind of worship. As both parties insisted on 
 their right, the matter came before a Governmental 
 Commission. The proposition to have on the Sabbaths 
 and Holidays first the Hebrew old fashioned service 
 and then the German prayers, songs and sermons, 
 which was sustained by the ministers of the Govern- 
 ment, was also opposed by the intolerant zealots. 
 They brought their grievance before the narrow- 
 minded king, who, disregarding the just claims of the 
 reformers, ordered the private synagogues to be closed, 
 prohibited the erection of a new Temple and inter- 
 dicted most severely innovations in the mode of wor- 
 ship, especially in the language and form of prayers. 
 (1823.) It ^s claimed by competent authority that 
 Frtedrich Wilhelm HI was afraid lest a more attrac- 
 tive mode of worship among the Jews would diminish 
 the number of Jewish converts to Christianity. 
 Strange agreement between Jewish fanatics and 
 Christian bigots. It reminds one of the time when 
 Jewish zealots requested the Dominicans in France to 
 burn the writings of Maimonides, which was done at 
 Paris and Montpellier in 1242. Thus stagnation and 
 stability were sanctioned, and the police made an end 
 to a reform movement which had promised so much. 
 
 In 1814 Friedlaender was entrusted with the work 
 of a new edition of Mendelssohn's "Phaedon, " to 
 which he wrote the introduction. In 18 16 he was re- 
 quested by the Bishop of Warschau to make to the 
 government "Propositions concerning the reform of the 
 Israelites in Poland," which he cheerfully did. These 
 plans are published with introductory remarks in a 
 pamphlet, "On the Amelioration of the Israelites in the 
 Kingdom of Poland. "(Berlin, 1819.) Friedlaender laid 
 
DAVin KRIEDLAEN'DER. 4^ 
 
 much stress on the discrimination between the Ethical 
 and Ceremonial laws and said among other things: 
 Ceremonies and customs are only temporary, capable 
 of change, demanding abolition as soon as the welfare 
 of society renders it imperative. When symbols and 
 religious observances fail to influence the sentiment 
 and actions of the people, then religion and reason de- 
 mand that they be publicly declared void of authority. 
 He then decries in the strongest terms the baneful in- 
 fluence of Rabbinism in Poland, and treats the Polish 
 Rabbis without gloves. He describes their ignorance 
 in all things but the Talmnd, and shows how by means 
 of their great civil authority, with which they were 
 vested by the government they hindered the enlighten- 
 ment of the Polish Jews. So long as their sanction of 
 reforms is necessary nothing can be expected, as it is 
 to their interest to shut out every ray of light from 
 their dominion. They have nothing to do with the 
 worship in the Synagogue. Twice a year, on the 
 Sabbath before Passover, (Sabbath Haggadol,) and the 
 Sabbath before the Day of Atonement. (Shabbath 
 Shubah,) they deliver a kind of a di.scourse, such as it 
 is. 
 
 These Rabbis do not propose to give moral instruc- 
 tion and to produce religious elevation, but they display 
 their art of sophistry and of idle disputations even at 
 the expense of logic. In fact, the only practicable 
 labor of those Rabbis is their advice in matters con- 
 cerning the dietary laws. They are naturally staunch 
 opponents of every reform, fearing the loss of their 
 authority. While they are good, moral men, they are 
 utterly incapable of raising and elevating their co- 
 religionists in the least to a higher standard. Fried- 
 laender proposed, as indispensable towards bringing 
 about better results, the introduction of the language 
 of the country in the daily conversation; the abolition 
 of the jurisdiction of the Rabbis and of the Jewish laws 
 concerning money matters. All those who favor a 
 modern mode of worship must have the right to 
 
42 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 establish it. Good schools, educated teachers and able 
 preachers would do the rest. 
 
 While these publications were a source of joy to 
 Friedlaender, he was not a little mortified to be com- 
 pelled to write in defense of his co-religionists against 
 the literary crusade which was inaugurated against 
 them from all sides, a subject of which I have spoken be- 
 fore. Thus appeared his "Open letter" to an old 
 friend of his. Von Der Recke, ' 'Contribution to the 
 history of the persecution of the Jews by Literati in 
 the Nineteenth Century." f As an answer. Prof. Voigt 
 published a pamphlet, "Open letter to Mr. David 
 Friedlaender," which is full of mean invectives against 
 the venerable Septuagenary. 
 
 Another fruit of the "reaction" was the "Society 
 for the promotion of Christianity among the Jews," 
 whose appeal was the cause of Friedlaender' s last 
 work: "To the admirers, friends and disciples of 
 Jerusalem, Spalding, Teller, Herder, Loeffler, Leipzig, 
 1823." * Prof. Krug, the philosopher of Leipzig, 
 wrote the preface to the book. Krug laid bare 
 the inconsistency of which Protestantism makes itself 
 guilty by an attempt to convert the Jews. Friedlaender 
 thought that the "society" would only serve as a spur 
 and inducement to the Jews to study better their own 
 religion and to continue the reforms in school and 
 synagogue, so auspic ously commenced by them. He 
 said among other things, "ihat again ■;t the theory of 
 supernaturalism, which bluntly declares the acts 
 closed, Judaism cannot enter into a struggle, as it is 
 merely a question of dogma and blind belief with the 
 supernaturalists; as to the advocates of Rationalism, 
 they themselves agree with the Jews, that the so- 
 called Prophecies in the Hebrew Bible contain not the 
 least allusion to the founder of Christianity. And as 
 the only disagreement between Rationalists and Jews is 
 
 + Beitrag zur Geschichte der Verfolgunag derjuden im Neunzchn- 
 ten Jahrhundert, durch Schriftsteller, 1820. 
 
 *An die Verehrer, Freunde und Schueler Jerusalem's, u. s. w. 
 
DAVID FRIEDLAENDER. 43 
 
 to be found iu the "means" and "method" towards at- 
 taining happiness, what is the use to quarrel about 
 forms and ceremonies ? He was sorry to hear, even 
 from Rationalists, bitter words against Jews and 
 Judaism. He conceded that Jiidaism too, like other 
 religious, had its periods of decline. "It is for this 
 very reason, that the new age is working with might 
 and main for a restoration; hence the attempt to banish 
 all abuses which, like the rust, cover the gold of the 
 eternal truths, from synagogue, school and home." 
 
 In spite of old age, Friedlaender's warmest 
 interest in the cause of Judaism never faltered. When 
 the "Freischule" was merged in the "Gemeinde- 
 schule," of Berlin, he was entrusted with the working 
 out of the plan of instruction. When the "Society for 
 culture and science of the Jews," (Culturverein, ) was 
 started by Zunz, Gans, Moser and others, and a 
 "Magazine for the science of Judaism," (Zeitschrift 
 fuer die Wissenschaft des Judenthnms, Dr. Zunz, 
 editor) was published, Friedlaender was one of the 
 contributors. He published three "Letters on the read- 
 ing of the sacred scriptures" and a "Translation of the 
 sixth and seventh chapters of ]\Iicah," where he shows 
 the relation of religious reforms to the Bible. 
 
 Although Friedlaender was strongly denounced 
 by the Rabbis, he never attacked them personally. 
 He simply criticised the system of Rabbinism which 
 was then in opposition to every religious progress. Had 
 he lived to see the time when Rabbis, headed by 
 Geiger, have become themselves leaders of the reform 
 movement, he would doubtless have modified his judg- 
 ment on Rabbinism. 
 
 Thus Friedlaender towers among the great and 
 noble galaxy of Mendelssohn's disciples and friends as 
 a bold, courageous reformer, consistent from beginning 
 to end. He died, December 25, 1834, highly honored 
 and respected by all who knew him. He died at the 
 age of eighty-five, two years after the appearance of a 
 work which marks an epoch in the history of Reform- 
 
41 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Judaism, I mean Zunz's "Moiuimentum aere 
 perenniiim," "Die Gottesdienstlichen Vortraege der 
 Juden."* The Jewish congregation of Berlin passed 
 resohitions, highly appreciative of Friedlaender's works. 
 Among other things, his zealous labor as elder of the 
 congregation in the cause of the emancipation of the 
 Jews in Prussia, his charity, humanity, inflexible 
 honesty and his literary efforts, are greatly appre- 
 ciated. 
 
 He could lay down his head to rest, fully satisfied 
 that the future of Judaism was safe as long as men like 
 Leopold Zunz labored in its cause. 
 
 *Liturgical lessons of the Jews (Berlin, 1832.) I do not claim, 
 that this translation of the title of Zunz's Magnum Opus is 
 fortunate. Not even the German title conveys an edequate idea of 
 the work. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 ISRAKL JACOBSOHN. 
 
 Israel Jacobsohn was born at Halberstadt, October 
 17, 1768; died at Berlin, September 13, 1828. Al- 
 though, by no means the equal of David Friedlaender 
 as a philosopher and scholar, Israel Jacobsohn exerted 
 a most decisive influence in the direction of Reform 
 Judaism. 
 
 The zeal of the cultivated and educated class of 
 Israelites during the period of transition, manifested it- 
 self in two different directions: 
 
 First: Emancipation from the bondage of re- 
 strictive laws against them. 
 
 Second: Emancipation from the thralldom of 
 mediaevalism and Talmudism. 
 
 The first aim was easier to accomplish, the more 
 so, because a great many Jewish men made their mark 
 in science, art and industry, particularly so in Holland 
 and France, where they found considerable encourage- 
 ment from all sides. But not so easy a task was the 
 internal enfranchisement from the yoke of Talmudical 
 authority and Rabbinism. Here a struggle became 
 necessary, a hot and hard fight indeed, which is not 
 yet ended. The governments in Germany did not 
 encourage Jewish Reform, knowing too well that it 
 would stem the tide of apostasy in the ranks of Israel, 
 and that it would awaken and strengthen the spirit of 
 progress and liberalism, not only in religion, but in 
 politics, and thus weaken despotism and monarchical 
 
46 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 absolutism. It therefore required great minds and 
 strong manhood to accomplish this object. A man 
 possessed of those valuable qualities was Israel Jacob- 
 sohn, a merchant, not belonging to the literary pro- 
 fession. He was from his nineteenth year the son-in- 
 law of the strictly orthodox Rabbi in Braunschweig. 
 By no means a scientist or scholar, he replaced this 
 want more or less by his practical talent, his good 
 common sense, his bold spirit of enterprise and energy, 
 by a natural versatility in social intercourse, inex- 
 haustible kindness and self-denial, glowing fantasy, 
 swift activity, a pleasant imposing and prepossessing 
 appearance. He read a great deal, studied hard, and 
 thus became finally a thorough, I might almost say, 
 American self-made man. 
 
 He was of the conviction that the service and mode 
 of divine worship in the Synagogue of his days was of 
 a character to displease even the strictest adherents of 
 the Jewish traditions. He did not like at all the cold, 
 philosophical naturalism, the negative rationalism and 
 sovereign criticism characterizing the so-called Jewish 
 aristocracy of Berlin at that time. He was a true 
 hearted Jew in the noblest sense of the word. But, 
 alas ! he lacked scholarship and that deep knowledge 
 and understanding so necessarv for a successful Re- 
 form, the right and justification of which even the 
 most pious could no longer deny. 
 
 Therefore he at first began the work with the 
 youth, the school children; and he lavishly spent his 
 time and wealth for that purpose. It is superfluous to 
 mention that he used his influence to alleviate his co- 
 religionists socially by abolishing a great many restric- 
 tive laws and statutes. He erected at his owai expense 
 in 1801 a Boarding School (Bilduugsanstalt) for poor 
 boys in Seesen (Braunschweig, ) and, what is indeed 
 remarkable for that time, this institution, which is to- 
 day considered one of the best in Germany, has never 
 been sectarian. From the very start Christian pupils 
 were received, and to-day the school has an attendance 
 of more than three hundred pupils, half of whom are 
 
ISKAKL JACOHSOHN. 47 
 
 Christians. Jacobsohu spent more than 100,000 
 thalers for this school which is called the ' 'Jacobsohn- 
 Schule." In 1810, Jnly 17th, he dedicated in the 
 town of Seesen a Temple, which he had erected at his 
 own expense. He introduced certain modifications, 
 innovations or reforms into the service, which was the 
 first attempt at Synagogical reform in Germany. 
 
 He introduced regular weekly sermons in the Ger- 
 man language, which had not previously been 
 customary, prayers in the vernacular by the side of 
 the Hebrew, a choir singing with organ accompaniment, 
 and a Confirmation as a fitting close of the school 
 career of the boys and girls. In order to make room 
 for the sermon, the ritual, encumbered by the weeds of 
 Synagogical poetry, (mystical Pijutim, ) most of which 
 was couched in a barbaric language, were abbreviated. 
 
 Other measures to correct abuses of long standing 
 followed, so that little by little the outward appear- 
 ance of divine worship assumed a more dignified 
 character. Israel Jacobsohn, always mindful of the 
 welfare of his co-religionists, transplanted in 1815 the 
 reforms of worship to Berlin. He erected there at his 
 own expense a Temple, (Jacobsohu Temple,) and in 18 18 
 assisted in founding the Temple at Hamburg, which 
 soon became a leading stronghold of Reform in Ger- 
 many. 
 
 Let me state right here, that it was by no means 
 an easy task to introduce sermons delivered in the 
 pure German language into the Synagogue. This re- 
 form was opposed by all the Rabbis at that time, who 
 held public lectures twice a year, wherein they, for 
 the benefit of the learned, explained some difficult 
 passages of the Talmud, and then for the general 
 public gave expositions of some Haggada. t They 
 spoke the language of the Ghetto, "Juedisch Deutsch," 
 and considered the use of the pure German as a profana- 
 tion. I am of the opinion that they would not have 
 
 i "Haggada" comprises the ethics and poetry of the Talmud. 
 
48 REFORMED JUDAISM. , 
 
 opposed it, if they themselves had been able to deliver 
 sermons in a correct langnage. We have analogies in 
 this country, where, although at least three-quarters 
 of the Jewish population were born in Germany, or in 
 countries where German is spoken, Jewish preachers 
 can be found strongly opposing German lectures. But 
 strange as it ma}' seem, it is a fact, that not one of the 
 opponents of German is able to deliver an acceptable 
 German lecture. There are no less than eight 
 hundred German Christian preachers in this country, 
 in whose churches no other word than German is heard 
 either in prayer and song, or in sermon and lecture. 
 Are they therefore not good American citizens ? From 
 the moment we oppose the use of the German language 
 in the Synagogue on the ground, that it is not the 
 language of the country, we are bound to take the next 
 step and abolish the Hebrew language also; not only 
 on this ground, but on another more important one, 
 that the majority of all the Jewish worshippers and at- 
 tendants of divine service throughout the United 
 States do not understand, yes, I accentuate this 
 sentence, do not understand the Hebrew prayers, no 
 matter to which congregation they may belong, 
 whether Portuguese, English, Orthodox, Reform or 
 Polish. 
 
 In every congregation of this vast country there 
 are, with the exception of a very few Portuguese-Eng- 
 lish congregations, more worshippers who do not 
 understand Hebrew than who do not understand Ger- 
 man. The German language is especially important 
 for Reform Judaism, because Jewish Reform originated 
 in Germany; all its great men were and are Germans; 
 the vast literature on the subject is German, and even 
 in this country the leaders are born Germans. It is a 
 notable fact, however, that a praiseworthy reaction is 
 setting in, in this respect, in America, inasmuch as 
 German sermons are still required in most of the 
 congregations and the most favored preachers are those, 
 who are able to preach in both the English and Ger- 
 man languages. 
 
ISRAEL JACOBSOHN. 49 
 
 In this connection it deserves to be mentioned, 
 that the first German sermons were written by Moses 
 Mendelssohn, two on fhe occasion of the battles at 
 Rossbach and Lenthen, one in celebration of the peace 
 of Hnbertsbnrg. The first ones were delivered by the 
 chief Rabbi Aaron Moses in the Synagogne of Berlin. 
 German sermons were a horror in the eyes of the 
 majority of the Jews at tliat time, and were looked 
 upon as a sinfnl innovation, and almost as a desecra- 
 tion. The first German Jewi.sh preacher was Joseph 
 Wolf in Dessau, a di.sciple and admirer of ^Mendelssohn. 
 In 1806 he founded, in company with David Fraenkel, . 
 the German monthly "Sulamith." In 1808 he de- 
 livered his first German sermon in compliance with the 
 wish of the Jewish Congregation of Dessau on the oc- 
 ca.sion of the Fiftieth Jubilee of the Count Leopold of 
 Dessau. The embarrassed man became sick on ac- 
 count of the great excitement, but his sermon de- 
 livered in the presence of the Count, the officials of 
 the government, of the city, and of a large assembly of 
 Christians and Jews proved a success; so much so, that 
 the congregation engitged him to preach on importaut 
 Sabbath- and Holidays and actually paid him one and a 
 half thaler, a little over a dollar, for each sermon. 
 Later he was appointed as preacher and secretary of 
 the Congregation, with a fixed salary of ten thaler, (not 
 quite eight dollars, ) monthly. And the good man 
 gave the full value for the money received. These 
 first six sermons, translated into Hebrew, were in 181 2 
 published at Dessau. 
 
 The first sermon delivered on the feast of weeks 
 contains no less than twenty-seven printed pages. 
 Our American Jewish Congregations pay larger salaries 
 to their Rabbis, and are fully satisfied with a sermon 
 which takes twenty minutes to deliver. 
 
 Jacobsohn delivered a sermon in honor of the dedi- 
 cation of his School and Temple at Seesen in 18 10. 
 He adopted the costume of a Protestant pastor and all 
 the bells of the town were ringing during the ceremony. 
 His sermon elicited great applause; and a Princess of 
 
50 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Brunswick, a sister of Count Karl Ferdinand surprised 
 him with a wreath of oak, wound by herself, and a 
 highly flattering poem which was recited by the 
 daughter of a Protestant minister. 
 
 Like Friedlaender, Jacobsohn was convinced, that 
 only the rising generation was susceptible for the 
 better. He said in this sermon among other things: 
 
 "Nur aus einem anfangenden und aufbluehenden, 
 nicht aus einem verbluehten Menschenalter kann eine 
 dauernde Umwaelzung des Geistes hervorgehen. ' ' * 
 
 Israel Jacobsohn' s reforms implied a revolution in 
 Jihe character of Jewish worship. The purely de- 
 votional element acquired a prominence which was 
 never before heard of. The very word employed to 
 designate the purpose of Temple service. "Erbauung," 
 (edification,) was something strange to the vocabulary 
 of the Jews. Thus Jacobsohn became an important 
 factor in the history of Reform Judaism. He ac- 
 complished much by correcting the abuses which had 
 been allowed to grow np unrestrained in the glooms- 
 period of mediaeval persecution. He won back to 
 Judaism those whose affections had been estranged by 
 the barbarous form in which it appeared. 
 
 Israel Jacobsohn was a man of wonderful energy, 
 restless activity and a great flow of language. With 
 his natural eloquence he now touched his audience to 
 tears, and now moved them to the highest pitch of 
 enthusiasm. Had his knowledge kept pace with his 
 fertile imagination, he would have become a great 
 preacher. 
 
 The Jews of Braunschweig, Lueneburg and Baden 
 are indebted to him and to Wolf Breidenbach for the 
 abolition of the disgraceful "LeibzoU," a tax exacted 
 from their bodies which placed them on an equal foot- 
 ing with animals. (April 23, 1803.) In a letter to 
 
 *"A lasting spiritual revolution can arise only from a blooming, 
 and not from a decaying generation." (Sermon delivered at the 
 dedication of the Jacobsohn-Temple at Seesen, July 17, 1810, See 
 Sulamith" III, I, 303). 
 
ISRAEL JACOBSOHN. 5 1 
 
 Napoleon, Israel Jacobsohii proposed the appointment 
 of a council for the Jews in Europe with a Patriarch at 
 its head. Romantic as this idea appeared, it perhaps 
 influenced Napoleon to convoke the Sanhedrin at 
 Paris. The great Corsican convened in 1806, a 
 Parliament of Jewish Notables at Paris, in order 
 definitely to settle the relation of the French Israelites 
 to the state. Soon after an imperial decree convoked 
 the Grand Sanhedrin for the purpose of ratifying the 
 decisions of the Notables. 
 
 The glories of Jerusalem of old were to be renewed 
 in the modern Babylon on the Seine. On February 9, 
 1807, the Sanhedrin met in the Hotel de Ville. Great 
 care was taken to invest its sittings with all the pomp, 
 solemnity and outward show so necessary .for a per- 
 formance utterly devoid of truth, sincerity and inmost 
 conviction. The seats of the members were arranged 
 in crescent shape about the platform of the presiding 
 officers, as had been customary at Jerusalem. The 
 president was saluted with the title of Nassi (Prince) 
 as in olden times. The ancient titles and forms were 
 copied with scrupulous exactness. The first meeting 
 took place on a Sabbath and most of the members came 
 ostentatiously in carriages and did not abstain from 
 writing on that day. This, as was the whole proceed- 
 ing, was done to please Napoleon. The servility mani- 
 fested in the speeches was disgusting in the extreme. 
 
 Bonaparte was simply deified. Twelve questions 
 were laid before the Sanhedrin, and the answers were 
 nothing but shrewd evasions or downright falsehoods. 
 Especially must this be said of the affirmative reply to 
 the question : Is a divorce according to the F'rench 
 law valid without a religious divorce ? 
 
 The answer to the question, whether Judaism per- 
 mitted inter-marriage between Jews and Christians, 
 was a tissue of untruth and hypocrisy. Just think of a 
 gathering of no Jews in 1807, two-thirds of them 
 Rabbis, encouraging intermarriage of Jews and 
 Christians. For this is just what the declaration 
 amounted to. They declared that only marriages be- 
 
52 RKVORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 tweeii Jews and idolaters were forbidden, that the 
 European nations, (Christians and Mohammedans) 
 were not regarded as idolaters, not even by the 
 Talmudists. Hence, there can be no prohibition against 
 intermarriage from the standpoint of the Talmud. 
 Nevertheless, they (the Rabbis) could not solemize 
 such a marriage on account of the ceremony on such 
 occasions. But this would not matter much, as the 
 civil marriage is valid any way, because the state 
 recognizes its validity. Even the Rabbis cannot help 
 recognizing a Jew or a Jewess, who has married a 
 Christian, as full members of Judaism in every respect. 
 I ask every unbiased reader, whether such an answer 
 is worthy of a Jewish representative body ? No 
 wonder, that although the opening of the Sanhedrin 
 attracted universal attention in Europe, its proceedings 
 were void of interest and beneficial results. Parturiunt 
 nioutes, nascitur ridiculus mus. — David Friedlaender 
 and his friends were right in calling the Sanhedrin a 
 ''farcical show,', given by Napoleon to his sensation- 
 loving Parisians.* Dr. Geiger in his "Allgemeine 
 Einleitung in die Wissenschaft des Judenthums," 
 (General introduction into the science of Judaism,) 
 speaking of the vSanhedrin says: 
 
 "The whole thing was a great lie, at least a show, 
 the questions were prematnre, the answers merely 
 .shrewd serpentine curves altogether without conse- 
 quences, "f 
 
 "The only fruit of the great .show in Paris was the 
 creation of a new constitution for the French Synagogue, 
 elaborated by the joint efforts of the Imperial Com- 
 missioners and the Notables. The form of govern- 
 ment adopted was moulded on the pattern of the 
 secular power, tinged with a semblance of Catholic 
 hierarchy. 
 
 *David Friedlaender: Ueber d. Verbesserung der Israelitea in 
 Koenigreiche Polen, introduction, p. 32. 
 
 tNachegelassene S'chriften, volume II, Berlin, 1875, Louis 
 Gerschel, p. 239. 
 
ISRAEL JACOBSOHN. 53 
 
 A system of consistories was oro^aiiized throut;;hoiit 
 France, culminating in a Central consistory at Paris 
 with a (jfand Rabbi at the head, who appears in the 
 Synagogue — in the attire of a Catholic Bishop. 
 
 This Central consistory watched over the consis- 
 tories, Rabbis, Synagogues and Congregations. They 
 in turn were to form a sort of police for the individual 
 Jews who watched and saw that the resolutions of the 
 Sanhedrin were carried out, that the practice of usury 
 was prohibited, and furnished to the French govern- 
 ment every year the number of Jewish young men, old 
 enough to do military service. What a disgrace for 
 the Rabbis to play the part of spies and detectives, and 
 what an insult to the young Frenchmen of Jewish 
 persuasion, even to insinuate their intention of evad- 
 ing their patriotic duty of serving their country, and 
 to suspect them of cowardice. The introduction into 
 Judaism of a species of graded hierarchy dependent upon 
 temporal rulers for its support was, as could 
 not have been otherwise expected, fraught in 
 its wake with consequences fruitful of evil re- 
 sults. If it is true that the supremacy of the 
 church over the state has proven since times im- 
 memorial the disturbing element of the peace of nations 
 and has endangered the very existence of governments, 
 it is equally certain that no religion can long continue 
 to maintain its purity when the church becomes the 
 subservient vassal of the state. Hypocrisy and 
 servility flourish, liberty of conscience is curtailed, and 
 a .spirit of petty, base time-serving eventually prepares 
 the dawnfall of institutions whose perfect safety is con- 
 sistent only with perfect freedom. 
 
 The French Synagogue with its consistorial 
 system presents .a case in point. During the past 
 eight}- years, just in that period, when a refreshing and 
 quickening spirit enlivened Judaism in Germany, it 
 has stagnated. No single ray lights up its dreary 
 record, no single luminous thought, no single whole- 
 souled effort to appropriate the larger truth of our pro- 
 gressive age dignifies its annals. Hence, the majority 
 
54 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 of the Jews in Paris are atheistic the whole year, but 
 strictly orthodox on Rosh Hashana and Yomkippur. 
 As a rnle the French Jewish press make a great ado over 
 the fact that the Rothschilds and other millionaires and 
 dignitaries of the army, attired in their military snits, 
 their breasts decorated with medals and crosses, have 
 paid a visit to Jehovah once a year.* The young 
 generation is worldly and estranged from Judaism. The 
 following extract from a letter of the famous Parisian 
 banker, L,. R. Bischoffsheim, to Dr. Abraham Geiger, 
 dated September 7, 1872, fully corroborates the above: 
 "I have been for a long time a faithful reader of your 
 periodical and am in full accord and sympathy with 
 the views you express on the mission and future of 
 Judaism. It however, seems to me, that the time has 
 arrived, when the word should become action. 
 
 The majority of the forty thousand Jews of Paris 
 have severed almost every link connecting them with 
 Judaism ritually, so that virtually they are Jews in 
 name only. Many of the best and wealthiest families 
 attend no more the Synagogue — very likely, becanse 
 the service is too orthodox for them, and what is still 
 worse, permit their daughters to marry Christians. 
 And while these daughters do not embrace Christianity, 
 which means here Catholicism, their children are with 
 but few exceptions, raised as Catholics. The education 
 of the children, so far as religion is concerned, is al- 
 most zero, and when religious instruction is given, it is 
 in such glaring contradiction to the life and practice of 
 their parents at home, that the inconsistency cannot 
 remain hidden from the sight of the children. ' ' f 
 
 *If Isaiah would live to-day, he would tell such gentry: "When 
 you come to be seen by me who asks this of j'our hands, who cares 
 for it, whether you enter my courts? Cease' to offer unto me an 
 offering of falsehood and hypocrisy, it is an incense of abomination 
 unto me "(Isaiah, chapter I.) Your new moons and holidays are 
 hateful unto me, I am tired of them. And though ye may fold your 
 hands in prayer, I turn away my eyes from you, and no matter 
 how nmch you pray, I do not listen to you." (Ibidem.) 
 
 tGeiger, Nachgelassene Schriften, vol. V, p. 345-46, and my 
 Abraham Geiger als Reformator des Judenthums Loebau, 1879, p. 
 147-148. 
 
ISRAEL JACOBSOHN. 55 
 
 In the science and literatnre of Judaism, P'rench 
 Judaism is an unknown quantity. Whatever has been 
 done in this respect was done by German scholars 
 there, by Frank I)ern])urg, Darmstaedter, Munk and 
 others. 
 
 If Paris offers such a sad spectacle, what can be 
 expected of the small congregations in the interior ? 
 In the history of the Jewish Reform movement France 
 merits no mention. The same, if not a worse state of 
 aflfairs, we find in F^ngland where, under the sway of 
 a fanatic Chief Rabbi every attempt towards a pro- 
 gressive development of Judaism in Great Britain and 
 the Dominions was and still is most relentlessly stifled 
 and checked. Germany and America, * offer the only 
 oasis in the desert. 
 
 After this necessary digression let us return to 
 Jacobsohn. 
 
 After the humiliation of Prussia, Napoleon created 
 the "Kingdom of Westphalia" under his brother 
 Jerome, who, in an edict of January 12, 1808, declared 
 all the Jews of the kingdom without exception, 
 citizens and the equals of his Christian subjects. He 
 abolished the so-called Jew-tax, and granted to foreign 
 Jews the right to settle in his land under the privileges 
 enjoyed by Christians. The capital of the Kingdom 
 of Westphalia was Cassel. 
 
 King Hieronymus (Jerome) made Israel Jacobsohn 
 his "Geheimen Finanzrath" (Secret counsellor of 
 finances. ) Jacobsohn had held the same position under 
 Count Karl Ferdinand. In memory of the day of 
 emancipation of the Jews of the Kingdom of Westphalia, 
 Jacobsohn ordered a golden medal to be made emblema- 
 tical of the Union of the tw^o so long hostile creeds 
 upon which the following words were coined in Latin: 
 
 "To God and the Fatherly King united in the 
 Kingdom of Westphalia. ^^j^ 
 
 *American Retorm Judaism is nothing original, but the offspring 
 of German Reform. 
 
 t The work was done by a Jewish artist, named Abramson, of 
 Berlin. See Spieker: 'The position of the Jews in Germany," 
 page 287. 
 
56 REF'ORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Jacobsohn urged the King to convoke twenty-two 
 notables at Cassel and to organize the Jews of West- 
 phalia after the manner of those in France, which was 
 done. Jacobsohn was elected President of the Com- 
 mission and entrusted with the working out of a plan 
 for a Jewish consistory in the Kingdom of West- 
 phalia. The seat of the consistory was Cassel, Jacob- 
 sohn its President, while Loeb Meyer Berliner, the old 
 Rabbi of Cassel, later Grand Rabbi of Westphalia, 
 Mendel Steinhardt, Simon Kalker, and the two lay- 
 men David F'raenkel of Dessau and Jerome Heine- 
 mann were members of the consistory. 
 
 While the consistory in France has done next to 
 nothing for the cause of a progressive development of 
 Judaism, the consistory of Westphalia, inspired by the 
 ever active and energetic Israel Jacobsohn, has better 
 understood and practically carried out its mission. It 
 has accomplished much in giving indirectly to the 
 Jews of Germany a service in the Synagogue more in 
 keeping with the wants of the nineteenth century, al- 
 though what was called "Reform" then, is considered 
 almost orthodox to-day; at least in this free progressive 
 country of ours. Graetz himself, who treats Jacobsohn 
 no better than he does Friedlaender, and who in- 
 sinuates, that whatever Jacobsohn has done was 
 actuated by the motive of vanity, conceit, and a desire 
 for notoriety, is compelled to make the following con- 
 cessions : 
 
 " Jacobsohn' s impetuosity was necessary, in order 
 to do away successfully with the rubbish and trash, 
 which had accumulated in such gigantic proportions, 
 especially in the smaller congregations. It would have 
 been of no avail to handle it with delicate fingers. * 
 
 Among other things the Rabbis had to preach in 
 German, and to perform the ceremony of Confirmation 
 of the young. 
 
 This ceremony took its origin in the Jacobsohn- 
 school of Seesen, and Jacobsohn was one of the first, if 
 
 * Graetz: Geschichte der Juden. XI, p. 310. 
 
ISRAEL JACOBSOHN. 57 
 
 not the first, to confirm his son in 1814 or 1815 in 
 Jacobsohn's Betsaal, (private Synagogue) in Berlin. 
 
 This ceremony is one of the institutions introduced 
 by the Reformers, which, in spite ot great and kmg op- 
 position, has strongly seized upon the popular heart 
 and is to-day, at least in America, generally accepted 
 even by the orthodox Jews. 
 
 This reform is the best refutation of the frequent 
 reproaches against the Reformers, that they destroy 
 and abolish without creating anew. Indeed it is only 
 fit and proper at the age when children's character 
 begins to assume definite outlines, when reason unfolds 
 and temptations of life approach nearer, that we utilize 
 the impressiveness of a great public gathering, the 
 sympathetic presence of parents and friends and the 
 earnest monitions of a wise and reverend teacher, in 
 order to confirm them in the virtuous endeavor to 
 strive after moral perfection and assist them to the best 
 of their ability in building the kingdom of righteous- 
 ness. The Confirmation /^r se is not a theatrical show, 
 as Graetz and others style it, as long as it is not made 
 so by the folly of some parents who outvie each other 
 in exhibiting their daughters laden with jewelry, in an 
 attire more adapted for the ballroom than for the house 
 of worship. x\nother great mistake is made by ignorant 
 preachers, who, in imitation of the Catholic or 
 Episcopalian Confirmation, exact formal vows, some- 
 times even in the form of an oath, from children at the 
 age of thirteen years, who cannot reasonably be ex- 
 pected to answer for their convictions fifteen or thirty 
 years later. The great desideratum in this respect is that 
 the Confirmation should take place at the age from 
 fifteen to seventeen years when the confirmants are 
 better able to comprehend the fundamental questions 
 of religion. 
 
 David Friedlaender was a great assistance to Jacob- 
 sohn as an adviser, but Jacobsohn himself had to be 
 very careful about reforms, as King Jerome like all 
 sovereigns sided with orthodoxy. 
 
58 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 One day he reproached Jacobsohn on account of 
 his "Sectirerei" without giving him a chance for ex- 
 planation. * 
 
 The closing by the Prussian Government of his 
 Temple was a terrible blow for the good man and 
 enthusiastic Jew. Dr. Herzfeld, Land Rabbi of 
 Braunschweig, says this on this deplorable subject: 
 
 ''The Temple in Berlin was closed, the "pious 
 ones" (die Frommen) did not rest with their calumnies 
 in honor of God. This not only broke the heart of the 
 noble Jacobsohn, but drove hosts of Jews out of the 
 pale of Judaism, so that the Rabbi of Berlin on his 
 death-bed said: "I wish this had never happened. It 
 is far better to proclaim Shma Jissrael in German than 
 not to recite it at all." f It goes without saying that 
 Jacobsohn might have lived longer, had his hope in 
 this regard not been so mercilessly blasted. 
 
 Jost, a personal friend of Jacobsohn, said of him : 
 ,,He breathed new life into the form of the dead; with- 
 out language he acquired the gift of oratory; without 
 music he created melodies conducive of devotion. ' ' I 
 
 The centennial of Jacobsohn' s birthday was 
 solemnly celebrated in the Temples of Berlin, Halber- 
 stadt, Braunschweig, and especially in Seesen where 
 the director of the Jacobsohn school. Dr. Arnheim de- 
 livered a touching eulogy of which we excerpt the fol- 
 lowing passage: 
 
 ' 'Jacobsohn never wavered, never was despondent, 
 though his eye conld not behold the fruits of his 
 labor. The belief in God furnished him with the be- 
 lief in himself, and he felt himself amply rewarded that 
 he was permitted to see the dawn of the coming day, 
 to direct his eyes from the top of the mountain to the 
 promised land. He knew no difference of person. The 
 needy man stood near to him, no matter what his 
 . . -i-\ 
 
 *Jost: Das Tudenthum und seine Sek'ten, III, p. 326, note. 
 
 t Herzfeld: sermon on the religious Reform delivered in Nord- 
 hausen, September 13, 1845. (Nordhausen, 1845.) 
 
 * Jost: Israelitische Annalen, 1839, p. 235. 
 
ISRAEL JACOBSOHN. 59 
 
 social standing. He preferred to practice charity in 
 secret, hidden from the eyes of man, but whenever his 
 example would induce others to emulation, he did not 
 shun publicity. Small and mean people only cannot 
 appreciate, in their narrowmindedness, true goodness." 
 
 Followino; are the names of those who were 
 present as delegates at the celebration in Seesen: 
 Professor Dr. Steinthal, representing the Jewish con- 
 gregation of Berlin; Dr. Ehrenberg, representing the 
 Samson School in Wolfeubue;tel; Dr. Baerwald, repre- 
 senting the Congregation and Philanthropin School in 
 Frankfort on the Main; Rector Horwitz, representing 
 the Boys' School in Berlin, and Assessor Kruse of 
 Gandersheim, representing the S tate of Braunschweig. 
 The five sons of Jacobsohn sent in memory of the day 
 500 Thaler to the Jewish Congregations of Berlin, 
 Halberstadt and Braunschweig, to be distributed among 
 the poor irrespective of creed. Services in honor of the 
 centenary of Jacobsohn' s birth were held by Grand 
 Rabbi, Dr. L. Herzfeld in Braunschweig, and by Dr. 
 Joseph Aub, Rabbi of Berlin. The latter said on that 
 occasion, that the most fitting way for the Jews of 
 Berlin to honor Jacobsohn, would be the establishment 
 in Berlin of an institution for the education of 
 Rabbis, who favor progress and Reform in Juda- 
 ism. Such an institution was opened in Berlin, 
 May 6, 1872, under the name of "Hochschule fuer die 
 Wissenschaft des Judenthums," * in which Dr. Geiger 
 was the leading spirit. Dr. Immanuel Loew, Rabbi 
 in vSzegedin, the author of this book, and Professor 
 Felix Adler, New York, were the first three students, 
 matriculated in May, 1872, in this seat of learning. 
 
 Jacobsohn died in Berlin, September 13, 1828. 
 
 * The institution was foundefl by Prof. M. Lazarus and other 
 generous Jews. Since May 7th, 1SS3, the name of "Hochschule" had 
 to be changed to '•Lehranstalt" (institution of learning.) 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ARON CHORIN. 
 
 Born iu Weisskirchen, Maehren, August 3, 1766, 
 died on the 27th of August, 1844, in Arad, Hungary. 
 Chorin as a pioneer of Reform-Judaism deserves 
 greater consideration than the men, of whom I have so 
 far spoken, from the fact that he was the first Rabbi, 
 who, more than half a century ago, in his capacity 
 of Rabbi, was in favor of Reform. For a Rabbi to do 
 so in those days demanded not a little courage. 
 
 Friedlaender and Jacobsohn were wealthy and 
 independent merchants. Chorin, however, was a poor 
 man, with a large family dependent on his small 
 salary. 
 
 As I do not suppose that Aron Chorin is so well 
 known as the other pioneers of Reform-Judaism, from 
 the fact, that he had not the good fortune to live and 
 labor in Germany, where his work would have been 
 better appreciated, I will begin at the end and intro- 
 duce this fearless champion of Reform with an extract 
 from one of the four funeral sermons delivered at his 
 burial. In these words, spoken by Rabbi Daniel 
 Pillitz, of Szegedin, we find verified the maxim of the 
 Talmud. "The way that a man is spoken of after 
 death is the best criterion of his life." I It is as 
 follows: 
 
 "Chorin taught as he believed and acted as he 
 taught. While his teachings were ahead of his 
 generation and his contemporaries were not ripe for 
 
 i "Mehesspado shel .\dam Nikkar Shaboo Adam Japhai." 
 
ARON CHORIN. 6l 
 
 his doctrines, he had the courage to stand for his con- 
 victions, to fight for them at a time, when he stood yet 
 entirely alone and in opposition to a world which was 
 bitterly opposed .to him. He was not afraid of the 
 diflficuit struggle; he came forward and manfully en- 
 dured the hot day's work." 
 
 The ''Markgrafschaft (Earldom) of Maehren 
 (Moravia)" small though it is, has contributed largely 
 to the history of modern Judaism. Some of the most 
 celebrated Rabbis, authors, and preachers of Europe 
 were born, or have labored in Maehren. Jonathan 
 Eibeschuetz was born in Eibeschuetz, Maehren, where 
 his father, Nathan Natia, was Rabbi. Rabbi Elieser 
 Trietsch (a town in Maehren) was considered a great 
 authority.* 
 
 The most renowned Jeshibahs (Rabbinical schools) 
 of the last and even of this century were located in 
 Leipnik, Nickolsburg and Boskowitz. In the first 
 mentioned town, where the author of this book was 
 born, men like Rabbi Baruch Fraenkel, called "Baruch 
 Taam" on account of his work bearing this name, had 
 sometimes as many as two hundred disciples, 
 ("Bachurim,") f ranging from the age of fifteen to 
 forty years. After his death men like Rabbi Shlome 
 Quetsch and Rabbi Moses Bloch, shed lustre upon 
 Judaism. Rabbi Moses Bloch, my teacher, is Professor 
 of Talmudic and Rabbinical disciplines, also President 
 of the "Landes-Rabbiner-Anstalt" (Rabbinical Semi- 
 nary )in Budapesth, the capital of Hungary, and 
 author of several important works on Rabbinical lit- 
 erature. Mordechai Bcnet (Marcus Benedict), whose 
 name will be mentioned in connection with the sub- 
 ject of this biography, was Chief Rabbi of Maehren and 
 had a large Jeshibah in Nickolsburg. He and three 
 others, Akiba Eger ( Posen), Jacob Lissa and Moses Szofer 
 
 ♦See his decision on the Hamburg Prayer-book, of which I 
 speak later on. 
 
 f'Bachur," the singular form of "Bachurim" means "young 
 man." It is however used to designate "young students of the 
 Talmud in a Jesbiba." (Talmudical school. ) 
 
62 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 (Pressburj^). succeeded in gathering around them a large 
 numberof "Bachurini," atatime when the Jeshibahs in 
 Germany (Fuerth) Frankfurt A. M., Halberstadt, 
 Altona- Hamburg, Metz and others), were dying of inani- 
 tion. Samson Raphael Hirsch, the leader of modern 
 orthodoxy, the originator of the school., which Leopold 
 Loew so fittingly characterized as the ''New-orthodox 
 romantic," was also Chief-Rabbi of Maehren. But it 
 must be stated, that he did not feel at home among the 
 great Talmudists of Nickolsburg, because he could not 
 cope with them as an equal in Rabbinical lore. Aside 
 from this all these Moravian "Lamdonini" (Scholars) 
 were, notwithstanding their piety and zeal for the 
 preservation of Judaism, not at all pleased with that 
 small, petty orthodoxy which makes a fetich of the 
 "Schulchan Aruch," and whose only knowledge of 
 Judaism consists in knowing by heart the "Beerheteb," 
 (a compendium of Jewish ceremonies.) For an 
 orthodoxy of the Hirsch-Lehman-Hildesheimer stamp 
 Maehren was already too far advanced sixty years ago. 
 Hirsch therefore preferred to accept the call tendered 
 him by the then very small Congregation in Frankfurt 
 on the Main, * where he hoped to, and in fact, did find 
 the proper field for his ultra-orthodox notions. That 
 he accepted this call is the best proof of our statement 
 concerning Maehren. Of prominent men in modern 
 Jewish history as authors, preachers and reformers I 
 will only mention a few: 
 
 Dr. Leopold Schwab, Rabbi of Prossnitz, Maehren, 
 later Chief- Rabbi of Pesth; Rabbi Fassel, of Prossnitz, 
 later Rabbi of Gross-Kanissa, • Hungary, a great 
 scholar, profound Talmudist, an important writer on 
 Jewish law and a reformer; Professor Dr. Moritz 
 Steinschneider, of Prossnitz, one of the greatest Jewish 
 bibliographers living; Dr. Leopold Loew, Rabbi 
 of Papa and Szegedin, justly called "The Hungarian 
 Geiger, " one of the greatest and most interesting 
 
 *The congregation consisted then of only eleven members. It 
 must, however, be borne in mind, that one of the Rothschilds and 
 other very wealthy men were among, the number. 
 
ARON CHORIX. 63 
 
 Rabbis of this century, and very prolific as an 
 author of Jewish literature, especialh- on archaeology. 
 In this connection I must mention another Moravian 
 who was very little appreciated in his life-time and 
 who deserves an honorable page in the history of Re- 
 form-Judaism. I mean Moses Brueck. * He was 
 born in 1812 in Prerau, Maehren, one mile from 
 Leipnik, studied in Prague, traveled through Germany 
 and emigrated to Hungary. In 1848, he took part in 
 the Jewish Reform movement at Gross-Becskerek, He 
 died in 1849, as an officer of the Hungarian army, and 
 was buried with military honors in the Jewish cemetery 
 at Hold-Mezo Basarhely. He was radical in his Reform 
 ideas, and published the following works: "Rabbiuishe 
 Ceremonialgebraeuche,'' "Pharisaeishe Volkssitten" 
 and "Reform of Judaism," in one hundred theses, com- 
 mented on and explained. He says on page 76: "This 
 book was commenced and completed in one month, 
 but contains the material collected in twenty years." 
 He says more in one page than a great many others 
 say in fifty pages. 
 
 These one hundred theses deserve more than 
 passing notice. An appeal to the Jews precedes them, 
 of which we excerpt the following: 
 
 Reform is the motto of the glorious year 1848. 
 For eighteen hundred years the better class of Lsrael 
 demanded Reform from their Rabbis, but we see still 
 the same Babylonian monster. The masses of the 
 people were therefore compelled to do this work them- 
 selves, and the consequence is that Judaism is reduced 
 to the attendance of the Synagogue once a year. * * 
 * * * Now is the most favorable moment for a 
 thorough Reform in Judaism; the better class of Jews 
 favor a conciliation of religion with the demands of 
 life. Do not wait for the results of some Rabbinical 
 Synod, from which at best, some insignificant con- 
 cessions but no salvation can be expected. Manifest 
 your will, and the yoke which for two thousand years 
 
 * See my article in the '•American Israelite," August, 1889. 
 
64 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 almost oppressed us with its burden, the fetters which 
 were forged in the centuries of spiritual slavery will fall. 
 The sanctuary of Israel, which was laid in a grave as 
 a mummy, will resurrect; the domestic and public wor- 
 ship, now dead, will again be revived. They all will 
 awake, who by fanaticism were intimidated in their 
 struggle for light and truth; they all will awake, who 
 so far have fought in vain for the right of Israel, and 
 in legions our brethren will rally around the unfurled 
 banner of religious Reform, and the sound will be 
 heard: Israel is redeemed. 
 
 Of the one hundred interesting theses I mention 
 the following most striking ones: 
 
 7. All prayers, with the exception of the Shma, 
 are recited in the vernacular. 
 
 9. Male worshippers have to uncover their heads. 
 
 12. The reading of the Thora can take place out 
 of a neatly-bound Bible. 
 
 13. After the reading in Hebrew follows the 
 reading and explanation in the vernacular. 
 
 14. Nobody is called to the Sefer Thora. 
 
 15. Three years' cycle and no Haphtarah. 
 
 29. The Kaddish prayer is abolished, memorial 
 services (haskarath neshamoth) being sufficient. 
 
 22. On New Year, during the Mussaph prayer, 
 cornets are blown, and the blowing of the Shofar is 
 dispensed with also after the Neila prayer on the day 
 of Atonement. 
 
 26. The Lulab on Succoth is done away with. 
 
 39. The week begins with Monday, and the 
 weekly day of rest is celebrated on Sunday. 
 
 The dietary laws are abolished (51-59-) 
 
 60. Only on the eve of Passover the eating of un- 
 leavened bread is required. 
 
 Very elaborate explanations concerning the justifi- 
 cation of those radical reforms are given. 
 
 See Fuerst's favorable criticism in the Allgemeine 
 
ARON CHOKIN. 65 
 
 Zeitung des Judentluinfs 1837, I, page 324, and 
 Geiger\s Wiss. Ztsch, III, 426." 
 
 The recognized authority on Cabbalah and Jewish 
 religious philosophy, the pioneer and pathfinder in the 
 field of Modern Jewish Homiletics, the great master in 
 the treatment of the Talmud and Midrash in the pulpit, 
 the eloquent orator, in short, the man who justly en- 
 joys the reputation of being the best Jewish preacher 
 in the German tongue, namely, Dr. Adolf Jellinek, in 
 Wien, was born in Ungarisch-Brod, Maehren. The 
 philosopher and physician. Dr. Gideon Brecher, hails 
 from Prossnitz. Rabbi Bruell, who published a 
 splendid book on the Talmud, scientific and critical, 
 hails from Kojetein. So do his sons; Dr. Xehemias 
 Briiell, the successor of Dr. Geiger in Frankfurt on the 
 Main. He was editor of the "Juedische Jahrbuecher," 
 devoted to Jewish history and literature, and one of 
 the very few honest Rabbis and outspoken Reformers 
 in Germany. + His brother, Dr. Adolph Bruell, editor 
 of the "Wissenschaftliche Monatsblaetter," is well 
 versed in oriental, especially Samaritan, literature; the 
 late Rabbi, Dr. Ph. Frankel, an eminent scholar and 
 writer, preacher in Berlin; Leopold Dukes, Dr. David 
 Kauffman, an able writer on Jewish philosophy in the 
 middle ages and Professor of the Rabbinical Seminary 
 in Buda Pesth; Professor Wolf, the Historian, Vienna; 
 Dr. Porges, Rabbi of Leipzig; Dr. Gustav Karpeles, 
 the well known author, and a great galaxy of able 
 younger scholars, writers, physicians and lawyers, 
 especially in Vienna, they all hail from the little Earl- 
 dom of ^Nlaehren. 
 
 Aron Chorin was born in Weisskirchen, about a 
 mile distant from Leipnik, so that I have the right, 
 and I feel proud of this privilege, to call him almost 
 my townsman. His father, Kalman, though making 
 a scanty living only, saved no expense to secure the 
 
 i He (lied February 5, 1S91. See my obituary of Bruell in the 
 "Reform A(lvocale,"of March 20, 1891, also Dr. E;mil Ilirsch's edi- 
 torial in tile s.TUie number. 
 
66 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 best teachers of the small place for his son Aron. Ac- 
 cording to the cnstom of those days, Talmud, Thora, 
 Rashi and some Hebrew Grammar, taught in the 
 most unscientific manner, composed the curriculum. 
 In 1780 the parents of Chorin moved to Deutsch- 
 Kreuz, Hungary. But as the opportunities for the study 
 of the Talmud in that place were limited, the boy, 
 then fourteen years old, was sent to the neighboring 
 town of Mattersdorf, where a "Jeshiba" was flourish- 
 ing under the supervision of Rabbi Jeremias, a Talmu- 
 dist of great renown, who was honored with the title 
 "Gaon." § During the two years of his sojourn in 
 Mattersdorf, the boy studied so faithfully and zealously, 
 that he was able to prepare himself, without the assist- 
 ance of a teacher, for the Talmudical lectures of the 
 great Rabbi, Ezechiel Landau, of Prague, whither in 
 1782 our ambitious Aron had directed his steps. In 
 the classical capital of Bohemia he first commenced to 
 study Hebrew Grammar and German. It is claimed 
 that he lived in Prague in a family suspected of 
 Sabbataism, 1| and that there is to be traced the 
 germ of his reform atorv ideas. After three year's 
 sojourn in Prague, Aron, then nineteen years old, went 
 home in ordes to marry, (1785.) According to the 
 rules of Orthodox Judaism, a man ought to marry at 
 the age of eighteen years. That modern orthodoxy 
 sets aside this law is one of its inconsistencies. The 
 name of Chorin' s wife was Rebecca and this marriage 
 was blessed with seven children, three sons and four 
 daughters. Chorin embarked in business, but, like the 
 true scholar he could not make a success of it, because 
 he was not designed to be a business man. He accepted 
 the call extended to him by the Congregation of Arad. 
 So we meet him as Rabbi in Arad, where he went in 
 
 ^ Literally "pride," but in this connection a title for exceptional 
 scholarship in Rabbinical lore. 
 
 II Sabbathai Zebi, (born 1625, died 1677,) a Kabbalist who 
 claimed in 1655 at Jerusalem, to be a Messia. He adopted in 
 Abrianopel, in 1665, Islamism and died in 1677. He was the founder 
 of the great sect of the Sabbathians. 
 
A RON CHORIN. 67 
 
 the Spring of 1789, the year of the French revohition. 
 His salary \vas fonr Rhenish Gnlden a week, free 
 rent and the customary perquisites, but in the months 
 of Nissan, Sivan and Tishri the salary was doubled. 
 A vear later his salary was raised to five Gulden 
 weekly. I mention this fact without fear that the 
 American Jewish Congregations of 1892 will try to fix 
 the salaries of their Rabbis according to the standard 
 of Hungary, one hundred years ago. But small as 
 Chorines Congregation was, they felt so proud of its spirit- 
 ual guide, that they were willing to keep a "Jeshibah" 
 for him, which meant quite a sacrifice for a small 
 Congregation, where the burden of supporting the 
 students naturally fell upon a few members. It was 
 the rule, that the ''Bachurim," (students) took their 
 meal.s in the houses of the wealthier members of the 
 Congregation. The poorer classes had a "Bachur" 
 for the Sabbath, once every month or six weeks. 
 Chorin was painstaking both as a teacher of "Bachurim" 
 and in his own studies. The Talmud, Bible, Hebrew 
 Grammar, the Philosophers of the middle ages, Sohar 
 and Midrash engaged his special attention. He was 
 an eloquent preacher (Maggid) and won soon golden 
 opinions, not only from his own Congregation, but 
 from the Jewish merchants, who came to Arad on 
 business. His teachers, R. Jeremias, and Moses 
 Muentz, of Altofen, corresponded with him on Talmud- 
 ical topics. :Mordechai Benet, Chief Rabbi, ofMachrenof 
 whom I have previously spoken, called him "a great and 
 prominent Rabbi, the light of Israel, a pillar." I 
 mention this intentionally, because Prof. Graetz, true 
 to his method of belittling every man connected with 
 the Jewish Reform-movement, speaks of Aron Chorin 
 as ''an equivocal character and tedious prattler, of 
 varnished education, and mediocre Talmudical 
 scholarship. He favorod the new movement without 
 having a clear judgment." I Graetz's judgment of 
 
 t History of the Jews, vol. XI, p. 421. Hegallshim "Choriner," 
 not Chorin. 
 
68 . REFORM?:d JUDAISM. 
 
 Choi'in is, to say the least, dimmed by partisan- 
 ship and prejudice, from which a historian must 
 emancipate himself. The fact that Chorin favored the 
 new movement, so antipathetic to Graetz, is no justifi- 
 able reason for disparaging his merits. As Graetz 
 raises to the skies the Chief Rabbi, Mordechai Benet, 
 of Nickolsburg, (Ibid., page 419,) on accoimt of his pro- 
 found scholarship in the Talmud and his noble 
 character, we are surely entitled to believe more in 
 Mordechai Benet's opinion of Chorin than in Graetz's. 
 We come now to Chorin' s struggles in the cause of 
 progress and Reform in Judaism. 
 
 In 1792 Rabbi Hirsch, of Temesvar, inquired of 
 his former teacher, Rabbi Ezechiel Landau, of Prague, 
 whether the sturgeon, a species offish called "sterlet, 
 storchlein," belonged to the clean fish which were per- 
 mitted to be eaten by the Jews. The Jews in the 
 Orient were in the habit of eating these fish and the 
 Sphardish members of Hirsch' s Congregation wanted to 
 do the same. Rabbi Hirsch sent two samples of the 
 fish to Prague and Rabbi Ezechiel declared them 
 "kosher," i. e., fit to be eaten by the Israelites, (Levit. 
 XI, 9. ^ Thus the aflfair seemed to be settled and 
 from that time on the Jews of Temesvar gave the 
 sturgeon a place in their bill of fare. Chorin, on 
 hearing of it, permitted his Congregation the same 
 luxury, not, however, before he had seen the declara- 
 tion of the renowned Rabbi of Prague. This incensed 
 the Rabbi Isac Krieshaber, Krakau, (Galicia,) who was 
 in charge of the Congregation at Paks (Hungaria) 
 and who was a bigot and fanatic of the worst type. 
 He became in later years the cause of great trouble to 
 Chorin. At first he directed a polite epistle to the 
 Rabbi of Arad, requesting him to retract his declara- 
 tion concerning the sturgeon, (1798.) Chorin flatly 
 refused to do so. Krieshaber then called a number of 
 Rabbis to his assistance and tried to induce them to 
 declare the sturgeon an "unclean fish" on the strength 
 of a fine distinction made by Nachmanides in his 
 commentary to the Thora (In the year 1266,) as to 
 
AK(1X CHORIN. 69 
 
 what constitutes the eleineiits of "scales." His main 
 objection was, however, the trite argument of ortho- 
 doxy in all ages and climes, that old custom prohibits 
 the use of sturgeon at the table of Jews. He called 
 the Oriental Jews, who were in the habit of eating the 
 fish, "frivolous Sabbathaians." This Rabbi 
 Krieshaber went, however, further in order to carry 
 his point. Knowing only too well that the generally 
 esteemed Ezechiel Landau, of Prague, who was con- 
 sidered authority, had also decided in favor of the 
 sturgeon, he wrote to Chorin, that Rabbi Ezechiel had 
 in the meantime recanted his decision. This was a 
 downright falsehood, invented by the "pious" Rabbi, 
 who, like a good many of his stamp, lay greater stress 
 upon the religion of the pot and kettle than upon the 
 lessons of ethics, truth and righteousness. However, 
 this untruth did not help his case, as the Rabbis of 
 Prague, Michael Bachrach, Rleazar F'leckeles and 
 Samuel Landau were not slow in giving the lie to 
 Krieshaber' s false statement with respect to Ezechiel 
 Landau's recantation of the decision. 
 
 In the meantime the Chief Rabbi of Maehren, 
 Mordechai Benet, took sides against Chorin in the 
 question cf the sturgeon, prevented the publication in 
 Vienna, of a polemic treatise written by Chorin, and 
 warned the Congregation of Arad not to eat the fish in 
 question. On the other hand the Rabbi of Altofen, 
 Hungary, sided with Chorin and declared that 
 Krieshaber was guilty of a falsehood. This document 
 was signed by the Rabbi, Moses Muenz, Wolf 
 Rappoport, Samuel Kann, Jacob Benet, Michael 
 Rechnitz and Samuel Rausnitz. The Rabbis of 
 Prague came forth again with a similar declaration. It 
 must be borne in mind that it was not a question 
 ot a Rabbinical, but of a Mosaic law, which created 
 this controversy. According to the decision of the 
 Chief Rabbi of Maehren, he who would eat of the 
 sturgeon was unfit to render testimony in a court or 
 to take an oath. In a pamphlet published by Kries- 
 haber this Rabbi of Paks thanks God that he never de- 
 
yo REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 voted himself to such studies as Choriu was eu^aged. 
 The literature on .this question was to a great extent 
 destroyed by the enemies of both parties. 
 
 In 1798 appeared the first pamphlet of Choriu in 
 Prague under the title: "Imre Noam." (Pleasant 
 words.) In 1799 the same author published a 
 brochure entitled "Sirjon Kaskassim," (The scaled 
 coat of mail,) doubtless alluding to the scaled fish. 
 (Levit. II, 9.) This pamphlet is a reply to the 
 "Markkel Noam" (Pleasant Rod) of Rabbi Krieshaber, 
 of Paks, and contains, among other things in its sixty 
 pages, the vehement declaration of the Rabbis of 
 Prague against Krieshaber. The latter however felt 
 by no means discouraged, but tried to place R. 
 Eleazar Flekeles of Prague on the defensive, demand- 
 ing of him a recantation of his decision, and threaten- 
 ing in all earnestness that all those permitting the 
 sturgeon to be eaten by the Jews will not enjoy the 
 great privilege of partaking of the banquet which God 
 Almighty will give to his thirty-six chosen and pious 
 ones in the world to come, where the fabulous 
 Leviathan f will constitute the main and most favored 
 dish in the bill of fare. But the Rabbi of Prague re- 
 joined him saying: 
 
 "You make yourself ridiculous indeed; it would be 
 'far better if you would cease to indulge in such useless 
 and sophistical disquisitions in order to invent new 
 burdens. Did not the old Palestinian, Rabbi Isac, 
 declare: Be satisified with the prohibitions of the 
 Thora, and do not lay upon yourself new limitations, 
 of which the Thora knows notning?" 
 
 The controversy concerning the fish came to an 
 end, but Choriu, though coming out a victor, had con- 
 jured up the enmity and bitter hostility of the great 
 
 t Leviathan is a monster of the sea, which drinks daily all the 
 water of the oceau, which God replaces. This fish can converse in 
 seventy languages, and had been salted by God on the first day of 
 creation for said banquet. It is needless to state that this legend 
 is one of the numerous Talniudical hyperboles which contains more 
 poetry than truth. 
 
AROX CHOKIN. 71 
 
 majority of his colleagues. Chorin and the noble 
 galaxy of the outspoken, honest and courageous Re- 
 form-Rabbis of the nineteenth century, learned to their 
 sorrow what this means. For the Kricshhabers 
 type of Rabbis are not dead yet; they are still 
 stubbornly fighting against the cause of a pro- 
 gressive development in Judaism, and what is 
 deplorable in the extreme, they are to this very 
 day not at all particular in their methods. To- 
 da\-, as a hundred years ago, they do not care whether 
 the means to be employed in the work of checking the 
 Reform-movement, are fair or foul. The opportunity 
 to be revenged on Chorin was soon offered his enemies. 
 Several merchants of standing, who were in the 
 habit of visiting Arad, strongly encouraged Chorin to 
 go to the Soniogy, where they thought he would be 
 elected Rabbi of the entire district. He went there in 
 the spring of 1802, and received from all sides definite 
 assurances of his election. On his way home he 
 preached in Gross-Kanizsa, where his manners and lec- 
 tures found such great favor that the President of the 
 Congregation, Moses Lackenbacher, a man of great 
 wealth and influence in Hungary, not only offered him 
 his hospitality for three weeks, but promised to secure 
 his election as Rabbi of the district of the Somogy, 
 which was an important and influential position. 
 But, alas! the words of the Psalmist proved once more 
 to be true: " Do not put your trust in nobles, in the 
 son of man, in whom there is no salvation." (Ps. 14: 
 63.) The friend turned a foe. After Chorin' s depart- 
 ure, Lackenbacher we^t on a business trip to Pressburg, 
 where the hatred against progress and reform was 
 fierce, and the leaders of Judaism there succeeded in 
 influencing him against Chorin to such an extent, that, 
 instead of working in the Somogy in lavor of Chorin, 
 he did all in his power against him, in consequence of 
 which Chorin failed to be elected. But greater troubles 
 were in store for our Reformer. 
 
 In the year 1803 he published another book at 
 Prague under the title, " Emek Ha-Schaveh," which 
 
72 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Fiierst translates, "Reconciliation of Faith with Prac- 
 tical Life," a philosophical treatise. It is divided into 
 three parts, " Rash Aniana; Neshaina Chajah; Diratli 
 Aron."* In this book Chorin accnses the Rabbis who 
 prolong the service in the Synagogne by their loud 
 recitation of a large part of the prayer "Shema," of 
 making the service tedious to the people. He shows 
 in the work his acquaintance with the rudiments of 
 astronomy, geography, physics, grammar, things 
 which were a terra incognita at that time to the 
 Rabbis in Hungaria. Chorin's opinion on the princi- 
 ple of the "oral law" (Thora She-bal-peh) of tradi- 
 tion, in the third part of this book, is very important. 
 He gives as a reason why the old teachers and scribes 
 did not write down the "oral law," the fact that by 
 doing so they would have prevented the teachers and 
 Rabbis of later times and coming ages from making 
 new laws or establishing changes and innovations in 
 accord with the exigencies and wants of new epochs. 
 This conception is a full justification of the introduc- 
 tion of reforms, and, coming as it did, from a Rabbi 
 in Hungary, eighty-six years ago, is remarkable in- 
 deed. He tried also to prove in the same work that 
 the study of philosophy is by no means incompatible 
 with the Talmud, and that often the noblest lessons 
 were conveyed in, apparently, very insignificant pas- 
 sages of the Talmud. He tried also to interpret phil- 
 osophically the Kabbala. Theoretically not opposed 
 to the Kabbala, he most emphatically denounces "the 
 mob, who believe that there are men who, by means 
 of senseless combinations of spoken or written letters, 
 are capable of forcing the laws of nature to be changed 
 from their regular course. It is, however," he con- 
 tinues, "clear that this belief is incompatible with 
 sound reason; for 'shall the axe boast over him, that 
 heweth therewith?" (Isaiah 10.15.) The fact that 
 the Talmud speaks of the efficacy of amulets (Sabbath, 
 
 i "Principle of faitl'., livingsoul, dwellingof" Aron are literal trans- 
 lations of these titles. 
 
ARON CHORIN. 7;^ 
 
 6r) does not influence Cliorin in the least. He thinks 
 that such efficacy is only imaoinary and should be 
 ascribed to the phantasy of the patient. 
 
 This book, which, as will be seen, caused Chorin 
 annoyances and persecution, is well recommended by 
 Rabbi Moses Muenz, of Altofcn, and by Moses Knnit- 
 zer, Rabbi of Ofen, who praised Chorin in a Hebrew 
 poem and encouraged him to continue unterrified in 
 his good course. It is probably on account of this 
 and because of Kunitzer's decision in favor of the 
 reformed Prayerbook of the Temple in Hamburg, 
 (1819) that Graetz represents Kunitzer as a "queer 
 fellow" and a '^fool."^ 
 
 Chorin had intended to publish a second edition of 
 the book, augmented, revised and enlarged, but the 
 orthodox party succeeded in preventing its publica- 
 tion. The copy, prepared as it was for the printer, is 
 now in the possession of Dr. Immanuel Loew, Rabbi 
 and successor of his father, Leopold Loew, in Szegedin. 
 
 I mentioned before, that since the controversy on 
 the sturgeon Mordechai Benet, the Chief Rabbi of 
 :\Laehren, had changed his friendly attitude toward 
 Chorin. But after the appearance of the " Ro.sh Am- 
 ana," he took the part of an open enemy. In a letter 
 to Chorin' s Congregation in Arad he said that the book 
 contained heresies and must be burnt. The Congrega- 
 tion of Arad, however, supported their Rabbi, and 
 demanded of the Rabbi of Nickolsburg proof of the 
 heretical character of the book in qnestion. But 
 Mordechai Benet' s letter sufficed to create a faction in 
 the Congregation opposed to Chorin. One fanatic, a 
 very rich and influential member of the Congregation, 
 became the leader of the opposition party and went so 
 far in his bitterness that on the Sabbath "vShubah'' 
 (Sabbath of Penitence) of 1804, he demonstrated his 
 feelings of penitence and contrition by uttering the 
 most insolent curses against the Rabbi during his 
 sermon in the Svnagogue. Several members of the 
 
 i History of the Jesvs, XI p. 421. 
 
74 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Congregation, incensed at such unprecedented impu- 
 dence, commenced to murmur and were ready to 
 avenofe the insiilts offered to their beloved Rabbi and 
 punish the desecration of the Synagogue. But Chorm, 
 hearing the murmuring and seeing the threatening 
 storm, ordered the Synagogue to be closed from within 
 and, like a true priest of peace, pacified his Congrega- 
 tion with the words of the Psalmist: "May our ene- 
 mies curse, thou, O God, w-ilt bless," (Psalm 109:28) 
 and continued his sermon. 
 
 Such occurrences were quite frequent in the his- 
 tory of the Jewish-Reform movement. In 1871 I was 
 present at the Heidenreuter Synagogue in Berlin when 
 a man by the name of Lachman loudly cursed my late 
 revered teacher. Dr. Abraham Geiger, during the de- 
 livery of his sermon. On April 3, 1842, wdien Geiger 
 was about to deliver his funeral sermon at the grave of 
 Heyman Oppenheim in Breslau, the orthodox mob, 
 incited against Geiger by the funeral sermon of the 
 "pious" Rabbi Tiktin, who preceded Geiger, screamed 
 and yelled and were about to throw Geiger into the 
 grave. He, however, like a true follower of Aron, 
 mindful of the word of the wise Hillel, "Love, peace 
 and further peace," did not insist upon the right to 
 speak, but concluded his hardly begun eulogy with 
 the words: "I do not want to disturb the rest of the 
 dead. Go in peace." I 
 
 All attempts at conciliation failed until the leader 
 of the opposition declared that the testimony of the 
 Rabbi of Altofen, relative to Chorin's book would 
 satisfy him. On August 8, 1805, the Rabbi of 
 Altofen gave his opinion to the effect that, while the 
 author of the "Rosh Amana" had written some things 
 which must appear strange to the mob and concerning 
 which disputes had arisen in centuries gone by, he is 
 unable to find heresies in the book and holds, that, the 
 Congregation of Arad is in duty bound to honor and 
 
 i See my "Al)raham Geiger als Refonnator desjudenthum's," p. 
 71, Tvoebaii, 1S79. 
 
AKOX CHORIN. 75 
 
 respect their Rabbi. But this docuiiieiit, though made 
 out by Rabbi Moses Muentz, was uot signed by him. 
 While kindly disposed towards Chorin, he was so niueh 
 belabored In- Chorin' s enemies, that he wanted if 
 possibly to remain neutral. The orthodox -party insisted 
 on his condemnation of the book and the infliction of 
 an exemplary punishment upon the author. He then 
 invited two fanatic Rabbis of Assod and Zsambek to 
 come to Altofen on September i, 1805, in order to 
 sit in council over Chorin, who was also summoned. 
 The opposition party in Arad was represented by 
 three meml)ers. The Rabbi of Altofen did not ap- 
 pear at the meeting. The narrow-minded Rabbi 
 Samuel Butschowitz, of Assod, announced to Chorin, 
 who was received in the yard of the Synagogue with 
 insults, that unless he recanted his heresies set 
 forth in his book, his beard would be cut off. In 
 vain Chorin asked, that the passages, upon which 
 the charge of heresy was based, be pointed out. 
 Disgusted he signed the following words: 
 
 ''Having been informed that my book, 'Emek 
 Ha-Shave' has created an excitement among some 
 Rabbis, I declare, that I submit my opinions to the 
 judgment of the sages of the present time. Altofen, 
 September 2, 1805. Aron Chorin." 
 
 It was a great mistake on his part that he went 
 to Altofen at all, as he must have known the character 
 of his self-constituted orthodox tribunal. Every 
 recantation is an error. 
 
 After leaving his inquisitors he was received by a 
 volley of stones from the promising youth of the 
 Jewish communit)- of Altofen. His wise judges 
 usurped also the right to reduce his salary, although 
 the Congregation of Arad, paid it. I mention this in 
 order to show the mean, contemptible and vindictive 
 spirit which animated those watch-dogs of Zion, who, 
 not content with his recantation, tried to starve a 
 poor colleague, who had to support on a small salary 
 a family of seven children. But they did not succeed in 
 their nefarious scheme. The Conofreoration of Arad in- 
 
76 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 digiiantly refused the verdict, and bitterly reproached 
 the RaV^bi of Altofeii on account of his duplicity. 
 Chorin at last did the right thing by appealing to the 
 Hungarian Government, (Statthalterei,) and request- 
 ing the same to annul the verdict of the Rabbinical 
 tribunal, in which appeal he was successful. Not 
 only did the Government cancel the decision of the 
 Rabbis, (June 24, 1805), but sentenced the ringleaders 
 of Chorin' s opponents to pay the cost of the law suit. 
 Chorin pardoned his enemy and declined to accept the 
 payment of expenses. But it was no victory for 
 Chorin, as the sentiment of the Hungarian Jews was 
 against him, and his opponents in Arad were by no 
 means conciliated. In order to be free from annoyances 
 and in deference to his aged father, Chorin' s pen 
 rested for about ten years. 
 
 It rested but it rusted not. For on October 18, 
 1 818, the famous Temple in Hamburg was dedicated 
 and a reformed ritual with German prayers and 
 hymns accompanied by the organ, and sermons was 
 introduced. The prayers concerning the coming of a 
 personal Messiah were partly omitted, partly modified 
 in accord with the requirements of the new age. This 
 induced the Rabbinical College of Hamburg, composed 
 of the Rabbis Baruch Meyer, Moses Jacob Jafe and 
 Michael Speier, not only to publish an interdict against 
 the new ritual on account of its innovations, but to 
 prevail on the Senate of Hamburg to close the Temple. 
 The consequence was, that the different Rabbinical 
 authorities ol Europe were asked by the officers of the 
 new Temple in Hamburg, to give their opinions on the 
 justification of these Reforms. Chorin, in spite of his 
 sad experiences a decade ago, had the courage to en- 
 dorse most of those Reforms. (April 7, 1818.) Moses 
 Kunitzer, of Ofen, and two Italian Rabbis, Shem-Tob 
 Samun, of Livorno, and Jacob Vita Recanati also ex- 
 expressed themselves in favor of the Reforms. These 
 opinions were published by Elieser Liberman, of 
 Austria, w^ho added them to his own arguments, under 
 the name "Nogah Zedek" and "Or Nogah." (Dessau, 
 
ARON ClIOKIN'. 77 
 
 1818.) In consequence of this the Rabbis of Ham- 
 burg asked the opinions of other Rabbis and these 
 were published under the name "Eleh Dibre Habrith," 
 (Altona, 18 1 9;) and transhited in a German extract by 
 Shalom Kohen, who himself was a Reformer. The 
 opponents of Reform had no men in their own ranks 
 capable of translating those Rabbinical opinions into 
 German. Following are the names of the Rabbis who 
 condemned the Reforms of the "Hamburg Temple:" 
 Salomon Cohen, of Fuerth, Hertz Schoyer, of 
 ^lainz; Moses Szopher, of Pressburg; Mordechai 
 Benet, Chief Rabbi of Maehren; (Nickolsburg;) Rabbis 
 of Prague, (Elieser Plekeles, Samuel Landau, Levin 
 Melisch;) Rabbi Elieser, of Trietsch, Rabbi Abraham, 
 of Bresslau; R. Elieser Levi, ofTriest; Akiba Eger, 
 of Posen; Aron Joschany, of Ravitsch; Rabbi 
 Maseltob, of Modena, Italy; the Rabbis of Padua 
 (Mnachem Asaria Castelnuovo, Jacob Ascher Luzzatto, 
 Israel Mordechai Cunion, ) ]^Ioses Ahage, Rabbi of 
 Mantua; Rabbi Samuel, of Amsterdam; the Rabbis of 
 Livorno, (Salomo David, Chajim Malach and ten 
 more signatures. ) ^ Rabbi Moses Tobias, of Hanau; 
 Rabbi Jacob, of Lissa; Rabbi Hirsch Katzenellenbogen, 
 of Winzenheim, a member of the consistorv in Ober- 
 Elsass. Moses Szopher, Elieser of Trietsch and 
 Mordechai Benet sent each two letters. The language 
 used by these Rabbis is not very polite. Cohn, of 
 Fuerth accuses the Reformers of arrogance and atheism 
 and applies to them the words of Isaiah; "When ye 
 make manv prayers I shall not hear," (I, 19,) which 
 that prophet applies to murderers only, "whose hands 
 are full of blood." The fact that the Temple people 
 had no services on week days was sufficient for the 
 Rabbi of Fuerth to advise them not to have any 
 service at all. In the same strain continues Moses 
 Szopher: "Oh that they would abstain from all wor- 
 ship." He calls the Reformers "infidels," "small 
 
 i It must, however, be remarked, that not all the signers were 
 Rabbis. Many of them were "Dajanim." (Assessors.) 
 
78 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 foxes wliich destroy the vineyards." His objection to 
 an organ or other nuisical instrument is based on the 
 fact that on account of our mourning over the destruc- 
 tion of the Temple in Jerusalem, music, as expressive 
 of joy and pleasure, must be excluded from the 
 Synagogue. But from this point of view R. M'oses 
 ought to have objected to music at home and in 
 concerts. His argument for the retention of the 
 Hebrew language in the Synagogue to the exclusion of 
 any other language is amusing. "In court," he says, 
 "when appearing before the king we have to converse 
 according to etiquette in the language of the king, not 
 in our own, though the king might understand it. 
 Now God's language is Hebrew, hence Hebrew must 
 be the language of prayer." The good Rabbi had 
 only forgotten to prove that Hebrew is God's language. 
 We would have expected a better argument from the 
 President of the largest Rabbinical school of his age. 
 The Chief Rabbi of Maehren brings forth a remarkable 
 "historical" fact, which if true, would furnish new 
 material to the modern anti-Semites. He claims that 
 the Jews had been expelled from Spain and Portugal 
 on account of their Reformatory inclinations. How 
 religious fanaticism can dim the judgment of men is 
 best proven by his harsh and unjust words against 
 Aron Chorin, At the conclusion of his "opinion," he 
 said, "as to the approbation of the RablDi of Arad, 
 Rabbi Aron Chorin, who spoke favorably of the Ham- 
 burg Reforms, far be it from us to accept from him 
 any teachings concerning religious matters, as this man 
 po-sesses only a very moderate knowledge of Talmud 
 and Rabbinism and devotes his time to worldly 
 sciences only." This was written December 31, 1818. 
 But the same Rabbi, Mordechai Benet, in a letter of 
 March 23, 1793, twenty-five years before this time, be- 
 stowed upon Chorin the epithets, "a great and promi- 
 nent Rabbi;" the "light of Israel," the "right 
 pillar." But so it was at all times, that "Ssineah 
 Mkalkeleth Hashurah," (Hatred clouds the* judg- 
 ment.) R. Mordechai Benet's argument against the 
 
ARON CHOKIX. 79 
 
 use of German or the veruacular in the prayer-book 
 is, to say the least, very peculiar. "The psalms," 
 he argues, "must be recited in Hebrew, because the 
 sense of some verses can be explained indifferent ways 
 while the translation admits of but one sense only." * 
 He also claims that the use of music during divine 
 service is inadmissible because it disturbs the worship. 
 
 The Rabbis of Prague decided that the Hamburg 
 Temple people "were neither Jews nor Christians, but 
 individuals without faith, whose prayers were sinful and 
 whose only purpose in introducing Reforms was to 
 make themselves liked among the Christians." 
 (January i, 1819.) A quarter of a century later, in 
 1844, no less a personage than the celebrated Rabbi, 
 Salomon Jehuda Rapoport, of Prague, was not afraid 
 to eive officiallv the following decision: 
 
 "Those Reformers who pray in German and 
 abandon the Hebrew language are our brethren, inas- 
 much as in doing so they have, as is well known, not 
 violated the precepts, which are contained in the 
 Mishna and in the casuists." f E. Elieser, of Trietsch, 
 calls the Temple people "apostates' and 'Chorin a man 
 who intends to tear down entirely the barriers and 
 bounds of the ancient teachers." Sarcastically he al- 
 ludes to the fact that the Reformers had to go to 
 Hungary and Italy for the sake of getting approbation and 
 with respect to them he applies the rather strong passage 
 of the Talmud, "Harozeh Leshaker Jarchik Edatho," 
 (He who intends to lie looks for witnesses from a far 
 distance.) He also advises the Hamburg Rabbis to 
 prevail upon the Senate of Hamburg to close the 
 Temple of the Reformers, and- — I use his own expres- 
 sion — "to paralyze the arm of the evil-doers." He 
 says, he will pray, that God may overthrow those 
 blasphemers, who threaten to shake the pillars of our 
 holy religion. (January lo, 1819.) In his second 
 
 ♦See: Weil "Aron Chorin," page 59. 
 
 t Rabbinische Gutachten ueber die Beschneidunt^, Frankfurt, 
 1S44, page 120. 
 
8o RKKORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 letten- he is nntch exasperated on account of a pamphlet 
 by Lazar Riesser of Altona, the son-in- law of Raphael 
 Kohn, and father of the famous lawyer Gabriel Riesser. 
 This pamphlet was published in the form of an "Open 
 letter to my co-religionists in Hamburg." f It not 
 only defends the Reforms but deals harshly with the 
 Hamburg Rabbis, who oppose them. They are called 
 "hypocrites and tartuffes" who "sow discord in Israel, 
 and bar the way to the sons of those who are anxious 
 to return to the grace of the father." Riesser compares 
 the devotion, order and decorum reigning supreme in 
 the Hamburg Temple with the disorder and noise in 
 the Synagogues. Such words spoken in elegant Ger- 
 man by a man whose scholarship was recognized, and 
 whose family connections were imposing to both parties, 
 could not fail to create a sentiment in favor of the new 
 movement, the more so, as truth was on his side. Rabbi 
 Elieser, of Trietsch was especially incensed, because in 
 order to give his pamphlet a larger circulation, Riesser 
 published it in German. Here again we find proof of 
 the partiality pervading Graetz's "History." He de- 
 clares that Riesser' s motive in publishing his pamphlet 
 was revenge against the Rabbis of Hamburg. I Why, 
 is it so unlikely that Riesser spoke as he did from con- 
 viction ? Suppose somebody should say that all the 
 Rabbis who opposed the Hamburg Temple Reforms 
 were actuated by personal motives ? Would that be 
 unbiased history? No! it would be "Tendenz- 
 Geschichte." (Partisan History.) 
 
 Aside from this, it is next to impossible for the 
 historian to trace men's motive of a fact. It is wrong- 
 ing the dead, who have no chance to defend themselves, 
 for a historian to speak with certainty of their motives. 
 The wrong is greater, when as in the present case, the 
 motive is represented as bad. Or does Joshua Ben 
 Prachia's maxim "Judge every man charitably, kindly 
 and favorably," (Abot I, 6,) not apply to the historian? 
 
 + An meine Glaubensgenossen in Hamburg, 1819. 
 J Hist, of the Jews vol. XI, p. 423. 
 
AROX CHORIN. 8t 
 
 I dwelt at some length on the "decisions" of the 
 recognised European authorities of those days concern- 
 ing the Hambiirg prayer-book, in order to demonstrate 
 to the Jews of America, that the so-called conservative 
 Congregations and Rabbis of this country are to some 
 extent included in those bulls and excommunications. 
 For the Reforms of the Hamburg Temple of 1818 
 have been introduced in almost every conservative 
 Synagogue of this country. The prayer-book of Dr. 
 Jastrow and Dr. Szold, which is considered conserva- 
 tive in America, goes further in its expression of the 
 principles of Reform-Judaism than the old prayer-book 
 of the Temple in Hamburg. This proves that 
 "hersey" is in the main a question of chronology and of 
 geography. The heretics of fifty years ago are the 
 saints of to-day, and those who are considered conserva- 
 tives Jews in this country are numbered among the 
 radicals by the conservatives of the Samson Raphael 
 Hirsch, Hildesheimer and Lehman type in Germany. 
 Whenever controversies are necessary, let us therefore 
 be more tolerant and less bitter. Fortiter in re, 
 suavitcr in modo. 
 
 After this digression let us return to Chorin. No 
 sooner was it known that his '"decision" favored the 
 Reforms of Hamburg, when Rabbi Muenz of Altofcn 
 directed a strong missive to Chorin, in which he 
 placed the alternative before him, either to recant his 
 opinion or to lose his position as Rabbi. Chorin was 
 poor, the father of a large family, and well aware of 
 the fact, that he conld not expect under the circum- 
 stances to get another position. He would not permit 
 his family to starve on account of his advanced ideas, 
 and — recanted in February, 1819. Who will condemn 
 him ? Has Prof. Graetz a right to call him on this ac- 
 count "an insincere character?" * And what did 
 recantations ever amount to ? Ask the annals of 
 history. Galileo may recant, but his lips nevertheless 
 drown the clanking of the chains, however faintly they 
 
 * History of the Jews, XI, p. 421. 
 
82 RKKORMHD JUDAISM. 
 
 quiver, "e pur si muove." (and still she moves.) In- 
 deed but a year later, Chorin reaffirmed his views in 
 the "approbation" on the Hamburg Temple Re- 
 forms, in a book entitled, "A Word at the Right 
 Time." * This book is divided into two parts: Gate 
 of the doctrine, containing the duties to our fellow- 
 men, no matter whether Jews or Gentiles; gate of wor- 
 ship, in which Chorin advocates a Reform of the 
 divine service, on the basis of his "decision" in the 
 matter of the Hamburg Temple-Reform. He is the 
 first Rabbi who attempts to justify Reforms by citing 
 Talmudical passages, and the utterances of Rabbinical 
 authorities. This method which has been, and is to a 
 great extent still followed by progressive Rabbis, at- 
 tacks the Talmud with the Talmud, and wages war 
 against orthodoxy with its own weapons; thus, on the 
 one hand sustaining the claims of modern Judaism by 
 arguments from the armory of the Talmud, but on the 
 other pre-supposing the authority of the Talmud. It is 
 rather poor policy for Reform-Judaism to play the part 
 of the beggar of alms from orthodoxy. Geiger was 
 the first to see this and to place Reform-Judaism on an 
 independent footing, on the basis of science and histori- 
 cal criticism. 
 
 Chorin closes his pamphlet with an appeal to the 
 Rabbis (pages 55-61), urging upon them to be tolerant, 
 warning them most impressively against persecution, 
 and imploring them to further agriculture and trade 
 among the Jews. M. L. Biederman, of Pressburg, be- 
 came Chorin' s friend and admirer, and the progressive 
 party among the Jews in Pressburg and Vienna were 
 urged by their friends in Germany to further Chorin' s 
 interests in every respect. The consequence was, that 
 the Censor, Loeb Hatzfeld, of Vienna, translated 
 Chorin' s "Word at the Right Time," into German 
 and had it printed. Had it not been for the political 
 state of affairs in Hungary, Chorin would have been 
 elected preacher in Vienna. Rabbi Mordechai Benet 
 
 *Dabar Beitto, Vienna, 1820. 
 
ARON CHORIN. 83 
 
 had prevented the introduction of the Hamburg Temple 
 Ritual into Vienna. Chorin's suggestions had no 
 little influence towards establishing the present 
 "Wiener Cultus," which, while not based on the 
 principles or Reiform-Judaism, is a great improvement 
 on the orthodox style and is now introduced in hundreds 
 of Jewish Congregations in Austraia, Hungary. The 
 decision of the Vienna Congregation to have marriage 
 ceremonies performed by the preacher, was also Chorin's 
 work. 
 
 Chorin's 'Word at the Right Time, "shared the 
 fate of the prophet who is the more appreciated abroad, 
 the less he is recognized at home. While in Hungary 
 the pamphlet would have been excommunicated had it 
 not been for ^^lichacl Lazar Biederman's influence, it 
 created a sensation in Germany from the fact that its 
 author was a Rabbi. The advocacy of ''Reform" by 
 merchants, (Friedlaender, Jacobsohn, ) teachers and 
 preachers, (Zunz, Salomon, Kley, Wolf. Guensburg, 
 Auerbach, Bendavid,) was a matter of daily occurence, 
 but to see "Reform" defended with Rabbinical 
 weapons was unheard of before, and it was a great and 
 pleasant surprise to all the friends ot "Reform." 
 Israel Jacobsohn sent Chorin a tabatiere as a token of 
 appreciation, and assured him of his esteem and friend- 
 ship. The Government of Baden asked for the opinion 
 of Chorin "as to what belonged to the duties of a Rabbi 
 and what has been done in Austria towards an im- 
 provement of the Jewish cult ?" 
 
 In June 23, 1820, the new Temple in Karlsruhe 
 was dedicated and therefore the Government, which 
 favored a Reform movement among the Israelites, but 
 wanted to do full justice to all its Jewish subjects, 
 ordered Banker Haber, the agent of the Government, 
 and President of the Congregation, to communicate 
 with Chorin. 
 
 Chorin requested his friend Hatzteld in Vienna to 
 answer the second question, while he tried to give a 
 satisfactory reply to the first in a pamphlet "Iggereth 
 
84 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Elassaf.":^ The drift of his answer is, that the laws 
 of the Thora can be temporarily suspended by a 
 religious body. The so-called customs and usages, 
 however, can be abolished even by the Government, 
 provided Jewish experts and scholars favor such aboli- 
 tions. It was a good thing that the small Govern- 
 ments of Germany, (Baden, Anhalt, Braunschweig, 
 Hessen, Oldenburg, Schwaben, Thueringen, Hessen- 
 Darmstadt,) have, as a rule, taken kindly to the intro- 
 duction of Reforms in Judaism. For without this sup- 
 port the success would have been questionable be- 
 cause the movement was in its infancy. To-day the 
 Reformers would be the first to oppose even the most 
 favorable interference of the Government. Wherever 
 ideal aims are at stake, the words of the psalmist must 
 hold good: "In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat 
 thy bread;" through struggles, and not seldom hotly 
 contested ones, we should gain to victory. What we 
 conquer inch by inch will be a lasting gain. This has 
 been proven in the wonderful success and astonishing 
 achievements of the Jewish-Reform movement in 
 America. Nowadays it is in Germany and Austria the 
 orthodox party that finds favor with the Governments, 
 and it is not slow in using its influence with the 
 Government towards checking Reform, wherever there 
 is a chance to do so. It is better so than vice versa. 
 For, "not by physical force, not by material power, 
 but by my spirit says God." (Zach., 4-6.) 
 
 Chorin was strongly in favor of a "synod" with 
 jDower to decide questions concerning the Jewish relig- 
 ion and its relation to the exigencies of the new age. 
 He said among other things that a synod could permit 
 writing or travel on the Sabbath. f In 1837 Chorin 
 published a pamphlet "Hillel," which is divided into 
 three parts, to-wit: Humanity and love of self; laws of 
 Moses concerning our duties to our fellow men, irre- 
 spective of creed ; comments on the thirteen articles of 
 
 *Prag, 1826, M. I. Landau, pages 28-46. 
 t Zir Noam, Prag 1831, M. I, Landan. 
 
ARON CHOKIX. 85 
 
 creed. His ideas on, or rather a^i^ainst, fasting are re- 
 markable indeed, (pp. 46-47.) On page 90 he says, 
 "that according to the Talnmdical principle, all those, 
 who believe in Cyod and His Revelation, will share the 
 blessings of eternal salvation.* On pages 160 and 161 
 he invests every Sanhedrin with the right to change 
 or to institnte ceremonies in accord with the reqnire- 
 ments of time and circumstances. (Dent, 17, it.) 
 The first Synod in Leipzig, (1869,) and the second in 
 Augsburg, (1871,) would have, it seems to me, fully 
 come up to Chorin's ideal. Chorin was in favor of rid- 
 ing in railroads on Sabbath- and Holidays, of a Jew 
 playing the organ on Sabbath, of shortening the time 
 of mourning for the dead, and of permitting the head 
 to be uncovered during divine service in the Synagogue 
 which while customary in almost every Reform Con- 
 gregation in America, is even to this very day, con- 
 sidered an unheard of heresy in Europe. I know of 
 only one Jewish Temple in Europe where the male 
 worshipers remove their hats during divine service. 
 This is in the Reform Temple of Berlin in the Johan- 
 nisgasse, where Dr. Holdheim was Rabbi, and where 
 the Sabbath was transferred to Sunday. Chorin was, 
 like all idealists and enthusiastic Reformers, an 
 optimist, and the first Rabbi who called attention to 
 the necessity of elevating the Hungarian Jewish Con- 
 gregations. He deserves the same recognition on ac- 
 count of his labors in the cause of the emancipation of 
 the Jews of Hungary. The Pressburg clique, did not 
 even desire a thorough and total emancipation, as Moses 
 Szopher was afraid lest such a consummation might 
 deal a deadly blow to the rule of uncompromising, 
 fanatic orthodoxy, who.se representative he was. We 
 find analogous ca.ses in Jewi.sh history in France in 
 1789, and long before that time in Holland. Owing 
 to Chorin's influence, Arad could boast in December, 
 1832, of no less than fifty-nine Jewi.'^h handicraftsmen, 
 
 * Sanhedrin 105, see Zunz: Zur Gaschichte und Literatur, page 
 3S5. 
 
86 KKKORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 representing almost every trade. This Congregation 
 possesses to-day one of the best Jewish schools in 
 Hnngary. Chorin had to nndergo great and fierce 
 struggles in promoting this school. At that time only 
 three large Congregations, Pressburg, Altofen and 
 Pesth supported schools. Chorin could not, however, 
 succeed in introducing his strongly- advocated Re- 
 forms in his own Synagogue. His advice was sought 
 for from outside by men like IMoses Israel Landau and 
 Peter Beer of Prague. The former was the editor of 
 the periodical "Bikkure Ittim," (first ripe fruits of the 
 times,) published in Vienna. These two men had 
 formed a "Society for the elevation and improvement 
 of the worship in Prague." Chorin recommended the 
 introduction of the organ. In a letter of June i6, 1835, 
 he writes: 
 
 "I hear good news from Prague. In September the 
 new Temple will be opened and the celebrated Dr. 
 Zunz, of Berlin, is appointed as preacher. I hope this 
 Temple will tend towards the true glorification of the 
 worship. In Vienna they have only beautified, not 
 essentially improved the divine service. If, as I hope, 
 they will carry out in Prague my suggestions, their 
 Temple will become the pattern for less wealthy Con- 
 gregations that cannot afford to imitate the glittering 
 pomp of Vienna." 
 
 In 1803 Choiin composed "Selichoth," (prayers 
 of penitence, )and became the only composer of Selichoth 
 in Hungary. They were printed at Ofen, in 1819. 
 Chorin also introduced the performance of the marriage- 
 ceremony in the Synagogue. Marriage-ceremonies 
 were performed according to old orthodox custom in 
 the yard of the Synagogue or on the street. In 1868, 
 I saw my former teacher. Dr. Israel Hildesheimer, the 
 present leader of the new orthodoxy in Berlin, per- 
 forming a marriage-ceremony on the street in Eisen- 
 stadt Hungary. .In 1827, Chorin delivered the 
 prayer for the emperor and country in the German 
 language. In 1839 Chorin advocated Congregational 
 singing and the use of the organ. In 1840, he had 
 
AROX CHORIN. 87 
 
 after all these struggles the great satisfaction of hear- 
 ing the stirring peals of the organ resonnding every 
 Sabbath in his Synagogue. 
 
 The introduction of the organ into the Synagogue 
 of Arad in 1840 must be looked upon as a very im- 
 portant step towards Reform. Some readers of this 
 book may not feel inclined to think so, from the fact 
 that the organ is introduced into a number of orthodox 
 S>nagogues of America. But America in 1892 is not 
 what Europe was in 1840. The following facts will 
 prove my assertion. In Vienna, with a Jewish com- 
 munity of 100,000 souls there is even to-day not one 
 Jewish house of worship in which there is an organ. 
 Dr. Guedeman, preacher of the Vienna Temple in the 
 "Leopoldstadt," in 1871 denounced an organ in the 
 Synagogue ''as the worst kind of idolatry," and com- 
 pared it with Simri's act of the most shameful 
 licentiousness.* Professor Graetz, who denies the 
 supernatural origin of the Pentateuch in the first two 
 volumes of his "History of the Jews," strongly opposes 
 an organ in a Synagogue."! Dr. Israel Hildesheimer, 
 a leader of orthodoxy in Germany, publicly revoked a 
 few years ago his Rabbinical certificate given to his 
 disciple. Dr. Goldschmidt, because the latter favored an 
 organ in the Synagogue. Indeed an organ in the 
 Synagogue is regarded even this day as the "Shibbolet" 
 of the orthodox and Reform-parties in Germany. 
 
 The "Hirsch-Lehman-Hildesheimer" school de- 
 clares a Synagogue in w^hich there is an organ — "Anti- 
 Jewish." Wherever in Germany in the last two de- 
 cades an organ has been introduced into a Synagogue, 
 it was the signal for a split in the Congregation and 
 for the establishment of a new orthodox Congregation. 
 In the Temple of Prague the organ is permitted to be 
 played on week days only at weddings and similar oc- 
 
 * See Guedeman' s sermon: Jerusalem, Opfer unrl Ort^el Wien, 
 1871, (Herzfeld und Baur.) 
 
 tSeevol. XI of Graet/.'s "History'" and my "Graet?;'sGeschichtSi 
 bauerei," Berlin, 18S0, (Issleib.) 
 
88 RKFOKMED JUDAISM. 
 
 casioiis, not, however, on Sabbath- and Holidays.]; In 
 other Congregations of Germany, they wonld not per- 
 mit a Jew to pla)- on the organ on the Sabbatli- and 
 Holidays. They have therefore as a rnle Christian 
 organists. These instances show the importance of 
 the introdnction of an organ in 1840 by Chorin in 
 Arad. If I am not mistaken this was the first organ 
 introdnced into a Synagogne of Anstria - Hnngary. 
 From a letter dated 1842 it can be seen how optimistic 
 Chorin was in the matter of the Reform of worship. 
 He said among other things: "I hope to introdnce 
 (in Arad), the Hambnrg cnltus, which, however, 
 takes time, as we have not the prayer- and hymn 
 books. ' ' 
 
 It speaks well for Chorin that no less a man than 
 Dr. Leopold Znnz received his "Hattarath Horaah" 
 (diploma of Rabbi) from him. It was dated Arad, 
 November 18, 1834. It shows that Znnz, the recog- 
 nized nestor and pioneer in the science of Judaism 
 entertained a higher estimate of Chorin than the prej- 
 udiced historian, Graetz. The following is a rendition 
 into German of this document, by the translator, Johann 
 Zimmerman, in Prague. "I offer my public thanks to 
 God for having fulfilled my cherished wish, that the 
 wise men in Israel should emulate our great Maimonides 
 in harmonizing the Mosaic law with philosophy and 
 thus fortifying and spreading more and more by this 
 means truth, peace, goodness and virtue. Praised be 
 God, who has shown me such a pure source of joy in 
 my beloved friend, the most erudite scholar and sage, 
 Morenu, Lippman Znnz, in whom are united thorough 
 knowledge of Israel's Thorah with other disciplines and 
 branches of science. Therefore I consecrate him to be 
 a Rabbi and bestow upon him the authority to act and 
 decide in accord with his wisdom and superior 
 knowledge of the Thorah in all matters relating to 
 what is permitted or prohibited, particularly consider- 
 ing marriage and divorce according to the laws of 
 
 *On account of the desecration of the Sabbath. 
 
ARON CHORIN. 89 
 
 Moses. Aside from this he takes upon himself the 
 duty to instruct and enlighten the Congregations of 
 Israel, by means of sermons, in the fear of God and in 
 the duties of men, in order that they may draw near to 
 God and practice his teachings and commandments. 
 
 "May our Father in Heaven assist him and grant 
 him strength in his office so that it may accrue to his 
 own honor and to the honor of Israel at large. 
 
 Arad, November 18, 1834. 
 
 Aron Chorix, Chief Rabbi." 
 
 It is a pity that Zunz did not stay in Prague 
 longer than one year. He left because the Govern- 
 ment had subordinated the preachers of the Reformed 
 service to the so-called "Oberjurists," and Zunz was 
 too independent to permit himself to be harassed by 
 men whose superior he was in every respect. 
 
 In the pamphlet "Jeled Zekunim" (child of old 
 age), which Chorin published when 74 years old, he 
 gives a kind of autobiography. Once more, so he re- 
 lates, iu 1827, clouds threatened to obscure his clear 
 sky. "A rabbi took it upon himself to incite a 
 regular revolt against me. He came to Arad, Decem- 
 ber 18, 1827, armed with several letters from different 
 Rabbis, who have hurled bulls of excommunication 
 against me and against all who follow me. He 
 succeeded in causing many scenes of trouble and dis- 
 turbance, until the Congregation with the aid of the 
 civil authorities put an end to them. The uncalled 
 Rabbi had to leave the city and the ringleader of this 
 scene, one of the members of the board of trustees, was 
 suspended." 
 
 Chorin was the recipient of great honors in 
 Vienna. On his way to Czernahora* (Maehren) he 
 called on the Rabbi of Boskowitz, Abraham Placzek, 
 who presided over a large "Jeshibah." (Rabbinical 
 .school.) Two Bachurim had the arrogance to 
 
 * The objects of his trip were to visit the grave of his grand- 
 father Isaias Donat, and to see Moses Loew, the learned father of 
 Dr. Leopold Loew. 
 
90 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 insult grossly the venerable Chorin by suddenly 
 invading the room where Chorin and his com- 
 panion had just taken a seat, vociferously 
 screaming: "Does the Rabbi intend to talk to this 
 Apikores?" (Heretic, the original meaning is "Epi- 
 curean"). To the shame of the host be it said that 
 he had not the manhood to reprimand his impudent 
 disciples, but cowardly ran away. This scene created 
 at the time a great sen.sation in Maehren, and, in 
 justice to the Jews of Boskowitz, it must be stated, 
 that very many of them most emphatically condemned 
 such uncalled for fanaticism and tried their best to 
 make Chorin forget this rude treatment from his 
 colleague. 
 
 The Jewish married ladies of a little town, Mako, 
 in the county of Csanada, Hungary, hold Chorin no 
 doubt, in grateful rememberance. It was on the 
 second day of Shabuoth, 1840, when the wise Rabbi, 
 and still wiser board of trustees of the Jewish Congre- 
 gation in Mako ordered several ladies who appeared 
 in the Synagogue with their own hair instead of the 
 "Scheitel" (perruque,) to leave the gallery. The 
 ladies, or better their husbands, had the courage to 
 seek recourse at the law against the perpetrators of this 
 act of fanaticism. The learned Bishop of Csanada 
 (named Lonovics), who had to decide the question, 
 asked for Rabbi Chorin' s opinion and, as can be im- 
 agined, it was given in favor of the women.* 
 
 In 1841 Chorin declared that rice and legumes are 
 permitted to be eaten on Passover, f A similar de- 
 cision had already been given January 18, 1810, by the 
 consistory of Cassel in a circular to the Rabbis of the 
 kingdom of Westphalen. Reference is made there to 
 the fact, that already R. Zebi Ashkenassi and his son, 
 Jacob Emden, the great opponent of Jonathan 
 Pvybeshuetz, had given this permission. Rabbi Isak 
 
 * See Leopold Loew, Der Juedische Congress in Ungarn, Pest, 
 1S7], page 158. 
 
 t Orient, Literaturblatt, vol. II, page 33. 
 
A RON CRONIN. 9 1 
 
 B. Schescheth (in the fourteenth century) and R. 
 Saul, of Berlin, (eighteenth century) have done the 
 same thing. The consistory of Westphalia circulated 
 on the same day another letter permitting the use of 
 sugar, syrup, candy, tea and tobbacco. These letters 
 were signed by Israel Jacobsohu, Kalkar, Steinhardt, 
 D. Fraenkel, of Dessau, editor of the "Sulamith" and 
 Jerome Heineman. In 1841 Chorin gave a favorable 
 opinion on the revised Hamburg prayer-book. In 
 1842 he was also called upon by the administration of 
 the Jewish Congregation in Breslau, in order to give 
 a decision on the question, whether free research is 
 compatible with Jewish theology, and whether a Rabbi 
 has the right to treat the Jewish theology, in a critical 
 and scientific manner. The answer of Chorin, then 
 seventy-seven years old, was in favor of Geiger and 
 free research. More will be found on this important 
 subject in the last chapter of this book on "Abraham 
 Geiger.'' In a letter to a friend in Gross-Kanissa he 
 said: "This labor was such a strain upon me, that I 
 had to go to the mountains for a few days of recrea- 
 tion." 
 
 Chorin heard of the Rabbinical convention of 
 Braunschweig in 1844, and saw in it the realization of 
 his favorite idea concerning the synod. In August, 1844, 
 he was invited to a Rabbinical convention in Paks, to 
 which he sent an encouraging letter in the hope that it 
 would be of benefit to the cause of Reform. But this 
 convention was a perfect failure. Twelve days later, 
 August 12, 1844, Aron Chorin breathed his last in the 
 seventy-ninth year of his active and eventful life. The 
 Congregation of Arad, in which he had labored fifty-six 
 years, made known this fact to the most important 
 Congregations in a letter written in the German and 
 Hungarian languages. The funeral was very impos- 
 ing, not only the Congregation, but the whole city of 
 Arad attended the same. The news of his death was 
 announced in all the churches on Sunday, August 25. 
 Chorin lay down to his final rest on the Sabbath, after 
 having conscientiously accomplished his work. During 
 
92 RKFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 the funeral the bells of all the churches were tolling. 
 Funeral sermons were delivered by Daniel Pillitz, 
 preacher of Szej^edin, Lazar Skreinka, Rabbi of 
 vSimand, and Chorin's intimate friend, Leojeiteles. A 
 Christian lawyer, Adam Viser, published a most touch- 
 ing eulogy in the Hungarian language. Memorial 
 services in the Synagogue of Arad were held twice, on 
 September 24th and October 21st, when orations were 
 delivered by Skreinka and Haskel Silbermann. Chorin's 
 name is always mentioned first during the "Haskarath 
 Nshamoth" (Memorial services for the dead) four times 
 a year, on the last day of Passover, on the feast of 
 Weeks, on ' 'Shmini Azereth' ' and on the day of Atone- 
 ment. On the anniversary of his death, (sixth day of 
 Ellul) a suitable memorial service is held. His Con- 
 gregation still holds him in high respect. In 1850 it 
 was resolved, to place on the grave of Chorin his bust, 
 which was solemnly unveiled June 18, 1851. It was 
 well executed by a protege of Chorin, the sculptor 
 Jacob Guttman. Not only the whole Congregation, 
 but the civil, military, city and county authorities, and 
 delegates of neighboring Congregations honored 
 Chorin\s memory by their presence on this occasion. 
 Chorin's succes.sor, Dr. Jacob Steinhardt, delivered the 
 memorial address. 
 
 While in Hungary, especially in the large Synago- 
 gues, Chorin's death was ignored, he was, like all true 
 prophets, appreciated in other lands. The Jewash 
 Press of Germany, "Zeitung des Judenthum's" and 
 "Orient;" of France: "Archives Israelites;'' and, 
 what is of greater importance, men like Jost, Geiger 
 and Zunz, appreciated Chorin's labors. In Jost's 
 "History of Judaism and its sects," (III, page t,^7)\ 
 in Zunz's immortal works. "Die Gottesdienstlichen 
 Vortraege der Juden," (Berlin, 1832, page 467-79, ) and 
 "Zur Geschichte und Literatur," (Berlin, 1845, page 
 385); in Dr. Stern's "History of Judaism," page 225; in 
 Geiger' s "Nachgelassene Schriften," (II, page 260); 
 in the "Bibliothek Juedischer Kanzelredner," by 
 Kaiserling (I Beilage, page lo-ii); and by Leopold 
 
A RON CHOKIX. 93 
 
 Loew, whose biography of Chorin rendered me j^reat 
 services in this work, Chorin is most honorably 
 mentioned and very highly si)oken of. The silence of 
 Hnngarian Congregations and the detractions of 
 Graetz could not belittle Chorin's established name as 
 one of the pioneers of Reform-Judaism, who under the 
 greatest difficulties, confronted by the most trying and 
 provoking circumstances, and living isolated and re- 
 nu^ved from civilization, carried aloft single-handed the 
 banner of progress boldly and courageously; who paved 
 the wav through howling deserts to the mountain of the 
 Lord and brought us, the later generation, to the very 
 border of the land of our promise, which, true enough, 
 we ourselves have not fully conquered. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 GOTTHOLD SALOMON. 
 
 "As the living word will never cease to be the 
 great lever of progress and civilization, the growing 
 influence of the pulpit has been and is still the most 
 potent factor in the history and development of Re- 
 form-Judaism — Be the lecturer called Rabbi, preacher, 
 teacher, orator, if he understands how to find the true 
 gold in the Bible and Haggadah, to spread and diffuse 
 it, he surely wall bring the light spirit and enthusiasm 
 into the Temples. The spark once kindled will not be 
 extinguished, persecutions will only fan it into aflame; 
 for irrevocable as is the victory of freedom, of civiliza- 
 tion, of equality of the rights of the Jews and of their 
 scientific culture, is the triumph of the inspiring word, 
 revealing the Reform. This word of the enthusiastic 
 and inspired preacher and teacher of religion will con- 
 sole, enlighten, teach, elevate, edify, and thus become 
 a blessing not only to emancipated Israel, but to all 
 the inhabitants of Europe. * "When nations grow 
 old and lose their liberty the prophets die out." f "I 
 listened to the voices of the prophets and heard the 
 whispered words of their successors, so few and far 
 between, and from the ages of the past I let my eye 
 wander back to those regions, where the scattered Con- 
 gregations of Israel dwell in joy and in sorrow, and 
 
 * Zunz: Gottesdieustliche Vortraege der Jiiden, page 4S1, Berlin 
 
 1832. 
 
 t Zunz: Synagogale Poesie wachrend des Mittelerlters, Berlin, 
 
 1855, page I. 
 
GOTTHOLl) SALOMON. 95 
 
 might not the voice of enthusiasm, of love and piety, 
 the voice of peace and knowledge which I had heard 
 with delight, sound on and bring salvation to many!"* 
 Such words uttered by no less a man than Dr. 
 Leopold Zunz suffice to prove, if proof were necessary, 
 the great influence which the Jewish pulpit has 
 exercised upon the development of Judaism. And in- 
 deed, the introduction of the German sermon into the 
 Svnagogue has proven to be the most important and 
 the most effective step in the direction of Reform. The 
 services which the first pioneer Jewish preachers have 
 rendered to the cause of Reform -Judaism cannot be too 
 highly appreciated. Such men are: Joseph Wolf, 
 (1762-1826); Kari Siegfried Guensburg, (1788-1860); 
 Isaac Levin Auerbach, (born 1785); Eduard Kley, 
 (1789-1867); L Wohlwill. (1799-1847); Naphtali 
 Frankfurter, (1810-1866); Abraham Alexander Wolff, 
 (born 1 8 10, in Darmstadt, died Dec. 2, 1891, as Rabbi 
 of Kopenhagen where he entered upon his position. 
 May 16, 1829); Klias Willstaetter, (1796- 1842); 
 Samson Wolf Rosenfeld, (1780-1862). They, and a 
 host of other men, who belong to the period of the 
 transition of Judaism from the darkness of the ghetto 
 to the light of the new age,t will always be con- 
 sidered b)- thoughtful and impartial men as able and 
 noble generals in the army of modern Israel, who have 
 rendered yoemen service in the cause of Reform- 
 Judaism. Unbiased readers of Jewish history will not 
 deplore with Graetz the "influence of the preachers."] 
 As it is impossible to dwell at length in this book on the 
 lives of all those men, I have selec':ed the best known 
 and most representative preacher of this epoch, nameh', 
 Gotthold Salomon, of Hamburg, because it was in the 
 main his merit to have placed Jewish Homiletics upon 
 an independent basis. 
 
 *Zutiz: Vorrede zu seinen PredJKten, Berlin, 1846, second 
 edition, page 3. 
 
 tGeiger fittingly styles these pioneers "men of the second 
 stage," (Nachgelassene Schriften, II, page 260.) 
 
 i(i?schiche dfrjulen. Vol. XI, page 417. 
 
96 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Gottliold Salomon was born November, i, 1784, 
 in Sandersle])en, in the duchy of Anhalt-Dessau. 
 Dessau is a well known name in Jewish history. 
 Salomon's father was well versed in the Talmud; his 
 mother was the dauj^diter of Raphael Rothschild, the 
 Rabbi of Bernburg. His parents wanted him to be- 
 come a Rabbi, which position was at that time the 
 beau-ideal of Jewish parents. He was educated in the 
 strictest obserxance of the most minute precepts of the 
 Schulchan Aruch., At the age of three, he commenced 
 the study of Hebrew in the most unsystematic manner 
 in the "Cheder;" at the age of seven, Salomon could 
 fluently read whole portions of the Pentateuch and 
 translate them into the Jewish-German Jargon. The 
 transition to the study of Rashi, (commentary of R. 
 Jarchi), and the Mishna was soon accomplished and at 
 the age of ten the poor boy was tortured with the 
 dialectic argumentations, and intricacies of the Talmud 
 ((xmarah). At the age of twelve his teacher in the 
 Talmud was forced to confess his inability to continue 
 his instruction. Fortunately his uncle. Rabbi Joachim 
 Heineman, took care of his further instruction and, un- 
 like the Talniudists of those days, he devoted much 
 time with his bright nephew to the study of the Bible, 
 which greatly influenced Salomon's later mode of 
 thinking. Four years he enjoyed the privilege of 
 Heineman' s tutorship and he emulated his almost 
 ascetic piety. Salomon observed not only the pre- 
 scribed fasts, (Tishea Beab, Zom Gedalia, 17th of 
 Tamuz, loth of Tebeth), but fasted on the so-called 
 ten days of Penitence between the New Year and the 
 Day of Atonement. (Shobebim). In the three weeks 
 between the i7tli day of Tamuz and the 9th day of 
 Ab he recited nightly the lamentations over the destruc- 
 tion of Jerusalem. (Chazoth). Those ascetic exercises 
 did not hurt Salomon. At the age of sixteen Salomon 
 attended the elementary school of Caplan Bobbe. 
 
 Biit Salomon's thirst for knowledge could not be 
 quenched in the little town of Sandersleben and, on 
 being presented one day to his distant relative, the 
 
CrOTTHOI.D SALOM()>f. 97 
 
 preacher Joseph Wolf, of Dessau, it was settled that he 
 should goto Dessau, where a Jewish "Gymnasium"* 
 existed. With eight Groschen in his pocket young 
 Salomon started upon his journey. 
 
 The well known charity of the Jews, especially 
 towards those who are engaged in the study of the 
 Thorah, was also verified in the case of Salomon. In 
 the "Beth-Hamidrash," presided over by Rabbi Sabel, 
 he studied in company with other "Bachurim" the 
 Talmud, but he did by no means neglect other disci- 
 plines. In a comparatively short time he acquired a 
 commendable knowledge of history, geography, Ger- 
 man literature and even of the German classics. He 
 studied frequently all night. As he was compelled 
 later on to make a living by giving lessons he acquired 
 a pedagogic talent. In 1802 this talent secured him a 
 position as teacher of German and Hebrew in the 
 "Freischule" of Dessau. He composed a systematic 
 catechism of the Jewish religion in the form of questions 
 and answers. This method of teaching religion 
 theoretically met with some opposition. He relates 
 the following: A boy, stationed in the house of an 
 orthodox Jew, made notes of his lessons in religion. 
 Questioned by his host as to what he was doing and 
 answering accordingly, the pious man quite shocked 
 exclaimed: "What has a Jew to do with religion?" 
 But in time even the most orthodox Jews gladly entrust- 
 ed the religious education of their young to his care. As 
 a reward of their ability Salomon delivered interesting 
 little addresses to his pupils on Jewish subjects. These 
 addresses were fully adapted to the child's comprehen- 
 sion. The children sometimes shed tears when 
 listening to him. Here Salomon laid the foundation 
 of his future fame. 
 
 ♦Gymnasium in Germany is a high-school or college, where the 
 pupils study nine years, before they have a right to enter a 
 I'tiiversitv. " After a rigid examination they receive the "testimonium 
 niaturitatis," which entitles them to call themselves students. There 
 are very few American Universities, which can compare with a 
 German "Gymnasium," so far as thorough studies are concerned. 
 
98 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 In company witli his colleagnes and friends: David 
 Fraenkel, Moses Philippson, Joseph Wolf, Richter, Dn 
 Toit, Tillith, Olivier, and Spieker, he developed his 
 thoughts and ideas on religion, education and Judaism. 
 The annual examinations in the "Franz-Schule" af- 
 forded him the opportunity to speak in public. Ou 
 May 30, 1806, he delivered his first public address in 
 the presence of several Christian scholars. Professor 
 Du Toit said: "The address deserves to be printed." * 
 This was saying a great deal in Germany. For there 
 it Was not as here a matter of daily occurrence that 
 every ignoramus who could get a place in a Congrega- 
 tion, called himself Rabbi, delivered stolen lectures, 
 palmed them off as his own productions and, to crown 
 the nefarious work, published them as original. In 
 1808, December i, on the occasion of the school 
 examination in the presence of the duke, Salomon de- 
 livered an address f on the "Aim of Education and the 
 Reward of the Educators." Salomon said that the re- 
 reward of educators, is in the main the inward re- 
 ward. For their compensation is hardly sufficient to 
 keep them from starvation. Their co-religionists, in- 
 stead of showing them respect, look down upon 
 them. This is done by two classes. In the first place 
 by those who possess that "little knowledge," which 
 is said to be "dangerous," and is so fittingly styled in 
 German "Halbwisserei." To the second class belong 
 the ignorant rich, who exert a tyrannaical and 
 autocratic power over the poor "Meshubodim."]; The 
 following words of his address contain some very whole- 
 some food for reflection, in particular for a certain class 
 of "Parnassim,"§ who, especially when rich, treat the 
 salaried officers of their Congregations, the minister in- 
 cluded, like mere employes of their stores. "The 
 teacher of Judaism must renounce riches and con- 
 
 *See "Sulamith," Vol. I, page 64. 
 tSulamith II, i, 76. 
 
 i"Meshubod" is a salaried officer of a Jewish Congregation. 
 ^Literally "supporter," plural form of "parness. " It is used as 
 technical term for ''president of a Jewish Congregation." 
 
GOTTIR)LI) SALOMON. 99 
 
 venieiice as rewards of his labors. He cannot count 
 npon honor and esteem except in a small circle ot truly 
 educated men. He may have ears, but must not hear 
 the insults of the masses; he may have eyes, but he 
 must not see how disagreeably he is treated; he may 
 have a heart, but he must not feel the humiliations to 
 w^liich he is subjected — Vet, the man of spirit and power 
 must not be deterred by all this, but confidently and 
 courageously go on in the work which he has begun 
 for the welfare of his brethren. 
 
 Salomon had another opportunity to influence the 
 rising generation by delivering every Saturday after- 
 noon lectures before the "Society for the relief of poor 
 brides." Some of these addresses arc published in the 
 ''Sulamith."* 
 
 Pastor Demarees, of Dessau, assisted Salomon in 
 his studies, by furnishing him the homiletical works 
 of eminent Christian preachers, and by correcting his 
 sermons. Salomon attended once in a while the 
 services in the different churches, in order to hear the 
 sermons. There were no Jewish models of Homiletics 
 at that time. This accounts for the fact that not a few 
 of the first Jewish preachers in Germany have rather 
 overdone their excusable imitation of the Protestant 
 preachers. At any rate it had the advantage, that in 
 point of order and logical division of the material, the 
 Jewi.sh sermons of the first three decades of this 
 century were models. The eminent Jewish preachers 
 ot later periods, Geiger, Stein, Manheimer, Jellinek, 
 Joel, Sachs, Holdheim, S. Hirsch, Kinhorn, Gold- 
 schmidt, L. Adler, Gruenebaum, Formstccher, Locw, 
 Bruell, etc., have succeeded in making the Jewish pulpit 
 independent of Christian Homiletics. 
 
 Salomon without the aid of a teacher mastered 
 sufficient Latin to understand the exegetic literature 
 written in that language. (Vulgata and others.) 
 
 *See Vol. III. 2. 327; IX. i, 28, 2, 361. He lectured on "vanity 
 of vanities," in 1815 at the anniversary of the society. See his 
 Answahl von Pretiigten, Dessau, iSiS. 
 
lOO KEKORMKD JUDALSM. 
 
 In 1804 he was requested by Moses Pliilippson to 
 take part in the new German translation with 
 Hebrew letters and Hebrew coninientary of the 
 "Twelve minor prophets" (Trai Ossor). Salomon took 
 the books of "Haggai and Sacharia." The whole 
 work was entitled "Mincha Tehaurah" (Pure offer- 
 ing). The work was well received and re-published 
 in Prague and Vienna. 
 
 In 1809, Salomon published the "Eight chapters 
 of Moses Ben Maimon." which form the introduction 
 to Maimonides' commentary on the Talmudical 
 treatise "Abotli" (The fathers). Salomon offered a 
 good translation with very valuable notes. Of his 
 essays in the "Sulamith," the following deserve 
 mention: "On Rationalism and Rationalists,"! where 
 he explains religious enlightenment as "purifying our 
 faith from the additions and excrescences of dangerous 
 re very and foolish prejudices;" "Rabbi Moses Ben 
 Maimon, " * an interesting historical essay on the life and 
 works of this Reforn^r; "Review of Herz Homberg's 
 Jewish Catechism." Salomon gives in this article a 
 vivid characteristic of the old time. But he is not 
 blind to the dark side of the picture. "Among the 
 balmy plants in this garden of religion, the poison of 
 superstition and disbelief was not wanting, of which 
 the youth have partaken, and their effects were felt 
 most painfully in maturer age, when they cursed the 
 chains in which those tyrants had fettered them." 
 
 In 1 810, Salomon married Rosette Colin, a "pious 
 maiden of a highly respected family of Dessau." As 
 his income was limited, he established a boarding- 
 school, (Pensionsanstalt), which in time was patron- 
 ized by the sons and daughters of the first families from 
 far and near. 
 
 *Sulamith, 1808, Vol. II, i, 207. 
 
 t Sulamith, 1809, Vol. II. 2. 
 
 i The title of Homberg's book is "Imre Shafer," Wien, 1S08. See 
 Sulamith 1810, Vol. II. 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. ' lOI' 
 
 111 1813 David Friedlaeuder, of Berlin, forwarded 
 to Salomon his pamphlet; "On the Reform of the 
 worship,"* and reqnested him to express his opinion 
 on the subject. This was the first time that Salomon 
 was drawn into the circle of the Jewish-Reform move- 
 ment. Salomon expressed his views in a little pamph- 
 let: "Light and truth, concerning the Reform of the 
 Jewish cult, a correspondence between two friends of 
 truth," Leipzig, 1813. Although Salomon did not 
 
 sign his name, it is known that the letter of S to 
 
 H meant Salomon. He dealt some hard blows 
 
 to the "obscurants and blind adherents of the old — ." 
 Thev were, incensed against the author, and the Chief 
 Rabbi, of Dessau, Michael Speyer, declared the pamph- 
 let "heretic." He made a motion to the effect that 
 the board of trustees of Dessau order the burning of 
 the same near the entrance of the Synagogue, which 
 was, however, not done. In 18 14 Salomon published 
 a "Biography of Moses Philippson, teacher of the free 
 school at Dessau." 
 
 In 1815 Salomon, who never lost sight of his calling 
 as a preacher, went to Berlin for the purpose of seeing 
 what was going on in the ''Jacobsohn-Temple." In 
 consequence of his pamphlet on the "Reform of wor- 
 ship," he was well received by Friedlaeuder, Jacob- 
 sohu and other friends of Reform, and was invited to 
 preach on the feast of conclusion in Beer's Temple. 
 This was the first time of his preaching in a house of 
 worship. The sermon was .so well received, that Jacob 
 Herz Beer, the father of Meyerbeer made Salomon a 
 fine present, and sent him a letter of admiration. He 
 also requested him to have this sermon printed. It is 
 published among a "Selection of several sermons." 
 (Dessau, iSiS). This sermon, although by no means 
 free from imperfections, gives a deep insight into the 
 spirit, the religious conviction and the very innermost 
 being of the man who has become one of the most 
 eminent Jewish preachers of this century. The subject 
 
 was: 
 
 *See page 36 of this book. 
 
I02 REFORMED JITDAISM. 
 
 "What are the main sources of infidelity." Text 
 Isaias II, 3: "Come let lis ascend the mountain ol the 
 Lord and walk to the House of the (lod of Jacob." 
 "As at one time the law came from Zion and the word 
 of God from Jerusalem, — so shall instruction come to us 
 from this place devoted to the service of God. Certainly, 
 in a well and practically established divine service we 
 find the divine instrument to attain piety and virtue. 
 Yet while a well established service is liable to 
 lift a man up to his higher nature, to God and to 
 virtue, the worship as such will always remain only 
 the means to the great aim, but not the aim itself. 
 What is the advantage, if you fold your hands in 
 prayer towards Heaven and these hands are soiled with 
 the stain of vice; what is the profit, my brother, if 
 your heart is lifted up towards God when within it sin 
 yet dwells? What is the use, my sister, if your foot 
 hurries to the House of God, but your own house is 
 not managed in accord with order, morality and love; 
 what is the use if your steps are standing within the 
 sanctuary, but before entering and leaving it, they are 
 pursuing the paths of vice? What is the use if the 
 most pleasant sounds of gratitude towards the God of 
 truth emanate from your mouth, and yet ingratitude, 
 falsehood and malice dwell therein? Can it make you 
 better, my brother, if your eye, filled with tears, looks 
 to the Father of kindness and love, while the eye of the 
 poor, miserable brother sheds tears of sorrow and pain 
 on account of the wrong you have done him? Can we 
 then learn God's ways and walk in his paths? Can we 
 boast of our virtue when we carry the Lord merely on 
 our lips, and our hearts are far from Him?" 
 
 Speaking of the main sources of infidelity, andof pre- 
 vailing indifference towards religion in general, and to- 
 wards Judaism in particular, he continues his argu- 
 ments, which hold good in every respect in our own pro- 
 gressive age and country, as follows: "In the first 
 place, it is one-sided Rationalism. I mean that 
 superficiality of thought and that inclination to reject 
 everything old, be it ever so good and venerable, and 
 
GOTTHOI.l) SALOMON'. IO3 
 
 to grasp anything new withont choice and discrimina- 
 tion. I mean that recklessness, with which persons, 
 who have gathered st)me knowledge from pamphlets 
 and new.spapers without earnest study, and without 
 understanding or comprehending the sense of these 
 things, sit in judgment over the sublimest matters of 
 religion and ethics. I mean that licentiousness, with 
 wdiich, not only the religious ceremonies, but also the 
 eternal truths of Judaism are trodden under foot. 
 
 Many of the children here and el.sewhere will 
 tell you about the history of ancient nations, which 
 have long since passed away; but the history of their 
 own people remains unknown to them." 
 
 These extracts from Salomon's first sermon show 
 his bold, outspoken character, his courage of 
 opinion, his forcible sty".e, his sincerity and religious 
 fervor, his strong convictions and purity of motives. It 
 was no trifle for a young man, who had never preached 
 before in a house of w^orship, to speak thus in his first 
 sermon, to touch, and without gloves at that, the 
 most vital questions of modern Judaism. 
 
 Salomon acted not like many young ministers of 
 our days, both in Europe and here, whose only pur- 
 pose seems to be, that their lectures please the Congre- 
 gation; no, his principal object was to instruct, to en- 
 lighten, to elevate his hearers. We gladly miss in his 
 first sermon that diplomatic reserve and politician-like 
 shrewdness, that catering to the vanity of the audience 
 and that careful overcautiousness, which, alas, 
 characterize so many trial-sermons of young can- 
 didates for the office of minister in our days. Salomon 
 spoke, as he felt, the truth, irrespective of what people 
 thought of it, whether they liked or disliked it, and, 
 like the prophets of old, he was not afraid, kept not 
 back, but '^proclaimed to the house of Israel their sins 
 and transgressions." (Isaiah, LVIII, i ). 
 
 This was the great secret of his wonderful success 
 in later years. For justly, our Sages say in the Tal- 
 mud: ''Only words that emanate from the heart will 
 find entrance into the heart;" or, as Goethe puts it: 
 
104 REFOR.MKD JUDAISM. 
 
 "What you don't feel, you'll never catch by 
 hunting, 
 
 It must gush out spontaneous from the soul, 
 And with fresh delight enchanting, 
 
 The hearts of all that hear control."^ 
 
 In the preface to this sermon Salomon said: "The 
 truth is of God and they who diffuse it are His 
 servants. His servants, however, of the tribe of Levi, 
 think more of the truth than even of their father or 
 mother.":;: 
 
 His sojourn in Berlin was a still greater incentive 
 for Salomon to devote himself with might and main to 
 the study of Homiletics. As he could not yet preach 
 from the pulpit, he preached through his literary labors, 
 especially through the publication "Selima's Stunden 
 der Weihe," (Hours of devotion) a moral-religious 
 treatise for the educated among the women (Leipzig, 
 1816). This book was a success, touching, as it did, 
 familiar chords in the hearts of the mothers and 
 daughters of Israel. The lorm of the book was most 
 appropriate. A young lady, Selima, the daughter of a 
 wealthy merchant, lays down in a diary her thoughts 
 and sentiments on the most important religious 
 truths, on the Jewish Holidays, and events in the 
 family life. A spirit of pure, enlightened piety, far 
 remote from romanticism and superstitious mysticism 
 permeates ever)- line of the little volume. It has con- 
 tributed not a little towards diffusing a better appreci- 
 ation of our religion among intelligent Jewish women, 
 who, disgusted with the official Judaism of those days, 
 were tempted to forsake the religion of their mothers. 
 The best proof of the intrinsic value of this book is a 
 venomous pamphlet in the Jewish German Jargon 
 directed against it by a certain Meyer Elkan Fuerth 
 
 *"Wenn ihr's nicht fuehlt, ihr werdet's nicht erjagen, 
 
 Wenn es nicht aus der Seele dringt, 
 Und niit urkraeftigeni Behagen, 
 
 Die Herzen aller Hoerer Zvvingt." 
 
 Goethe Faust, I Theil. 
 *Salotiion apparently alludes to Deut., 33, 9. 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON*. IO5 
 
 under the title: "Makhsheboth Haleb, (Thoughts of 
 the heart). 
 
 Salomon published, in conjunction with j. Wolf, 
 a pamphlet; "Character ot Judaism," (Leipzig, 1817). 
 This publication was mainly polemical, and strongly 
 and ably refuted the venomous accusations heaped 
 upon the Jews by the Hep-Hep criers of (xermany, 
 particularly Professors Friedrich Ruehs, of Berlin, and 
 I. F. Fries, of Heidelberg. Berthold Auerbach said 
 that this book, "Character of Judaism," is not only 
 defensive, but clearly and systematically lays dowm the 
 positive foundation of Judaism. Through the argu- 
 ments set forth and fortified by original sources, it has 
 become a standard work. * 
 
 In 1 81 8 Salomon published, together with Wolf, 
 a Hebrew Reader, with a complete register of Hebrew 
 and Chaldaic words, and, in conjunction with ]\Iaimon 
 Fraenkel, a German anthology under the name 
 "Teutonia."t 
 
 No wonder that Salomon's fame was spreading, 
 and that, when the Temple in Hamburg was in 
 search of a second preacher he was selected for this 
 important position. Dr. Eduard Kley was the first 
 preacher, but the new temple, wdiich was dedicated 
 October 18, 18 18, nuide a second preacher necessary. 
 Salomon's sermons, published in 1818 in Dessau and 
 his knowledge of the Talmud, by means of wdiich' 
 he could better disarm the opponents of Reform and 
 fight them on their own ground, had not a little to do 
 with his call to Hamburg. On the 7th of November, 
 he delivered his inaugural sermon in Hamburg from 
 the text: "My heart belongeth to the Legislators of 
 Israel." (Judges, V, 9). This sermon produced a 
 most favorable impression. His second sermon on 
 Lsaiah 64, 5-6: "We wither like a leaf, all of us, and 
 our iniquities, like the wind, will bear us away," con- 
 
 *Gallerie' der ausgezeichnetsten Israeliten aller Jahrhunderte, 
 Stuttgart, I S3 1, vol. V, page 40-41. 
 
 tLeipzig, 1812, second edition 1815, third edition 1S24. 
 
Io6 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 tains the following beautiful closing passage "Now 
 while the leaves fall from the trees, I take leave of you 
 and return to my home; but when everything begins 
 to bloom again, at spring-tide, which is full of song, I 
 will return again if I myself will not then be withered 
 like the grass.'' 
 
 In Dessau he published his '.'Sermons, delivered 
 in the Temple of Hamburg," (1819). As usual his 
 work was better appreciated in Dessau after his de- 
 parture than during his stay. It was mainly his work, 
 that the almost decaying Jewish free-school was trans- 
 formed into the "Herzogliche Franzschule," and that 
 an annual subsidy of several hundred Thaler and free 
 fuel was given to the school by the duke. Salomon's 
 reception in Hamburg, was very enthusiastic. His 
 sermons created a furor among the Jews and Christians 
 of Hamburg. The Temple was crowded with appre- 
 ciative audiences. It was a matter of surprise in those 
 days, to hear from a Jewish pulpit a rational concep- 
 tion of religion, expounded with great oratory and in 
 classical language. Here the question may arise, why, 
 in our days, especially in Germany, even the best 
 preachers, — and there are some who surpass Salomon 
 — cannot boast of a success similar to his. The answer 
 is at hand. The age in which Salomon lived, at the 
 beginning of his career, might be styled a "Homilet- 
 ical era." The sudden, and unexpected downfall of 
 Napoleon Bonaparte and the consequent redemption of 
 Germany from foreign despotism and French rule 
 tended to remind the Germans, who were always in- 
 clined towards religious laxity, of their gratitude to 
 God, and revived their religious sentiment. True, 
 this "reaction" soon took the form of romanticism, 
 pietism, mysticism and bigotr)- among the Christians 
 and often exhibited itself in fanaticism, hypocrisy, in- 
 tolerance, and hatred against the Jews. But upon the 
 Jews themselves the effect was by no means so dis- 
 astrous. The orthodox Jews were not in the least dis- 
 turbed about the Hep-Hep cries and the loss of the 
 emancipation, as they considered oppression the 
 
GOTTHOIJ) SALOMON. IO7 
 
 natural state during the "Galuth."* The more en- 
 lightened and educated Israelites, however, were bent 
 upon showing to the world the purity and sublimity 
 of their religion, thus refuting and annihilating the 
 false accusations heaped upon them by their enemies. 
 In this respect the spoken and printed sermons of the 
 "new" preachers and a reformed and better worship 
 have done invaluable service, as the non-Jewish world 
 could convince itself, that Judaism need only to be 
 understood, to be appreciated. No wonder the Jews 
 felt proud of their new preachers, who could vie with 
 the best Christian pulpiteers. Aside from this the 
 worship in the orthodox Synagogue naturally repelled 
 the new generation, bred under the refining in- 
 fluences of good schools, Gymnasiums and Universities. 
 It is therefore not surprising, that a great many Jews, 
 who hardly dreamt of entering a Synagogue on ac- 
 count of its uncultured Chazonim, f Shamossim, I and 
 its tedious, incomprehensible Derashoth, (so-called 
 lectures on Talmudical topics) which were delivered 
 in a barbarous Jargon by Polish Rabbis, now flocked 
 to the Temple. There the stirring peals of the 
 organ, the songs of the choir, the prayers in the ver- 
 nacular, the hymns, and the timely sermons appealed 
 to their hearts. 
 
 The number of Salomon's published sermons is a 
 library in itself. We select some extracts, which will 
 suffice to show that his main attention was directed to 
 touch the heart of his audience, and that he had the 
 couragfe " to call things bv their true names." The 
 first sermon in his collection of "Sermons m the new 
 Israelitish Temple at Hamburg, P'irst Series," (Ham- 
 burg, 1820,) on the text, ''House of Jacob, come let 
 us walk in the light of the Lord," (Isaiah 2, 5,) was 
 delivered on the Feast of Weeks, 1819. It treats on 
 
 *"Galuth" means literally "exile." As a terminus technicus it 
 stands for "oppression of the Jews." According to orthodox doctrine 
 the "Galuth" will last until the Messiah will redeem Israel. 
 + "Chazan" means "Cantor" "perceutor," also "reader." 
 J"Shanimass" is "janitor," servant of the Congregation. 
 
io8 rp:fokmed judaism. 
 
 religious eiilightcniiieiit. Tlit- following passages will 
 always remain gems of Jewish pulpit-oratory: "Light 
 is synonymous with reason. If, then, God calleth 
 upon us to walk in his light, he calleth upon us to 
 seek to know Him according to reason and truth. * 
 * * We should correct false representations and 
 opinions, we should- oppose superstition and fanaticism, 
 in order that there may be light within us and around 
 us." * * Religious enlightenment consists in purifying 
 our belief, in freeing it from the additions heaped upon 
 it by pernicious fanaticism and silly prejudices, in 
 forcing upon us the conviction that true religion is not 
 a matter of memory, but a question of the heart." To 
 those, however, who oppose enlightenment, because 
 "skepticism, sensuality, folly follow in their train." he 
 fittingly replies: "Is light then indeed pernicious 
 because the unpracticed hand of the suckling knows 
 not its use? Is truth injurious because it is misused 
 by fools? Shall the sun not warm, the rain rot refresh 
 the earth, because the poisonous plant grows near the 
 ' herb that is food for man?' Is enlightenment to be 
 rejected because the frivolous understand not its aim 
 and end? No, ye shall learn to distinguish by their 
 characteristics, true and false enlightenment. * * 
 
 Religious enlightenment makes the race of man 
 more virtuous, more humane, more truth-loving, more 
 moderate, more modest, more indulgent to the faults of 
 others, more watchful over their own defects. * ^ 
 
 How differently does false enlightenment manifest 
 itself! Without inquiry they reject the old, be it ever 
 so venerable, ever so sacred, and blindly seize on what 
 is new, be it ever so pernicious and unholy, only be- 
 cause it glitters and dazzles. While heathenism and 
 other religions teach asceticism, regard flight from the 
 pleasures of existence in the light of piety, consider 
 God as a malicious spirit, delighting in mi.schief, to 
 whom the permanent happiness of man was repugnant, 
 Judaism strongly repudiates such Puritanical teach- 
 ings. God forbids us not, to partake of innocent joys. 
 
CxOTTHOLD SALOMON. IO9 
 
 Heconimands us not, to devote our days to gloom aud 
 sorrow." 
 
 Another sermon of Salomon, delivered in 1821, is 
 considered a masterpiece, and is entitled: " Prophet- 
 engeist und Pr.opheten\vandel." (The Prophet's 
 Spirit and the Prophet's Course.) The following are a 
 few extracts which will surprise many of our younger 
 readers, who are under the impression that Reform- 
 Judaism is a matter of recent date only: 
 
 "In all times there have been narrow spirits who 
 have cjnsidered it dangerous to instruct and enlighten 
 the people on matters the most important to them. 
 They held the selfish opinion — and many still hold it — 
 that a troop of blind are more easily led than a body 
 of clear-sighted men. The point on which the sages 
 and philosophers of all nations have been, and are 
 even now, still at variance, whether the moral and 
 intellectual standard of the people .should be raised, 
 whether thev should be enlightened, was decided 
 thousands of years ago by thee, great teacher of man, 
 noble instructor of the people. *'The people saw that 
 the skin of thy face sh(me (Kxod. 34, 33,) whilst thou 
 wavest ihem in commandment all that the Lord had 
 spoken.' A wise lesson for you, public instructors! 
 To cause thv light to shine, such was thine aim, thine 
 endeavor. All, all .should be taught, enlightened; 
 their powers of heart and head should be so raised that 
 they should all learn to distinguish the true from the 
 false, the eternal from the tran.sitory; that they should 
 glorify God, all become prophets of the Lord. * * 
 
 Would you ask me whence the prophet obtained 
 his strength, his courage? He derived them from the 
 consciousness of having acted according to duty aud 
 righteousness. Because he was blameless, therefore 
 was he fearless. This guileless, childlike, innocent 
 heart vv^as the armory, whence the hero drew weapons 
 ofdefense in the conflicts of life. * * Reasonable and child- 
 
 *Salonion alludes to Moses' e.xclaruation: "Would to God that all 
 the people of Jehovah were prophets." (Number 11, 29). 
 
no REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 like truth is the prophet's shield; the hope of brighter 
 hours, eveu in the darkest day, is the prophet's hel- 
 met; justice even towards those who injure him, the 
 prophet's coat of mail; unspotted innocence, the 
 prophet's breastplate; the love of God .his standard and 
 w^atchword. * * To want little, to forego willingly, to be 
 moderate in his demands, modest in his wishes, 
 temperate in his enjoyment; such was the prophet's 
 wealth. * * Had those chosen of the Lord indulged in 
 many wants, in much outlay, in extravagant preten- 
 sions, they would have been false prophets, venal 
 servants of mammon, worshippers of the golden calf. 
 How could they chastise the rich and the powerful 
 with the breath ot their lips, with the arrows of their 
 words, if they themselves had trembled and worshipped 
 before the same idols? How could they have dared to 
 approach the throne and to call aloud unto the 
 princes: Your thrones totter, and with them ye will 
 also be cast down, because the firmest supports, 
 justice, benevolence, virtue and truth, are wanting 
 alike to them and to you? He who would hold such 
 language must possess the strength of truth, must bear 
 treasures in his bosom, must require little, must be 
 rich in inward wealth. * * If all the people are to be 
 prophets unto the Lord, then must they all pursue 
 their course through life with a cheerful and contented 
 mind. 1 do not mean that love of pleasure, whose 
 followers live in one uninterrupted whirl, who prepare 
 the hall for a second festival ere the first is ended. But 
 it was forbidden to the high priest to induge uselessly 
 in sorrow. Neither should prophets resign their hearts 
 wholly to sadness; always prepared for the service and 
 calls of his holy office, the prophet should preserve an 
 unclouded brow, a serene temper of mind, a cheerful 
 demeanor. * * Were the present ever so stormy, it 
 caused him not to tremble; in the haven, in which he 
 sought refuge, there was naught to fear. And the 
 future! To the prophets, from the greatest to the 
 smallest, it appeared radiant and bright as the 
 meridian sun. The prophets stood on high, 
 
GOTTHOLU SALOMON'. Ill 
 
 listening and watching; waiting, even though it tar- 
 ried; listeiMng, though but a whisper was heard; 
 watching, tht>ugh it hiv remote. * * Without this divine 
 
 • 11 
 
 spirit your learning cannot make you wise, your wealth 
 cannot make you rich, your strength cannot make you 
 powerful, your pleasures cannot make you glad. Why 
 does there exist among men, so much that is deformed 
 and feeble in their houses, in their institutions, in their 
 provinces, their nations, their governments? Because 
 a lying spirit rules among them, as among the 
 prophets of old; an idol and no God. They patch 
 together miserable rags and term them priest's gar- 
 ments, a heavenly mantle. But wherefore should I 
 speak in metaphor? They declare, their own spirit to 
 be the spirit of God. What they desire not themselves 
 they forbid in the name of the Lord. * * The fool would 
 conceal his folly and says: 'What has the world 
 gained by the spreading of light? Were not the 
 earlier ages better than the present?' This is a spirit 
 of darkness, but not a spirit of the Lord, who is light 
 and truth. Unwise teachers, false prophets, would 
 declare their intolerant spirit and their darkness to be 
 light and testify in the name of religion against all 
 whose belief differs from their own; they would preach 
 religion and forget its first precept: 'What thou dis- 
 likest, do not unto others; love every man as thyself.' 
 What do these babbling hypocrites? They prune and 
 twist and turn the words of the Bible and the law, be 
 it the earlier or later law, be they the words of Moses 
 or of them who have drawn their knowledge from his 
 writings, till such meaning be accepted as they think 
 it good to apply to them. This is a spirit of night, 
 but not the spirit of the Lord. The word 'Nabi' is 
 used for the prophet, and really signifies Speaker, 
 Orator — but it is not the lips, the tongue, it is the act 
 that speaks; it speaks louder than the organs of speech. 
 And if God's spirit really rests on you, you will not 
 desire to be a mere orator, you will not merely declaim 
 of virtue in fine words and metaphors and you will not 
 bear your religion on your lips, without feeling it in 
 
112 RKKORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 your hearts or showing it in yourselves. Speakers like 
 unto those should your actions be. Your whole life 
 should be one sound. * * What the inspired have spoken 
 will one day be fulfilled. One day, and though that 
 day should tarry, await it; that is the prophet's spirit. 
 Let us follow their example and never rest, till each 
 has fulfilled the command of his Father, to be a prophet 
 unto the Lord."* 
 
 The following are some extracts from Salomon's 
 sermon on "the spirit of the Mosaic religion," delivered 
 on Shabuoth, 1826. The feast of weeks asks of the 
 Israelite: "Does your religion, such as you 
 have it at the present day, offer all that is required to 
 make the life of man happy?" He answers with the 
 text; Deut. IV, 5-10: "For this is your wisdom and 
 understanding in the sight of the nations," as follows: 
 "The religion which I profess gives me all that is re- 
 quisite for a happy human life, as long as the welfare 
 of humanity is more than a dream, as long as human 
 virtue is more than a delusion. Israelites, if to be 
 happy is to be conscious of your greatness and dignity 
 as men, as the images of God, as immortal beings, then 
 your religion will suffice for you so long as human 
 reason will and can think. The very life-breath of our 
 religion is love and the image'of the creator, which we 
 bear in ourselves, can never manifest itself more 
 worthily and more completely than in acts of love. For 
 it is only by love that we can become like him who 
 loveth all mankind. But you pause to reflect. Is it be- 
 cause perchance, another town, another country, 
 another continent lies between you and your fellow- 
 men? Ought a foreign city, or a strange land, or an 
 unknown region, then to be deemed a barrier between 
 hearts formed alike? Are not both they and you still 
 the creatures of God? Are you not still brethren? And 
 though one may dwell where the sun rises and another 
 where the sun sets, is not God the God of the whole 
 
 *Salomon: Twelve sermons translated by Anna Maria Gold- 
 vsmith, London, 1839, Charleston, S. C, 1841. 
 
GOTTHOLU SALOMON. Il3 
 
 earth? Is not His name to be praised from the rising 
 of the snn to the going down of the same? Love tlie 
 stranger also as thou lovest thyself. Do you again 
 hesitate? There lies between you, perhaps, something 
 more than a continent — a different creed. But say, 
 ye, who have feeling hearts, suppose, that of two, 
 born of the same parents, the elder is tall enough to 
 embrace their father while the younger can only clasp 
 his knees, must not the older and stronger assist him 
 who is yet too little and weak to climb to the parental 
 bosom? Should difference in strength cause difference 
 in fraternal love? My heart answers no, and so also 
 speaks religion. This love will be meek and ready to 
 assist enemies and offenders, tender and compassionate 
 to the wretched and unfortunate, forbearing and in- 
 dulgent to the weak and infirm, gentle and kind to 
 those of lowly condition, who have the more need of 
 love from their fellow-men, the more they appear to be 
 without the love of their father in this, their earthly 
 life. * * It is very possible to observe most punctually 
 all the laws of Scripture, and yet to be as far removed 
 from virtue as the east is from the west. * * The govern- 
 ment commands yon to do this and that, but what you 
 may be thinking or feeling during your performance of 
 the' required action, or from what motives the 
 deeds and actions may spring, is totally in- 
 different to it. It is not so with religion. The 
 religion that is worthy of the name, demands 
 something more than good deeds; it requires pure 
 motives and holy feelings, for it is the aim of religion 
 to purify our inward life. * * The Israelite is 
 admonished to be holy, because God is holy (Levit. 
 XIX, 2). You need but to peruse the laws that Moses 
 delivered, to be convinced that they insist on the 
 purest morality;* and hence this moral law of reason, 
 will subsist to the latest age, however far mankind 
 have advanced in science and' civilization. Israelites! 
 So long as virtue among men is something more than 
 
 *See especially Lev , Chapter 19. 
 
114 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 a vain illusion, so long will your religion be capable of 
 ensuring to man a happy existence." 
 
 "It is the aim of the Mosaic religion to make of 
 us good and useful members of society. Men, however, 
 ignorant of the world and human life, act and speak as 
 though Israel still formed a separate and distinct state; 
 consequently they observe as parts of the universal 
 religion of Israel, institutions, which possessed value 
 in Palestine only, because there only they had spirit 
 and life. They require and inculcate the strict observ- 
 ance of these ceremonies, although by such observances 
 much of our own power to act usefully as citizens 
 must necessarily be destroyed. Besides this they envelop 
 the jewel of religion in so many folds, that numbers 
 of our brethren who cannot, or will not, penetrate the 
 covering, see not the jewel itself. Ignorance would, 
 perhaps, be pardonable; but there is — obstinacy. 
 Many, I grieve to say it, belong to the hypocrites, who 
 have more regard for their own wilfulness and 
 advantage than for our religious weal. They care not 
 whether some treasures may yet be saved from the 
 wreck, or all be lost in the bottomless abyss. Were 
 you real servants of God, true shepherds in Israel, like 
 those who have gone before you, your care would be 
 to save what is essential. You would be the first to 
 improve our Temples and the form of worship; you 
 would be the first to prepare for our youth books of 
 religion in which the husk should be distinguished 
 from the kernel. * * But, alas, you are like the woman 
 who feigned a mother's afi"ection before the judgment 
 seat of Solomon, for ye say respecting the child that 
 was not destroyed in the night time, neither of us 
 shall have it. Yet you know what the real mother 
 did. She yielded the claim willingly to save from 
 destruction the child that had lain on her bosom. 
 (I Kings, III, 16-28). If religion really lies near 
 your hearts, teach it, and preach it in real purity 
 and simplicity, and divest it of all that can make us 
 ridiculous in the eyes of other nations. Divest it of all 
 excrescences and additions, so that it may again be 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. II5 
 
 what it originally was; and all truly rational and wise 
 men may be forced to exclaim, in the words of onr 
 text: 'Surely this great nation is a wise and under- 
 standing people.' "* 
 
 Such words, spoken in Europe sixty-four years 
 ago, are remarkable indeed. 
 
 The following extracts from his sermon on "The 
 Israelite's confession of faith," are timely. (Text, 
 Dent. VI, 4-9): 
 
 "But what should be the nature of this love of 
 God? The heathen thought they loved their divinities, 
 while they sacrificed to them their own children. 
 Many, even among those who acknowledge but one 
 God, have represented the destruction and annihila- 
 tion of self, as the proper proofs of love to Him. There 
 are many at the present day, who consider a disinclina- 
 tion to active life to be the same thing as devotion 
 towards God. Far be it from you, to entertain ideas 
 so erroneous. " + 
 
 " 'Ye shall teach them diligently to your children.' 
 The word, in the original is used in reference to a 
 sharp-pointed arrow, t which pierces the heart easily, 
 but is very difficult to extract. Teaching and preach- 
 ing are useless in themselves. Though you had 
 prophets like Isaiah for your preachers, men who 
 could speak with the tongues of angels, and though 
 each discourse were a master-piece, they could not 
 form you into perfect men. * * You must then impress 
 well on your children the truths of religion — at home. 
 For there the perversions of the world reach you not, 
 there you have no need to do homage to the absurdities 
 of the age, for fear of appearing in the eyes of men to 
 be 'behind the fashion,' or 'the improvements of the 
 times.' It is here that vou can show your children 
 
 ♦Twelve sermons by Salomon, translated by Anna M. Goldsmith, 
 1839, pAges 146, 148, 149, 150, 104, 155, 156, i^i, 165. 166. 
 
 tTwelve sermons, page iSi. 
 
 JDeut. 32, 41 "veshinantom," Piel-form of "Shannan" Denom. 
 'shen" i. e. " tooth" or "sharp edge," "arrow" which pierces the 
 heart. See Ps. 64, 4, Isaiah 5, 28, Prov. 25, 18. 
 
Il6 RKFORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 true examples of pious meu aud believing Israelities. 
 And this is the pointed dart that enters the heart 
 readily, but will not so readily be taken out."* 
 
 In the sermon: "Outward aids of religion," de- 
 livered in 1826, Salomon said among other good things 
 the following, on the text. Dent. VI, 8-9: 
 
 "We are well aware that the same, or similar 
 passages occur in the writings of the prophets, as also 
 in the Psalms and Proverbs, which cannot be inter- 
 preted according to the letter, but are to be taken 
 figuratively." (Ibid., page 192).! "In the holy 
 Temple poetry, music and song were combined to 
 elevate the moral feeling. Such physical aids do pro- 
 duce beneficial effects on the spirit. I need only re- 
 mind you of the good that has been realized among us 
 since the establishment of this, our house of God. * * 
 The religion of the Israelites is great, is pure in its 
 doctrines and truths; the ceremonies by which that 
 religion is expressed must be in accordance with that 
 greatness, that purity. That which is surperadded, and 
 manifestly opposed to its spirit, that which offends the 
 moral sense, shocks the feelings and disregards the 
 laws of order and beauty, should not be accepted and 
 practiced either in our domestic, or in our public 
 worship. * * If reason is not exercised, then customs and 
 ceremonies come to be considered as religion itself. 
 Men then delight in vague feelings, and are satisfied if 
 the heart is touched for a time, but not permanently 
 improved. Many among the educated classes are dis- 
 posed now to this mysticism, this visionary and dreamy 
 state. (Pages 205-6). * * In Israel there are but too 
 
 *Twelve sermons, pages 185-189. 
 
 t Rabbi Samuel Ben Meir, (Rashbani) remarks to Exod. XIII, 9, 
 which passage is also contained Deut. VI, 8-9, the following: Ac- 
 cording to the natural explanation the passage means to convey the 
 idea, that the exodus from Egypt should be a memorial, a reminder 
 as if it were written "upon thy hand," as we read in a similar 
 passage, Salomon's Song, VII, 6: "Set me as a seal upon thy 
 heart." The same, "between thine eyes," like jewelry, which a 
 person wears as an ornament on the forehead." See also Ibn Ezra's 
 note to Exod. 13.9. and to Deut. 6.8, and page 56 of my "Talmud" 
 (1880, Berlin, Issleib). 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. II7 
 
 many men and women, who arc satisfied with this half- 
 light and consider it piety. * * They adhere to empty, 
 snperstitious cnstoms, to cabalistic mysteries and say- 
 ings and reject snitable and appropriate aids to virtne. 
 Do you desire examples? I will give you some. The 
 holy solemnization of the Sabbaths and Festivals, is to 
 many among >ou, a matter of indifference; but you 
 fear, ye observers of times, to commence a business, or 
 to remove into a dwelling on certain days. Some of 
 you consider prayer and devotion as objects of small 
 import, but when you do pray, you fear to pray in any 
 language except Hebrew, which you do not compre- 
 hend. You disobey the Mosaic ordinances for the Day 
 of Atonement, without self-reproach, but you fear to 
 be present at the service of the dead, (Haskardth 
 Xeshamoth) lest it should injure your parents, who 
 are still living. Religious customs that would exalt 
 the life, remain unobserved, but in cases of death, 
 customs are observed which owe their existence to 
 ])rejudices, which, probably, originally sprang from 
 heathenism.* Why is this? Whence is this? Be- 
 cause imagination rules, and reason is become her 
 handmaiden. Who can deny, that the outward dis- 
 tinction of festivals and fast-days may give a pious 
 tendency and tone to the heart, and in this way lead it 
 to religion. But if you do not also employ your 
 reason, you might even thus find an excuse for dis- 
 honesty, when in fact it would be better even to make 
 the day of the festival a day of work for honest main- 
 tenance, than thus to render religion a pretext for a 
 recourse to fraud.} There ever were and are yet many 
 
 ♦Similar things are found even in this countr}'. It is appalling, 
 how superstitions many so-called enlightened Jews are, whenever 
 death enters -their house. 
 
 +This reminds one of the passage in the Talmud "Make 
 thy Sabbath a week day, but ask not for the assistance of 
 men." In the same spirit Salomon said: "There is no law 
 in the religion of the Jews to hinder you from devoting your powers 
 to the state to which you belong, to the fatherland which protects 
 you, at whatever hour or whatever day your services may be indis- 
 pensably necessary." "Twelve .sermons." (page 160 ). The principle 
 
Il8 REKORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 individuals in Israel, who imagine themselves to be 
 pious and better than the rest, because :hey observe a 
 vast number of ceremonies, whose whole meaning has 
 long since been forgotten; because they keep many 
 fast-days, utter many prayers, read much and often in 
 the sacred writings, as if the dead letter could open 
 heaven to them. And these things are held to be 
 reli":ion, while religion itself is disregarded. Thence 
 the ridiculous blindness, with which so many look 
 down with contempt, on- such as think differently 
 from themselves. Pride is concealed beneath their 
 tatters. The words in the Midrash are remarkable: 
 "Do not add to his words." (Proverbs). This means, 
 according to Rabbi Khijah: "Do not make the fence 
 around the garden a matter of greater import than the 
 garden itself, else it might fall in and destroy the 
 plants." Oh, deluded ones, they hope to be healed, 
 merely because they read the prescription of their 
 physician and frequently comprehend not the language 
 in wdiich that prescription is written. No! To over- 
 value these means is just as sinful as to neglect their 
 use altogether."* Salomon was often compared with 
 Klaus Harms, and was also called the "Jewish 
 Draeseke," which was considered a great compliment 
 in those days. 
 
 It is impossible to ennmerate here even the titles 
 of all the sermons of Salomon. Many of them ap- 
 peared in pamphlet form, while the most select ones 
 were published in book form, as "Sammlungen," 
 (selections of sermons). Thus appeared "Sermons in 
 the new Israelitish Temple at Hamburg, by Dr. G. 
 Salomon, first selection."! 
 
 is, however, not as new as it might seem. Mar Samuel taught more 
 than fifteen centuries ago "Dina DemalkhutaDina": "The law oi' the 
 Government is law," See also Talmud Joma. 85: "The Sabbath 
 hath been delivered unto you, not you unto the Sabbath." (Cf "my: 
 "The Talmud," page 36. 
 
 *Twelve sermons, pages 205-269. 
 
 t Hamburg, 1820, Hoffman and Campe. 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. IIQ 
 
 In 182 1, followed a second and in 1825, ^ third 
 "selection" ot Salomon's sermons. 
 
 By special reqnest of the ladies of his Congrega- 
 tion, Salomon pnblished in 1825, a pamphlet: "The 
 family life," in three sermons. Salomon relates in his 
 "antobiography" that he was urged by his Congrega- 
 tion to publish weekly sermons delivered by him and 
 by his colleajjjue. Dr. Kiev. Thus three volumes were 
 published entitled: , 
 
 "Collection of the newest sermons delivered in 
 the Israelitish Temple at Hamburg, edited by Dr. 
 Eduard Kley and G. Salomon.* The first volume 
 contains fifteen sermons. The fifteenth sermon on the 
 "Separation from those we love," based on Numbers, 
 XXVII, 12-23, ^s beautiful in the extreme. In fact 
 Salomon's greatest force as a preacher is manifested in 
 sermons which appeal to the heart rather than to the 
 mind, hence, in sermons dealing with sorrow and 
 death. t 
 
 The second volume contains also fifteen, and the 
 third volume thirteen sermons. In 1829 a new volume 
 was added to these "collections," entitled "Festpredig- 
 ter, fuer alle Feiertage des Herrn,";^ which Salomon 
 himself considers his best efforts. These sermons, 
 twenty in number, are indeed models of simplicity and 
 conciseness. § Among the sermons published in 
 pamphlet form, is one in memory of Israel Jacobsohn, ]| 
 and another on, "Add nothing to it and take nothing 
 away from it."*^ 
 
 Salomon's sermon "The desecration of God's 
 name, in word and deed," delivered in 1846, created 
 
 ♦Hamburg 1826-27, Ahrons. 
 
 tTwelve sermons, translated by M. Goldsmith, p. 229. 
 
 tSermons for all the Holidays of the Lord, Hamburg, 1S29, 
 Nestler. 
 
 §This volume is dedicated to Dr. Leo Wolf, Philadelphia. 
 
 llSept. 13th. 1820. "The pious Lsraelite does not die.'. Text 
 Isaiah 51-3, "An Israelite in whom I glory." 
 
 •TAug. 2'.\'\, 1S20, text, Deut. p. 6. reprinted in Kaiserling's Bibl. 
 Jued. Kanzelr, page 220. 
 
120 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 quite a sensation, and was published at the request 
 of his Congregation. In this sermon he uttered 
 among other things the following words on 
 blasphemy: "If there are houses in Israel, in which 
 the youth is instructed in everything but religion, or 
 houses and schools in Israel, in which religion exists 
 in nothing but a mere mechanical work of memory, of 
 formulas and usages, a heartless occupation, oppressing 
 rather than reviving, then be sure, in such houses are 
 bred — from such houses come — blasphemers. How 
 then can we best conquer blasphemy?" To this he 
 answers: "Truth above all! Truth in particular in 
 the house of truth, before the God of truth! Do not 
 utter in your prayers wishes, for the fulfilment of 
 which you do not care; do not pray for things which 
 in reality you do not want, do uot praise God for the 
 giving of laws and the promulgating of statutes, which 
 he never commanded. |. 'No liar and no hypocrite 
 shall appear before God.' Thus scripture informs us. 
 And should there be found in your prayer-books 
 wishes, supplications and benedictions of that sort, 
 then do not rest until you have purified and purged 
 your devotional books. "^ 
 
 Salomon was a pioneer in the sketching of Biblical 
 characters in a series of sermons from a Jewish point 
 of view. The first collection in this line was his 
 ":\Ioses, the man of God," in twenty-one lectures at 
 Hamburg, 1835. IMost of these discourses were de- 
 delivered in the year 1827 
 
 Two years later a second ' 'collection' ' was published, 
 entitled: 
 
 tWhat sense is there in praising God by a special benediction, 
 because he had commanded us to wash our hands, to light the 
 Chanuccah candles, to read the Megilla, when we can find no 
 passage in the Thora where such orders were ever given? I could 
 add many more instances of this kind. 
 
 tSee Kaiserling: Bibl. Jued. Kauzeledner, Berlin, 1S70, 
 Springer, Vol. I, page 275, and my "Selbstkritik der Juden," second 
 edition, Leipzig, W.' Friedrich, 1890, pages 8-9 and note. 
 
 tSee Kaiserling Bibl. Jued. Kanzelredner, Geiger: Zeitschrift 
 fuer Juedische Theologie, where these lectures are reviewed by Dr. 
 B. Wechsler, (Vol. Ill, page 91-102). 
 
GOTl'liOLD SALOMON. 12 f 
 
 "David, the man after the heart of Cod." in 
 twenty-six lectures. 
 
 The third collection of this kind made its appear^ 
 ance in 1840, and is entitled: 
 
 "Elijah, the enthusiastic prophet, the champion 
 of light and truth," in nineteen lectures. 
 
 In all these lectures Salomon often draws the 
 moral lessons from the historical material in an in- 
 genious manner. Salomon edited, in company with 
 Rabbi Dr. I. Mayer in Stuttgart, the "Koeniglichen 
 Kirchenrath of Wurtemberg," another "Collection of 
 Sermons for the Holidays and Other Occasions."* A 
 certain AI. Lowengard, writing under the nom de 
 plume of "Judah Leon," an orthodox student of 
 theology made himself "immortal" by a most ridiculous 
 criticism of these sermons from a .so-called "philo.sophi- 
 cal" point of view, f 
 
 In April, 1847, Salomon was called to Strelitz, in 
 order to dedicate the Synagogue, where he delivered 
 two sermons; one on the text. Psalms LVIII, 2-5, 
 the other on Leviticus XIX, "Holy ye shall be." The 
 sermons were dedicated to the noble Grand Duke 
 George, who had received the Jewish preacher most 
 cordiall)'. 
 
 Salomon deserves the undisputed credit of having 
 given to the Jewish sermon its specific Jewish 
 character by the good use he made of the Talmud, 
 Midrash and the later Rabbinical literature. 
 
 Another characteristic of Salomon's pulpit work 
 is his practical sense. He always deals with the vital 
 topics of every day life and with the burning questions 
 of the hour, which nowadays are painfully neglected, 
 evaded or ignored by the majority of the Jewish 
 preachers in Germany. They are, also, too smart, too 
 well versed in the arts of diplomacy, and afraid to take 
 a manly, bold stand on the questions of the day. There 
 was nothing of the least interest in the family, Con- 
 
 *Fest-un(l Casualprefliijten, Stuttgart, 1813, Metzler. 
 tjudah Leon: Beitraege Zur Kritik der Refonnl)estrebungen 
 in der Synagoge, Stuttgart, 1S41. 
 
122 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 gregation or in ])ublic life, on which Salomon did not 
 preach. Hence his great inflnence inside and outside 
 of his immediate field of activity. Many charitable 
 institutions, societies and liturgical reforms owe their 
 origin to the pulpit of Salomon. Many families were 
 kept back from the baptismal font through his inspir- 
 ing sermons; many Jews, who were indifferent to their 
 religion, were won again for our cause by the impetus 
 received from the Temple in Hamburg, because there 
 they were taught that notwithstanding their lax practice 
 of the Jewish ceremonies and forms they could still be 
 good Jews. There they heard for the first time, that 
 right living and good conduct constitute the essence of 
 our religion. The words of the prophet seemed to 
 have been fulfilled: "Behold, days will come, when I 
 will send a famine, not a famine for bread, nor a 
 thirst for water; but to hear the word of the Lord." 
 (Amos Vni, II.) 
 
 Therefore we most deeply deplore the fact that 
 Prof. Graetz has hardly a good word to say for Salomon. 
 While, foi instance, men like Heine and Boerne, who 
 have nothing to do with Judaism, inasmuch as they 
 were apostates, occupy a space of forty pages, *hardly 
 ten lines are devoted to Salomon, and these abound 
 in ridicule, bitter sarcasm, scorn and detraction. 
 While the professor concedes that Salomon was an 
 "able preacher, well versed in Biblical and Jewish 
 ■literature," (Ibid., page 417), he accuses him .of having 
 given to the Temple a perfectly Protestanical appearance 
 and in consequence of his (Salomon's) self-com- 
 placency and want of modesty, a defiant character. " In 
 vain we look for the learned professor's proofs of these 
 assertions. Again: "With Salomon commenced the in- 
 fluence of the preachers in Germany; the pulpit took 
 the place of the house of learning and from it not 
 seldom the hollow-sounding word was heard, which 
 concealed the thought or the want of thought. The 
 
 *Graetz's Hist, of the Jews, Vol. XI, pages 368 to 408. Forty 
 lines would have more than sufficed for theni in a "History of the 
 Jews". 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. 1 23 
 
 peals of the organ produced shallow emotions and 
 pushed into the background the earnestness and the 
 wealth of thought of the original Jewish doctrine." 
 (Ibidem). In this country and even in Germany the 
 organ is a popular institution of almost every, even 
 the conservative Synagogue. Further: "The eternal 
 'preaching' " — Graetz uses the sneering expression 
 'Gepredige," which is no German at all, — ''became 
 disgusting to deeper natures." "They did not 
 prophesy a long existence to the Temple." As it is 
 still flourishing, they were false prophets. "A would- 
 be wag characterizes the little confidence the 
 friends of the Temple had in its lasting suc- 
 cess:" "The preachers in Hamburg are growing 
 rich, and can, if things turn out badly, buy a 
 Congregation. (Minjan i, e. worshippers)." Now, 
 even if this, by no means good joke, had origi- 
 nated among the friends, and not, as was the 
 case, among the enemies of the Temple, it would still 
 be out of place in a "History of the Jews," which 
 ought to deal in facts only. Yet, Graetz himself can- 
 not help stating, that "now and then the Temple suc- 
 cee led indeed, m bringing back to the fold some Jews, 
 who were about to join the church." (Ibid., page 
 417). Is this fact in itself not sufficient to treat the 
 Temple and its preachers less irreverently and more 
 respectfully? It almost appears as if the learned pro- 
 fessor had felt some regrets, some compunctions of 
 conscience on account of the sneers and ridicule which 
 he had heaped upon the Temple, its preachers and up- 
 holders on page 417 of his "History." For on page 
 418 of the sime work we are unexpectedly treated to 
 the following highly appreciative and complimentary 
 passage concerning the Temple: "Nevertheless the 
 merit of the Hamburg Temple is not to be underesti- 
 mated. It has removed from the House of God with 
 one stroke and without many scruples, the trash which 
 had gathered around it during many centuries; it has 
 swept away in youthful impetuosity the holy spider- 
 web, which nobodv had dared to touch, and it has 
 
124 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 awakened a sense for a regulated form of decorum, 
 order, taste and simplicity during divine service." We 
 now ask in the spirit of fairness, whether it would not 
 have been in better taste, and, moreover, in the 
 interest of historical justice, if Prof. Graetz had 
 omitted the sneering passages quoted. On the occasion 
 of the hundredth anniversary of the birthday of Moses 
 ]\Iendelssohn, September lo, 1829, which was 
 celebrated in Berlin, Breslau, Hamburg, Dresden, 
 Leipzig, Frankfurt, Dessau and other large cities of 
 Germany, Salomon published a sermon, "Light and 
 Blessing," and a book: "INIonument of Remembrance 
 of Moses Mendelssohn." (Hamburg, 1829). The first 
 part is devoted to an interesting biography of the" Sage 
 of Dessau," while the second part forms a selection of 
 systematically arranged extracts from Mendelssohn's 
 writings in eight chapters. The publication is dedi- 
 cated to Joseph, the only one of Moses Mendelssohn's 
 children, who remained faithful to the religion of their 
 fathers, and to David Friedlaender, whom Salomon 
 fittingly designates "the truest disciple of the immortal 
 master." Joseph Mendelssohn highly complimented 
 Salomon on his conception of his father's life. Asa 
 token of his appreciation he sent the author the 
 autograph of IMendelssohn, containing a notice of the 
 "Hamburg Correspondent," written in Mendelssohn's 
 handwriting. That newspaper announces to the world 
 that "in July, 1779, the Chief Rabbi of Altona had 
 excommunicated all those Jews, who would read 
 Mendelssohn's translation of the Pentateuch."* 
 
 Salomon was a religious poet. He belonged to 
 the commission which was authorized in 1833 to 
 publish a new hymn book for the Temple in Hamburg. 
 Dr. M. Fraenkel and Dr. Wohlwill were members of 
 the same committee. Up to this date the Temple had 
 used the "Religious Hymns and Songs for Israelites," 
 published in 1818 and 1821 by Dr. Kley. Among the 
 
 *His name was Raphael Kohn, born in 1722. died in i8o3. He 
 \vas the grandfather of Gabriel Riesser, 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. 1 25 
 
 four hundred and seventeen hymns of the new hymn 
 book, ninety-five were composed by Salomon.* The 
 full title of the book is: " General Israeiitish 
 Song Book for Houses of Wor.ship and Schools," 
 Hamburg, 1S33. This hymn book, while an ex- 
 cellent selection of religious songs, has one 
 ereat disadvantage. The songs are, as a rule, too 
 philosophical, deep and tran.scendental, a mistake 
 which characterizes not a few Jewish hymn books. 
 This fault of our Jewish devotional literature reminds 
 one vividly of Zunz's witty remark: "Der Jude Singt 
 Logik und Betet Metaphysik."t But in justice to 
 Salomon it must be stated that the songs composed by 
 him form, to a great extent, a praiseworthy [exception 
 in this respect, because they are, as a rule, plainer, 
 simpler and appeal less to the mind than to the heart. 
 In resrard to hvmns it might not be amiss to remark 
 that the Jews could learn a great deal from the 
 Christians, whose Congregational songs on account 
 of their plain form and substance are often inspiring. 
 Our Temple-music is, especially in the large Temples, 
 highly artistic. We sometimes pay extravagantly 
 high prices to our choirs, and yec a less expensive 
 Temple-music and a few more inspiring Congregational 
 sono;s would considerablv diminish the chilliness so 
 characteristic of our worship and might increase the 
 attendance in our Synagogues. The aiidience would 
 then become, instead of an inactive critic, an active 
 participant in the service. How much less expensive 
 would- such an arrangement be for smaller Congrega- 
 tions! 
 
 The following hymn composed by Salomon may 
 find a place here. It has seven stanzas in the original 
 German. This translation is contained in the "hymns 
 and anthems," adapted for Jewish worship, selected 
 and arranged by Dr. Gustav Gottheil, Rabbi of 
 Temple Kmanuel, New York, (1887) on pages 98-99: 
 
 ♦Salomon's Autobiography, page 31. 
 
 +The Jew sings logic and prays metaphysics. 
 
126 RKKORMKL) JUDAISM. 
 
 SOUL, WHY ART TIIOU TROUBLED SO? 
 
 "Soul, why art thou troubled so? 
 "Soul, why art thou so sore afraid? 
 "Feelst thou not the Father nigh, 
 "Him whose heart contains us all? 
 "Lives no God for thee on high? 
 "Loving, while His judgments fall? 
 
 "Look above! 
 
 "God is love! 
 "Soul, why art thou troubled so? 
 
 "Heart and eye 
 
 "Lift on high! 
 "Every tear that on earth flows, 
 "God, the world's great ruler, knows." 
 
 "Soul, why art thou troubled so? 
 "Why art thou so sore afraid? 
 "Art thou then of all forsaken, 
 "Standest thou on earth alone? 
 "All thou loved' st from thee taken, 
 "Nothing thou canst call thine own? 
 
 ' ^God is with thee, 
 
 "Eternally. 
 ''Soul, my soul, shake off thy dread! 
 
 "Firmly trust 
 
 "God the just! 
 "Never shall His word betray. 
 "Never shall His love decay." 
 
 "Soul, why art thou troubled so? 
 
 "Why art thou so sore afraid? 
 
 "From thy heart has fatal death 
 
 "Torn the loved ones thou wouldst save? 
 
 "Sawest thou them, with anguished breath 
 
 "Sink into the gloomy grave? 
 
 "Death's last blow 
 
 "Endeth woe. 
 
127 
 GOTTIIOLD SALOMON. 
 
 ''Soul, have comfort in the Lord! 
 
 ^ 'Tears, take flio^ht, 
 
 "For in liglit 
 "Walk the hosts that (iod adore, 
 "Blessed, blessed evermore." 
 
 Salomon proved himself also a religions poet in 
 his "Parables."* 
 
 Bnt his monnmentnm aere perenninni is his 
 "German Bible for the People and the Schools of 
 Israel."! Salomon thus gave for the first time into 
 the hands of the Jews a German translation of the 
 whole Bible from a Jewish point of view. 
 
 It is a testimony to Salomon's intense persever- 
 ance and painstaking work. The translation, while 
 ignoring in most cases the results of modern Biblical 
 research, especiallv of philology, is based on the con- 
 ception of the best Rabbinical commentaries and does 
 full justice, both to the spirit of the Hebrew and Ger- 
 man languages. Salomon's "Volks und Schulbibel" 
 especially the Pentateuch, was criticised by M. Hess, of 
 Trier and by Rabbi L. Schott, of Randegg. 
 
 In the answer to these critics and in his polemical 
 writings, Salomon gives ample proof of his great 
 controversial powers. Anton Theodor Hartman, 
 professor of theology in Rostock, a prominent scholar 
 in the field of oriental languages, :J: found in Salomon a 
 foe worthy of his steel. In a pamphlet: "Eisenmen- 
 ger and his Jewish Opponents," and in the fifth and 
 sixth volumes of the "Archives of the Newest Legisla- 
 ture," in an essay: "vShould a perfect Equality of Civil 
 Rights be granted to all the Jews at present?" Hart- 
 man, an uncompromising enemy of Israel, threw 
 suspicion on the oath of a Jew. Salomon replied 
 in "Open Letters to Mr. Anton Theodor Hartman :"§ 
 
 ♦Leipzig, 1S19. 
 
 tDeutsche Volks-uiid SclinlbibeL AUoiia iS] 7, Zweite Auflage 
 183S, Hamnierich. 
 
 iSee his "Die Ilebraeerin am rutztisch." 
 
 ^Offene Mriefc.in Herrii A. Th. Hartman, Hamburg, 1S35. 
 
128 REI^ORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 These five letters are . remarkable for the thorough 
 knowledge of Jewish literature he displayed, for the 
 logic, and keenness of argumentation, for his shrewd- 
 ness in discovering every weak point of his opponent, 
 for the quick wat, irony and merciless sarcasm, with 
 wdiich Salomon unmasks the ignorance, littleness, 
 miserable bigotry and animosity of the assailant of his 
 co-religionists. To Th. Hartman's statement, based on 
 the book of the orthodox Rabbi Loewenstein in Emden, 
 that the Talmud is the code of laws for the Jews, 
 Salomon plainly answered, "No!" "And if a hundred 
 Rabbis," thus he continues, "should say so, what does 
 it prove? Our Rabbis, even the oldest and most 
 learned of them, are neither bishops nor popes." The 
 conclusion of the fifth letter, where Salomon reminds 
 the professor, or better the Christian world, of what 
 the Jews cheerfully forget, provided the Christ- 
 ians forget sortie foolish expressions in old Jew- 
 ish books, which not even the Jew^s — except a 
 few scholars — understand, is a masterpiece of eloquence. 
 He concludes thus: "Practice the love, of which in 
 word and deed is preached so much in churches, and 
 which is so often spoken of outside the church. * * 
 Be thou a Christian, as I am a Jew, in this sense, 
 and it will not be necessary to make our future salva- 
 tion and present welfare dependent upon books, for the 
 letter killeth the Christian and the Jew, but the spirit 
 maketh them both alive." 
 
 These letters created at the time such a tremend- 
 ous sensation that Hartman was compelled, by his 
 students, to defend himself. They plainly told him 
 that they would no longer attend his lectures in the 
 University, if he should keep silent after having been 
 publicly accused of ignorance. Hartman was thus put 
 on the defensive, instead of the offensive. He then 
 came out with a pamphlet: "Principles of Orthodox 
 Judaism," to which Salomon replied in a "Second and 
 Last Letter." He conclusively refuted Hartman's ac- 
 cusations concerning the national pride of the ' 'chosen 
 people," concerning their hatred of the adherents of 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. I 29 
 
 Other religions, recklessness in taking an oath, and 
 cowardice. He showed by nnnierons quotations from 
 the Biblical and later Jewish literature, that Jehovah 
 is considered the father of the whole human family, 
 irrespective of nationality or creed,* and that the king- 
 dom of truth will slowly, gradually, but surely gain 
 universal dominion in the whole world. 
 
 In those days Judaeophobia, Jew-baiting, or "Anti- 
 semitism," as modern phraseology styles this idiosyn- 
 crasv, was nurtured, fostered and fanned by the Ger- 
 man professors, who, sailing under the false colors of 
 theological rationalism and political liberalism, made 
 the Jews scapegoats and targets for their own narrow- 
 mindedness. A Ruehs, Fries^ Hartman and even a 
 Bretschneider were not ashamed to attack Judaism 
 with the rusted ammunition used by an Eisenmenger, 
 Schudt, Wagenseil, and others. The school of the so- 
 called "Jung-Hegelianer, '' with their merciless 
 ''criticism," commenced to attack Judaism and Jews 
 under the guise of philosophy. The most prominent 
 exponent of this clique was Bruno Bauer, w^ho by his 
 scathing and corrosive criticism of the "Evangelical 
 History of the Synoptics" deprived Christianty of every 
 historical basis, and regarded religion as the enemy of 
 all development in the spirit of freedom. No wonder 
 that he was expelled from the chair of the theological 
 faculty for the expression of such views. 
 
 In 1842 he published in the "German Yearbooks of 
 Science and Art," which was the official organ of the 
 "Young-Hegelians," an essay on the "Judenfrage." + 
 Bauer desired to prove, that Judaism and the modern 
 government of nations are incompatible contra.sts, 
 hence, the emancipation of the Jews must be made de- 
 pendent on their giving up their religion and 
 nationality. It was the old sophistry in the garb of 
 
 ^Leviticus XIX. iS, 19, 2^, Exo.l. XXIII. 4-5. Proverbs XXV, 
 21-23, Sch. 
 
 +See Deutsche Jahrbuecher fuer Wissenschaft uml Kunst, 1.S42, 
 pages 274 and 2S2. It appeared in pamphlet-form in 1S43, 
 (Braunschweig. ) 
 
130 KEFORMKl) Jl'DAISM. 
 
 New-Hegelianisin. It is the old story "les extremites 
 se touchent." Here is an outspoken enemy of every 
 religion, yet he would have the Jews give up their 
 religion for — what? For the right to be possibly 
 chosen to the office of a policeman or town-crier? Had 
 Bauer taken the trouble to study the history of the 
 Jews in middle ages, he would have known, that their 
 religion was dearer to them than life itself. 
 
 Bauer's pamphlet elicited many telling replies 
 from leading Jewish scholars, among others, a pamph- 
 let from Gustav Philippson.* More thorough were the 
 answers of Dr. Abrahm Geiger, Samuel Hirsch and 
 the always ready champion, Gotthold Salomon. 
 Geiger treated the relation of the Jews to the state in 
 the diflferent epochs from the historical-critical point 
 of view and most cleverly refuted every one of Bauer's 
 sophistic arguments.! Samuel Hirsch published a 
 pamphlet: "Judaism, the Christian Government, and 
 the Modern Criticism, Letters concerning the 'Juden- 
 frage' of Bruno Bauer, Leipzig, 1843." Hirsch hav- 
 ing been a Hegelian himself and endowed with a mind, 
 eminently trained for philosophical argument, and 
 having been well versed in the theological, historical 
 and Rabbinical literatures, was especially fitted to 
 demolish Bauer with his own weapons. This he most 
 ably did, although his style of writing was a little too 
 deep for the masses. This, however, was also the 
 case with Bruno Bauer's style. Sentences containing 
 from eight to tw^elve lines are by no means of rare oc- 
 currence in Bauer's pamphlet. 
 
 Salomon published a strong and popular pamph- 
 let: "Bruno Bauer and his Superficial Criticism on the 
 Jewish Question. ":J: Common sense, knowledge of 
 Jewish history and Rabbinical literature are the 
 weapons which Salomon most cleverly used to destroy 
 the unfounded hypotheses of Bauei:. He shows the 
 
 *"Die Judenfrage, von Breuno Bauer," naeher beleuchtet. 
 Dessau, 1S43, 
 
 tGeiger's Wissenchaftliche Zeitschrift fuerjueische Theologie, 
 Vol. 5. 
 
 i Hamburg. 1843, C- Rosenkranz. 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. I3I 
 
 inconsistency of Bauer, who, while denying Christianity, 
 still clings to the hyper-orthodox notion that "Christ- 
 ianity is the fulfillment of Judaism." The prophecy 
 which Salomon jokingly made, that he should not be 
 surprised to see the iconoclast Bauer in the role of an 
 editor of an orthodox Christian paper, became, indeed, 
 later literally fulfilled. Bauer, the merciless de- 
 molisher of the Evangelical history of the 
 "synoptics," joined hands with the pietists and 
 feudalists as a contributor to the notorious 
 "Kreutzzeitung.f He also published anti - Jewish 
 articles in the conservative "State-Lexicon" of 
 the inveterate Jew-hater Wagener, and advocated the 
 theory of the "Christian Government." (Christlicher 
 Staat). Still, Bruno Bauer and his ilk are forgotten 
 and could not prevent the emancipation of the Jews. 
 
 A vear later Salomon's polemic pen was again put 
 to good use in the publication of a pseudonym pamphlet: 
 "The Blue Book of Gottfried Sigismund," (Hamburg, 
 1844.J as a rejoinder to a most scurrilous publication: 
 "The Black Book, by B. Carlo." The booklet is spicy, 
 sprightly, witty and amusing in the extreme. It 
 begins as follows: 
 
 "The greatest misfortune that the Jews have 
 brought upon Germany in general and the good city 
 of Hamburg in particular, consists in the large swarm 
 of ignorant, good-for-nothing scribblers, whom the great 
 question of Jewish emancipation has produced." 
 
 We come now to one of the most important periods 
 in the history of the Jewish Reform-movement, 
 namely, to the famous "prayer-book controversy," 
 which, though originally a local affair ot Hamburg 
 Judaism, was destined to exercise the greatest influence 
 upon the development of the Jewish worship. That 
 Salomon did not remain inactive in this controversy 
 will be seen. 
 
 In Chapter IV of this book, the reader will have 
 noticed what a stir the first Hamburg prayer-book, 
 
 ♦This Berlin daily is the mouthpiece of the "Altcouservative" or 
 "Junkerpartei," the organ of Feudalism and Antisemitism, 
 
132 RKKOKMHD JUDAISM. 
 
 "Order of Public Worship of the Whole Year," had 
 created. Partly on account of the scarcity of this book, 
 but more especially in due consideration of the pressing 
 wants of a new, more advanced generation, the officers 
 of the Temple concluded to publish an amended prayer- 
 book. The title of the new prayer-book was ' ' Seder 
 Abodah," and it was introduced in 1841 in the Temple 
 of Hamburg and in its branch-synagogue in Leipzic, 
 where divine service was held during the annual fair, 
 (Messe.) 
 
 While the members of the Temple were in full 
 sympathy with the new prayer book, Bernays* of the 
 "German Israelitish Congregation," of Hamburg, came 
 out with three warnings, published in the three Syna- 
 gogues of Hamburg, against the use of said prayer-book. 
 (October 16, 1841.) He literally interdicted it; declared 
 it "un-Jewish" and "sinful" to make use of it for the 
 sake of prayer, without, however, giving one valid 
 reason for this prohibition. It deserves special men- 
 tion that Rabbi Ettlinger, of Altona, did not sign this 
 document, f Rabbi Bernays had proved his hostility 
 to the Temple on another occasion. After the resigna- 
 tion of Dr. Kley as preacher of the Temple, in 1839, 
 and Dr. Frankfurter's election as his successor, the 
 administration of the Temple passed the resolution 
 to build a more spacious new Temple. As the permis- 
 sion of the Senate of Hamburg was indispensable for 
 such a step, the Senate inquired about it of the officers 
 of Bernays' Congregation, who in turn asked for 
 Bernays' opinion on the question. The "Chacham" 
 took the opportunity to prevent the grant of the desired 
 permission on the ground that the Temple-society was 
 sectarian. He even went so far as to induce the Christ- 
 ian authorities to prohibit the use of the new prayer- 
 book,, and thus to annihilate the Temple-society. 
 But he could not succeed in making the Senate a pliant 
 
 *In his attempt to imitate the Portuguese Jews he preferred the 
 pompous title of "Chacham" (sage). 
 
 iLater however, due to the pressure brought to bear on hmi, he 
 took sides with Bernays. 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. 133 
 
 tool of his tanaticisin. That these doings, especially 
 Bernays' "interdict," did not fail to create a painful 
 sensation, is a matter of course. Bernays' antecedents 
 were not at all in harmony with conduct so fanatical, 
 and so utterly unworthy of a man, trained in German 
 Universities and well versed in philosophical literature. 
 No wonder that people attributed his action to personal 
 spite against the Temple-society, which had drawn 
 away the best and most intelligent younger members 
 from Bernays' Congregation and had thereby increased 
 the membership of the Temple to the imposing number 
 of eight hundred ! It cannot'be denied that Bernays had 
 not justified the great hopes of the orthodox party and 
 that his inactivity and the peculiar style of his so-called 
 philosophical sermons had utterly failed to attract to 
 him the rising generation. More even than the ''inter- 
 dict" itself did its inconsiderate, insulting tone incense 
 the members of the Temple. Bernays charged the offi- 
 cers of the Temple with "fri\-olity and irreligious- 
 ness."* Even such calm, moderate and generally dis- 
 passionate men as Gabriel Riesser became indignant. 
 Thev saw in Bernays' step a flagrant violation of their 
 rights, ''because the Chacham had no jurisdiction over 
 the Temple." The board of directors of the Temple 
 in a counter-declaration, (October 24,) charged Bernays 
 not only with "arrogance, impotent partiality, mali- 
 cious ignoring of the contents of the prayer book," but 
 even with "ignorance in the theological-liturgical sci- 
 ence." Bernays and his Congregation flooded the 
 Jewish Congregations of Europe with copies of the 
 interdict. This in turn compelled the Temple admin- 
 istration to call forth the opinions of modern Rabbis 
 and preachers on the subject. It shows the growth of 
 the Reform-movement, that, while twenty years pre- 
 
 *Beriiavs said in his "interdict" among other things, that the 
 "most arbitrary mutilation of our main prayers, intentional devia- 
 tion from the Jewish mode of prayer and the most irresponsible 
 destruction of the spirit of prayer by abolishing and changing of 
 passages concerning our religious (.M future, " Redemption," 
 • Messiah" ' "Resurrection, ' ' and a frivolous treatment of future hopes' 
 are manifested in the prayer-book. 
 
134 REFORM KI) JUDAISM. 
 
 viously, during the first ''Plaiiiburg prayer book con- 
 troversy," only three foreign Rabbis had dared to come 
 forward publicly in favor of the prayer book,* no less 
 than thirteen, and the most famous Rabl)is of Germany 
 at that, at this time boldly espoused the cause of 
 reform and progress. Aside from the two preachers of 
 the Temple, Salomon and Frankfurter, the following 
 Rabbis gave fa\orable opinions on the prayer book: J. 
 A. Friedlender, Holdheim, Levin Auerbach, Geiger, 
 Guttman, Kohn, Maier, Mannheimer, Philippsohn 
 and Stein. Zacharias Frankel, in full accord with his 
 "mediating" disposition and his customary indecision 
 gave an opinion which satisfied neither party. Gei- 
 ger' s and Holdheim' s opinions are the most thorough 
 of all. 
 
 Salomon's opinion is contained in a small pamphlet 
 which thoroughly discusses the matter, f 
 
 The tone of this publication is earnest, and digni- 
 fied. Salomon refuses the charges brought against the 
 authors of the prayer book, that in it they ignore the 
 three doctrines of Redemption, Messiah and Resurrec- 
 tion. He proves by numerous quotations from Biblical 
 and Rabbinical literature, that the prayer book is not 
 inconsistent with Mosaic-Rabbinical Judaism. In this 
 he proves too much, as it is not at all the province of 
 Reform-Judaism to be in every respect in harmony with 
 Mosaic-Rabbinical Judaism. The omission of theMussaph 
 prayer which refers particularly to the ancient bloody sac- 
 rifices in the Temple of Jerusalem, of the prayer "Velani- 
 alshinim,";J: (against the apostates) is, he continues, in 
 full harmony with the spirit ot our age. He concludes 
 as follows: 
 
 *See chapter IV "Aron Chorin," page 76 of this book. 
 
 tDas neue Gebetbuch und seine Verketzerung, sine ira at cum 
 studio, (Hamburg, 1841.) 
 
 iThe following is a literal translation of the prayer: "O, 
 let the slanderers have no hope; all the evil-doers may be 
 annihilated speedily and all the tyrants may be quickly cut off, 
 humble thou them speedily in our days. Blessed art thou, oh God, 
 who destroyest enemies, and humblest tyrants:" This is the 
 twelfth of the sc-called ^eighteen benedictions. (Shenioneh 
 Essreh). 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. I35 
 
 "Whether the author of the anathema thought 
 more of his own cause than the cause and honor of 
 God: whether he is 'not at home,' as many people 
 claim, in the liturgical and theological literature, so 
 necessary for a clear judgment in this matter, or 
 whether he did not carefully read the work, so merci- 
 lessly condemned by him, we do not know. But we do 
 know that since the existence of the Jews and Judaism 
 no Jewish teacher has ever come out with a similar 
 interdict. * * * We are convinced, however, that 
 even this event will contribute ultimately to the promo- 
 tion of enlightened religiousness in Israel.'" 
 
 Salomon devoted also a special sermon to the 
 prayer book controversy, entitled: "It is dangerous to 
 a^ccuse a whole community of irreligiousness," delivered 
 February 7, 1842. The text: "Abraham said, I 
 thought there is no fear of God in this place," (Gen. 
 XX, 8-1 1 ) is most appropriate for the occasion. 
 
 Dr. L. Auerbach, (Leipzig,) said: "The step of 
 Bernays was not only hasty but also superfluous and use- 
 less; superfluous for his own orthodox Congregation; use- 
 less for the members of the Temple, who had been accus- 
 tomed to a similar prayer book for twenty-three years 
 in spite of the interdict of forty Rabbis." Auerbach 
 protests most emphatically against Bernays' words, that 
 "it had never entered the mind of a Jew to make use 
 of this prayer book." This, if true, would exclude 
 every member of the Hamburg and Leipzig Temple- 
 people from the pale of Judaism! And yet, the most 
 respected, most charitable and best educated men, 
 (Gabriel Riesser and others,) were active members of 
 the Temple! How much more tolerant w^ere the Tal- 
 mudists, who teach: "As long as a man does not wor- 
 ship idols, he has a right to be called a Jew. * 
 
 Such prayers only were eliminated as might tend 
 to throw suspicion upon the patriotism of the Jews. 
 
 *See Mainionides on "Idolaters, II, 4, Talmud IMegilla 13; my 
 "The Talimi 1," passes 34-40, and my Prinzipien des Judenthum's 
 chapter \II. 
 
136 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Similar passages are omitted in the Portuguese prayer 
 book, which is considered strictly orthodox. For 
 instance; the passage "And bring us back in peace from 
 the four corners of the globe," or "Return, oh God, to 
 Jerusalem, Thy City, in peace." ]\Iaimonides said: 
 "Prayers can be recited in any language," and "The 
 Mussaph prayer is not absolutely necessary." 
 
 The Messianic idea is well represented in the 
 prayer book, hence Bernays' talk about "a frivolous 
 treatment of the future of Judaism," amounts to 
 nothing. 
 
 Joseph Friedleander, then eighty years old, comes 
 to the conclusion that Bernays' utterances are not 
 based on legal causes or liturgical reasons; and that the 
 prayer book, which does justice to a piirified and digni- 
 fied service in accord with the demands of the age 
 deserves to be recommended to every Jewish Congrega- 
 tion. He closes with the following beautiful senti- 
 ments: "I am the same for truth and justice from youth 
 to old age." 
 
 Abraham Geiger gives the following opinion:* 
 According to the Talmud the short prayer "Habinenu" 
 is sufficient, so far as fulfilling the daily duty of prayer 
 is concerned. Hence the omission of some prayers in the 
 prayer book of the Temple does not justify Bernays' 
 interdict, not even from the strictest Talmudical point 
 of view. The omitted prayers were among those, that 
 owe their origin to a later period. The ritual is differ- 
 ent in German, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Provencal, 
 Italian, Greek and other Congregations, and even in 
 Fuerth, F^rankfurt, Vienna, Metz, Bohemia, Bavaria, 
 Wuertemburg and Russia, the mode of worship differs. 
 Hence the discrimination as to what must be called a 
 Jewish prayer book is arbitrary in the extreme. Aside 
 from this there are no radical changes in the prayer 
 book ot the Temple, and even those pointed out in the 
 '.'interdict" concerning Redemption, Messiah, Resur- 
 
 *See Qeijjer: Der Hamburger Tempelstreit, eine Zeitfra^e, 
 Brtslan; 1S42, Leiiokhardt, and Nachgel, Schrifteii I, pages 113-197. 
 
GOTTHOI.D SALOMON. I37 
 
 rection, — which, however, have nowhere been desig- 
 nated as essential elements of the prayer — are very 
 tame indeed. Hence the verdict is purely subjective 
 and arbitrarv, and the prohibition of the iise of said 
 prayer book is wholly unfounded and in glaring contrast 
 with the laws of the Talmud concerning prayer. 
 
 In his pamphlet on the "Hamburger Templesteit," 
 Geiger takes the Temple people to task for not going 
 farther in the Synagogical reform than they did, and 
 accuses them of inconsistency, half-heartedness and 
 want of decision. 
 
 Dr. Samuel Holdheim, Land-Rabbi of the Grand- 
 Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, has also published 
 his opinion on the prayer book in pamphlet-form, enti- 
 tled: "On the Prayer Book and its Use in the Tem- 
 ple, "Hamburg, 1 84 1. He proves that the custom of the 
 Hamburg Templers, not to repeat the Shmoneh Essreh* 
 twice, but to recite it with the reader, was advocated by 
 Rabbi Gamaliel f and by Maimonides, who had intro- 
 duced the same reform t in a Congregation where he 
 resided. 
 
 In answer to an attack made upon him in the 
 "Zeitung des Judenthums" Holdheim published an 
 article >; on the question of authority from which the 
 following is an extract: 
 
 "I have, as Rabbi of my generation, the same 
 right which the forty Rabbis had, who twenty-three 
 years ago decided against the prayer book. The impos- 
 ing number of forty proves nothing. Every one of 
 them was only one, * * That these forty Rabbis 
 voted against, and to-day only a few Rabbis vote for 
 the prayer book is a problem easily solved. Although 
 an impartial, liberal opinion is no longer considered 
 lieresy in our day, its advocacy has nevertheless for 
 many a Rabbi unpleasant con.sequences, to defy which 
 
 *HiKliteen Benedictions. 
 tMishna Rosh hashana IV, 9. 
 
 i(iei}(er: Wissenschafte Zeitschrift fiier Jiieil Theolotiie, Vol. 
 II, pages 347-348. 
 
 ijZeitung des Judentluini's, 1842, No. 8, February 19th. 
 
138 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 not everybody has the courage. These forty Rabbis, 
 who iu 1 8 19 denounced the Hamburg prayer book, 
 reaped glory and honor, a kind of veneration from their 
 contemporaries, and as long as the advocates of Reform 
 make themselves unpopular by their course, the numer- 
 ical strength proves nothing for the truth and justice 
 of the cause in question." 
 
 Abraham Kohn, Rabbi of Hohenems, Tyrol, Aus- 
 tria, said:* "Judging from Bernays' interdict I expected, 
 indeed, that the prayer book — which I had not yet seen 
 at the time I read the interdiction — contained most 
 radical views on our religion. But how surprised was 
 I when I saw the prayer book. What a bold statement 
 it was that "the spirit of our prayer had been destroyed 
 there!" I found indeed that the changes were inten- 
 tional, but by no means "arbitrary." On the contrary, 
 that they gave due consideration to the genuine and 
 pure spirit of Judaism as well as to the exigencies and 
 demands of our age. Only such passages are elimin- 
 ated and changed as are liable to foster intolerance, to 
 nourish conceit and false pride. Furthermore, such 
 passages as are not compatible with refined taste, dis- 
 turb order and decorum, and hinder devotion, are omit- 
 ted. Lastly, ideas, which the majority of our co-relig- 
 ionists do not believe and whose realization they do not 
 wish, are not contained in the new prayer book. On 
 the other hand the prayer book strives to elevate the 
 sentiments of Judaism and humanity. That the 
 lamentations on account of the loss of Palestine, Tem- 
 ple and sacrificial rites are partly omitted and partly 
 changed does not at all constitute a dogmatic question. 
 For it is known how little the prophets and psalmists 
 cared for the sacrificial worship. The great Maimon- 
 ides regards the ideas of Redemption and Messiah as 
 conveying the lesson that a time will come when the 
 knowledge of God will be universal and the kingdom of 
 righteousness and truth will be established on earth, f 
 
 *December 19th, 1841. 
 
 tMaimoindes hilchot Teshnba, chapter IX and Melachim 
 cha])ter XII. 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. 1 39 
 
 That our oppressed ancestors never forgot a prayer for 
 Israel's restoration was due to their persecution and 
 oppression by the surrounding nations. Where is then 
 the raison if ctre for us to recite such prayers? Who 
 expects or wishes in our days the re-establishment of a 
 Jewish monarchy? The amelioration of the civil and 
 social position of our co-religionists in Germany is 
 nearer to the heart of the Jew in Germany than the 
 restoration of the Davidian dynasty in Palestine. 
 Aside from this it is an irrefutable fact that to a large 
 majority of our co-religionists the belief in a Messiah 
 means the hope, that all men, irrespective of creed, 
 will recognize in Jehovah the Common Father of all 
 mankind. The Talmud informs us that Jeremiah and 
 Daniel changed a formula of prayer instituted by 
 Moses, because they did not consider it right to utter be- 
 fore God, who is the embodiment of truth, convictions 
 which they did not hold, because they did not want to lie 
 before Him {Joma 6g b.) I deem it therefore my duty 
 to recommend the prayer book to every Israelite and 
 to express my heartfelt thanks to the Temple-society 
 for its highly meritorious endeavor to give more life and 
 truth to our liturgy. May it triumph over sanctimo- 
 niousness and indifferentisni. While we regret that in 
 manv places nothing is done, to heal old wounds, it is 
 still more deplorable, that even there, where a change 
 for the better has already gained firm ground and borne 
 noble fruit, a fight is made against it at the expense of 
 truth and peace. But let us not fear their impotent 
 efforts, for God is with us, the God of light and truth." 
 Dr. Isaac Noah Manheimer, of Vienna, passed the 
 following judgment on the prayer book:(Vienna Decem- 
 ber 23, 1841). 
 
 1. "According to Rabbinical principles it is per- 
 mitted to recite all the prayers — except the priestly 
 blessing — in the German or in any other generally 
 intelligible language." 
 
 2. "The abolition of the Pijutim and Selichoth is 
 an indispensable condition of the complete restoration 
 of our Divine service to its pristine dignity." 
 
140 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 3. "Vehu Raclium"* (a loiij^ prayer for Mondays 
 and Thursdays,) all JeJii razon\ \ the alphabetical reg- 
 ister of sins committed during the year, "^/ chait'^''\ 
 which plays so important a part in the prayers for the 
 Day of Atonement, may be unscrupulously abbreviated 
 or even entirely abolished." 
 
 4. "The only prayers for which the Rabbis of 
 the Talmud claimed authority, integrity and validity 
 are the Shema,§ with the prayers preceding and suc- 
 ceeding it; and the Tefilla."|| 
 
 5. "The only important change in the Hamburg 
 prayer-book, which has, however, already taken place 
 in the edition of 1819, is in the so-called Mussaph 
 (additional) prayer for Sabbath-and Holidays. There 
 the supplication for the 'restoration of the sacrificial 
 service' is changed into "Hear our prayers, in the 
 place of sacrifices."^ Manheimer candidly confesses 
 that a restoration of the sacrificial service and particu- 
 larly of the bloody sacrifices does not belong to our 
 Messianic hopes and expectations. He cites the 
 prophets and Maimonides, who designated the sacrifi- 
 cial service as belonging to a childish stage of the peo- 
 ple of Israel."** 
 
 He therefore considers Bernays' interdict as un- 
 justifiable. The fact, that Bernays deems it necessary 
 
 *This prayer is composed of Biblical passages. Jarchi, Abudi- 
 raham and Midrash Shoclier Tob to Psalms 22, speak of this pra} er. 
 Translated literally it means: "And He, i. e., God, is mercifnl." 
 
 tPrayer beginning "May it be Thy will, Oh God." 
 
 iLite'rally "For the sake of the sin." This prayer was already 
 known to R. Amraem and originated in the time of the Gaonim. 
 The Portuguese have not so many "Alchait" as the Germans. 
 Maimoimdes knows only of one. R. JeehudaBarzelloni (1130 p, C.,) 
 was opposed to this prayer. (Zunz: Ritus, page 13). Many Rab- . 
 binical authorities object to the public recital of a detailed con- 
 fession of sins, justly remarking, that it belongs to private devotion. 
 The form of the "Al Chait" proves its late date. 
 
 §"Hear, oh Israel, the Eternal our God, the Eternal is one." It 
 is our Credo. Talm. Berachot 13. 
 
 ir'Thefilla" literally "prayer," is used for the eighteen benedic- 
 tions on week days and seven benedictions on Sabbath-and Holidays. 
 
 H Manheimer is not quite correct. The old form is also retained 
 in small print. 
 
 •'■*Moreh Nebuchin (Guide of the perplexed), Vol. III. 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. 141 
 
 to modify and to weaken the interdict of the Hamburg 
 Rabbinate in 1819, shows that he is not so sure of the 
 justice of his cause. But liad he simply warned his 
 own followers, without attacking- and throwing suspi- 
 cion upon the honor and reputation of the Temple- 
 Society, which, in the twenty-two years of its existence 
 had shown itself worthy of Judaism, his course might 
 have been excused to a certain extent. But now it is 
 the duty of all those, who entertain the least hope for 
 the restoration of our religion and of a revival of the 
 spirit of our people, to raise their voice most emphat- 
 ically against the narrow-mindedness, one-sidedness, 
 usurpation of authority and arrogance manifested in 
 his interdict by Bernays, who, being himself a child of 
 the new age, ought to have been the last person to be 
 guilty of such actions. The more indifferent the Rabbis 
 of Berna}-s' stamp have shown themselves in the 
 cause of improving our worship, and the more they 
 have looked on, while thousands upon thousands in 
 Israel have thus been estranged from the House of 
 God, the less right have they to give themselves the 
 appearance of heroes and champions of our faith in the 
 face of those, who, in order to stem the tidal waves of 
 apostasy and of threatened dissolution, were the first to 
 set bounds to the religious anarchy and lawlessness in 
 things divine. Manheimer, who was married in 1824 
 by a preacher of the Hamburg Temple according to 
 the ritual of the Temple, and who for two years, 1823- 
 25, had officiated as preacher in the Temple, says that 
 he is indebted to it for the richest everlasting im- 
 pressions. There he received his inspirations for his 
 successful labors in one of the most influential Congre- 
 gations of Germany. He says that he will never for- 
 get the sad impressions which the abstruse lectures of 
 Bernays and the utter deterioration and decay of the 
 service in the Synagogue, under the spiritual guidance 
 of Bernays, have made upon him, impressions which 
 have not left his mind to this day. 
 
 If the question of authority is to be considered of 
 greater import than argument and scientific result, 
 
142 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 then he may safely place his authority based on the 
 confidence which he enjoys in the Congregations of the 
 Austrian monarchy, in matters pertaining to the Jew- 
 ish rite of worship, in opposition to that of Mr. 
 Bernays. 
 
 Dr. Frankfurter, in a pamphlet: ' 'Standstill and 
 Progress," with special reference to the Hamburg 
 prayer-book controversy, (i84i)said: "The prayer-book 
 controversy is the old struggle between progress and 
 standstill. There was a time, when religious observ- 
 ances were a matter of inheritance from father to son. 
 Nobody thought of questioning their meaning and 
 significance; they were practiced, but they were dead 
 all the same. 
 
 "But with the awakening of a better spirit of the 
 age the Jews who took an active part in this awaken- 
 ing naturally had the pardonable ambition to rouse the 
 religious life from its stagnation. Hence parties were 
 formed, the one representing standstill, stagnation and 
 indolence, the other advocating progress, development, 
 change. The former opposed every deviation from 
 beaten paths. To them Mendelssohn was an infidel, 
 because he had translated parts of the Bible into pure 
 German instead of making use of the Jargon. They 
 cursed Wessely, because he had put himself on record 
 in favor of a better education of the Jews. The Talmud 
 and its commentaries constituted their world. Be- 
 longing to the past, they had no eye for the present 
 and future. Hence ever\' argument set forth in favor 
 of the new wants and considerations was ignored by 
 them. They have done nothing because they were 
 fully convinced that no action w^as necessary. 
 
 ' 'The friends of progress tried to enter into this new 
 spirit of the times, sought and found more appropriate 
 and timely forms for a religious life. The movement 
 was a strong, irrepressible demand of the time. 
 
 "What are the opponents of progress doing in this 
 second phase of spreading Reform? They sigh, lament, 
 complain of the decline of religion, while the repre- 
 sentatives of progress are up and doing, to bring back 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. 143 
 
 to the fold those who went astray. As a reward they 
 are styled 'heretics,' 'infidels,' and ' neologuists,' 
 by those who idly look on the ' decline of Judaism.' " 
 Frankfurter says of the Hamburg Temple: ''Ituever 
 intended to oppose the Synagogue in its imperishable 
 truth; on the contrary it aims to strengthen our faith. 
 ''And now a closing word to the opponents of prog- 
 ress. With lamentations, sighs and excommunications 
 you cannot change the current ot the age. 
 
 ''You utter the reproach, that among the men of 
 progress everything is not as it ought to be. But have 
 vou the right to overlook the real improvements for 
 the better accomplished by those men? Is your idle- 
 ness excusable in times like ours, when the religious 
 apathy, indifference and indolence of the masses, so 
 far as Judaism is concerned, are the rule of the day? Is 
 it right, that instead of opening the eyes of the 
 masses you try to deprive them of the light they have 
 and to lead them backwards? Our Synagogues decline; 
 what are you doing to support them, and to fill wor- 
 shippers with the love of God and of His doctrine? 
 The herd is scattered; what are you doing to gather 
 them? 
 
 "If you want to accuse the present you must not 
 yourselves do a crying wrong against it; when you ac- 
 cuse others of tearing down you must be able to show 
 what you yourselves have built up, established, re- 
 paired. Where then are your works, which ought to 
 testify for you and against us? Where?" 
 
 The following is the opinion of Dr. Joseph Maier, 
 Kirchenrath, of Wuertemberg, and Rabbi of Stuttgart, 
 (December i6, 1841.) 
 
 Dr. Maier is very systematic in i)ointing out most 
 accurately in nine paragraphs the difference between 
 the Hamburg and the old orthodox prayer-book. He 
 then goes on to give, in four additional paragraphs, the 
 principles which apparently have guided the authors 
 and compilers of the Hamburg prayer-book, as follows: 
 r. The restoration of the dignity and simplicity 
 of the ori Mual Jewish worship, hence the abolition of 
 
144 rkformp:d judaism. 
 
 Pijutim, and the removal of abuses. He criticises, 
 however, the Temple for its inconsistency in many 
 things. Such as the Kiddush* retained in its prayer- 
 book, although according to vSchulchan Aruchf it is 
 unnecessary. Nevertheless the prayer-book is a good 
 attempt at a returning from the abuse to the good old 
 usage. \ 
 
 2. Revival of the devotion, which, in consequence 
 of the long duration of the service and of the unintelli- 
 gibility of the prayers, had almost utterly disappeared 
 from the Synagogue. Hence the abbreviation of the 
 many prayers, and of the reading portions from the Pen- 
 tateuch; the introduction of German prayers, hymns 
 and responses, which stimulate the activity of the 
 whole Congregation in the service. 
 
 3. Elimination of all prayers and utterances, ex- 
 pressing intolerance and hostility against the adher- 
 ents of other religions. § 
 
 4. Elimination of passages expressive of the de- 
 sire of a return to Palestine and the restoration of the 
 Temple in Jerusalem with its sacrificial cult. Now, 
 while it is much to be regretted that in this respect the 
 prayer-book is very inconsistent || it must be taken into 
 consideration, that a radical separation of the national 
 from the merely human elements in our prayer-book is 
 rather premature. 
 
 *A prayer spoken on the eve of Sabbath- and Holidays over 
 the wine. "Kiddusli" literally means "sanctification" of the 
 Sabbath- and Holidays. It does not belong to the Synagogue at all, 
 only to the house. By mere chance it was introduced into the 
 Synagogue, (Pessachim loi, b, )<ind the Gaon Hai, and even Karo, 
 (Tur. I, 269), favored its abrogation from the house of worship. In 
 Palestine it was never introduced in the Synagogue. 
 
 tOracli Chajim, chapter 269, 94. 
 
 l"Voni Missbrauche zuni guten alten Branch." Zunz was the 
 first to make use of this phrase in his "Gottesdienstliche Vortraege.'.' 
 
 §The prayers "Velamalshinim" "Av Harachmeim" and several 
 passages in "Abinu Malkenu," belong to this class. 
 
 I! As one instance I mention, that while passages like "Rebuild, 
 oh God, Thy Temple as it was formerly," "Bring us back to our 
 country, Palestine," were changed in accord with the principle, 
 prayers like " Yaale Vejavau," which express the same senti- 
 ment, remained unchanged. 
 
GUTTHOLl) SALOMON. 145 
 
 As long as the Slienia and the Tefilla are not 
 eliminated from the prayer-book, the Reforms touch 
 onlv the Minhag (usage), concerning which, in all 
 times, Congregations differed one from another. 
 
 We possess not one prayer in its original form. * 
 The three years cycle in the reading from the Thora is 
 already mentioned in the Talmud,! and deserves 
 recommendation, because the too long Perikopest 
 make the service a burden. For the same reason the 
 abolition of the ''Haphtara"§ is in order, as the begin- 
 ning of the reading of the "Hapthara" was usually a 
 signal for the people to run out of the vSynagogue. 
 Aside from this the Haphtara was introduced only very 
 lately as a substitute, at a time when it was forbidden 
 to tlie Jews to read the Thora, which prohibition has 
 long since been revoked. 
 
 The Talmud (Berachot 13) permits the recitation 
 of the Shema and Tefilla in the vernacular. In a time as 
 critical as ours the words of IMaimonides ought to be 
 taken to heart: ''The religious authorities of every age 
 have the authority to set aside temporarily even 
 ordinances of the Mosaic law, whenever the preserva- 
 tion of the whole religion demands it, just as the 
 physician is in duty bound to amputate a diseased limb 
 in order to save the rest of the body." 
 
 In connection with the prayer-book controversy, 
 The following passage from a sermon of Dr. Baernhard 
 Wechsler, Chief-Rabbi of the Duchy of Oldenburg, de- 
 livered on the occasion of his inauguration into office 
 in 1842, deserves mention: "How can our pretentions 
 and our hopes of a recognition of our religion as a 
 religion of the spirit and truth, be fulfilled, when men 
 who occupy the position of leaders of large Congrega- 
 
 »As proof of this statement, see Zunz: Gottesdienstl. Vortraege, 
 page 369. 
 
 tMegilla 29 and Maimoniries on "Prayer," XIII. 
 
 JPerikope or "Sidrah" means the weekly portion whicli is read 
 from the IVntateuch every Sabbath. 
 
 ^"Haphtarah" from "patar," "dismiss," "make free," ^Christ- 
 ian-Catholic Missa). means the reading of a chapter of the prophets 
 after the reading of the Thorah. 
 
146 RKFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 tioiis, intend to enslave religious opinions and to con- 
 trol them by force?" It is needless to say that the 
 provoking steps taken by the Hamburg Rabbis against 
 the prayer-book are most particularly alluded to. 
 * * "I do not deem it right to keep silent here in 
 this matter. For it is not the question of admitting a 
 single Reform, but of the freedom of the whole spirit- 
 ual process within Judaism. When they again com- 
 mence to disturb the conscience with the old rusted 
 weapons of the 'Issur/ (prohibition) and of the excom- 
 munication — then it is the duty of every Rabbi to 
 warn in his circle and to defend the right of free 
 religious conviction.''' 
 
 In the meantime the senate, under date of Janu- 
 ary 12, 1845, had publicly made known its decision, 
 that the much talked ot proclamation of Bernays, 
 against the prayer-book must be removed by the ad- 
 ministration of the Congregation of Altona. The 
 Chacham and his followers resisted as long as possible 
 compliance with this ordinance, but on the 2nd day of 
 February, the "Modaah" (proclamation) was removed. 
 A few days later, however, they affixed the closing 
 passage of the said proclamation as a new "Modaah" 
 near the entrance of the Synagogue, which read thus: 
 
 WARNING. 
 
 It is forbidden to recite the obligatory prayers out 
 of a book, which was published here last year under 
 the title: "Prayers of the Israelites." 
 Hamburg, Erev Shabbath | Isaac, son of Jacob Bernays, 
 (eve of Sabbath,) loth | Chacham of the German 
 Shebat, 5602. j Israelitish Congregation of 
 
 I Hamburg. 
 
 This prayer-book controversy had thus brought 
 the Hamburg Temple into more than local prominence, 
 had weakened the influence of orthodoxy, not only in 
 Hamburg, but throughout all Europe, and has even 
 compelled the Synagogue to do something in the way 
 of making the divine worship more attractive to the 
 young generation and the female sex. 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. 147 
 
 A similar struggle took place at the same time in 
 England. Some German Congregations of London 
 had introduced the sermon in the Synagogue in 1838 
 and were about to inaugurate other reformatory 
 measures, when members of the Portuguese Congrega- 
 tion had resolved to "purify the worship from all 
 prayers and usages not based on the original revela- 
 tion."* But they did not intend to do things by 
 halves, and therefore they applied in 1840 to Germany 
 for an able preacher and scholar who would lead their 
 steps in the right direction and who would defend the 
 Reforms to be introduced with weapons from the 
 armory of Jewish theology. They were, however, 
 disappointed, as no German Rabbi possessing those 
 qualities was willing to go to England. They then 
 selected a young talented Englishman, Rev. W. 
 Marks, who, in company with the well-known scholar 
 Heimann Hurwiz, elaborated a new prayer-book. It 
 was resolved to build a new Synagogue. This was 
 the signal for a great storm. Influenced, no doubt, by 
 the example of Bernays and his followers, the Rabbi 
 of the German Congregation of London, an ignorant 
 man, and the Portuguese Rabbi, Raphael Meldola, 
 published an interdict against the prayer-book and its 
 defenders. (May 10, 1841). In this proclamation 
 (Azharah) the "Form of Prayer used in the West 
 London Synagogue of British Jews," f is styled "a great 
 evil," "which should not be brought into a Jewish 
 home." To recite the prayers from this prayer-book 
 was called, "a sin and an abomination." This 
 document was signed by some other Rabbis hailing 
 from Lissa, and Krotoschin. The Reforms were so in- 
 significant indeed, that the prayer-book would be con- 
 sidered orthodox to-day. With the exception of a few 
 
 *Jost. Geschichtedes Judenthuni's and seiner Sekten III, page 
 375- 
 
 +Edited by D \V. Marks, printed by J. Wertheinier, 5601, A. M. 
 It shows, how little reformed the prayer-book was when even the 
 date of publication was "Anno Mundi."' 
 
148 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 abbreviations,* the old Portiignese prayer-book re- 
 mained unchanged. This interdict was sent broadcast 
 to all British Congregations and accused the new Con- 
 gregation of heresy and schism. But no attention was 
 paid to this act of fanaticism. Liverpool and Man- 
 chester returned the document, while in Portsmouth 
 it was solemnly delivered to the flames, although those 
 Congregations belonged to the London Rabbinate-dis- 
 trict, f 
 
 After the West London Synagogue with its prayer- 
 book had become an established fact, the members of 
 the new Congregation did not intend to withdraw 
 from the Mother-Congregation. But the "London com- 
 mittee of British Jews," at the head of which stood 
 Sir Moses Montefiore, refused to recognize the new 
 Synagogue as a Synagogue, and to register the same 
 (February 8, 1842). The object of this intolerant and 
 unjust action was to prevent the members of the Con- 
 gregation from entering into wedlock — according to his 
 interpretation of the English law on Jewish marriages — 
 or to make their marriages illegal. To this Francis H. 
 Goldsmith, one of the directors of the West-End Syna- 
 gogue, answered politely but firmly, that Sir Moses 
 Montefiore is mistaken when he thinks that Jewish 
 marriages need his consent. Notwithstanding the fact 
 stated by Montefiore, that "our spiritual church 
 authority" does not regard us as Jews, no court of law 
 can be convinced that a Synagogue, which has in its 
 ritual the hymn "Jigdal,"+ has forfeited its claim to 
 be a Jewish institution. Mr. Montefiore could have 
 well afforded to testify that the house of worship on 
 Burton street is a Synagogue, although he does not 
 consider our Judaism as genuine as his. Were I the 
 
 *Ezeh ISIekkoman, Pittum Haketoreth, Bammeh Madekin 
 Lecho Dodi, Velamalshinim, Velo Nessatto. In the Mussaph- 
 prayer a few benedictions in the Thefillath Sheba {seven benedic- 
 tions) are condensed. 
 
 f'London Globe," 1842, E'ebruary. 
 
 jThis hymn contains the thirteen creeds, of Maimonides, which 
 were reduced to three: Belief in God, Revelation and Eutnre 
 Recompense, by Joseph Albo, (^Ikkarini), 
 
GOTTHOLI) SALOM(JX. I 49 
 
 president of the committee of deputies of British Jews, 
 I would not in the least hesitate to attest that members 
 of a certain Synagogue are Jews, although their 
 Judaism is not identical with mine in all points. In 
 answer to this Montefiore re-affirmed his position once 
 taken in the matter. 
 
 To this Francis Goldsmith replied, that he still 
 misses the reasons for Montefiore' s decision and hence 
 is logically compelled to surmise that he cannot give a 
 reason for it.* The only reason why the committee 
 deemed it worth while to ask for the certificate must be 
 sought in the fact that they intended to live in peace 
 and harmony wtih the entire Jewish community of 
 England. Knowing, as they did, that they were Jew\s, 
 it did not so much as enter their mind for a moment 
 that anybody who acts as president of the committee of 
 British Jews would dare to dispute such apparent facts. 
 Neither have the members ot the new Synagogue asked 
 for your testimony because of difficulties which they 
 might encounter in the performance of their marriages, 
 and without such attest. For such difficulties do not 
 exist at all. We do not go with our grievances before 
 parliament or before the courts, in order to .spare the 
 public the spectacle, how Jews fight againstrjews in the 
 courts. Our committee is still more afraid to furnish 
 to the opponents of the Jewish emancipation the weapon 
 that a prominent individual among the Jews, who had 
 rendered on one occasion! to the Jews an important 
 service, should surpass the most fanatic of these oppo- 
 nents in intolerant zeal, by denying to those who differ 
 a trifle in their religious opinions from his views, the 
 benefits which the legislation had guaranteed to them, 
 I mean the liberty to have their marriages performed 
 and registered according to their wishes. Therefore 
 the committee will not further insist on their rights. 
 But it has authorized me to inform you, that it protests 
 
 *Since times immemorial orthodox Jews when asked for 
 reasons of a ceremony, have given the answer: "Man darf nicht 
 fragen." (It is forbidden to ask questions). 
 
 +He alludes, no doubt, to the Damascus-affair. 
 
150 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 agaiust Moiitefiore's refusal as an illegal act, preserving 
 for itself the right, either to deny the legality of such 
 action, or to ask parliament to take awa)' from ]\Ionte- 
 fiore the authority which he had so greatly abused.* 
 
 iSIontefiore forwarded the whole correspondence to 
 the Chief-Rabbi Hirschel and to the Beth-din for action. 
 (February 7, 1842). On the same date the answer 
 was sent to ]\Iontefiore urgently requesting him not to 
 grant the certificate to David Wolf Marx as Secretary 
 of the West London Synagogue, because the Rabbi and 
 Beth-din "do not consider it a Synagogue." This was 
 signed by S. Hirschel, Chief-Rabbi, David IMeldola, 
 A. Haliva, Israel Levy, Aaron Levy and H. L. Bar- 
 nett. This action of Montefiore was in opposition to 
 the accepted Jewish law, which most emphatically ob- 
 jects to the appointment of a man as judge in his own 
 cause. Montefiore could hardly doubt that the men 
 who stated in their interdict "that no power on earth 
 had a right to change one jot of the ritual and that the 
 members of the new Synagogue are no longer Jews," 
 would endorse his opinions. On February 14, 1842, 
 the committee of British Jews passed a resolution rat- 
 ifying Montefiore' s action, although he had not asked 
 them before* as was his dutv. In consequence of this 
 the West London Synagogue openly rejected the "va- 
 lidity of the oral law," and declared it a one-sided in- 
 terpretation. This question naturally produced quite 
 a lively controversy. 
 
 The prayer-book of the West End Synagogue was 
 published in two volumes and with the exception of 
 the omission of the prayer "Velamalshinim," differs 
 but little from the old prayer-book. * * * 
 
 The abolition of the second holiday and of the calling 
 people to the Sepher, and the introduction of the Por- 
 tuguese pronunciation cannot well be numbered among 
 the "prayer-book reforms." And yet, though these 
 reforms w^ere so insignificant, the fanaticism and the 
 intolerance employed against those who attended the 
 
 *Zeitung des Judenthum's, Vol. VII, pages 180-183. 
 
CiOTTHOLI) SALOMON. 15 I 
 
 new West End Synajj^ogne was something fearful. Poor 
 people who attended the new Synagogue were deprived 
 of the benefits of charity, and the sister-in-law of 
 Montefiore was refused burial in the Jewish cemetery 
 because her child was circumcised • in the West-End 
 Synagogue. It was even hinted by the orthodox Jews 
 that her death was a punishment of God because she 
 had belonged to the new Synagogue.* 
 
 Let us, after this digression, return to Salomon. In 
 his practical spirit he took the prayer-book controversy 
 as a basis for a forcible circular letter addressed to the 
 "Rabbis, preachers and teachers, in German Israel, 
 concerning the revision of our prayer-book, "f 
 
 On October i8th, 1843, the twenty-fifth anniversary 
 of the dedication of the Temple and of Salomon's in- 
 stallation into office was celebrated. Dr. Frankfurter 
 delivered on the evening of the 17th of October an ora- 
 tion which gave a history of the struggle and success 
 of the Temple, paying a deserved and high tribute to 
 the labors and talents of Dr. Kley, Dr. Salomon and to 
 the directors of the Temple. The celebration was con- 
 cluded by a cantata, consisting of fourteen numbers, 
 lasting an hour and a half, no doubt the longest musi- 
 cal piece ever rendered in a Jewish service. Next day, 
 the 18th, Salomon delivered the jubilee sermon, in 
 which he touchingly reviewed his experiences in Ham- 
 burg. Coming home from the Temple he found the 
 directors and a majority of the members of the Temple 
 at his house, waiting to offer their hearty congratula- 
 tions. The president of the congregation. Dr. Mai- 
 mon Fraenkel, addressed him and presented him with 
 resolutions signed by the directors and a delegation of 
 one hundred and sixty members, and a costly and sub- 
 stantial token of their admiration in the shape of a 
 solid silver piece, representing the interior of the Tem- 
 ple, pulpit and tabernacle. On the curtain the follow- 
 ing words are written: "Dem Herrn Dr. Gotthold Sal- 
 omon, zu seiner 25 jaehrigen Amtsfeier als Prediger am 
 
 ♦ZeituiiR fles Judenthuiii's, April 30, 1842. No. 18, page 363. 
 
 +Zeitun,i,' (Ins Jinleiith's. TS42, No. 14! 19, 22. 
 
152 REFORMED JUDAlJiM. 
 
 neuen Israelitischen Tempel zu Hamburg, am 18 Octo- 
 ber, 1843, vonseiiicii Verehrern.'' (To Dr. Gotthold 
 Salomon 011 the occasion of his twenty-fifth anniversar\- 
 as preacher of the Israelitish Temple at Hamburg, 
 October 18, 1843, 'from ^^^ admirers.) On the pulpit 
 the words were written: "The Lord Eternal hath 
 given me a tongue for teaching, that I should know 
 how to strengthen the weary with the word." (Isaiah, 
 1. 4.) There were other artistic inscriptions on a sil- 
 ver pillow: Salomon's German Bible and the verse 
 Nehemiah vii, 8; the prayer and hymn book, with the 
 Hebrew inscription of Psalm xlii, 9; a vivid represen- 
 tation of 1 Kings, viii, 4-6, is given with the inscrip- 
 tion: "And Salomon turned his face and blessed the 
 whole assembly of Israel." 
 
 Aside from this Salomon was made the recipient 
 of a beautiful album containing the most excellent 
 maxims in poetry and prose, written m various lan- 
 guages, by his friends and admirers all over the world, 
 each bearmg their signature. The following are only 
 a few of the names, represented in the album: Diaes- 
 eke, then the most popular Christian preacher, (Bre- 
 men); Boeckel, Rupp, Jacoby, Amnion, Niemeyer, 
 Rosenkrantz, Minister Von Struve — all prominent the- 
 ologians or philosophers. Of the Jews I mention: 
 Cremieux and Salvador, in France. At the banquet 
 in the evening, Dr. Gabriel Riesser made an eloquent 
 toast. The "Zeitung des Judenthum's," of October 
 i8th, 1843, says among other things: "It is Salomon 
 who has elevated the German Israelitish homiletics 
 from the stage of infancy to the high dignity, the 
 praiseworthy development and energy which it pos- 
 sesses to-day. He freed the Jewish sermon from the 
 imitation of Christian preachers and was the first to 
 make it an original product, belonging to Judaism. * * 
 He was the first to conquer the respect of Christians for 
 the German-Israelitish pulpit oratory. From Odessa 
 to Philadelphia the German sermon is an integral part 
 of the Jewish worshi]). Where is the Jewish preacher 
 wl.o has not learned from Salomon?" 
 
ao'l^THOLl) SALOMON. 1^3 
 
 On vScptc-inbcr 5, 1S44, vSaloiuou had llic privilege 
 to dedicate the new Temple which- his Congregation 
 had bnilt. He preached on the highly appropriate 
 text: "(ireater Will be the (xlorv of the vSecond Teni- 
 pie than the First." (Haggai, II, 9). 
 
 He called it a ''Beth Tefilla," (Honse of prayer), 
 a ''Heth-Hamidrash," (Honse of Learning), and a 
 ''Hfth-Haniikdash," (Honse of Sanctification). He 
 jjnblished also for this anspicions occasion, with notes 
 and docnnients, which contain a veritable mine of his- 
 torical facts, a short history of the new Israelitish Tem- 
 ple at liambnrg dnring the first twenty-five years ot its 
 existence, (Hambnrg, 1844). 
 
 Salomon traveled a great deal. In 1822 he visited 
 Copenhagen, where he gained the friendship of Man- 
 heimer, with whom he was intimate, nntil death parted 
 them. He preached in Copenhagen on Friday even- 
 ing, 1822,* in the honse of Nathanson, and so arou.sed 
 the people that on the next day he was offered 
 the position of preacher in the main Synagogne. In 
 1828 he received a call as Rabbi and preacher of the 
 then mnch larger Congregation of Copenhagen; but 
 owing to the urgent entreaties of the Temple people 
 he remained in Hamburg and recommended to Copen- 
 hagen Dr. A. Wolff, of Giessen. 
 
 In 1829 vSalomon visited his parents, whose old age 
 he sweetened by his filial love. He also visited Des- 
 .sau, after an absence of eleven years. He was deeply 
 disappointed at the decline of the Congregation after 
 Wolff's death and gave vent to his feelings on the sub- 
 ject in a sermon before the Congregation. 
 
 In 1834 he went to the sea re.sort of Heligoland 
 for his health — and in his joy over his perfect cure he 
 published: "Memoirs of the sea-bath at Heligoland," 
 (Hamburg, 1834). In 1837 he visited Switzerland 
 and in 1844-46 the Rabbinical conventions of Braun- 
 schweig, Frankfurt and Breslau. He preached in 
 
 *If I am not mistaken tliis was the first time that a Jewish ser- 
 mon was hekl on Friday evening. 
 
I 51 KKFORMKl) J r DA ISM. 
 
 I'^rankfuit in the scliool-huildiii^- (called "Real- 
 schnle," also "Pliilanthropin." ) In 1846 lie preached 
 several times in the Temple of the ''Reform-Genos- 
 senschaft," of Berlin. A fine reception was tendered 
 him in Hreslan. He said he had never fonnd a Congre- 
 gation whose members were better educated, more 
 refined and whole-souled than that presided over by 
 Geiger at Breslan. Culture has not deprived the Jews 
 of Breslan of their heart and naturalness as is the case 
 in Berlin.* 
 
 In i«S5i he \isited the Industrial Exposition in 
 London. Among other places he attended there the 
 West-London Synagogue and he speaks in the most 
 glowing terms of its preachers, Marx and Loewy. 
 There he preached in (Tcrman on August 12, 1851. That 
 sermon was published in an Knglish translation enti- 
 tled: "The Three Elements of Israel's Welfare,'' and 
 dedicated to H. L Montefiore, E. Moccata, and Jacob 
 A. Henriquez. 
 
 In 1853 Salomon visited Dresden, Prague and 
 Vienna. ' He was surprised at the progress made in the 
 German Synagogue at Prague, where he heard a hymn 
 as sung in his Temple. In Vienna he was cordially 
 received by his friend Mannheimer and was invited to 
 preach on September 17, 1853. He preached on the 
 significance of the month of "Ellul" and was honored 
 by a flattering letter and present in the .shape of a 
 golden tabatiere from the Vienna Congregation. The 
 letter is signed by Joseph Wertheimer, who has a name 
 in Jewish history, Heinrich Sichrowsk)', Joseph Bieder- 
 man and ]\Ioritz Goldschmidt. The date of Salomon's 
 sermon in the Vienna Temple was engraved on the 
 tabatiere. He greatly enjoyed the company of Werthei- 
 mer, Szanto, f and the historian Wolff. 
 
 The idea of Rabbinical conventions originated with 
 Dr. Abraham Geiger, who was to my knowledge the 
 first Rabbi in this centnrv who convoked a confer- 
 
 *See Salonioii'.s letter to Mrs. Dr. Beer, of Dresden. 
 tvSzanto was the founder and editor of the Vienna "Neuzaeit," 
 one of the best and most advanced Jewish weeklies of lunope. 
 
GOTTHOLD SALOMON. 1 55 
 
 ence of Rabbis at Wiesbaden, as far back as 1837, 
 "Zur Krhaltung und Fortbiluiig des Judeiithum's und 
 znr Belebiuig des Religioesen Siniies."* But in 1844 
 Dr. Ivudwig Philippsohn took up the idea of Geiger, 
 without, however, giving credit to him, and brought 
 it prominently before the public is his "Zeit. des Ju- 
 denth's," as something brand new. He did the same 
 with Geiger' s idea, on a Jewish theological faculty, 
 advocated by him as far back as 1835 in his "Zeit- 
 scrift fuer Juedische Theologie," while years later 
 Philippsohn palmed it off as an entirely novel scheme 
 of his ow^n. I do not in the least intend to detract 
 from Philippsohn' s merits, but in the interest of histo- 
 rical truth I deem it necessary to do justice to my 
 teacher, Geiger, because in the able biography of Gott- 
 hold Salomon, published by Dr. Phoebus Philippsohn 
 — which has rendered me a great service in writing this 
 book — the credit for the idea of "Rabbiuervesammlun- 
 gen," is given only to Ludwig Philippsohn. Philipp- 
 sohn sent out an appeal to the Rabbis, urging them to 
 hold during the summer of 1844 a convention in a cen- 
 trally located city of Germany. The first encoiirage- 
 ment came from Dr. Herxheimer, Land-Rabbi of Bern- 
 burg, Anlialt; Herzfeld, Land-Rabbi of Braunschweig; 
 Geiger, Rabbi of Breslau; Holdheim, Land-Rabbi of 
 Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Kahn, Chief-Rabbi of Trier, 
 who promised to be present. The Congregation of 
 Braunschweig, induced by its Rabbi and in full accord 
 with the government, declared its willingness to receive 
 hospitably the representative Rabbis of the nineteenth 
 century, and thus the first Rabbinical convention was 
 held in Braunschweig, from the I2tli to the i(;th of 
 June, 1844. Besides the Rabbis already mentioned, 
 the following were members of this first convention: 
 Dr. Mayer, Stuttgart; Dr. Salomon, Hamburg; Gold- 
 man, District-Rabbi, Eschwege; Samuel Hirsh, Lux- 
 emburg, later Philadelphia; Schott, Randegg; Sobern- 
 heim, Bingen; Wechsler, Oldenburg; Jolowicz, Koen- 
 
 *"For the preservation and development of Judaism, and for 
 the sake of the revival of the religious sentiment." 
 
156 KEFORMHI) JUDAISM. 
 
 igsberg; Hodenliciiiier, Land-Rabbi, Hildesheini; Ben- 
 Israel, Coblentz; Samuel x\dlei-, Alzey, late Rabbi of 
 Temple Emanuel, New York; A. Adler, Worms; 
 Hoffmann, Waldorf; Heidenheim, Sandershausen; Ed- 
 ler, Aachen. 
 
 These Rabbinical assemblies had the purpose to 
 strengthen and encourage morally the Jewish Reform- 
 movement. Salomon and his colleague, Frankfurter, 
 were among the very few members of the convention 
 who from the nature of their positions in a Congrega- 
 tion, every member of which was a Reformer, could 
 afford to be more independent and outspoken than the 
 rest of the Rabbis, who were compelled to be more or 
 less guarded in their votes and utterances on account of 
 the many conservative members of their Congregations. 
 Salomon belonged to the extreme wing of Reformers 
 in the convention. 
 
 Rabbi Goldman made an earnest plea in the con- 
 \'ention for the retention of the Hebrew language in 
 prayer. In this plea he pointed, by way of argument, to 
 the devotion which reigns supreme in the Polish Syn- 
 agogues, while in the Temples of Hamburg and Leip- 
 zig decorum only is to be found. Salomon replied to this 
 argument as follows: ''There are, I do not deny, pious 
 people among those who regularly attend the Polish 
 Synagogue, but is their fear of God the result of the 
 disorder in the Synagogue, of the unbecoming beha- 
 vior, lack of decorum, the screaming, the noise and 
 the dead Hebrew letters, which are recited there? I 
 further ask, are there no scoundrels, no rascals, among 
 those who attend only the old Synagogue? ''• * 
 Alas, I know many of those, who, after having wel- 
 comed the Sabbath in the manner described by Ral)lii 
 Goldman with the greeting: 'Come in Peace,' mal- 
 treat their wives and children a few minutes later and 
 incite quarrel and discord; I know a good many who 
 literally recite their 'Tikkun Shabath'* in the Hebrew- 
 Chaldaic-Svrian language, * * and even the twent\- 
 
 *A collection of devotional songs for the §abb&th. 
 
GoTTHoLI) SALOMON. I57 
 
 four Mishnas of the tract Shabbath and who neverthe- 
 less immediately after the first 'Jeziath hashaboth shta- 
 jim shenen arbah' — readers, who are Talmudists, will 
 aDpreciate the sarcasm — sell two yards for four yards, 
 i.e., neglect the Biblical command 'not to do wrong 
 bv false measure,' (Lev. and Deut.) And Mr. Goldman 
 wishes to recommend to us that kind of worship.'' 
 
 He then enumerated the beneficial effects of the 
 Hamburg Temple, which Goldman had assailed, a;id 
 declared that the female part of the Congregation is not 
 benefitted by a Hebrew worship, and that even the 
 bovs of the present generation have not the time to en- 
 gage in the study of the Hebrew language, without 
 neglecting their other studies.* 
 
 In the same year Salomon published a polemical 
 pamphlet. + a defense of the Braunschweig convention 
 against its numerous enemies. He uttered a manly 
 piotest against Philippsohu, who attempted to play the 
 Pope, and against that spirit of his, which is so well 
 expressed in this country by the phrase "rule or ruin 
 policy." It is a deplorable fact, that Philippsohn's 
 undisputable merits in the cau.se of Judaism were not 
 a little overshadowed by his excessive egotism, which, 
 ba.sed on the autocratic principle, " I and none besides 
 me," opposed every measure which did not originate 
 with him, or did not turn out just as he anticipated. 
 This opinion about Philippsohu was led by Abraham 
 Geiger, bv Dr. Leopold Stein, of P'rankturt, and by a 
 great manv other leading Rabbis of rrcrmany. My per- 
 sonal intercourse with him in Bonn, during the three 
 vears of my ministry there, from icSyS to iSSi, had 
 .convinced me that those opinions were not the result 
 of personal bias and juejudice. 
 
 vSalomon closes his pamphlet with the hope that 
 in the future ''the staff of command and despoti.sm 
 would be taken out of Philipp-sohn's hand." 
 
 ♦Protokolle der ersteii Rabbinerversaniiiiluiij:, Braunschweig, 
 1S44, pages 56-57. 
 
 +Die Rabbinerversamnilung und ilire Tendeuz. hine Beleucli- 
 tung fuer ihre Freunde und Feinde, Hamburg. 1S45. 
 
I5<S KKFOKMEI) JLDAISM. 
 
 Salomon delixcred also a seniioii in the Temple of 
 Braunschweig during the Rabbinical convention, the 
 following extracts of which may find a place here: 
 
 "Experience teaches us that persons who have 
 never permitted this or that food for religion's sake to 
 pass their lips, have not been able to guard them 
 from uttering wicked ness, lies, slander, curses and 
 false oaths; experience teaches that men who are able 
 to afflict their bodies with fasting did not possess the 
 strength to fast in accord with the conception of the 
 prophet, that is to loosen the fetters which wickedness 
 has forged for the poor and unfortunate; that is, to 
 give bread to the hungry, a roof to the homeless and 
 to take care of those who are of our flesh, who are hu- 
 man beings and fellow men. * * God is most per- 
 fect, free of human frailties. * * A weak, imper- 
 fect (rod does not lay stress on a perfect and pure con- 
 duct. If God is acknowledged as holy, then he re- 
 quires holiness of us. If (rod is holy, then he does 
 not permit himself to be bribed. * * It is not so 
 easy to satisfy a holy God. We cannot win such a 
 God by means of beautiful words or glittering actions, 
 we must sanctify and glorify Him through every feel- 
 ing of our breast, through every thought in our soul, 
 through every work in our life. * * This is our 
 divine service. * * vSuch divine service is more 
 difficult than the one which is limited to the House of 
 God or to ceremonies, be they over so imposing. Thou- 
 sands of rams, myriads of rivers of oil, repeated devo- 
 tions and daily fasts are a far easier sacrifice than the 
 sacrifice of one bad passion, and of one destructive, fa- 
 \-orite desire upon the altar of the purified heart. Not 
 one, and not ten high priests can consecrate yoii 
 througli their merits; not one and not ten saints can 
 sanctify you through their virtue. Only your own 
 piety, your own character can open the heaven unto 
 you and plead your cau.se before the throne of God." 
 
 Salomon was also present at the Rabbinical conven- 
 tion of Frankfort-on-the-Main, (July 15 to 28, 1845). 
 This convention was made more outspoken in its re- 
 
COTTHOLD SALOMON. 159 
 
 fonnatory ttMulcncy lliau tlif first. Salomon had 
 belonged to the important commission on liturgy, 
 whose report * engaged the attention of the greatest 
 number of meetings. He took part in the di.scussion 
 concerning the Hebrew language in the prayers and 
 said among other things: "Not a single one of our 
 religious works or codes of law makes it obligatory for 
 us to pray in Hebrew. Holy vScripture does not com- 
 mand us to ])ray at all, it leaves this holy occupation to the 
 heart. Alishna and Talmud say plainly enough: 
 'Shenia and Tefilla may be recited in every language. 
 Even the Shulchan Aruch f permits the public service 
 in every language. 'The Book of the Pious, '| recom- 
 mends the recital of the main j^rayers in the vernac- 
 ular, which people understand, and says that it is tar 
 better not to pra>- at all than to pray in a language 
 which peoT)le do not understand. 
 
 "Kven the Cabbalists hold the same opinion, § 
 hence there is actuallv no religious obligation to pray in 
 Hebrew." 
 
 Concerningthe questionof the "Messiah," hemost 
 emphatically declared, that we do not believe in a per- 
 .sonal but a spiritual Messiah, and showed by quotations 
 from the prophets and later Rabbis f that the belief in 
 a Messiah has always been considered figurative, signi- 
 fying the far remote age of universal truth, light, peace 
 and brotherly love. 
 
 Salomon attended also the third Rabbinical con- 
 vention at P>reslau.* The subjects under discus.sion 
 were the laws concerning Sabbath-and Holidass. Sal- 
 omon said that the words, "Ood hath made man 
 plain, but they seek so many artifices," (Koehlet 7-29), 
 
 *Salonion was the only one of the committee who made a re- 
 port. 
 
 tOrach Chajim 1014: "Vakhol lehisspallel bekhol lashon." 
 
 jSefer Chassidim, paj^es 58S and 7S5. 
 
 ^The author of the Shelah, which is an abbreviation of "vShnai 
 Ivuchoth habrith" (two tal)lets of the covenant). The book forms 
 an Ivncych)piL*dia of Jewish-religious knowle<lge, and encourages 
 asceticism. 
 
 llSanhedrin, 96 a, Jebamoth, 62 a, Maimoni<les. 
 
 •"It took place from Inly 13th to Julv 2.|th, 1S46. 
 
t6o KI>:K()KMKD JUDAl.^M. 
 
 have never been better verified than in the Mosaie laws 
 of the Sabbath. Later Rabbis have added nionntains 
 to the ph\in words of Kxodns XX, 8 flf. 
 
 Salomon had an interesting family of five children. 
 One of them, Dr. M. G. Salomon, was a phycician in 
 Hamburg. Salomon was charitable in the extreme, 
 not only to his own kin but to strangers. In his ser- 
 mons he always advocated the cause of charity and was 
 instrumental in the establishment of many benevolent 
 societies and institutions in Hamburg, which are still 
 existing and in a flourishing condition. Especially the 
 class who were ashamed to beg had always a good 
 friend in Salomon. 
 
 His correspondence was very extensive, especially 
 with Dr. Mayer, of Stuttgart; Manheimer, of Vienna, 
 and P. Beer, of Dresden.* 
 
 For a time he was quite an enthusiastic Mason, 
 the fruit of which was his "Stimmen Aus den Osten.'^f 
 But he could not help finding out that mere talk about 
 humanity is not humanity in fact. He saw with sor- 
 row the exclusion of the Jews from Prussian lodges, 
 and gradually kept away from his Masonic brethren. 
 His "Decalogue ot the Mason," in poetry, is quite inter- 
 esting. In the year of the Revolution, 1848, in Ham- 
 burg also a ''constituting assembly" was formed on the 
 basis of democracy, and Salomon was elected one of the 
 representatives. But politics was not his sphere. 
 
 In 1854 Salomon celebrated his seventieth birth- 
 day, surrounded by his children, grand-children and 
 friends. Congratulations poured in from all sides. 
 Dr. Leopold Stein, Rabbi of Frankfort-on-the-Main, 
 honored him with an excellent poem for the occasion, 
 and appreciative of his merits. 
 
 The last collection of his sermons was entitled: 
 "Sermons for all the Holidays of the Lord," (Ham- 
 burg, 1855). It cannot be denied that the warmth 
 
 *See Neuzeit, Vienna, 1862, No. 61-52, 1863, No. 1-4, pulilished 
 by Dr. Wolff, where some letters of Salomon to Beer are published. 
 
 t"Voices from the East," a collection of Masonic discussions, 
 Hamburg, 1S45. 
 
(;OTTH()LI) SALOMON. l6l 
 
 and enthusiasm which characterized his first sermons 
 are absent. These last sermons address them- 
 selves more to the mind than to the heart. 
 
 Already at that time a disease of the nerves made 
 it.self noticeable to Salomon. His memory grew 
 weaker. On March 13, 1856, his beloved wife, his 
 companion for forty-seven years, died. It caused him 
 a great inward struggle to resign his post on 
 account of the rapid progress of his disease. April 16, 
 1857, he delivered his last sermon, on the subject: 
 "Universal Good Will and Love of Family,". He 
 selected his text from Isaiah XII, 3, "And ye shall 
 draw water with gladness out of the springs of salva- 
 tion," and said among other things: "I part after hav- 
 ing preached the word of Cxod for nearly four decades. 
 * * From our Zion, from our Temple, light has 
 spread over Israel. * * On the evening of my life it 
 is granted to me to behold Israel occupying a worthier 
 and nobler position within and without. Man has 
 grown, and thou, beloved Congregation, hast also con- 
 tributed towards this progress. Thou hast practiced 
 and furthered the work of genuine humanity and of 
 true Israelitish religiousness." 
 
 In beautiful words he took leave of the adminis- 
 tration of the Temple, which has always been ready "to 
 realize the sublime idea of genuine religion, and to sep- 
 arate the noble metal from the dross and the essence 
 from the rigid form." With enthusiasm he encour- 
 aged and blessed his colleague and successor in office, 
 Dr. Frankfurter, and the whole Congregation. 
 
 After his resignation the administration of the 
 Temple sent him a long and highly complimentary 
 letter, dated April 12, 1857.* 
 
 Salomon lived until his seventy-ninth year, but, 
 alas, his mental faculties were gone. After a sickness 
 of twelve days he died, November 17, 1862. His suc- 
 cessor, Dr. Jonas, delivered the funeral sermon at the 
 
 *This flocument was signed by Dr. H. Frankfurter, at the time 
 President of the Commission on "Cnltus," by Dr. M. Wolfsohn, R, 
 A. Simon, M. Isler and Dr. Leopold Reiss. 
 
l62 RKFOKMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 cemetery and immediately after the burial a memorial 
 service was held in the Temple, where Dr. Frank- 
 furter officiated. His oration* was worthy of Salomon 
 and of his eulogist, full of deep sentiment and dignified 
 appreciation of the activity of his deceased colleague as 
 man and preacher. German and Hebrew mourning 
 chorals concluded the impressive memorial service. In 
 several Jewish Congregations of Germany and other 
 countries memorial sermons and eulogies were deliv- 
 ered from the pulpits on the Sabbath after his death. 
 The press of Hamburg f and of other cities, I paid the 
 highest meed of praise to the memory of the famous 
 preacher. 
 
 With Salomon died one of the last "Biurists, " i. e. 
 one of those who, following Mendelssohn's example, 
 have translated parts of scripture into pure German on 
 the basis of the Jewish tradition and older exegetists, 
 and have added to it a Hebrew commentary. He was 
 also the first who furnished to the people a perfect 
 translation of the Bible into German, printed in Ger- 
 man letters. His powers of labor were immense, and 
 perhaps the cause of his later brain disease. 
 
 The following estimate is given of Salomon by a 
 man, who, as a critic, is recognized by every Jewish 
 .scholar of this century, I mean by — Abraham Geiger. 
 In his "Zeitschrift fuer Wissenschaft und Leben," in a 
 necrology on "Salomon," he said: "Salomon was the 
 first and most eminent Jewish preacher. Mighty and 
 pleasant words burst from his heart and found entrance 
 into the hearts of others. He felt more than he could 
 scientifically construe, what treasures the knowledge of 
 Judaism of all ages contained, and he knew how to 
 
 *It was published by Nestler and Melle, Haniburs, 1S62, under 
 the title: "Rede bei der von der Direction veraustalteten 
 Todtenfeier fuer den seligen Herrn Dr. Gotthold Salomon am 20 
 November, 1S62, gesprochen von Dr. Frankfurter." 
 
 fDas Neue Hamburg, No. 104, "Hamburger Nachrichten," 
 "Freischuetz," "Reform," from November i8th to 20th. 
 
 tNationalzeitung, Berlin, November 20th, 1855, Zeitung des 
 Judenthum's, 1S62, December 9th, No. 50, Geiger's Z. F. W. U. L., 
 1S63, Vol. IT, pages T2S-129. 
 
GOTTHOLl) SALOMON. 163 
 
 find and to make use of them. The Jewish sermon 
 trained a perfect mastery through Salomon." * * 
 
 ' 'The Jewish sermon, ' ' which was very unpopular among 
 the Jews, when Salomon appeared on the scene, "has 
 now become a power in the midst of the Jewish Con- 
 gregation; It now takes the first rank amoiig the means 
 of religious edification. That it has become so is the 
 merit of Salomon and his compeers." (Vol. ii, p. 128- 
 29, Breslau, 1863, Schletter), I refer to the following 
 publications, to the authors of which I am greatly in- 
 debted in my labor: Salomon, "Selbstbiographie," 
 Leipzig, 1863; Phoebus Philippsohn, "Biographisc^ie 
 Skizzen," 3 Heft, "Gotthold Salomon," Geiger's 
 ''Zeitschrift,^" F. W. U. L; "Gotthold Salomon and 
 Gabriel Riesser," vol. ii, pp. 125-29; Kaiserling, "Bi- 
 bliothekjued. Kanzelredner, " vol. i, pp. 142-73; "Zeit- 
 des Judeuth's," 1842; "Unsere Zeit, Jahrbuch zuni 
 Conversations Lexicon," \ol. vii, p. 396, Leipzig, 
 Brockhaus; Jost, "Judenthum und seine Sekten," vol. 
 iii, pp. 336, 365, 370; "Selbstkritik der Juden," pp. 
 3-10, Berlin, 1880, Carl Duncker, second edition, Leip- 
 zig, iS()o, Wilhelm Friedrich. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ABRAHAM KOHN. 
 
 Abraham Kohn's biography deserves special men- 
 tion from the fact that, like a trne priest (Cohen), he 
 died in the service of God, in the canse of Jndaism, a 
 sacrifice upon the altar of conviction and devotion to 
 God and humanity. He suffered the tragic death of a 
 martyr, inasmuch as he was poisoned by his fanatic 
 enemies, because he was a — Reformer. Born in 1806 
 (27th of Sivan) at Zaluzan, a little town in Prachim 
 county, Bohemia, of poor but highly respected parents 
 he had already as a child the desire and ambition to 
 become a Rabbi, and to lift up his co-religionists. In 
 accord with the custom of those days he studied the 
 Talmud with the assistance of a tutor. But soon he 
 knew more than his teacher, and at the a":e of twelve 
 the youth, endowed with great talents, indomitable 
 ambition and desire to learn, left his home in order to 
 continue his Rabbinical studies at the feet of great 
 Rabbis and masters in Talmudic lore and Jewish litera- 
 ture. Secretly, however, he devoted time and atten- 
 tion also to so-called profane studies, so that for two 
 years he seldom slept more than four hours nightly. 
 In Pisek he went most successfully through the exam- 
 inations of the gymnasium, after which he studied 
 philosophv, at the University of Prague. Like many 
 Jewish students before and after him, he had to live for 
 a long time on dry bread. Our present students of the- 
 ology, especially in this country, have no idea what 
 the pioneers of Reform Judaism had to undergo, as 
 students, in the hard struggle for existence; and as 
 
ABRAHAM KOHN. 165 
 
 Rabbis in the both contested battle for their ])rinciples. 
 The strain on Kohn was at hist of such a character that 
 it threw him upon the sick-bed, where he was for a long 
 time in danger of death from brain fever. 
 
 In 1830 he appeared for the first time in public as 
 a preacher. The occasion was the dedication of the 
 Svnagogue in Pisek. The effect of his sermon, in 
 which he depicted the beauty of peace and harmony in 
 the most glowing colors, can be best imagined by the 
 fact that it induced two of the first families of the 
 place, who had been enemies for years, to become 
 friends again. Those who know from experience iiow 
 intense such hatred is, especially among Jews in small 
 communities, will best appreciate this incident. In 
 Prague he preached quite often, until in 1833 he ac- 
 cepted a call as Rabbi of Hohenems (Tirol). 
 
 Although his Congregation had only ninety mem- 
 bers, he found a good field, because just at that time 
 the question of Reform commenced to interest the bet- 
 ter class of Jews in (xerinany and Austria. Abraham 
 Geiger came out at this time with his Zeitschrift 
 fuer Juedische Theologie (Magazine for Jewish Theol- 
 ogv, Wiesbaden, 1835), which was devoted to an earn- 
 est, scientific discussion of Jewish customs and ceremo- 
 nies. Kohn was a contributor to this magazine, and 
 his essav on the "Mourning Customs of the Jews" is 
 not without interest yet. In his articles in this maga- 
 zine, as in the ''Zeitung des Judenthums," "Syna- 
 goge," by Dr. L. Adler, '^\nnalen," by Jost; in 
 Buscirs ''Kaleuder," and in the ''Centralljlatt," he 
 urged the abolition of observances which had no basis 
 in Bible and Talmud, and are therefore detrimental 
 rather than beneficial to the true interests of Judaism. 
 He himself was, however, most strict in the observance 
 of the ceremonies. He organized charitable societies 
 and a society for the furtherance of trade and handicraft 
 among the jews. He introduced choir and other re- 
 forms in the Synagogue of his Congregation, who.se 
 best members considered it an honor to sing in the 
 choir. He was particularly active in the school, and 
 
l66 KKKOKMKD JUDAl.SM. 
 
 took especial delight in the education of the young, the 
 future banner-bearers of Israel. His relation to the 
 Congregation was that of a father rather than of a sala- 
 ried officer. His sermons were attended by Jews and 
 Christians. In this patriarchal state he lived and 
 worked, when misfortune knocked at his door in the 
 shape of a call tendered to him in 1(^43 by the very 
 large and influential Congregation of Lemberg, Galicia, 
 Two large Congregations of Germany honored him with 
 a call at the same time, but his ardent longing to bring 
 progress, light and reform to a section so benighted as 
 Galicia induced him -to prefer Lemberg. He would 
 not have left his Congregation had he not known that 
 the way there was sufficiently paved by him for reform 
 and progressive development in order to make smooth 
 sailing for his successor, whoever he might be. He 
 felt within himself the power, energy and strong will 
 to labor in a large sphere. In July, 1843, he went to 
 Lemberg and impressed all the friends of progress and 
 reform so favorably that his entrance upon his position 
 was agreed upon for the next spring, as he did not 
 want to leave his Congregation before he had secured a 
 worthy successor. He left Hohenems in April, 1844, 
 and arrived in Lemberg May 4th. The regret at his 
 departure from Hohenems was general and sincere. 
 
 His position in the capital of Galicia was quite dif- 
 ferent from that in Hohenems. Here he had, it is 
 true, the better and more intelligent classes on his side, 
 but ^las, they were not in the majority. In Hohen- 
 ems he was Rabbi, and as such entitled to speak free- 
 ly on all religious questions, and to attack authorita- 
 tively all abuses and superstitious customs which had 
 crept into Judaism. His position in Lemberg was onl\ 
 that of '; preacher and teacher of religion,'' while the 
 Rabbinate there was orthodox in the extreme. In ad- 
 dition to this the great masses could not understand 
 and sufficiently appreciate his philosophical sermons, 
 and were not yet ripe for a Reform-movement. They 
 had to be prepared for it by schools. Supported by the 
 well meaning administration of his Congregation, Kohu 
 
ABRAHAM KOHN. 167 
 
 was enabled to open in the year 1845 an excellent nor- 
 mal school, with a staff of efficient teachers. He him- 
 self took chartre of the religious instruction in the high- 
 er classes, and acted as superintendent of the school. 
 The success of this institution was .so phenomenal, es- 
 pecially from the fact that girls received instruction in 
 religion and Hebrew, things unheard of before, that the 
 school rooms could not accommodate the numerous new 
 applicants, many of whom had to be turned away. 
 
 Kohn's other duties consisted in the immatricula- 
 tion of every birth, marriage, death and divorce within 
 the Jewish community; in the supervision of all benev- 
 olent institutions and in delivering sermons at least 
 twice a month. Though it can be .seen that he had 
 much more work than in Hohenems, he sought every 
 opportunity to increase the sphere of his usefulness by 
 addressing the people on all proper occasions, dispelling 
 erroneous views, abolishing abuses of long standing, 
 and enlightening them on the most important subjects. 
 He did missionary work in the highest and noblest 
 sense which this term implies. Two dozen of such 
 Kohns to-day in Russia and the Russian-Jewish quar- 
 ters of New York, Philadelphia and other cities would 
 make Russian Jewish (xhettoes in America a thing of 
 the past. His words, coming as the}- did from the 
 heart, could not fail to enter into the hearts of his 
 hearers, and created an enthusiasm for him which can 
 be better imagined than described. 
 
 Meanwhile a new Temple was finished in 1846, 
 and there Kohn preached. It was the rendezvous of the 
 progressive element, at who.se expense it had been 
 built. At that time Kohn was appointed District 
 Rabbi, which was a position of far reaching influence. 
 He strove with his utmost zeal toward the elevation of his 
 Congregation. The many tokens of esteem and appre- 
 ciation shown him by high officials, and the wonderful 
 growth of the so-called Reform party are the best proofs 
 of his increasing popularity. But all this did not sat- 
 isfv his holy zeal to become the benefactor of his peo- 
 ple. Unlike others who, after having once attained 
 
1 68 RKKORMKI) JUDAISM. 
 
 the goal of their ambition, bask in the sunshine of their 
 glory and self-sufficiently rest upon their hard earned 
 laurels, he was, like Mordecai, an "Isli, ' ' a true man, and 
 hence a true Jehuda. Not satisfied with being "great 
 among the Jews and acceptable among the multitude 
 of his ])retliren'' (Ksther, X, 3), "he was a promotor 
 of good to his i)eople" (Ibid). He was not like some of 
 our co-religionists who, as soon as they l:)ecome promi- 
 nent in a certain sphere, "see the resting place that is 
 good" (Gen. XLIX, 15), indulge in their ease and with 
 a certain indifference look down from their lofty 
 heights upon the struggles of the poor unfortunate 
 dwellers in the valley. Abraham Kohn followed the 
 example of Moses, who, "just at the time when he was 
 greatest in Egypt"-I translate "vajigdal" in this sense 
 — went out to see after the welfare of his brethren and 
 looked on their burdensome labors," (Exodus II, 11.) 
 Kohn was greatly grieved to see that the Jews of Gal- 
 icia were subjected to the most shameful, humiliating 
 and oppressing taxes for no other reason than that they 
 were Jews. The most outrageous and disgraceful was 
 the tax on meat and the candles used for the Sabbath 
 lights. The worst feature of these taxes was the dis- 
 gusting fact that they, were the hardest on the poor 
 people, inasmuch as they doubled the market price and 
 made living so expensive for them that many of the 
 poor Jews in Galicia did not eat meat during the whole 
 year. Following was the tax: For a pound of meat, 
 lYz kreutzer; a pigeon, or chicken as large as a pig- 
 eon, 2 3/^ kreutzer; a rooster, hen or duck, 7 kreutzer; 
 a goose, 17 kreutzer; a turkey, 27 kreutzer. The tax- 
 es on candles were: A tallow candle for the Sabbath, 
 5 kreutzer; a wax candle, 15 kreutzer; a Jahrzeit can- 
 dle on the anniversary of a death, 3 to 6 kreutzer; a 
 Chanukah candle, i to 2 kreutzer; a candle for the da}' 
 of Atonement, 12 kreutze'r; a candle for a wedding, 2^ 
 florins; so that as two candles were necessary, it meant 
 a tax of five florins. Each famil y had to use two can- 
 dles on the Sabbath, or at least to pay taxes for them, 
 no matter whether they were used or not. Another 
 
AI'.RAllAM KOHN. 1 '^x; 
 
 evil ill connection with this tax was that those who 
 were taxed the highest were eligible in the directory of 
 the Congregation. In conseqnence of this the number 
 of candles determined in the Congregations their pres- 
 idents, and in further consequence those who made it 
 a business to lease the taxes, managed to elect their 
 creatures and pliant tools into the administration of 
 the Congregations. Even strangers and visitors had to 
 pav this tax. At the least suspicion of false statements 
 concerning the candles used in the house, the lessees 
 had a right to demand on oath of the renter, attired in 
 the garments for Jom Kippur (Reinigungseid), in the 
 Synagogue, in the presence of the District Rabbi and 
 District Commissary. 15^ 
 
 Alas, too true, Jews could be found who paid a 
 high price to the government for the yearly lease of 
 those contemptible taxes, and in order to make as 
 much money as possible out of them, they were 
 merciless in theii collection. They employed a most 
 despicable system of espionage; set paid spies into 
 the kitchens of poor Jews, or into the dining-rooms on 
 Friday evenings in order to find out the exact amount 
 of meat or of candles used for the Sabbath, and stooped 
 so low as to bribe the Christian servant girls of well-to- 
 do Jews, in order to prevent their employers from so- 
 called "cheating" the government. Now Kohn re- 
 solved to abolish this disgraceful, and, what was still 
 worse, demoralizing tax, and he succeeded. How 
 dearly he paid for it, future events will show. 
 
 In conjunction with the leaders of his Congrega- 
 tion and other influential Jewish communities of 
 Galicia and Austria, he went to work for the ac- 
 complishment of this aim. Twice in the fall of 1847 
 and in the spring of 1848 a deputation composed of the 
 most prominent Jews in Galicia, headed by Kohn, was 
 delegated to Vienna, in order to effect the abolition of 
 these taxes, which were a dark stain on the civiliza- 
 
 *Jost: Neuere Geschichte der Israeliten, Vol. III. page 33S, 
 note. 
 
lyO RHl'OR.MKK Jl'DAIS.M. 
 
 tion of Austria. The delegates had a difficult task, 
 because, sad and deplorable as the fact may be, it is 
 nevertheless true, that from a Jewish, and of course 
 interested, side, every lever was set in motion, and no 
 stone was left unturned in order to throw every imag- 
 inable stumbling-block in the way of the deputation. 
 Yes, hear it readers, in amazement! Jews, nay, so- 
 called strictly orthodox Jews, brought every influence 
 to bear upon a government in order to induce it not to do 
 justice to the Jews; not to set aside one of the most 
 disgraceful and tyrannical laws which the meanest 
 kind of Antisemitism and mediaeval fanaticism could 
 desire against the hated Jews. It was not the first 
 time in our history that the \vords of the prophet 
 Isaiah, "Thy destroyers, oh, Israel, come from thy 
 own m-idst," were verified. But after a year of in- 
 cessant and effective work Kohn and his supporters 
 were victorious. The taxes on kosher meat and Sab- 
 bath candles were abolished. I mentioned the dear 
 "penalty" which Kohn had to pay for this victory in 
 the cause of the Jews. The enemies of progress com- 
 menced to be afraid of his growing popularity and in- 
 fluence. They had forwarded a counter-petition to 
 Vienna stating that the abolition of these taxes was 
 not at all necessary. Having failed in their purpose 
 to influence the government, they resolved to make 
 Kohn's stay in Lemberg unpleasant and burdensome 
 in the extreme. The history of the Jewish Reform- 
 movement is full of proofs that the enemies of a pro- 
 gressive development in Judaism have a most remark- 
 able talent for the art of embittering the lives of Reform 
 Rabbis. They insulted Kohn personally, but as this 
 proved of no avail they heaped upon him the meanest 
 and most ridiculous charges before the courts. Among 
 other things he had to answer to one of those peculiar 
 "saints" why he carried on the Sabbath-day his 
 handkerchief in his pocket instead of binding it around 
 his body as the orthodox Jews do. All sorts of false 
 accusations were also manufactured against him, 
 which amounted to nothing. Naturally the better and 
 
ABRAHAM KOHN. I/I 
 
 educated classes vied with each other to make him 
 foiget these chicaneries and adversities, and the more 
 the opposition showed itself in its true colors the 
 more it lost its followers, and dwindled down to a 
 small, insiojnificant clique. It was utterly discomfited 
 by the additional blow that it met with a contume- 
 lious rebuff from the courts on account of its foolish and 
 malicious charges against Kohn. One of the persecu- 
 tors was even arrested on account of malicious slander 
 and inciting the populace against Kohn. No sooner 
 had the latter heard of this fact than he, like a true 
 "priest who loveth peace and promoteth it,'' employed 
 every means at his disposal to free his enemy from 
 prison, and he succeeded in doing so by his personal 
 interference and entreaties. But this act, instead of 
 pacifying the scoundrels, embittered them the more, 
 and seeing that all their wicked designs and miserable 
 machinations against the noble man had failed, they 
 did not stop at unirder uiost foul and cozvardly. 
 
 This is, to my knowledge, the only instance in 
 Jewish history where fanaticism and religious bigotry 
 were carried to such an extreme, for the attempt of 
 murder against Baruch Spinoza was, at least, not suc- 
 cessful. Toward the end of the summer of 1840 Kohn 
 was about to publish a weekly under the title of "Der 
 Israelitische Volksfreund" (The Israelitish Friend of 
 the People). On the 6th of September, while busily 
 engaged in this work, a villainous scoundrel poisoned 
 his dinner. The Sabl^ath previous he had preached on 
 the commandment: "Thou Shalt Not Murder." 
 While the members of his family recovered, he 
 twent\-four hours later (September 7th), after painful 
 sufferings, succumbed to the effect of the poison, 
 and died in the bloom of vigorous manhood, full of 
 resignation to the will of God, a martyr to the 
 principles of Reform-Judaism, a sacrifice upon the altar 
 of his unshakable conviction in the ultimate victory of 
 truth and justice. 
 
 Eight years later a \olume of his sermons on the 
 "Ten Commandments, '' together with a short sketch 
 
172 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 of his life written by his son, Jacob Kohu, to which I 
 am largely indebted for this biography, was published 
 in the first volume of the "Jeshurun," a magazine ably 
 edited by a pupil of Dr. Kohn, Dr. Joseph Kobak, for- 
 merly Rabbi of Bamberg, Bavaria. These sermons 
 were all delivered in Hohenems, with the exception of 
 the one mentioned above, on the sixth commandment 
 (vSeptember 2, 1848), which was delivered to his Lem- 
 berg Congregation. I deem it right and proper to 
 place before the readers of this book a few extracts from 
 this, in some respects remarkable, last sermon of 
 Kohn. I sav remarkable, because he could hardly 
 have preached otherwise had he known that one of his 
 fanatic enemies would murder him four days after the 
 delivery of his sermon. 
 
 "To murder a creature like ourselves, to kill a 
 human beino;, to shed the blood of an innocent man, 
 must still be prohibited to the shame of humanity I 
 There are wild beasts which tear other creatures, 
 which drink the blood of animals, but only against 
 strange species are they so cruel. * * Man only, 
 who is so proud of his privileges, calling himself the 
 crown of creation, the master-work of God, rages 
 against his own genus. * * You feel horrified at 
 this picture, yet it is not overdrawn in the least. Even 
 according to Biblical literature the first quarrel was ad- 
 justed by the murder of a brother. * * Pity, reason, 
 conscience, ought to preserve human nature from the 
 most horrible crime of destruction of human life. But 
 no ! The Lawgiver and Judge of the Universe must 
 exclaim: 'Thou shalt not murder.' In order to in- 
 .stil each and every one with disgust of murder and 
 bloodshed. The Mosaic law inflicted punishment even 
 upon the unintentional murderer. He had to flee to a 
 City of Refuge. Nay, more. In a city where mur- 
 der had been committed and the murderer could not be 
 discovered, the elders had to wash their hands and to 
 proclaim aloud: 'Our hands have not shed this blood, 
 and our eyes have not seen it. Grant pardon unto thy 
 people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not. 
 
ABRAHAM KOHX. 1 73 
 
 oh, God, innocent blood in the midst of th>- people 
 Israel.' Happy are we that we obey such law. It is on 
 account of this obedience that murder and bloodshed 
 are of such rare occurrence, are unheard of among us. 
 Yes, we can say it with pride, there is no nation, no 
 religious society, which entertains such high regard for 
 human life as does ours. Among us even the deadiest 
 foe is safe; his life is sacred to us. Hut fanaticism is 
 capable of doing anything. What is there which ha- 
 tred, wickedness, malice, are not liable to do? * * 
 But is he only the murderer who suddenly ends the life of 
 a fellow-man with a deadly weapon? 'He who deprives 
 his fellow-man of the means of existence kills him,' 
 said Ben Sirach. Sorrow, grief, affliction, neglect, 
 mortification, disregard, wound no less than daggers 
 and arrows. For anger, vexation and griefs are slow, 
 lingering poisons which gnaw on the marrow of life; 
 poisons which they only can administer who are very 
 near to us. How often do children thus shorten the 
 lives of their parents I Israel has been guilty of a sim- 
 ilar crime since times immemorial against her best 
 friends, against her faithful teachers and guides, whose 
 lives are shortened by the eternal struggle with mean- 
 ness and wickedness. In this sense Jeru.salem was in- 
 deed a 'city which murdered her prophets.' Who had 
 surpassed IMoses in' sacrificing love for his people? But 
 how did they reward him, how often did they rebel 
 against him, and were about to stone him? The same 
 fate befell the prophets of God, because they did not 
 talk sweeth', because they saw things in their true 
 light, called things by their right names; because thev 
 did not mind the exclamation of those who 'said to the 
 seers: Ve shall not see; and to the prophets: Re\eal 
 not unto us true things; s])eak unto us smooth things; 
 reveal deceits.' (Isaiah XXX, lo). The last of these 
 men of God, Jeremiah, could hardly escape death, as if 
 he had caused the destruction of the Jewish common- 
 wealth. That it was not better in later times is proven 
 by the remarkable opinion of the Talmud concerning 
 the 'popularity' of theologians and preachers. 'If 
 
174 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 you find' thus the Tahiiud puts it, 'a Rabbi who is 
 liked well among all the people of his town, then do 
 not imagine that he is worthier and better than others; 
 but be sure that he is derelict in his duty to reprimand 
 them whenever the occasion demands it.' " 
 
 Aside from this volume of sermons, Kolin pub- 
 lished ''Six Sermons, Delivered in Hohenems, Prague, 
 1834," on the following subjects: i. The Divine 
 Blessing; text, Deuteronomv, VII, 13-15. 2. Prayer; 
 text, Psalm LXXXIV. 3.' The Power of Faith; text, 
 Sachar, IV, 4. 4. Meaning and Significance of the 
 Sabbath; text, Isaiah, LVIII, 13-14. 5. Charity; text, 
 Leviticus, XXV, 35-39. 6. Israel, a People Chosen 
 by God; text, Exodus, XIX, 3-6." He further pub- 
 lished a sermon on ' True Heroes,"* and on "How Can 
 We Purify Ourselves Before God."f His inaugural 
 sermon delivered in Lemberg, 1845, was based 
 on the text: Maleachi, II, 6. 
 
 In Geiger's Zeitschrift he contributed scholarly 
 essays on the "Jewish Mourning Customs," on the 
 "Necessity of Popular and Juvenile Jewish Literature;" 
 on "Music on Holidays ;"|: on "The Removal of 
 Leather Shoes on the Day of Atonement."^ He was 
 also among the progressive Rabbis who gave favorable 
 opinions on the question propounded by the Congrega- 
 tion of Breslau, which was presided over by Dr. Gei- 
 ger, concerning the compatibility of Judaism with free 
 research. II 
 
 In a sermon on the Second Commandment Kohn 
 said: "Another still more dangerous idolaty is the wor- 
 ship of luck. The heathen had a Goddess of Fortune, 
 
 *The sermon was delivered in 1S37. on Chanukkah, and was 
 pnblished in Dr. L. Adler's "Synagoge," Vol. I, pages 193-207. 
 
 tit was delivered on 1838 on the eve of the Day of Atonement, 
 and published in "Synagoge" Vol. II, pages 326-336. 
 
 iSee Geiger's "Zeitschrift fuer Jued. Theol., Vol. Ill, page 214, 
 IV. pages 29, 76, 165. 
 
 llSee "Rabbinische Gutachten ueber die Vertraeglichkeit der 
 freien Forschung mit dem Rabbineramte, Breslan, 1S42, (Septem- 
 ber). It contains opinions of Kohn, Herxheimer, Friedlaender, 
 Ghorin, Einhorn, Hess, Guttman, Wassermann. Kohn's opinion on 
 the Hamburg prayer-book, see page 138 of this book. 
 
ABRAHAM KDIIN. 175 
 
 whom they called 'l-'ortuiui/ and whom they repre- 
 sented standing on a wheel with her eyes blindfolded, 
 thus conveying the idea that fortune is blind and 
 fickle, offering its favors often to the unworthy, and 
 again overturning those whom it had raised. Temples 
 and altars were erected to this Goddess. It is no long- 
 er the fashion to erect temples and altars. But has 
 this Goddess not gained strong following in our days? 
 Is she not to manv the highest power, in which alone 
 they believe? 'Oh, if I had only luck!' 'If luck 
 would follow me,' is their daily devotion. 'If luck is 
 lacking, all endeavor is in vain,' this is their wisdom 
 and their confession of faith'. * * A man has 
 
 risen by industry, per.se verance, talent, cleverness and 
 mental strain. They do not ask, 'How is it that the 
 man was so successful,' becau.se for them it is a firmly 
 established fact, 'that he owes it all to hi.s — good 
 luck.' * * They must reap the fruits of 
 
 their doings, are punished for their recklessness, their 
 carelessness, inability, dishonesty and extravagance. 
 Whatever they commence does not go forward, they la- 
 ment and accuse not themselves, they know well 
 whence it all comes — fortune does not favor them, they 
 have ever been per.secuted by ill luck, were the target 
 of its maliciousness. Instead of bettering their conduct 
 and changing their mode of living, they try to concili- 
 ate their luck by gambling in the lottery, sacrificing 
 their last kreutzer ( 'j a penny), to the hostile moloch 
 of play. * * Are you Israelites ? Do you 
 
 believe in the one living God?"* In a sermon on the 
 Third Commandment Kohn .said: "The name of God is 
 uttered most particularly in prayer, and considering 
 this the third commandment is referred to not only by 
 myself but also by the teachers of the Talmud. Is it 
 not contemptible blasphemy to utter lies before the 
 Holy One, to deny His benefactions and to complain 
 about sufferings, which we do not feel ? And let me 
 be candid, such blasphemies are freely uttered by Isra- 
 
 *Dr. Kohak'sjeschurun, Lemberg, 1856, Vol. I, pages 34-35. 
 
176 KP:K0RMED JUDAISM. 
 
 elites who are numbered among the pious of the land. 
 F'or many of the antiquated prayers contain legends 
 which nol)ody to-day accepts as facts, complain about 
 sufferings and persecutions, which God has ended long 
 ago. * * Well may we exclaim to those who, 
 
 without devotion, and in an ii reverent position, recite 
 formulas of prayer — I cannot call it praying — well, I 
 say, may we exclaim: Why do you blaspheme God? 
 Why do you take His name in vain ? * * * 
 
 It is not the mass of words which constitutes prayer. 
 Let the words of our ancient sages suffice us, 'God 
 requires only the heart.' "* 
 
 In a sermon on the Fourth Commandment Kohn 
 made the following timely remarks: "I am inclined 
 to translate the pas.sage: 'It is your duty to work six 
 days in the week.'t That laboriousness belongs to 
 piety and fear of God can be easily proven. * * 
 
 Where is the least resistance against corruption and 
 vice? Jn the heart of the idle person. Laziness is the 
 beginning of all vices. 'The Eternal, thy God, will 
 bless thee in all thy labors and in all the works of tin- 
 hands,' (Deut. XV, 10). Shall he also bless idleness, 
 laziness and carelessness? * * A lazy man 
 
 will envy his fellow^ man, and in his jealousy hate his 
 successful brother. * * He will rob, steal, 
 
 and defraud, he will borrow and not repay, in short he 
 will live like a freebooter at the expense of other peo- 
 ple, until the arm of justice overtakes him. * * 
 In the best case he will be dependent on charity and 
 alms. * * Is this not a crying wrong against 
 the burdened dispensers of charity and against the 
 really helpless, old, feeble and frail people, who are 
 thus injured? * * * 
 
 "I explain the pas.sage of the Talmud: 'He who 
 would not teach his son a trade, teaches him robbery, 'f 
 as follows: He commits robbery on human society by 
 
 *SeeJeschurun, Leinberg, 1826, pages 91-93. . 
 +Tt is generally translated: "You can labor," i. e., if you are in- 
 clined to do so. 
 
 iiKidduschin 29. 
 
ABRAHAM KOHN. 1 77 
 
 not training his son for a iisefnl occupation. This 
 concerns us Israelites most particularh". It is well 
 known that we are reproached with the vice of shun- 
 ning manual labor. Alas, a portion of our co-religion- 
 ists cannot be acquitted of this accusation. This re- 
 proach is made use of in order to deprive us of our civil 
 rights. It is, however, our duty to defeat this ob- 
 jection by our deeds, to encourage by material support 
 a useful activitv among our poorer classes. It is a fact 
 that Israelites, who spend the week days in idleness on 
 the street, give not only offence, but bring about in the 
 true sense of the term chillul hashem (desecration of the 
 name of God)."* 
 
 Such was Abraham Kohn, whom Dr. B. F. Manu- 
 heimer, justly calls "a martyr of our time.'"! And 
 yet Prof. Graetz, who devoted no less than forty pages 
 to the. Jewish apostates and renegades, Heine and 
 Boerne, has not a single page, not a single sentence, 
 not a single line, not a single word to say about poor 
 murdered Abraham Kohn. No itinerant "schnorr- 
 Rabbi" is too insignificant for a place of honor in 
 Graetz' s "History," if he has published the least He- 
 brew pamphlet on the most foolish question. But a 
 mart\r like Kohn is ignored. Why ? Echo answers, 
 'AVhy?" Most likely for the same reasons that 
 P'riedlaender, Jacobssohn, Chorin, Salomon and others, 
 are disparaged. Had Kohn been orthodox or conserva- 
 tive, and had the Reformers poisoned him, Graetz would 
 most likely not have utterly ignored the historical 
 fact. That the learned professor utterly ignores men 
 like Geiger, Loew, Einhorn and Samuel Hirsch in his 
 work might be excused on the plea that, like the au- 
 thors of the "Encyclopedia Britannica, ' ' he hesitated 
 to pass judgment upon persons who were yet living, al- 
 though he made some .slight exceptions from this 
 praiseworthy rule. But Abraham Kohn had been dead 
 
 ♦Jeschiirun, .sermon of Kohn on the "Fourth Coniniandnieiit,' 
 passes 105, IK), III. 112. 113, II-}, 115. 117. 
 
 tHiooraphy of A. Kohn. (Stettin, 1S59). I am sorry to say. that 
 I was vmahle to obtain a copy of this publication. 
 
178 KKKORMKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 twenty years at least before the last volume of Graetz's 
 history was written. Even partisan historians on^ht 
 to do a little justice.* I consider it a great privilege to 
 have been instrumental in bringing the name of the 
 noble martyr, Rabbi Abraham Kohn, before the Eng- 
 lish reading public. 
 
 *See niv: Graetz's (resrhichtsbauerei, Herlin, iSSi, Issleih, pa^es 
 79-S3 ff. 
 
 '%W%' 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 SAMUEL HOLDHEIM. 
 
 Born ill iSo6, in Kempen, Poseu; died as Rabbi of 
 the Reform Congregation of Berlin, Angust 22, i860. 
 
 Sanmel Holdheim was one of the most remark- 
 able characters in the history of Reform-Judaism. In 
 his life we see the gradual evolution from the lowest 
 tvpe of Jewish orthodoxy, such as to-day can be found 
 in Russia and Poland, to the extreme wing of Radical 
 Reform. He verified the saying: ''Les extremes se 
 touclienty But this development was not by a single 
 bound, but the result of a hard, inner struggle within 
 his heart during a period of twenty years. The best 
 proof of his sincerity can be found in the fact that in 
 everv stage of hisieligious growth he warmly and most 
 ablv defended the opinions then held by him, as if the 
 possibility of ever changing them M'ere out of the ques- 
 tion. This is a praiseworthy trait of character, which 
 is not found among time-servers and hypocrites. 
 Few of our young Rabbis, especially in this country, 
 have an idea what a consuming strain such a mental 
 struggle must be for the mind and heart of a conscien- 
 tious Ral^bi. It is greatly to be deplored, that Prof. 
 Crraetz so utterly ignores this phase of character in 
 Holdheim's career. Had he not done so he would 
 never have spoken of him as "a man without an ideal," 
 as of a 'Mephistophelian nature," who ''per.sonified 
 the spirit i)f negation," who "considered the Rabbini- 
 cal profession as a milking cow."* He would not 
 
 ♦Graet/-.: History of the Jews, Vol. XI, page 563. 
 
l80 KKl'OK.MKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 have represented Holdhciiii as a hypocrite, because he 
 observed conscientiously tlie Jewish ceremonies during 
 his ministrations in Frankfort on the Oder, and because 
 in the first few )-ears of his Rab])inical career he was 
 not yet a Reformer. He would not have reproached 
 him with "want of earnest conviction," '(p. 564). He 
 would not have been guilty of such unhistorical, bi- 
 ased and unjustifiable passages as, for instance, the fol- 
 lowing: "Holdheim, who formerly had no idea that 
 the divine service should be dignified, found all of a 
 sudden the disorder which had distressed him very lit- 
 tle in Frankfort inappropriate in the Synagogues of 
 Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and was bent upon removing 
 everything from the worship which was not in har- 
 mony with the spirit of the age." (Ibidem). Now it 
 is, to say the least, a broad assertion that Holdheim 
 ''had no idea," when Rabbi of Frankfort, "that the 
 divine service should be dignified." Even a superfi- 
 cial perusal of the little volume of Holdheim' s sermons, 
 published in Frankfort in 1839* will convince the 
 impartial reader that Holdheim had already at that 
 time pretty strong opinions on the subjectof our worship. 
 But, granting he had no decided convictions in Frank- 
 furt, does he deserve to be reproached for introducing 
 the VVurtemberg (Reformed) order of the Synagogue in 
 his district? (Ibid, P. 565) And suppose the orthodox 
 Congregations of his district did not like it, win- 
 was this more of a "violence done to the conscience" 
 than the interdict of Bernays against the Ham- 
 burg prayer-book, against which Graetz had nothing to 
 say? Had the Professor treated the character of Hold- 
 heim with less hostility, he would never have penned 
 the following lines: ''Since Paulus of Tarsus, Judaism 
 never had such an enemy within its own fold, who had 
 shaken its whole structure to its very foundations." 
 (Ibidem). Holdheim, who is compared by Graetz to 
 
 *See pages 10, 12, 13, especially the introduction to Hold- 
 lieim's sermons, and the discourse on: "The Two Important Institu- 
 tions of Salvation," pages 8-10. 
 
SAMIKI. IIOI.IIIIKIM. iJ^I 
 
 the actual founder of Christianity,* has done more 
 through his reformatory activity in Berlin towards check- 
 ing the tidal wave of apostasy than Graetz and all the or- 
 thodox Rabbis of Prussia combined. The truth is, the 
 latter, bv their uncompromising attitude and stubborn- 
 ness, have driven to the baptismal font not a few of the 
 youno- ireneration. On the other hand it is statistically 
 proven that since the establishment of the Radical-Re- 
 form Congregation in Berlin, with Holdheim at its 
 head, Jewish conversions to Christianity became few 
 and far between. Hence the comparison with Paulus 
 of Tarsus, is, to say the least, not well chosen. 
 
 In the light of such patent facts it sounds almost 
 like ironv when (xraetz assures his readers on page 566 
 of his '"History,'' that in the time of the Maccabees, 
 Holdheim, like Menelaus, would have advised the 
 Jews to worship the Greek Zens; that in the age of 
 Hadrian, like a second Acher, f he would have recom- 
 mended to the Jews the worship of Jupiter Capi- 
 tolimus; and in the period of Philipp, of Spain, and 
 Emanuel, of Portugal, he would have considered it a 
 praiseworthy thing on the part of the Jews to worship 
 the cross. A real historian deals only in facts and re- 
 lates what a person has done. It is beyond the pro- 
 vince of a historian to attempt to say what anyone 
 would or might have done under certain circumstances. 
 "The hidden things belong only to God." Had Hold- 
 heim, indeed, been without character and principle, as 
 he is represented by Graetz, then like many of Graetz's 
 disciples and other time-.servers and sycophants, he 
 would have cast his lot with the powerful majority, 
 where honors, influence, material advantages and 
 
 *Not Jesus, but Paulus was iu reality the fouuderof Christianity. 
 See iiiv '•Principles of Judaism compared with those of Christianity," 
 pages 1 1 S- 1 36, on the subject: "Origin of Christianity," chapter IV, 
 and my e.ssav on "Jesus of Nazareth," in the "Meuorah," .\ugust, 
 1SS9. 
 
 t".\cher" is a sarcastic name fur Elisha Ben Abujah, who, ac- 
 cording to a 'I'almudical tradition, became a skeptic, pantheist or 
 atheist. Literally translated the Hebrew word "Acher" means 
 "another."' 
 
t82 KEKORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 chances of promotion were beckoning. But what has 
 he done? He left an influential position for life as 
 Land-Rabbi of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, where he, as 
 an officer of the government, was independent of the 
 will and whims of his Congregations. In the hope of 
 becoming a power for good on his own merits, he ac- 
 cepted the call of a small Reform Congregation at Ber- 
 lin, which was hardly organized, and was surrounded 
 by enemies from within and without.* He thus cut 
 loose from old associations and cherished bonds. He 
 was cursed, reviled, sneered and laughed at, he became 
 a butt and by-word among the majority of his co-reli- 
 gionists. H.aving been recognized, even by his most 
 bitter opponents, as the greatest Talmudical scholar of 
 his time, he most assuredly could have done better 
 from a material point of view by playingf the "conser- 
 vative" Rabbi. But no, he preferred to travel the 
 rocky road. He went to Berlin, thus passing the Rubi- 
 con and burning, as it were, all bridges behind him. 
 For "Kol Bauaihoo lau Jeshubun." Those Rabbis, 
 who in the forties had run the risk of affiliating with the 
 "Reform-Genossenschaft, of Berlin," which is the 
 most radical Jewish Congregation in the world, with, 
 perhaps, the exception of the Sinai Temple of Chicago 
 — could not return to a Rabbinical office in another 
 Congregation in case of failure in this field of labor. 
 And yet Holdheim went to Berlin in order to build up 
 a radical Reform Congregation; he went there on the 
 strength of what? Was he a young man of prepossess- 
 ing appearance, of fine physique, endowed with great 
 
 *The Prussian Govennnent has been, on general principles, op- 
 posed to the Jewish Reform-movement. 
 
 tGraet/.' school i. e., the disciples <)[ the " Breslan T^abbin- 
 erseminar" have reduced hypocrisy to a fine art. With very few 
 exceptions they are masters in the unenviable art of "playing" the 
 "conservatives," in public and being radicals to the core. Graetz, 
 himself covered himself with the "Talith" during divine service, 
 while by word and pen he mercilessly attacked the belief in the 
 divine origin of the Bible. And such a man dares to call Holdheim 
 a "hvpocrite" and "enemy of Israel." Kol hapossel beniumau 
 possel." (Some people blame in others their own shortcomings^ 
 (Talmud). 
 
SAMrF.I, IIOI.DHKIM. I «'^3 
 
 oratorical powers, social attainments, pleasant delivery, 
 personal magnetism and all those little artifices which 
 generally make the snccesstnl preacher? Oh, no. 
 Yet he went to Berlin, simply on the strength of his 
 ardent enthnsiasm for the canse of Reform-Jndaism, of 
 his nnshakable trnst in its ultimate triumph and victo- 
 ry, of his unl)ounded confidence in the power of his ar- 
 gument and in the force of what he considered truth. 
 Now I ask every im])artial man, no matter how little 
 he .sympathizes with Holdheim's convictions, whether 
 such a man deserves to be ranked among vile traitors, 
 who, like Menelaus, have bartered away their religion 
 for gold and sold their birthright for a mess of pottage? 
 But let us turn away from such historiography to real 
 historical facts concerning the life and the works of the 
 much abused and little appreciated Radical Reformer, 
 "Samuel Holdheim." 
 
 Samuel Holdhcim was born in Kempen, Duchy of 
 Po.sen, in 1806, and was educated according to the 
 rules of the strictest orthodoxy of Poland, which suffi- 
 ciently accounts for the great struggles within his own 
 breast, before he arrived at his advanced ideas on reli- 
 gion. 
 
 He was .sent to the "Cheder" (Hebrew school), ac- 
 cording to the usual custom, and stealthily, only, he 
 dared to read a German book, to do which in those 
 parts of the world was considered sinful. Even the 
 study ot Hebrew grammar was regarded as a waste of 
 time. Thus Holdheim devoted almost all his time to 
 the study of the Talmud, in its dialectic and pilpulistic 
 method. How successful he was in the art of wending 
 his way through the labyrinth of the Pipul* is proven 
 by the fact, that when a little boy, to the utmost sur- 
 prise of the learned Rabbi, and the recognized lumina- 
 ries of the famous Congregation of Kempen, he solved 
 
 *'Pilpul" is that rabulistic and sophistic manner of argumenta- 
 tion, which permits the logic to go astray, and acuteness of mind to 
 take a crooked route. (See my Talmud. Denver, 1884, page 13). 
 Heine calls it a "Fechtschule" a "Gedankenjagd um Mucken zu fan- 
 ^-c:i" (a hunt after thoughts, in order to catch midges). 
 
184 RKKORMHl) Jl'DAISM. 
 
 a most complicated Talmudical problem. No wonder 
 that he soon acquired great fame as a distinguished 
 P)achur, and that he was called to different places in 
 order to instruct boys in the Talmud. But the great- 
 er his fame as a Talmudist became, the more he found 
 out how little he knew of other things outside of the 
 Talmud, and how \'ery limited was his kn<jwledge in 
 the field of so-called "profane" science and literature. 
 Like all self-taught men he improved every opportuni- 
 ty to study, tried to read every book within his reach, 
 until he came to the resolution that he must study sys- 
 tematically. To accomplish this purpose he directed 
 his steps toward Prague, which was the seat not only 
 of Talmudical scholarship but also of a University. 
 With a zeal and energy, of which only a Bachur is 
 capable, he studied day and night, so that, in a com- 
 paratively short time, he mastered the classics and be- 
 came well versed in historical and philosophical litera- 
 ture. Although a man in years, in order to quench 
 his thirst for a higher knowledge, he did not deem it 
 below his dignity to sit on a bench of the study halls 
 with young students. 
 
 After several failures in his efforts to get a posi- 
 tion, he was in 1836 elected Rabbi of Frankfort-on-the- 
 Oder. This position he held until 1840. 
 
 At that time the position of Rabbi in Prussia 
 was owing to the fact that the Rabbis as a 
 rule were opposed to all progress in the domain of 
 Judaism, most difficult. The tendency towards check- 
 ing and curtailing the privilege and influence of the 
 Rabbis was then general among the administrations of 
 Congregations in Germany. In 1823 — the same year, 
 the Jacobsohn Temple had to be closed by order of the 
 Prussian government, a ministerial rescript had de- 
 prived the Rabbis of all influence upon the Jews."* 
 This measure was greeted with applause by the better 
 
 tThis rescript was based t'u ihe verdict of (imnpertz, an elder 
 of the Cont(regation of Berlin, wiio called tlie Rabbis "Kausher- 
 waecliter," (Guardians of kosher-meat), thus conveying the idea 
 that they were good for nothing else. 
 
sAMi'Ki. ii()i.i)iii;iM. 1H5 
 
 class of Jews, because a check of Ra])])inical authority 
 was looked upon as a triumph of progress. No won- 
 der, as a progressive Rabbi was unusual in those days. 
 The care for the stomach, the performance of marriages, 
 divorces, Chalizah and similar coremonies were about 
 the onlv functions of the Rabbi "and other servants of 
 the Synagogue." They were strictly prohibited from 
 ''teaching religion and instructing the youth." Simi- 
 lar reasons have caused the Jewish Congregation of 
 Frankfort-on-the-]\Iain to check the influence of the 
 Rabbi, especially in the religious school, to such an 
 extent, that Dr. Leopold Stein resigned his position 
 rather than endure such a humiliating state of affairs. 
 The same rescript plainly says: "Jewish Rabbis are 
 no teachers of the Jews and cannot be looked upon by 
 the state as teachers of religion in the sense of Christ- 
 ian clergymen." Hence the inspection or supervision 
 of a "religious school," which is nowadays one of the 
 main duties of the Rabbi, was refused to the Rabbis by 
 the government. 
 
 Holdheim did his best towards bringing about a 
 change for the better in this respect; towards over- 
 throwing the wrong principle that "the Jewish religion 
 is only tolerated." In the preface to the "Sermons," 
 (1839), he bitterly complained of the humiliation to 
 which the Rabbis of Prussia were subjected by the gov- 
 ernment and demanded the relegation of "this sad 
 legacy of a dying age," to the past. While the Jews of 
 Prussia were emancipated in 181 2, their religion is liot 
 at all recognized, but is, on the contrary, still resting 
 under the bane of mediaeval disgrace. He concludes, 
 however, that the Rabbis themselves have created the 
 erroneous impression that they had no interest in 
 worldly affairs, and were utterly indifferent to the 
 efforts, victories and defeats of the new age. He ad- 
 mitted that they lived in the dead past only, have be- 
 come mummies without life and warmth, and were rep- 
 resentatives of stagnant ceremonies. And yet Graet/- 
 wants to make the public believe, that a man who 
 writes in this strain as Rabbi of Frankfurt in 
 
l86 RHFOKMKI) Jl'DAISM. 
 
 ICS39, had "110 idea that the di\ine service should be 
 dionified." Holdheim coiitiiines: "The modern Rabbi 
 must protest against such shameful conceptions. His 
 Congregation must bear witness in his behalf, that de- 
 cisions on the ceremonial law and performance of mar- 
 riages and divorces do not fill the whole sphere of his 
 usefulness. His main task and duty is, and will be, to 
 teach religion and morality, not onl}- theoretically, but 
 through his example and character. This is of greater 
 importance to Judaism than the explanation of the cer- 
 emonial law and the rendering of ritual decisions." 
 
 Holdheim was opposed to the usual custom of sep- 
 arating the office of preacher and teacher from that of 
 the Rabbi. He was one of the first Rabbis who com- 
 bined the functions of both in his person. In Prussia 
 he surely was the first Rabbi-preacher. He, like Gei- 
 ger, saw a danger to Judaism in that dualism, accord- 
 ing to which two men, representing opposite religious 
 views, should manage the religious affairs of the same 
 Congregation; the one being identified with orthodoxy, 
 the other standing for the principle of progressive de- 
 velopment. * 
 
 In the pulpit Holdheim became the compromising 
 mediator between the old "Derasoth"f and rationalistic, 
 moral discourses and philosophical addresses. While 
 the latter were excellent and fraught with. good results 
 in their day, it cannot be denied that their shallow 
 moralizing tone, coupled as it was, with superficiality, 
 lack of substance and vitality, did no longer satisf)- the 
 demands of a critical age. Holdheim's first sermon 
 was delivered in 1836 in his native city, Kempen.]; In 
 a sermon on "Religion, Legality and Peace," delivered 
 in P'rankfurt, March 4, 1837, Holdheim advocated the 
 necessity of Rabbinical Conferences and urged the 
 
 *See Geiger: "Ansprache an meine Gemeinde," Breslan, 1842, 
 and Geiger's Nachgelassene Schriften, Berlin, 1S75, L. Gerschel, 
 Vol. I, pages 52-112. 
 
 fFrom "Darash" "seek, search." Dialectic argumentations on 
 the Halacha. 
 
 *It was published in Berlin, (1S36). The text was taken from 
 Genesis I, 26. 
 
SAMUKL HOl.DHKI.M. 187 
 
 Rabbis to heal the breach between the past and present 
 of Israel. The sermon was favorably criticized.* 
 
 The following .sermon on "Prayer and Instruction 
 combined are the essentials of the Jewish divine 
 .service," (Frankfurt, 1S37) is of special interest to 
 those who were informed in (xraetz's ''History" that 
 lloldheim had no idea in Frankfurt that the divine 
 service should be dignified." (Page 564) In an.swer 
 to this charge, which, if true, might stamp Holdheim 
 as a hypocrite and time-server, the following pas- 
 sages, which could be greatly augmented, are quoted: 
 "What would Isaiah say should he happen to enter 
 our Synagogue on Sabbath or New Moon; what would 
 be the result of his impressions? A, by no means, 
 small part of the Congregation he would not see at all, 
 and in relation to them he would address his words 
 contained in chapter 29, 11. But among those present 
 he would meet with a spirit of disorder, of stubbornness, 
 of confusion. He would see how the practice of the 
 most sacred ceremonies during services is disturbed by 
 conversations and discussions about the most profane 
 things; how the old people set the most destructive 
 example to the young; how during the recitation of the 
 prayers by the cantor, noise and unbecoming be- 
 havior reign supreme. He would notice things which 
 would not be tolerated in a public place of amusement. 
 He would see, how the most sacred of our religious 
 functions, the reading from the Thorah, is ignored, 
 and treated with contempt, inasmuch as during this 
 part of the service the majority of the Congregation 
 leave the Synagogue, while others indulge in conver- 
 sation and laughter." 
 
 Now, if such words, which, by the way, furnish 
 a most excellent and true picture of the Synagogue- 
 worship in almost every orthodox Congregation of 
 Europe, are not yet proof sufficient for Graetz, that 
 Holdheim had, e\'en in Frankfurt long before he went 
 
 *See: Literarisches and homiletisches Beiblatt zur Allg., Zei- 
 
 lung (ies Judenthum's, 1S3S, July 21st. 
 
l88 REKORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 to Mecklcnburg-Schwerin, au "idea that the Jewish 
 worship ought to be dignified/' perhaps the following 
 passage will be convincing: "The Prophet Isaiah 
 would see how the calling to the Thorah (Aufrufen), 
 is offered at auction to the highest bidder and is re- 
 garded as a performance, which furnishes the oppor- 
 tunity of showing favors or spite. He would see that 
 the public instruction from the holy place is, to many, 
 a stumbling block; that they try to give public annoy- 
 ance by a-11 sorts of disturbances and that thev fill with 
 disgust the attentive and devoted audience." 
 
 However, not only in his own Congregation, but 
 whenever a measure was advocated, which promised to 
 benefit Judaism at large, Holdheim supported it with 
 might and main. Thus, when Geiger's idea of 
 establishing an institution for the training of Rabbis 
 was taken up again, Holdheim agitated the measure 
 most forcibly in his sermons. He tried to interest the 
 many merchants, who happened to be in Frankfurt 
 during the mass, in the subject. 
 
 His sermons, entitled, " Gottesdienstliche Vort- 
 raege,"* are symbolical in nature. Even at that time 
 he was already opposed to a "blind veneration of tradi- 
 tion." Among other things he ..said that we should 
 not subscribe to doctrines which expect us to abjure 
 all reason, to believe without research and to accept 
 without the least investigation everything as holy and 
 divine which has been given out as such by human be- 
 ings.^ 
 
 vSuch utterances show that Holdheim, even in 
 those days, was by no means an orthodox Rabbi. 
 
 Holdheim was engaged at that time in a controversy 
 with Dr. Freystadt, who attacked Moses Mendelssohn 
 on account of his statement, that the Jews have no 
 dogma. In an article: "Have the Jews Dogmas?" f 
 Holdheim tries to prove, that Mendelssohn had 
 simply stated that the divergences of opinion in 
 
 *Frankfurt, 1839. 
 
 tSee Zeitung des Juclentuhija's, i8^S. Nos. 4-9 and Sulamith, 
 Vol. VIII, ■--,,. H ^ 
 
SAMTKl. HOIJ)HKIM. 189 
 
 Judaism concern cereinouial laws only and not doc- 
 trines of religion. 
 
 Another interesting article by Holdheini appeared 
 in Jost's "Israelit. Annalen,"* on the "Oath of the 
 Israelites in Criminal Cases." 
 
 In the mean time the Geiger-Tiktin controversy 
 in Breslau has set many a theological and other pen in 
 motion. Among others a Dr. Lowositz had published 
 a pamphlet: ''The Klection of Rabbis," (Breslau, 
 1840), strongly condemning every progressive develop- 
 ment in the domain of religion and consequently tak- 
 ing part against Geiger's election as Rabbi in Breslau. 
 In reply to this pamphlet Holdheini published his 
 brochure: "The Religious Progress within German 
 Judaism."! He held the opinion that religious in- 
 struction ought to pave the way for Reform. "The 
 way and method of teaching religion has always been 
 subject in Judaism to the exigencies of the age, but the 
 word of Cjod was the same in every epoch of our 
 history. Moses taught otherwise than the prophets, 
 they otherwise than the men of the Synagoga Magna, 
 they otherwise than the teachers of the Mishna, 
 they otherwise than tlie sages of the 'Gmarah,' they 
 otherwise than the Gaonim, and they otherwise 
 than the later theologians and great men in Israel." 
 
 Dr. Lowositz in his reply* to Holdheini spoke of 
 him in terms of great appreciation and the high- 
 est esteem. In the meantime the title "Doctor of 
 Philosophy" was bestowed upon him by the Univer- 
 sity of Leipzig. He was soon recognized as an 
 authoritv by both parties; by the conservatives on ac- 
 count (jf his immense Talniudical scholarship, by the 
 progressive Jewish element on account of his modern 
 education and apparent friendliness to tlit-ir ideas. 
 Jost pointed to Holdheini as to an important authority 
 whenever a defense of Reforms and innovations from 
 
 *iS39, No. 3.J-32. 
 
 tDer Religioese Fortschritt ini Deutschen Judentuui. (Leip- 
 zig, 1840). 
 
 iOrient. 1S40, No. 29-40. 
 
190 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 the basis of Tahniulical and Rabbinical literatnre was 
 necessary.* The Congregation of Posen asked for 
 his decision on the question, whether the son is entitled 
 to inherit the office of Rabbi made vacant by his 
 father's death. The ''Orient'' discn.s.sed his .sermons 
 in seven successive numbers.! 
 
 In a "Memorial Sermon on the King Friedrich 
 Wilhelm III," June 23, 1840, Holdheim laid special 
 stress on the fact that the Jews of Prussia demand not 
 only equal rights but equal duties. 
 
 In his farewell address, August 15, 1840, he urged 
 his Contrregation to elect as his successor a man who 
 was in full sympathy with the requirements of the age. 
 
 There are those who reproach Holdheim for his 
 rigorous decisions on religions questions. He answered 
 as a rule such queries strictly in accord with the Shul- 
 chan Aruch.] Those who censured him were wrong. 
 A judge or lawyer, who is asked to decide a question 
 in accordance with the law of a certain state, will give 
 his decision according to the law of that state and not 
 according to his private opinion on the siibject, which 
 might be entirely different. 
 
 So, even so, a Rabbi is in duty bound to decide a ritual 
 question in accord with the Shulchan Aruch when 
 asked what the code teaches on that question. If, 
 however, he is asked for his individual opinion, he is 
 then at liberty to decide according to his own judg- 
 ment. 
 
 *Jost: Aunalen, 1S40, No. 36. 1841, No. 51. 
 
 tSee Literaturblatt des Orient, 1840, Nos. 35, 36, 37, 39, 47, 49, 
 50. J. A. Fraenkel. critic. 
 
 i" 'Shulchan Aruch" means a "A table set." The work is divided 
 into f6ur parts: (i). Orach Chajim (The Path of Life), which con- 
 tains ordinances concerning the daily religious life of the Jew, 
 comprising 697 chapters. (2). Joreh Deah (The Teacher of 
 Knowledge), treats mainly on the dietary laws and contains 403 
 chapters. (3). Eben haezer (The Stone of Help) treats particularly 
 on conjugal life, marriage and divorce, in 178 chapters. (4). Choshen 
 Mishpat ("Breast Shield of Justice") in 427 chapters, treats on civil 
 and criminal lavi', comprising the entire field of jurisprudence. 
 (See more on this subject in my article the "Shulchan Aruch" 
 "Jewish Reformer," 1S86, Nos. 12, 13, 14, 15). 
 
SAMri-;i. noi.nnKiM. 19' 
 
 The ''Hezogthmn," Mecklenburg-Schwerin, had 
 granted to the Jews in 1839, a constitution, which was 
 favorable to a progressive development of their religion. 
 The "Statutes 'for the Religious Interests of the Israel- 
 itish Subjects" ordered the election of a "Land- 
 Rabbi,"* who would receive two hundred thalers as 
 an appropriation from the government, provided he 
 should prove to be a man of modern culture. Negotia- 
 tions with Holdheim led to good results, and on Sep- 
 tember 19, 1840, he was solemnly introduced into his 
 new office as Land-Rabbi. 
 
 This position was more difficult and complicated 
 than the one in Frankfurt, and the field of activity was 
 larger: For Holdheim took charge of a combination of 
 several Congregations, which vastly differed in their 
 religious ideas. The "Israelitish Oberath," consist- 
 ing of two officials of the government and five mem- 
 bers elected by the Congregations, was a great support 
 to hi.m, but still there were opposing forces to pacify, 
 and selfishness and apathy to combat. 
 
 The organization of schools, and especially the in- 
 troduction of religious instruction for the young, were 
 his first care, in Schwerin as it was in Frankturt. 
 This was no easy task, as the education of the young 
 had so far been managed by ignorant "Shochtim" 
 (slaughterers of animals), and "Chazanim" (readers 
 of the prayers). The opening of the Jewish Congrega- 
 tional vSchool in Schwerin, January 10, 1841, was, 
 therefore, an important event in the history of Jewish 
 culture in Mecklenburg. Holdheim called an able 
 pedagogue and theologian as su])erintendent of the 
 school, and the success of the institution was assured 
 after the first splendid examination of the pupils. 
 The example of Schwerin induced other Congregations 
 to do likewise, and after a comparatively short time 
 the Congregations of Wahren, (Tuestrow and Huetzow 
 could boast of good schools, which they maintained at 
 great .sacrifices. As a matter of course the teachers ol 
 
 *Laii 1-kabhi means the Rabbi of a whole state or province. 
 
192 Rl':i"OKMKl) JIDAISM. 
 
 those schools did their ])est to improve and dij^nify the 
 worship in tlie Synao^ogue, which had ])een most sad- 
 ly neglected. A report of Dr. L. Alarcus, one year 
 after Holdheim's arrival in Schwerin, bears testimony 
 of the good work done by the Land-Rabbi.* Two 
 years later Holdheim introdnced a "Synagogenor- 
 dung, " (Order of the Synagogue), after the pattern 
 of the one introdnced in Wuertemburg, which caused 
 some opposition, especially in the country Congrega- 
 tions. Holdheim visited, at that time, Hamburg. 
 While he admired the Temple and its service, f he 
 could not help noticing some inconsistencies in the 
 Hamburg Reforms. F'or instance, the abolition of the 
 daily worship, of the "Haphtarah" on the one hand 
 and the retention of the "Second Holiday" on the 
 other. He felt what Geigerso ably demonstrated, that 
 the prayer-book of the Temple was not based on scien- 
 tific principles. :|; He also expected of the Temple 
 that it would eventually transfer the reforms from. the 
 worship to practical life.S 
 
 Holdheim' "opinion" on the prayer-book is spoken 
 of on page 137 of this book. In consequence of an 
 anonymous article || and a pamphlet,* Holdheim 
 felt called upon to write again on the Hamburg- 
 prayer-book.** He also published a pamphlet: 
 "Accusation of Heresy and Liberty of Conscience, a 
 Second Vote on the Hamburg Temple Controversy. "ff 
 In a thorough, sarcastic manner he shows the utter 
 ignorance, arrogance and boundless fanaticism of the 
 
 ■ ^ '■ 
 
 *Jo.st's Annalen, 1891, page 359. 
 
 tjost's Annalen, 1841, Nos. 45-46. "The new Israelitish Temple 
 at Hamburg." 
 
 iGeiger: Der Hamburger Templestreit, Breslan, 1S42. See also 
 Nachgelassene Schriften, 1S75, Vol. I. pages 1 13-197. 
 
 §Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift fuer Juedische Theologie, Vol. 
 Ill, page 151. 
 
 llZeitung des Judenthum's, 1842, No. 4. 
 
 •Ijude und Nichtjude, eine Erwiderung auf die Schriften der 
 Triple-AUianz der Herren Doctoren Holdheim, Salomon and 
 Frankfurter, Amsterdam, 1842. 
 
 **Zeitung des Judenth's, 1842, No. 8. 
 
 tt"Verketzerung and Gewissensfreiheit ein zweites Gutachten 
 neber den Hamburger Tcmpelsbreif, 1843. 
 
SAMUKL HOI.DHKIM. I93 
 
 pamphleteer, and takes occasion to protest against the 
 inconsistent, vascillating and wavering attitnde of 
 Zacharias PVankel. In his polemics Holdheim made 
 use of a shrewd strategem, to accept seeminglv an ar- 
 gnment of his opponent in order to conquer him witli 
 his own weapons, and then to demolish him entire!)- 
 l)y proving the falsity of the argument. This he had 
 learned from the Talmud. At that stage of his devel- 
 opment he was of Mendelssohn's opinion concerning 
 the ceremonial laws, especially so far as tire Biblical 
 precepts were concerned. Herein we see the main dif- 
 ference between Holdheim andGeiger, for whom, both 
 as a scholar and a man, Holdheim had always held the 
 highest admiration and reverence.* 
 
 For the sake of a inst appreciation of both these 
 great men, who take the front rank in the history of 
 the Jewish Reform movement, I quote Geiger's words 
 on Holdheim: "In our relation of love and high es- 
 teem during a quarter of a century, we most readily 
 agreed on the justification of our divergent opinions, 
 conceding to each other honesty of purpose both spirit- 
 ually and morally, yet we knew always very well how 
 to find the line where our views differed. Holdheim 
 was of a dogmatic, dialectic nature; mine was, and is, 
 decidedly and preponderatingly historical. Holdheim 
 gained gradually an understanding of the progressive, 
 .spiritual life.f My labors in this direction have 
 found in him, not only a zealous, but a penetrating, 
 and, I dare say, sympathetic reader. Nevertheless he 
 was not fully capable of entering into this way of 
 thinking on subjects connected with historical religion. 
 
 ♦See Holdheim's estimate of Geiger in his: "History of the 
 Origin and Development of the Jewish Reform-Congregation in 
 Berlin." (Berlin, 1S57: Julius Springer, pages 6S-69). Geiger's in- 
 fluence on Holdheim's religious development was very great, and 
 was gratefully acknowledged and appreciated by the latter. See 
 Holdheim's "Gutachen" in "Rabbin, Gutachten I'eber die 
 Vertraeglicnkeit der frelen Forschung mit dem Ral)bineramte," 
 Bre^lau, 1.S42; Ritter: "Samuel Holdheim," page 79 ff. 
 
 tGeiger' Wissensch. Zeitschrift, Vol. HI, pages 216-17. i^*^^ 
 also (ieiger's letter to Zunz, Xachgel Shriften, Vol V, page 1S2, and 
 my Graetz' Geschichtsbauerei, page S2. 
 
194 RKFOKMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 Therefore he was often compelled to change his views. 
 Guided b)' his clear judgment, he always very readilv 
 yielded to progressive ideas, and indefatigably strove 
 after tne attainment of a new theological basis. 
 Hence we cannot be surprised that on page 76 of his 
 pamphlet ''Verketzerung * und Gewis.sensfreiheit," 
 Holdheim decidedly advocates the belief in the divine 
 inspiration of the Bible.* 
 
 The great conflict in the ''Geiger-Tiktin" contro- 
 vers}- at Rreslau exerted a powerful influence on 
 Holdheim' s religious development. More about this 
 .struggle in Breslau, which is the most important in 
 the history of Jewish Retorm, will be found in this 
 book in the chapter on "Abraham Geiger. " 
 
 Before reviewing Holdheim' s important work: 
 "The Autonomy of the Rabbis," we deem it proper to 
 mention that it was Zunz's "Gottcsdienstliche Vort- 
 raege" which has influenced Holdheim in the direction 
 of Reform, a fact which Holdheim candidly and 
 plainly confesses, f 
 
 Holdheim' s literary labors were, as a rule, the 
 outcome of some outside occurrence, and the work under 
 consideration forms no exception to this rule. 
 
 In Mecklenburg-Schwerin the old practice of hav- 
 ing all cases concerning marriage, divorce and in- 
 heritance, decided in accordance with Talmudical law 
 was still prevailing among the Jews. To this Hold- 
 heim, on account of unavoidable difiiculties arising 
 from it, justly objected. x\side from this Geiger, 
 Wechsler, M. Guttman, Karo, I. A. Fraenkel, had 
 just then discussed the questions of "Chalizah"]; 
 (Lev. XV, 8; Num. XH, 14; Deut. XXV, 5-10), 
 marriage and divorce. Added to this, new reactionary 
 
 *On page 65 of this pamphlet Holdheim seems to agree with 
 Mendelssohn's opinions on the ceremonial law. (See chapter I, 
 page iS of this book). 
 
 tSee Holdheim: History of the origin and development of the 
 Jewish Reform-Congregation in Berlin, 1S57, page 77, note. 
 
 iSee Lev. 15, 8, No. 12-14, Deut. 25, 5-10. See also: (ieiger's 
 Zeitschrift III, 1-13, Ansprache a. m. G. p., 26; Zeitschrift IV, 7.. D. 
 J., I, S7, qn, 93; I.iteraturblatt, Orient I, 20-22. 
 
SA.MUKL HULDHEIM. 195 
 
 laws aoainsl the Jews were about to be promulo;ated 
 by the Prussian Government. All these causes com- 
 bined induced Holdheim to publish his '\\utonomy of 
 the Rabbis and the Principle of the Jewish Marriage/' 
 (Schwerin and Berlin, 1S43). 
 
 In the preface to this work Holdheim declared 
 that the best proof that the Jews have no separate 
 nationality is the fact that they do not want it. They 
 feel insulted whenever their enemies accuse them of 
 "national isolation." Just as the Jewish right of 
 ''excommunication" had been set aside by the 
 Government at Mendelssohn's instigation,* because it 
 had lost its vitality, so had the entire Jewish juris- 
 prudence been abrogated. This was the basis of the 
 politicalemancipation.of the Jews, inasmuch as, instead 
 of Palestinians and Orientals, they have become Ger- 
 man and Europeans. He demanded from the Rabbis 
 a "consistent separation of the religious precepts of 
 the Pentateuch from the political and civil laws of 
 Moses." The principle of Mar Samuelf iu 
 Xehardea, which was endorsed by the President of the 
 School, Mar Ukbah, "The law of the Government is 
 under all circumstances valid," must govern us. Hence 
 in questions of marriage and inheritance the civil and 
 not the Rabbinical law ought to be decisive. Even the 
 ancient Rabbis, Holdheim goes on to say, made a 
 distinction between obedience to the Mosaic law within 
 and outside of Palestine, inasmuch as they allo\ved 
 those observances which were especially applicable in 
 that land, to fall into disuse after the exile. But 
 they ought to have said whatever Jewish rite or law 
 concerns Palestine is inoperative in other countries. 
 Our duty to-day is to effect a consistent separation be- 
 tween matters of religion and civil or political affairs. 
 
 The three leading principles of Holdheim' s 
 "Autonomy of the Rabbis," are the following: 
 
 *Jerusalem 11. 120-121. 
 -"Dina demalchutha dina." 
 
196 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 1. "The Autonomy of the Rabbis must cease. 
 Religion, and religion only, is their domain. They 
 have no title to be judges and lawgivers, or to usurp 
 the rights of the state. 
 
 2. "Separation of the religious precepts from 
 the political and civil laws. In Palestine, where the 
 Jews were a political body, religion and state were one. 
 Hence Palestinian laws have no justification in the 
 midst of the modern state. 
 
 3. "]\Iarriage is a civil act according . to the 
 doctrine of Judaism. Hence the law of the state at- 
 tends to its civil and legal side. Religion, however, 
 has the mission to be only the guardian of the home, 
 and of the ideal side of marriage. Hence the forms 
 ought to be of a more dignified and less business-like 
 character." 
 
 This book created a stir in Jewish circles of Ger- 
 many. Among the progressive element it was greeted 
 with great applause. To many the idea that Judaism 
 does not in the least collide with the demands of the 
 modern state appeared almost a revelation, although 
 the prophet Jeremiah had a ready expressed the same 
 views long before Samuel of Nehardea, and Samuel 
 Holdheim. Jeremiah exclaimed: "And seek ye the 
 welfare of the city whither I have banished you; for in 
 its welfare ye fare well." (Chap. XXIX, 7). Still 
 the mere fact that a Rabbi had come out so plainly and 
 boldly was a matter of pleasant surprise to the friends 
 of religious Reform. 
 
 Vet they objected to several propositions and de- 
 ductions of Holdheim. The idea that marriage is a 
 purchase and barter was distasteful to all those who 
 looked upon marriage as upon something more solemn 
 and sublime. They disliked also the idea of the state 
 meddling too much with the religious affairs of the 
 Jews. They knew only too well how prone a govern- 
 ment is to abuse power, and how very diflficult it is to 
 wrest from its grasp what it has once taken. Thus A. 
 Bernstein, a publicist of prominence, who wrote under 
 the pseudonym Rebenstein, criticises the "Auton- 
 
SAMUEL HOLDHKIM. I97 
 
 oniy."* While fully recognizing Holdheim's scholar- 
 ship, ingenuity and acute penetration, he regrets that 
 he cannot find a better remedy for the reform of the 
 Jewish laws on marriage than the expedients offered b\' 
 Talniudism on the one hand and by the intervention of 
 the state on the other. All that was necessary towards 
 bringing about a better state of affairs, would be, that 
 the modern Rabbis should show the same courage in 
 coping with difficult questions, which was manifested 
 by the Rabbis of old. Have they not abolished old, 
 even Biblical laws, and have they not instituted inno- 
 vations whenever circumstances and the exigencies of 
 the age rendered them imperative? The state, which 
 is Christian, will never be a friend of Jewish Reform, 
 hence we do not want its assistance,! because a solution 
 of such i)roblems is possible only on the basis of a full 
 emancipation of the Jews, which the state is, as yet,» 
 unwilling to grant. 
 
 Bernstein claims that it is about time to 
 confess openly what is meant by "revelation,'' "au- 
 thenticity of the Pentateuch," so that our children may 
 be spared the same conflict and inner struggle through 
 which we have gone. Christianity cannot do without 
 the belief in a supernatural origin of the Pentateuch, 
 and in miracles. Judaism is better off in this respect. 
 The Pentateuch is, not a revelation, but a testimony 
 that our forefathers were imbued with the conscious- 
 ness of God. The Pentateuch came into existence 
 after the return of Israel from the Babylonian exile 
 through the school of P^zra, and we, ourselves, after 
 an exile of almost two thousand years, are living wit- 
 nesses of a living consciousness of the sublime rela- 
 tionship that links us to God. Herein we find the.true 
 criterion for the measure of Reform. Tho.se ceremon- 
 ies and symbols which tend to strengthen this con- 
 sciousness of God, deserve to be preserved, while all 
 
 *See Freund's Zaitschrift: Zur Jiidenfrage, 1S44. Vol. II. pages 
 7. 25, 65-icS. 
 
 + 'Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes "I fear the Greeks, especially 
 when they offer presents.'" 
 
198 KKKORMKD jmAISM. 
 
 those- which fail lo promote the lite of jiuhiisin shoiihl 
 be removed and those which have been impaired shonld 
 l)e changed or reformed. 
 
 Bernstein's criticism of Holdheim created a great 
 stir. Holdheim replied in Freund's Monthly,* in 
 which he, while dogmatically adhering to the old views, 
 plainly and boldly took leave of all those ideas wdiich 
 he could no longer harmonize with the whole ten- 
 dency of the age. He comes to the conclusion that the 
 Rabbis of the Talmud, whenever yielding to the press- 
 ing demands of an age, have done so from necessity 
 and not because they were animated by ''a true reform- 
 atory spirit.'' They believed that the Bible in its in- 
 tegrity had been given for all time to come, and that 
 even those laws which are now^ out of practice would be 
 reinstated in due time. According to Geiger's theory 
 the divine law has become a product of the creating 
 spirit of man and tradition has been placed above ' 'the 
 Word of God." Here we see that Holdheim could not 
 fully enter into the spirit of historical criticism. He 
 was in danger of becoming a Karaite. He wanted to 
 "save the supernatural conception of Mosaism and 
 Prophetism." For he could not understand how it was 
 possible to "declare the Bible as a work revealing the 
 consciousness of God in man" and yet "speak of reve- 
 lation." He emphatically believed in a positive reve- 
 lation. And yet Holdheim was more reviled by 
 orthodoxy than any other Rabbi of this century. It 
 has been pointed out at the beginning of this chapter, 
 how Graetz speaks of him, the same Graetz, who, so 
 far as the Bible is concerned, holds views so radical 
 that, compared to them, Holdheim's opinions w^ere con- 
 .servative in the extreme, f 
 
 As to marrriage Holdheim said, in his reply to 
 Bernstein, that only so far as the right of property can 
 be called holy, marriage is considered sacred in Judaism. 
 
 *See his article, Unsere Gegenwart, (Our Present). 1S44, pages 
 149-171, 231-258, 313-340. 
 
 tSee my: Graetz's Geschichtsbauerei, Berlin. i.SSi, Issleib, 
 pages 8S-108 and 79-83 ff. 
 
SAMrEI. IIOI.DHHI.M. I99 
 
 In his definition of Reform he still clinj^s to Mendels- 
 sohn's view on the ceremonial laws, with this modifi- 
 cation onh\ that whenever laws have lost their meanintr 
 on account of the exigencies of the age, then God him- 
 self, who has changed the times, has, as it were, 
 caused the change or abolition of those laws. This is 
 very ingenious, but a little too far fetched. Holdheim 
 thinks that the institution of marriage would lose 
 nothing of its dignity by being placed under the super- 
 vision of the state. 
 
 Dr. M. Hess, a warm friend of Holdheim, also ob- 
 jected to his "Autonomy" on the ground that it was not 
 radical enough.* R^bbi Hess claimed that, as long as 
 Holdheim believed in supernatural revelation and the 
 literal inspiration of the Bible, he had no right to sep- 
 arate the religious precepts from the political laws of 
 Moses. The idea of revelation must be regarded more 
 philosophically. 
 
 Samson Raphael Hirsch, the champion of uncom- 
 promising orthodoxy, attacked Holdheim strongly, f 
 Holdheim replied in a dignified manner. | He in- 
 forms Hirsch that it is necessary to concede the purity 
 of motives, even in an opponent, and that he was too 
 profuse with his unjust suspicions. According to 
 Hirsch' s arguments it would be a religious duty of the 
 Jew to obey the behests of the state, even if the state 
 should prohibit him from keeping the Sabbath and Hol- 
 idays; from circumcising his sons and from honoring 
 his parents. Holdheim gradually abandoned the great 
 Rabbinical mistake of the equal validity of all the Mo- 
 saic enactments and laws. 
 
 Zacharias Frankel was another opponent. In the 
 Geiger-Tiktin conflict, when the question came up as 
 to whether the persons who rudely disturbed Geiger's 
 
 *See Iless's Israelii des ly, Jahrhumlerts, 1S45, No. ly. 
 
 +See Hirsch: Zweite Mittlieilungeii aus einem Briefwedisel 
 neber (lie iieiieste Juedisihe Literatur, 1S42. 
 
 tHoIdheiin: Literaturblatt zum ( )riein, 1S44, No. 2S, 29. 31), 
 Zweite Mitteilunj^en, beleuhet von Iloldheiiii, Schwerin, 1844: 
 Das Ccrcnionialjiesetz im Messiasreich by Holdheim, Berlin, 1S45, 
 
2oo rkforMed Judaism. 
 
 ininistratious at the cemetery were to be punished, 
 both Fraiikel and Holdheim decided in the affirmative, 
 as a cemetery is a sacred place according to the Jewish 
 law. (1842). But now he attacked in a most scurri- 
 lous manner not only Holdheim' s "Autonomy,'' but 
 its author. His strictures are full of personalities and 
 resemble those of Graetz in his impartial "His'ory." 
 And yet the bitterest invectives against Holdheim had 
 to be omitted, because the censor did not permit the 
 article to pass in its original composition.* Frankel 
 accuses Holdheim of being, like Bruno Bauer, a Jew 
 hater, a juggler, a traitor to our religion, who would 
 sell Judaism for a mess of pottage,' i. e., for the advan- 
 tage of the emancipation of the Jews, and, to cap the 
 climax, he calls him a liar and a denunciator. If 
 calling names could demolish a literary and religious 
 antagonist, then Frankel would most assuredly have 
 triumphed over his adversary. Holdheim replied in a 
 pamphlet entitled "The Religious and Political in 
 Judaism." (Schwerin and Berlin, 1845).! Hold- 
 heim' s answer, though quite severe, was more dignified 
 than Frankel' s. He begins his reply with the asser- 
 tion that Frankel reproaches him with having commit- 
 ted two crimes, one of which is the opposite of the 
 other. Holdheim is accused of having sacrificed the 
 ideal advantages of Judaism to the material welfare of 
 the Jews, and in the same breath his utterances are 
 called "denunciations," which tend to injure the mate- 
 rial interests of the emancipation of the Jews. The 
 fact, however, is, that he deems it necessary to give up 
 false religious conceptions in the interest of religion it- 
 self, even though material advantages may be connect- 
 ed with these innocent views, which is just the oppo- 
 site of Franker s insinuations. He shows that Frankel 
 had committed the mistake of S. R. Hirsch with regard 
 to Jewish jurisdiction. His onslaught on the authority 
 
 *See Franker s Zeitschrift fuer the religioesen, Interessen des 
 Judenthums, 1844, Heft.V-VlII, and Hess's Isr., des 19, Jahrh's 1845, 
 page 56. 
 
 tThe title of the pamphlet is rather lengthy. 
 
SAMUKL HOLDHKIM. 20i 
 
 of the Talmud and the Ra1)bis makes him as little an 
 enemy of Judaism, like Kisenmenger, as have Lu- 
 ther's attacks on Popery made Luther an enemy of 
 Christianity. The preservation and progressive devel- 
 opment of Judaism is possible then only, when our re- 
 ligion is purified from false conceptions, which are 
 bound to hurl it sooner or later into the open abyss. * 
 
 A correspondent from Prussia gives a very favor- 
 able review of this pamphlet, f He praises Hold- 
 heim's indefatigable efforts to develop, to grow and to 
 rise to a higher religious standard. The want of de- 
 cision and outspokenness which is one of the charac- 
 teristic features of F'rankel is laid bare in all its naked- 
 ness with a dignity which favorably distinguishes the 
 enthusiastic friend of truth from the hero of medio- 
 crity. 
 
 ' Raphael Kirchheim, of Frankfurt, took the same 
 stand as Frankel in his criticism of Holdheim's ' -Au- 
 tonomy, "t to which Holdheim replied. The 
 controversy created such a sensation and set so many 
 pens in motion, that the editor of the "Orient," Dr. 
 Julius Fuerst, had to refuse place to many contributors 
 on the subject. Able articles were written by Dr. L 
 Gebhardt, Rabbi in Wreschen, later in Bromberg, 
 (Poseu), Dr. Wessely, a lawyer in Prague; Leopold 
 Zunz, Adolph Jellinek, then at Leipzig; Leopold Loew, 
 to whom Holdheim replied in an article entitled "The 
 Ceremonial Law and the Kingdom of the Messiah," 
 Orient, pp. 150-52. A Hebrew pamphlet: "Answerto 
 the Kvil-doers, Holdheim and his Friends, in thirteen 
 Letters," P'rankfurt, A. D. 1844, by a certain S. M. 
 Heilpern, of Poland, contains 72 pages, and is full of 
 very ingenious ironical onslaughts. The writer con- 
 ceals, to a certain extent, his own views, but prefers 
 Bernstein's outspoken, rationalistic denial of revelation 
 
 ♦Holdheim: Das Religioese and Politische ini Judenthuni, p. 88. 
 
 Tisraelit des 19, Jahrh's, 1845, Mdrch. 
 
 tOrient, Literaturblatt, pages 321 ff 405 ff, and Isr.des 19, Jahrh's 
 1S45, No. 29. See also Orient Ltbl., 1844, No. 2. and pages 444, 749, 
 1845, page 25 ff. 
 
202 RKKORMKI) JUDAISM. 
 
 to Ploldheim's belief in revelation, accompanied b>' his 
 destructible and sarcastic criticism of the tradition, 
 with his belief in the revelation. 
 
 Thus we are justified, in considering the "Auton- 
 omy of the Rabbis," the most prominent Jewish lit- 
 erar\- event of the year 1843. 
 
 In the Jewish communit)' of Krankfort-on-the- 
 Maiu a Reform-movement took place at that time 
 which could not fail to create a great sensation. 
 Frankfort was distinguished among the Congregations 
 of Israel, not only by its wealth, but more so by the 
 high degree of intelligence and culture of its Jewish 
 citizens. This was due, to a great extent, to the 
 "Philanthropin"* and its scholarly, progressive and en- 
 lightened teachers, who, through the instrumentality 
 of the "Andachtssaal" have exerted a most powerful 
 influence in the direction of Reform. Of renowned 
 Jews of Frankfort I mention: Abraham Geiger, J. 
 Johlson, INI, Jost, Michael Creizenach, Jacob Auer- 
 bach, Raphael Kircheim, Jacob Weil, E. Carmoh', 
 Siegmimd Stern, Leopold Stein and M. Stern, who 
 have become part and parcel of F'rankfort Judaism. 
 Since 1815 the "Andachtssaal" has become the ren- 
 dezvous every Sabbath of all those Jews who constitu- 
 ted the educated classes. Hence the tidal wave of apostasy 
 which had swept over Judaism in North Germany did 
 not strike Frankfort- to any great extent. Neither 
 could religious indifference play such great havoc there 
 as in other Jewish communities, because congrega- 
 tional life there was always active. Those things com- 
 bined may, in some measure, account for the fact that 
 the most radical Reform movement in modern Judaism 
 had taken its start in Frankfort. History proves that 
 wherever indifference reigns supreme, interest for 
 Reform-Judaism is seldom found. Quite natural. We 
 try to improve, to repair only those institutions in 
 which we are interested. Those who care nothing for 
 
 *"Philanthropin" is the name of the Frankfurt Jewish '"Real- 
 Sohnle," which is presided over at present bj' Dr. Baerwald. 
 
SAMl'KI. HOI.DHKIM. 203 
 
 Judaism, the atheists, the agnostics and materialists 
 will always oppose Reform; in many cases they plead 
 the canse of orthodoxy, becanse orthodoxy i^ives them 
 a good excnse for keeping aloof from Jndaism which 
 they do not consider worth while reforming. Reform 
 wonld make it obligatory for them to labor in its cause, 
 and to offer sacrifices in its behalf — sacrifices of time 
 and money. This accounts for the apparently sur- 
 prising alliance we often meet with in history between 
 orthodoxy, atheism and materialism. Talmudists will 
 recognize the phrase "Jireoo ad shejisstaavoo," which 
 was employed by the enemies of everything Jewish. 
 This phrase, the translation of which would necessitate 
 a detailed explanation of a complicated old sacrificial 
 law, conveys figuratively the idea, that, as Judaism 
 has no future, the sooner it goes to ruin the better. 
 Hence it would be foolish to try to galvanize and to 
 revive the corpse by attempt at Reform. It is a well 
 known fact, that the Ethical Culture ^Movement, inau- 
 gurated by Prof. Felix Adler, with whom I sat at the 
 feet of Abraham Geiger in Berlin (1871-73) takes this 
 view of Judaism. Hence it is easy to understand why 
 the learned Professor, in his arraignment of the Pitts- 
 burg Platform, 1886, sided with Orthodoxy against Re- 
 form. History repeats itself. This also accounts for 
 the fact that the Reform-movement is not more power- 
 ful than it is in Europe, although the majority of 
 modern Jews do not better observe the ceremonial laws 
 in Europe than in America. It is simply more con- 
 venient to "he let alone, or to pay dues to a Congrega- 
 tion, and to be done with the demands of Judaism by 
 attending the Synagogue once or twice a year. Ex- 
 pressions such as "Why should I bother with Reform 
 of the worship, I attend service only on Rosh- 
 Hashana and Jom Kippur, any service will suit me 
 for two days," are the answers one receives in the 
 large cities of Europe from the majority of Jews, when- 
 ever one broaches the subject of Reform. 
 
 After this digression I will state that in the 
 Frankfort of those davs — I am sorrv to sav that things 
 
204 KKFORMKl) JIDAISM. 
 
 have changed there also, considerably for the worse 
 since that time — indifference to the canse of Judaism 
 was almost unknown. There were three parties: the 
 moderate reformers, the radical reformers and the 
 strictly orthodox. The radicals formed, in the fall of 
 1842, the Frankfort "Society of the Friends of Re- 
 form." (Verein der Reformfreunde), and came out 
 with the following declaration of principles : — 
 
 1. We recognize, in the Mosaic religion, the pos- 
 sibility of an unlimited development. 
 
 2. The collection of controversies, treaties and 
 precepts, usually called "Talmud," has no authority 
 whatever for us, neither dogmatically nor practically. 
 
 3. We neither expect nor desire the advent of a 
 Messiah, who would bring back the Israelites to 
 Palestine; we recognize no father-land except the one 
 to which we belong by birth or civil relation. 
 
 In the programme accompanying these resolutions 
 the framers of the same say that the past attempts at 
 Reform have proven too insignificant. They agree 
 that their principles are only theoretical and negative. 
 They emphatically protest against the insinuation that 
 they had been actuated by a desire to gain civil 
 privileges over those who still cling to the old ortho- 
 dox notions.* They want to preserve the Mosaic faith 
 against stagnation and decay. They do not intend to 
 establish a new sect, or even to disrupt the Jewish 
 community. Their platform simply gives expression 
 to the views which are shared already by a great mass 
 of Israelites and publicly protests against many things 
 which the world had been accustomed to regard as be- 
 longing to the religions confession of the Jews. They 
 do not mean to destroy, but to save the kerntl and 
 essence of Judaism, even at the expense of priestly- 
 theocratic ceremonial laws. 
 
 These declarations were sent broadcast to the 
 Israelites of Germany and other countries, but the 
 
 *Already in the time of David Friedleander accusations of this 
 character were hurled by the orthodoxy against the advocates of Re- 
 form (See page 25-26 of this book. ) 
 
SAM IF. I. UOLDIIia.M. 205 
 
 orthodox party did not take notice of them until a 
 member of the Frankfort Reform-Society omitted the 
 circumcision of his son on the strength of those decla- 
 rations. Then the "Reform-Society" was looked 
 upon by its opponents as an "Anti-Circumcision- 
 Society. " 
 
 Now a fearful hue and cry was raised by the old 
 and new orthodoxy. Salomon Abraham Trier im- 
 plored the aid of the Frankfort senate in order to en- 
 force the circumcision of Jewish children and quoted 
 the Choshen Mishpat, (Chapter XXXIV, 24), according 
 to which a father who neglects the circumcision of his 
 son is unfit to be a witness in a court of justice. But 
 the senate refused co decide this purely religious ques- 
 tion. Trier, following the example of the Hamburg 
 orthodox Rabbi, in 1819, sent circular letters to 
 Rabbis, requesting them to give their opinion on the 
 subject of the "New Sect" and as to what should be 
 done with a "man, who from wicked motives, does 
 not permit his son to be circumcised." Forty-one 
 Rabbis gave their opinion in favor of circumcision, but 
 differed greatly as to the measures to be applied against 
 recusants, some regarding them as atheists, others as 
 Jews. It was surprising to many that Isaac Noah 
 ]\Ianheimer, in Vienna, who had taken the part of 
 Reform in the "Hamburg prayer-book controversy," 
 had sided with the most fanatic orthodoxy on this 
 question. He went further than Michael Sachs and 
 Zacharias Frankel, although they expressed themselves 
 quite forcibly on the subject. Manheiiner called the 
 neglect of circumcision on the part of a Jew "treach- 
 ery," "breaking the covenant," and threatened the 
 recusants with expulsion, refusal of Jewish burial and 
 loss of salvation hereafter. S. D. Luzzatto, of Padua, 
 condemned the "Reform-Society," although he con- 
 cedes that the aim of Judaism is the establish- 
 ment of a universal religion, and morality for the 
 whole race.* S. L. Rappoport, F. Gruenebaum, S. 
 
 ♦Literaturblall Orient I843, No. 51. 
 
2o6 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 R. Hirsch, M. Adler, A. A. Wolf, and even out- 
 spoken Reform-Rabbis like Samuel Hirsch, Hinhorn, 
 M. Guttman, and Leopold vStein were dissatisfied with 
 the Reform- Societ}-. Kinhorn* complained that the 
 vSociety was a disturbing element m the ^development 
 of Judaism wdiich, just then, was about to enter on a 
 successful career. In a time when unity and harmony 
 among the friends of Reform was so very necessary, 
 the Frankfort Society was disrupting the forces with 
 its anarchistic "Confession of Unbelief " (Unglaubens- 
 bekenntniss). Twenty-eight of the" Rabbinical "decis- 
 ions'' on the question of circumcision were published 
 in manuscript. (1844). Geiger, wdiose "Zeit- 
 schrift" was the indirect cause of the declaration of 
 principles, and of the formation of the Reform- 
 Society, could not agree with its methods, The only 
 Rabbi wdio lent his aid and the columns of his paper to 
 the uncompromising support of the Frankfort "Re- 
 form-Society" was Mendel Hess, the Land-Rabbi of 
 Weimar and editor of the "Lsraelit. d. 19, Jahrh's." 
 He too concedes that the platform does not appreciate 
 the "sanctity of history," and decidedly underrates the 
 "living development in the Rabbis of former ages, " 
 but in substance he agrees with the Society. "It is 
 high time," he said, "to speak out our minds. The 
 opponents claim that the 'declaration' does not say 
 enough, but something is better than nothing, and it 
 was a good beginning anyhow. The foundation has 
 been laid." As to the reproach that the platform is 
 merely negative he ingeniously answers that all those 
 who "do not believe" that our religion is rooted in the 
 spirit and ethical kernel of the Mosaic teachings are 
 "negative." He sees, in the lack of definitive asser- 
 tions and positive formulas of the declarations, a re- 
 
 *Einhorn was opposed to the course of the "Reform-Verein" 
 mainly because he considered inopportune. In his decision on "cir- 
 cumcision" in the case of a father, who in 184.7 at Teterow, in the 
 Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin omitted on principle, the circum- 
 cision of his son. he took the part of the father. He did the same 
 in a similar case at Horic, Bohemia. See Einhorn "Sinai."" (Vol. 
 II 699-763, III, 796-955)- 
 
SAMIKL HOLDHKIM. 2o7 
 
 deeming feature rather than a cause of reproach. 
 The platform does not ''disuirb the peace." This is 
 always done bv fanaticism. The plank on the Me.s.siah 
 casts no suspicion on orthodoxy, which is by no mean.s 
 indifferent to the interest of the fatherland, (xabriel 
 Riesser, Creizenach, (roldschmidt, and M. A. Stern 
 were strong supporters and enthusiastic members of 
 the Society. Riesser advocated the idea that no 
 father should be compelled to have lii.s son circum- 
 cised. A neglect on his part in this respect .should 
 not be accompanied by evil consequences, so far as 
 political or civil advantages are concerned. Freedom 
 of conscience, Riesser claimed, must be respected 
 under all circumstances. Leopold Zunz, in a pam- 
 phlet on the "circumcision,"* (1844) warns abso 
 against church discipline and so-called penalties for 
 heresy. He recognizes as an Israelite him who has 
 not been circumcised and would not debar him from 
 the use of the Synagogue. But he regards the 
 circumcision, not as a' ceremony but, as an "institu- 
 tion" which belongs to the essence of Judaism. It is 
 with regard to this decision of Zunz, that (xeiger 
 wrote his famous letter to him in which he called the 
 circumcision "an act of barbarism. "t 
 
 Under such circumstances, at a time when public 
 sentiment was so strong against the "Reform-Society 
 of Frankfort," it required great courage to come out 
 publicly in its favor. But Holdheim was the man to 
 do it. 
 
 He published a pamphlet: "On the Circumcision 
 in its Religious-Domestic Relations. ":J: He formulates 
 the three following questions: 
 
 I. Is the circumcision of such great importance 
 for Judaism that a child, born of Jewish parents, but 
 
 ♦His characteristic words are: "A Jew who is uncircumcised is 
 an uncircumcised Jew." (Zunz Gesatnmelte Schriften 1875) Frank- 
 furt, 1844. 
 
 tGeiger, Nachgel Schriften, Vol. V. page i8i-i82;also page 202- 
 203. 
 
 jSchwerin an<l Berlin, 1S44. 
 
2o8 REI^ORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 not circumcised, cannot be considered as belonging to 
 Judaism? 
 
 2. Is the father, who neglects the circumcision 
 of his son, or he, who, though not circumcised when a 
 child, neglects the performance of this act in later 
 years, to be considered an Israelite? 
 
 3. What have the Jewish religious authorities to 
 do in such cases of neglect of circumcision; can they 
 directly or indirectly interfere in the matter; have they 
 the right — where they have the power — to enforce the 
 circumcision or to cause the authorities of the state to 
 enforce it? 
 
 He ingeniously proves, from Genesis XVII, 14, 
 that all those Rabbis, who see in this passage that 
 circumcision holds the same position for the Jew as 
 baptism does for the Christian, were grossly inistaken. 
 "For," argues he, "if circumcision is the condition of 
 allegiance to Judaism, how can he, who, born of Jewish 
 parents, neglects the same, be threatened with the 
 penalty of extermination for this transgression, when 
 the whole ceremony concerns Jews only? How can 
 such a* one be called "destroyer of the covenant," 
 when he did not yet belong to the covenant at all 
 until he had been circumcised? This demonstrates be- 
 yond any doubt just the contrary of what Frankel, 
 Manheimer and all the opponents of the Frankfort 
 Society claimed; namely, that it is not the circumcision 
 but the fact of being of Jewish parentage which makes 
 the Jew, as far as law is concerned. "It is strange," 
 he continues, "that Moses speaks once only of the 
 Abrahamitic circumcision, not even mentioning it in 
 the Ten Commandments; fixing no civil penalty for its 
 neglect in the penal code; while the Sabbath is 
 mentioned dozens of times as a "sign of the covenant." 
 But even the Talmudf considers the circumcised Jew 
 still a Jew. Hence circumcision is a ceremony only 
 like many others. He arraigns Manheimer, who, 
 though at one time an enthusiastic admirer of David 
 
 *Chulin 4, Abodah Sara 27, A. 
 
vSA.MrKi. ii()i.i)iii;i.M. 209 
 
 Friedlaender, and Israel Jacobsohn, has gone 
 over to the camp of the fanatic obscurants. The 
 fact that circumcision may be performed on the Sabbath 
 is no proof of its higher significance because the 
 sacerdotal and sacrificial rites were also -performed on 
 the Salibath, rites, the restoration of which ]\Ianheimer 
 had excluded from the Messianic hopes. * The 
 argument that during the Syrian persecutions the 
 Jews became martyrs for the circumcision, proves no 
 greater importance for this ceremony, as they had al.so 
 become martyrs for the dietary and other laws. The 
 antiquity of the ceremony proves nothing as it was 
 practiced among other Oriental nations long before it 
 was instituted in Israel, and demanded of them a 
 greater sacrifice. It was and is still performed, not on 
 children eight days old, but on adults. According to 
 strict Rabbinical consistency Manheimer and his 
 friends could also be excluded from the pale of Judaism 
 on the plea of heresy. The fact, however, is that only 
 the idolater who denies the belief in one God, is ex- 
 cluded from the fold by the Talmud. f He answers 
 Manheimer most forcibly and gives him a lesson in 
 religious tolerance. Manheimer, to the surprise of 
 many, who would never have deemed him capable of 
 penning such lines, said, in his "opinion" on the 
 Frankfort Society, that if a Jew should intentionally 
 neglect the circumcision of his son he would de- 
 cline to register this boy in the books of matriculation; 
 that he would not admit him to the confirmation and 
 not permit him to be called to the Thorah; that he 
 would refuse to perform the marriage-ceremony at his 
 wedding and that he would not permit his body to be 
 buried in a Jewish cemetery. 
 
 Holdheim sarcastically asks the Vienna preacher 
 whether he thinks that things were now the same as 
 in the middle ages, whether he has forgotten that a 
 
 *Seepage 139 of tliis book, Chapter V. "Gotthold Salomon" and 
 Rabbinnische Gutachteii ueber das Hamburger Gebetbuch," 1842, 
 page 97. 
 
 tChulin 5 a, Megilla 13 a, Maimonides en Idolatr\- II 4. 
 
2IO KKFOKMKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 Jewish ' 'religious authority, vested with worldly power, 
 was, thank God, a thing of the past." The Schul- 
 chan Aruch, "a code, which has today archa^logical 
 and antiquarian interest only can no longer be made an 
 object of practical jurisdiction. Do not condemn, do 
 not accuse people of heresy, do not use force, if you 
 do not want to be laughed at in your inipotency as igno- 
 rant mountebanks. How can you dare to play the part 
 of judges in the Judaism of to-day which recognizes 
 only teachers? * * And why is it just the question 
 of circumcision which has so resistlessly animated you 
 with hierarchical and inquisitorial desires, that you 
 seem to have lost all calm reflection? Do you not 
 know that Rabbinical jurisdiction in former times was 
 empowered to enforce not only the circumcision but 
 the practice of every other Jewish ceremony?" 
 
 Holdheim recommends to Manheimer, Rappoport 
 and their associates, the reading of the Boraitha Keth- 
 ubot, 85, where it is ordered that he, who would neg- 
 lect the observance of Succah and Lulab, should be 
 punished with thirty-nine lashes for the first offence 
 and be whipped to death for a continuation of the 
 same.* According to "Sefer Hamizvoth" the same 
 penalty ought to be applied to transgressors of every 
 other observance. Holdheim then goes on to say, that 
 such intolerance and attempted fqrce in matters of con- 
 science means a step backwards far behind Moses Men- 
 delssohn, who has proven beyond the shadow of a 
 doubt, that the Mosaic penal code had nothing to do 
 with the ]\Iosaic religion; that force is out of the ques- 
 tion in matters of religious conviction. It is one thing 
 to attack theoretically the "Frankfurter" and another 
 thing to put into practice an opinion entertained 
 against them, and to refuse them the privilege of regis- 
 tration and confirmation. The mere fact that a person 
 desires to be confirmed in the Jewish religion is in itself 
 proof sufficient that he w^ants to be a Jew in his own 
 
 *According to this very few Jews in America would escape whip- 
 ping, not even the members and some of the Rabbis of "orthodox" 
 Con<;re5ations. 
 
SAMUKI, HOLDHHIM. 211 
 
 way.* As to marriage it is a well-known fact that a 
 Rabbi is superfluous in this matter from the Jewish 
 point of view. Refusal of marriage and burial smacks 
 entirely too much of Catholicism. The Rabbis of the 
 Talmud, who even permitted non-Jews to be buried in 
 a Jewish cemetery "for the sake of peace" were far 
 more in accord with the spirit of our humanitarian age 
 than the half-Reformers: Mannheimer, Sachs, Fran- 
 kel and their associates. The resume of Holdheim's 
 writings on this subject is that it is not the circumcis- 
 ion but the birth, which constitutes a necessary ele- 
 ment of allegiance to Judaism; that hence the father 
 and the son who have neglected this ceremony have 
 not ceased to be Jews, and that the only mission of the 
 Jewish teachers of religion is to — teach. There was, 
 to my knowledge, only one other Rabbi who expressed 
 himself even stronger than Holdheim on the subject of 
 circumcision 'and that Rabbi was Dr. Abraham Geiger. 
 It has become the fashion to consider Holdheim more 
 of a radical Reformer than Geiger. Even Dr. Kohler,f 
 in his lecture on "Geiger, Holdheim and Einhorn, the 
 three pioneers of Reform-Judaism"* holds this view, but 
 Geiger' s ideas on Biblical criticism and circumcision 
 show that he was, de facto, the most radical Reform- 
 Rabbi of his time. In a letter to Zunz, written almost 
 half a century ago Geiger designated the circumcision 
 as "a barbarous, bloody act which causes anxiety to 
 the father and a sickening feeling to the mother." He 
 holds "that the rough idea of sacrifice, once connected 
 with this rite had vanished in our days when the cere- 
 mony is based on custom and fear only, and for these 
 we are not willing to build temples. "§ 
 
 *He who rejects the belief in idols deserves the name Jew (Me- 
 gilla; 13 a; Chulin 5 a; Maim., Idolatry II 4). 
 
 tDr. Kaufman Kohler, the worthy successor of his father-in-law 
 Dr. ICiiihurn, is one (jf the most prominent leaders of Reform-Juda- 
 ism in .\merica. He is one of the very few American Rabbis, who 
 are recoj^nized as scholars by scientists in Europe. 
 
 tZeitgeist, 18S0, page 173 and 190, H' 
 ^Geiger: Nachgel, Schriften V, page IS1-1S2, 
 
212 RKFORMKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 Ill 1849 Geiger proposed, in a letter to a friend, 
 (Weciisler) to bless the mother in the presence of the 
 child, which ceremony mij^ht, in time, supplant cir- 
 cumcision — it will be dropped by and by — ^jusL as the 
 introduction of confirmation has done away with the 
 "foolery" of the Barmizvah.* Holdheim, however, 
 ranges the circumcision among the ceremonies which 
 are not of a "political-natjonal,"' but of a religious na- 
 ture and which, therefore, will always possess valid- 
 ity, t 
 
 The following most remarkable question, which 
 according to the Midhash, a heathen philosopher had 
 laid before Rabbi Hosaia, deserves a, place in connection 
 with this subject. " If circumcision is of such great 
 importance, why then was it not enjoined on the first 
 man?" (Midrash Rabba, Genesis, chapter 10). 
 
 But Holdheim did not agree with the platform of 
 the "Frankfurt Reform-Society" in all points.]: In 
 1845 Holdheim published the "Ceremonial Law in 
 the Kingdom of Messiah." The Talmud, he argues, 
 claims for the Mosaic law validity for all time to come, 
 the laws connected with Jerusalem, Temple service, 
 sacerdotal and sacrificial rites are simply suspended. 
 The consistent logical application of this system is the 
 basis of a thorough reform. He strongly criticises the 
 Rabbinical view of the validity of the ceremonial law 
 for all time to come and claims that it is inconsistent. 
 For, if it be true, that all heathens will become mono- 
 theists in the Messianic age, what then is the use of a 
 ceremonial law wliiph separates Israel from the rest of 
 the nations? He also criticises Dr. Herzfeld, who, in 
 his sermons on the Messiah, claimed that the Talmud 
 itself advocated the abolition of the ceremonial law in 
 
 *lbideni V, 205-203; "Bar-Mizvah" is celebrated by calling a 13- 
 years-old lad to the Thorah, in order to recite, parrot-like, two He- 
 brew benedictions, which he seldom understands. 
 
 tHoldheini: On the circumcision and Ritter: Samuel Holdheim, 
 page 159; note. 
 
 iSee Holdheim: Reden Ueber dd. Mosaische Religion fuer denk 
 hude Israeliten, Schwerein, 1844, where the Reform-Verein is criti- 
 cised. 
 
SAMUKL HOLDHKIM. 213 
 
 the time of the Messiah, which HoUlh(.iin denies. It is a 
 weakness of modern Ra])bis to shiekl their advocacy of 
 liberal views on religion by quoting certain passages of 
 Rabbis in the Talmud, which, in most cases, do not 
 express the ideas which they are said to convey. It is 
 much better to advocate liberal views, even in spite of 
 the Talmud. God has abolished all laws connected 
 with Palestine and the Temple in Jerusalem, by the 
 fact that he has taken away the land from our ances- 
 tors and has permitted Jerusalem and the Temple to be 
 destroyed. 
 
 Herzfeld in an open letter to Holdheim* replied 
 that passages in the Talmud, ^such as "all ceremonies 
 will lose their validity in the Messianic age;" f or "all 
 holidays w^ill cease at that time,'' cannot be gain- 
 said. It is no less true that a great many laws, ob- 
 servances, statutes and precepts have been revised, 
 amended and even abolished bv the Talmudists.J; 
 The sentiment of this century is also entitled to be 
 called a revelation. Holdheim rejoined again, J; 
 saying, that it is a delusion to make the people think 
 that their religioits sentiment and that of the Talmud, 
 which is diametrically opposed to that of the prophets, 
 were identical. We must not judge the Talmud by a 
 few phrases of the Haggada, which had very little 
 practical .significance, but by the whole system and 
 combination of the Halacha|| and its practical conclu- 
 sions. The Talmud has developed the political-na- 
 
 *Isiaelit des 19 ten jahrunderts No. 25 and 33. 
 
 tNidsli, 6r. "Mizvot betailot leathid lavau." 
 
 iSec Numbers 18,27 compared with Chulin 131, Lev. 26, 13 com- 
 pared with Maaser Sheni 5, 15; Kxod. 12, 2 compared with Shalshel- 
 eth-Hakkabalah 14; Exodus 21, 24 compared with Baba Kamma. 
 
 sSIsraelit des 19 Jahrhunderts, 1S45, No. 45-50. 
 
 ll"Halacha" literally "'way, rule," means a discussion and Icj^al 
 commentar} on the "Law." It was gathered by Ral)l)i Jehuda Han- 
 assi, about 200 B. C. Although Moses emphatically interdicted any 
 addition the 613 laws of the Pentateuch, ( Deut. IV. 2-5), they have 
 been augmented to the number of 13,602. The final decisions, which 
 the Rabbis and students had to commit to memory on account of 
 their practical bearing, were called "Ilalacha." See my "The Tal- 
 mud," (Denver, 1884), pages 17-18. 
 
214 RKFORMKl) jrDAISM. 
 
 tional side of Judaism, the basis of our reform must be 
 uni\ersal monotheism and the sacred laws of ethics. 
 Holdheim doubtless meant what is called nowadays 
 "ethical monotheism." 
 
 One of the ablest and most penetrating^ criticisms 
 on Holdheim' s "Ceremonial Law and Kingdom of the 
 Messiah" was written by Dr. David Kinhorn, Rabbi of 
 Ho^jstaedten, near Birkenfeld.* He demonstrates phil- 
 osophically and theologically by means of telling argu- 
 ments and quotations that the Talmudists were not so 
 inconsistent as Holdheim represented them to be. Dr. 
 Bernhard Wechslerf calls attention to the fact that we 
 owe a certain gratitude to the Talmudists for the re- 
 forms inaugurated by them, no matter what the mo- 
 tives might have been. Holdheim replied in No. 12- 
 13 of the Israelit. 
 
 Holdheim was a very prominent figure in the 
 " Rabbiner-Versammlungen," (Conventions of Rabbis) 
 at Braunschweig, 1844, Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1845 
 and Breslau, 1846. 
 
 We have seen that the first jniblic demonstration 
 of Reform-Judaism was made by the "Frankfort Re- 
 form-Society." It was composed of highly intelligent 
 and well educated Israelites whose aims were worthy, 
 but whose undertaking failed, because it was not 
 backed by Jewish theological scholarship, and hence 
 laid itself open to justifiable criticism. 
 
 A far greater influence was exerted by the "Rab- 
 binical Conventions," because the slow but sure path, 
 of science and research was their guide. 
 
 These conventions were of very great significance 
 for the beneficial development and healthy growth of 
 Reform Judaism. Graetz's ridiculing remark, | on the 
 first Rabbinical con\-ention is in full accord with his 
 
 *Literaturblatt Israelit d. 19, Jahrh. 1S46, No. 37, 38, 40. 
 tisraelit d. 19. Jhrh's 1846, No. 3. "Refornien iin Judentliuni." 
 i"At that time the fashion of conventions and meetings came in 
 vogue. The establishment of railroads had facilitated travel to 
 larger cities. Thus the call for a Rabbinical convention received 
 attention." Graetz' "History of the jev^s," XI. page 560. An ex- 
 cellent histriography. The railroads did it all. 
 
SAMIKI. IIOI.DHKIM. 215 
 
 customary unjust conception of Reform -Judaism, but 
 will hardly influence thoughtful men. While it was 
 naturally not quite possible for these conventions to 
 solve all religious problems, they have done much to 
 popularize the Jewish Reform-movement, to stir up the 
 wavering and" indifferent Jews, and to guide progressive 
 Congregations in doubtful questions of religion. They 
 represented the Jewish scholarship and were attended 
 by the pillars of progressive Rabbinism. That the 
 meetings were public is a fact worthy of notice. Every 
 member of the convention was bound to introduce 
 practically the results of the convention in his respect- 
 ive Congregation. The debates were remarkable for 
 the very advanced ideas held by some Rabbis, who 
 gained courage in the company of so many enthusiastic 
 colleagues and felt inspired by the electrifying power 
 of the free word spoken in public. It was not yet 
 time to formulate a "declaration of principles,"* and 
 attention was given to the practical questions of the 
 day. Th us the :\Iecklenburg ''Synagogue-Ritual," com- 
 posed by Holdheim, was sanctioned by the convention. 
 The resolutions of the Paris Sanhedrin of 1807, con- 
 cerning marriage and divorce were adopted and espec- 
 ially in the question of mixed marriages, a more ad- 
 vanced position was assumed. The Sanhedrin declared: 
 "Marriages between Israelites and Christians are bind- 
 ing and valid from a civil point of view" and deemed it 
 necessary to add "that although such marriages cannot 
 be invested with the religious forms, they shall not en- 
 tail any disciplinary punishment,! (Anathema). This 
 clause was simply a clever evasion of the main issue, 
 as Napoleon's question w^as entirely different from the 
 one they answered. The Braunschweig conference 
 
 ♦See Geiger's: Sendschreiben zur Rabbinerversammhmg in 
 Braunschweig, 1S44, Nachgelassene. Schriften I, page 197. 
 
 f'Hien (ju'ils ne soient pas susceptibles d'etre reyetus des lornies 
 relijiieuses, ils n'entrainerot aucun anathenie." (A. K. Halphern: Re- 
 cueil des Lois, Paris 1S51, page 25). (ieiger: Nachgel. vSchriften li, 
 page 239, Dr. Miel/.iner: the Jewish Law of Marriage and Divorce, 
 Cincinnati i,SS4, page 47-4S). As the Cherein liad at that time not 
 the least authority in France, this declaration was nothing but a 
 blind and was made for effect. 
 
2l6 REI^ORMKI) JUDAISM. 
 
 maufuUy and decisively declared as follows: "The in- 
 termarriage of Jews and Christians, and in General the 
 intermarriage of Jews with adherents of any of the 
 monotheistic religions, is not forbidden,* provided that 
 the parents are permitted by the law of the state to 
 bring np the offspring of such marriage in the Jewish 
 faith, f The motion of Holdheim to appoint a commit- 
 tee for devising timely Reforms of the Jewish law on 
 marriage, which was an amendment of a similar mo- 
 tion of Jolowicz, was carried, and Herzfeld, Geiger, 
 Maier, of Stuttgart, president of the Conference, Hold- 
 heim and Bodenheimer were chosen members of this 
 committee. Bodenheimer' s motion that the Confer- 
 ence protest against the oath More Judaico,j which cast 
 suspicion on the trustworthiness of a Jew, was also car- 
 ried. The beneficial result of this protest was practi- 
 cally shown in the fact that soon after the conference 
 the oath More Judaico was abolished in the Duchy of 
 Braunschweig. Holdheim' s resolution to abolish the 
 prayer "Ko Nidre, "on account of the many false conclu- 
 sions drawn from it concerning the sacredness of the 
 Jewish oath, was also carried. Committees were also 
 appointed on Maier' s resolution to consider and report 
 the needed reform of the prayer-book and liturgy, and 
 on Dr. Samuel Hirsch's motion concerning the "re- 
 vision or abolition of numerous dietary and Sabbath 
 laws." 
 
 Next to Geiger, Holdheim was the most striking 
 figure in the conference. An eye-witness praises in 
 
 *It is of interest to know that it was Philippsohn who moved this 
 resolution. Philippsohn porposed also the introduction of solemn 
 Sunday-services for the benefit of those who work on the Sabbath- 
 day. (See "Kley Noch ein Wort zur Israelitischen Reform frage" 
 Hamburg, 1S45, page 26, note.) 
 
 tProtokolle der Rabbinerversmmlang in Braunschweig 1844, 
 page 23. 
 
 iLiterally in accord with Jewish law. A Jew was not permit- 
 ted to take an oath except in the Synagogue in presence of the 
 Rabbi, who had to admonish him regarding the sacredness of the 
 oath. In some places the scrolls of the law were taken from the ark, 
 during the solemn admonition, and the one who took the oath had 
 to be clad in the garments worn on the Day of Atonement. 
 
SAMUEL HOLDHEIM. 21") 
 
 particular his modesty and kindness, independence and 
 earnestness. He never stubbornly insisted on his opin- 
 ions, but modified them and stood corrected whenever 
 the occasion demanded. Hess, Samuel and A. Adler, 
 Herzfeld and others surprised the public by the bold- 
 ness of their advanced views on prayer, ceremonies, 
 dogma and Talmud. The Conference declared unre- 
 servedly, that the "right of living, progressive develop- 
 ment is deeply rooted in the Synagogue.'' Holdheim 
 justlv remarks that this Conference has paved the way 
 and given directions for all similar assemblies.* 
 
 A protest from seventy-seven orthodox and con- 
 servative Rabbis — their number was later swelled to 
 ii6 — against the resolutions of the Braunschewig Con- 
 ference had only the effect ot calling greater attention 
 among the large number of educated Jews to the Con- 
 ference and its aims. The Conference was even honored 
 with an old-fashioned Cherem.t 
 
 A foe worthy of the steel of such champions as 
 Geiger and Holdheim arose in the Rabbinical Con- 
 ferences in the person of Zacharias Fraukel. He, 
 like a shrewd general, gathered around himself all the 
 reactionary and conservative elements of Judaism, who, 
 while opposed to Reform-Judaism, were ashamed to 
 sail under the flag of uncompromising orthodoxy as 
 represented bv Samson Raphael Hirscli and others. 
 He opened wide the door for a by no means small class 
 of people, who, vacillating and afraid of every decisive 
 step, are always on the fence. I mean the so-called 
 "Halben" (half-hearted men). 
 
 It cannot be denied that not a few of those called 
 in the Talmud "Zabuim,"+ (literally ^'colored" but de 
 facto hypocrites), have found a convenient shelter in 
 
 *Israelit d. 19. Jhrh. Literaturblatt, 1S46, No. 20, review of Herz- 
 feld's resolutions on the Reform of the Jewish laws of marriage. 
 
 +An excommunication was hurled against the Braunschweiger 
 Rabbinerversammlung by the Rabbi Schreiber of Krakau, Galicia. 
 
 Jit means, "sail under different colors." A pas.sage in the Tal- 
 mud reads as follows: "Fear not the Pharisees, nor the Sadducees; 
 we know them, but fear the 'colored' ones who act like Simri and 
 demand reward like Pinehas." 
 
2l8 RKKORMHD JUDAISM. 
 
 the party led by F'rankel, a party which to-day is pow- 
 erful ill Germany and is the cause of the decline of 
 Judaism there. Starting from the basis of the "Volks- 
 bewusstsein," (sentiment of the people), claiming that, 
 whatever is still living in the consciousness and senti- 
 ment of the people, must not be given up, Frankel, 
 without offering proofs, jumped to the false conclusion 
 that the people are conservative. He said that as soon 
 as the people reject the Hebrew prayer, they must be 
 given another language of prayer, even though the He- 
 brew prayer were recommended by the earliest teach- 
 ers of the Mishna. He failed, however, to prove his 
 bigoted assertion that the people are in favor of the old 
 traditional customs. Judging from the fact that with- 
 in the last five decades the Jews, not only in America 
 but even in Europe, have discarded most of the ceremo- 
 nial laws, every unbiased observer must come to the 
 conclusion that the sentiment of the masses, the 
 ''Volksbewusstsein,'' is rather opposed to the conserva- 
 • tion of every old usage. Frankel, as a man of science, 
 wielded a greater influence than the uncompromising 
 and fanatic representatives of orthodoxy in Frankfort, 
 Pjerlin or Vienna. But Frankel was half-hearted in 
 whatever he advocated, whether it was a progressive 
 or retrogressive measure. Therefore Geiger, Hold- 
 heim, Hess and their associates who wanted essence 
 and not semblance, firm principle and not transient 
 sentiment, mercilessly attacked his propositions, which 
 they designated as lacking in firmness, manliness, con- 
 sistency and character, and in which they saw at- 
 tempts at introducing a hierarchy into Judaism. 
 
 Frankel attempted to usurp the role of the public 
 lawgiver, censor and infallible Pope. He acted as if 
 no one who differed from him could be influenced by 
 pure motives. He blamed the Conference, which he 
 himself had not attended, for having held their meet- 
 ings in public, which criticism was in full accord with 
 his lack of manliness and his hierarchal notions. 
 Holdheim published a strong rejoinder under the title : 
 "The first Rabbinical Conference and Dr. Frankel." 
 
SAMUEL HOLDHEIM. 219 
 
 True to his method in controversy, he attacks Frankel 
 with his own weapons. He shows FrankePs incon- 
 sistencies in the most glaring light. Frankel claims 
 on the one hand, that the "sentiment of the people" is 
 the sole criterion tor the jnstification of reforms, yet he 
 accnses the Reform-Rabbis of Jesuitical laxity, as soon 
 as they yield to the "sentiment of the people" and 
 abolish a ceremony which has lost its hold on this very 
 sentiment.* Holdheim condemns, in strong terms, 
 Franker s dictatorial attempt to call a halt to those 
 who go further than he, and to fasten upon them im- 
 pure motives. What right, he asks, has Frankel to 
 abolish the "Second Holiday," the "Meziza"t after 
 the circumcision, to modify mourning customs, to per- 
 mit the eating of legumes on Passover if the "senti- 
 ment of the people" has to be considered ? If Frankel 
 considers the sentiment of the ignorant, the reformers 
 have a right to consider that of the intelligent and edu- 
 cated people whose sentiments run in another chan- 
 nel.: 
 
 On March 8, 1845, an appeal to the "Second Rab- 
 binical Conference" to convene July 15th at Frankfort- 
 on-the-Main, was sent out by a committee, at the head 
 of which was Dr. Leopold Stein. In the meantime 
 Holdheim published his propositions concerning a Re- 
 form of the Jewish laws on marriage, and his studies 
 on the character of the Rabbinical oath. The liturgi- 
 cal and ritual question took up almost the whole 
 time of the second Conference. The attendance was 
 larger than it was at Braunschweig, and several Con- 
 gregations sent to the Conference letters of congratula- 
 
 *See Frankel: Ueber Die projektirte RabbinerversainluiiK i" 
 the "Monatsschrift fuer diereligioeseii Inteiessen <les Judeiiths." 
 Ijuni, 1844), "Die Rabbinerversamnihin^ in Braunsch\vei.i;, Novem- 
 ber, 11844; "Die Symptonie der Zeit., (January, 1845). 
 
 t"]Mezizah" is called that disj^usting performance after the cir- 
 cumcision, when the Moliel sucks the blood, by which contagious 
 diseases are often imparted to the poor, suffering child 
 
 iSee on this subject: "The First Rabbinical Conference and its 
 Foes," by Dr. Maver, President of the Conference; Frankel: Letter 
 to Dr. Mayer, Stuttgart and Salomon: "The Rabbinical Conference 
 and Its Tendency," Hamburg, 1S45. 
 
2 20 RK FORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 tion, expressing hearty sympathy with its objects and 
 ideas. The Reforni-vSociety of Frankfort, and of a 
 siniihir organization, jnst then started in Breslan, ex- 
 pected of the Conference more than it conld reasonably 
 do; inasmuch as it was the main purpose of the Confer- 
 ence to influence the whole community of Israel in the 
 direction of Reform, and inasmuch as it had to contend 
 not only with the opposition of the ultra-orthodoxy, 
 but also with that of Frankel and his followers. The 
 Frankfort-Society published a "third circular letter," 
 (Drittes Ruudschreiben). The "Breslau-Society" 
 sent an address accompanied by i68 signatures, in 
 which they asked of the Conference the abbreviation of 
 the prayers, introduction of the vernacular and revision 
 of the Sabbath laws. The Berlin Reform-Society was 
 represented by three delegates. Dr. S. Stern, A. Bern- 
 stein (Rebenstein) and Simion. No less than twenty- 
 two letters were addressed to the Conference. As can be 
 seen from all this, the Convention at Frankfort had to 
 contend with greater difficulties than that held at 
 Braunschweig. The Conference lasted from July 15th 
 to July 28th and had eighteen meetings, six of which 
 were devoted to the question of the ritual, especially 
 the language of prayer. The report of Dr. Maier on 
 the liturgy was in the main accepted, German prayers 
 and hymns, the use of the organ during divine service 
 were not only permitted, but strongly recommended. 
 A heated discussion took place on the question of the 
 use of the Hebrew language in the service, which 
 caused the withdrawal of Frankel from the Conference. 
 He claimed that the retention of the Hebrew in the 
 ritual is not only opportune and advisable, but neces- 
 sary, legal and religious.. The majority however, among 
 whom were Geiger, Kinhorn, the two Adlers, Hold- 
 heim, Salomon, Auerbach, Kahn and Maier, declared 
 that the Hebrew language as the language of prayer, 
 is neither legally nor absolutely necessary. These 
 Rabbis added, however, that inasmuch as Congrega- 
 tions were not yet ripe for a total abolition of the He- 
 brew in the worship, it is opportune as an accommoda- 
 
SAMIKI. HOLDHKIM. 221 
 
 tioii of the Congregation to retain for the present cer- 
 tain parts of the Hebrew service, but that it should be 
 best to introduce a strict German Ritual as soon as the 
 Congregations are ripe for it. Holdheini stated that 
 the Hebrew language, far from being now a national 
 bond of the Jews, is at present rather an impediment 
 and check to the development of our religious life. 
 Were Krankel right, then the Jewish law would not 
 have permitted us to pray in any language but the 
 Hebrew. Adler warned the people not to be guided in 
 such important questions by sentiment but by truth. 
 Talk aboiit the holiness of the Hebrew language I 
 What makes a language holy ? Surely not the form, 
 but its essence. A hypocrite and liar who prays in 
 Hebrew deescratcs this language, and he who expresses 
 the purest and noblest sentiments in a German prayer 
 sanctifies that language by its spiritual character. The 
 fear that our Biblical literature would vanish from our 
 midst, as soon as Hebrew ceases to be the language of 
 prayer, is idle. The works of Homer and Hesiod are 
 not forgotten, although people do no longer pray in 
 Crreek. It is not the language which immortalizes a 
 work of genius, but vice versa.* As to the argument 
 that the unity of Israel would be imperilled by the 
 abolition of the Hebrew Ritual, he must answer that it 
 is not the common language, but the common religion, 
 the common confession of faith which truly unites the 
 Israelites all over the globe. But there are weight}- 
 reasons for the introduction of the vernacular tongue 
 in the divine service. It would do away with that lip- 
 service which Isaiah so strongly condemned. It would 
 stimulate the reading and studying of the Bible in the 
 vernacular, while at the present time the people neg- 
 lect the study of the Scripture in Hebrew as well as in 
 Crcrman. 
 
 *He could also have a(lde<l that the Hihle is beinj^ studied more 
 /.ealously auionvj the Christians, though they do not pray in Hebrew, 
 than among the Jews, who do pray in Hebrew. Two magazines are 
 published by .\mericau Christians for the purpose of fostering the 
 studv of Hebrew. 
 
222 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Frankel withdrew from the Conference as soon as 
 he saw himself defeated by the majority, and convoked 
 a Conference of his own, which failed, however, to ma- 
 terialize. The F'rankfort Conference recommended 
 also the elimination from the prayer-book of every allu- 
 sion to a political INIessiah and to the sacrificial cult. 
 Some minor matters on the abolition of Mikvah* and 
 other laws concerning women, reports on the Sab- 
 bath question, on a home prayer-book, were partly 
 discussed, partly consigned to committees for the next 
 Conference. 
 
 The Third Rabbinical Conference was held in 
 Breslau, July 13 tojuly 24, 1846. Holdheim at that time 
 Rabbi of the Berlin Reform Congregation took a most 
 radical stand on the Sabbath-question and declared in 
 favor of its transfer to Sunda}-, wherever it has out- 
 lived the sphere of its usefulness and has succumbed in 
 the struggle against the demands of life. He advo- 
 cated this theory on the principle that the preservation 
 of the Jewish religion is of far greater import than the 
 claim of a certain day. In an "Open Letter" on the 
 Third Rabbinical Conference,! he goes so far as to re- 
 proach the Conference, because it had not recommended 
 a transfer of the Sabbath wherever such a radical 
 change was identical with a restoration of a dignified 
 and impressive celebration of divine service. 
 
 Quite a number of Holdheim' s publications were 
 the immediate result of the Rabbinical Conference. 
 "The Oath in the Old Rabbinism";[; was published by 
 him in consequence of the abolition of the "Kol- 
 Nidre-Prayer' ■ g by the Conference in Braunschweig. He 
 stated, in this article, that the Rabbinical conception 
 cannot be fully acquitted of the reproach that by its 
 permission to annul a vov>- or an oath it encourages, to 
 
 *"Mikvah'" is Hebrew, and means a ritual bath. 
 
 tisraelit d. 19, Jahrh's 1846, No. 46-48. 
 
 ilsr. d. 19 Jahrh. 1844, No. 35 and No. 41. 
 
 ^Israelit 1844, No. 47: Kircheim's reply to Dr. Holdheim; Isra- 
 elit 1845 No. 2, Holdheini's answer to Einhprn; Orient 1S45, No. it, 
 Holdheim against Kircheim. 
 
SAAlUEL HOLDHEIM. 223 
 
 some extent, a certain unconscious laxity with regard 
 to an oath. He reproached Frankel with having 
 rather concealed than uncovered the whole truth on 
 the subject of his book, "The Oath of the Jews." 
 This created a very animated controversy between 
 Holdheim, Kinhorn, ' Kirchheim, Frankel and Rappo- 
 port. P'rankel and Rappoport called him the worst 
 names and represented him as a bitter enemy of the 
 Jews, as a malicious slanderer and spiteful defamer of 
 Israel. 
 
 Rappoport even insinuated that all Holdheim 
 aimed at was the abolition of the Kol-Nidre- Prayer in 
 his Congregation in Schwerin, while it was (^e facto 
 abolished long before the publication of Holdheim' s 
 articles on the oath of the Jews. Holdheim justly re- 
 marks that an attack on the Talmud must not 
 necessarily be prompted by hatred against Judaism, 
 but that an impartial, unbiased criticism of the Tal- 
 mud can, in no way, affect the morality of the Jews. 
 
 Holdheim' s "Propositions for a Timely Reform of 
 the Jewish Laws on Marriage," (Schwerin, 1845), were 
 laid before the "Second Rabbinical Conference." They 
 contain ideas similar to those expressed in his 
 "Autonomy." He claims that marriage and divorce 
 are simply civil acts from the Jewish point of view and 
 therefore badly in need of a reformation. He pleads 
 for the abolition of Chalizah, which has no meaning 
 for our times. He discussed the same important sub- 
 ject on the occasion of the Third Rabbinical Conference 
 with regard to Herzfeld's propositions.* He criticises 
 Herzfeld's proposition that the Kohanim (priests) 
 .should no longer be prohibited from marrying a 
 divorced w^oman, but that they should be bound to 
 marry women of good moral reputation.! Every 
 privilege of a special priesthood ought to cease. Mar- 
 riages forbidden to the priests should be forbidden to 
 all Israel or not at all. 
 
 ♦Israelit d. 19 Jahrhhunderts, 1846, No. 20-21. 
 tProtokolleder Zweiten RabbinerversammluuK. page 334-34'^- 
 vSee Talmud Sabbath, 33,Maimonides Hichoth Talmud Thorah, I, 31 
 
224 REFORM l-:i) J r DA ISM. 
 
 With ret(ard to S. Adler's Hebrew essay on the 
 position of woman in Jndaism, Holdheini pnblished 
 "The Religions Position of Woman in Tahnndical 
 Jndaism," (Schwerin, 1846). He cannot agree with 
 Adler, that the Tahnnd prohibits woman on acconnt 
 of her lack of earnestness from taking part in religious 
 worship. Women were placed in the same category 
 with slaves, deaf-mutes and little children.* They 
 were even excluded from reading the Shmah on Sab- 
 bath-and Holidays. Adler is right in declaring that 
 women are entitled to complete a quornmf for the 
 divine service, but it is vain endeavor to try to find 
 this artificially in the Talmud. Not even Adler's 
 great Tahnndical scholarship could succeed in proving' 
 this, simply because it is impossible to find our modern 
 religious sentiments and consciousness in the Talmud. 
 
 Another important publication is Holdheim's: 
 "The Principles of a Ritual, in Harmony with the 
 Present Religious Consciousness.]; In ^lay of the same 
 year he was asked by the Congregation of Toeplitz, 
 Bohemia, concerning his views on the abolition of the 
 Second Holiday. It is needless to say that he declared 
 in favor of the Reform. 
 
 In the meantime the Reform-IVIovement entered a 
 quarter from which it had been forcibly banished two 
 decades before by the order of the government, I mean 
 Berlin, where Mendelssohn, Friedleander, Jacobsohn 
 and Zunz had labored. Since the enforced closing of 
 the Jacobsohn Temple in 1823 by authority of King 
 Frederic William III, Jewish orthodoxy in Berlin has 
 had full sway, because it was justly regarded by the 
 Christian "pietistic" party as the best ally in its prose- 
 lytizing schemes. Even to-day, in this free country the 
 
 *Seemy article: "The Schulchan-Aruch and Rabbinical Law on 
 the Position of Women," Jewish Reformer, 1886, New York, No. 15, 
 reprinted in the "Jewish Spectator." 
 
 tTen men constitute a quorum in a Synagogue (iVImjan), but 
 even 10,000 ladies according to Schulchah-Aruch cannot form a 
 quorum. 
 
 Jlsraelit d. 19, Jhrh's 1846, No. 8-13, 24-31. 
 
SAMria. IIOLDHKIM. 225 
 
 missionarv-fiends, mainly recruitinj^ themselves from 
 Russian-Polish Jews, and the conversionists do all their 
 business in the Russian- Polish Jewish Ghettos of New 
 York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago and other large 
 cities. There existed in Berlin, so far as Judaism was 
 concerned, only uncompromising orthodoxy and indiffer- 
 ence. With the ascendency to the throne of Frederic 
 William \\\ a more liberal .spirit made its entrance 
 into Berlin. This fact was proven by the victory ot 
 Geiger in Breslau against Tiktin and other enemies of 
 progress, who tried their utmost to influence the gov- 
 ernment against the P'rankfort Reformer. Naturally 
 the progressive element in Berlin considered the mo- 
 ment opportune for action. Even the administration 
 of the Berlin Congregation made the attempt to .secure 
 for the Rabbinate a man of modern education in the 
 person of Dr. Zacharias Frankel, Chief-Rabbi of 
 Dresden. But Frankel did not accept the call, be- 
 cause he wanted to be Chief-Rabbi with full power to 
 act in all things pertaining to the spiritual affairs of the 
 Congregation. Thus Dr. Michael vSachs, of Glogau, 
 preacher in Prague, was called to Berlin, not as Rabbi 
 but as "Rabbinate- Assessor." He could drown the audi- 
 ence in a vast sea of flowery phrases, never ending per- 
 iods, and romantic, mystic effusions. His Talmudic- 
 al-Rabbiuical knowledge was, however, limited. 
 Sachs proved a fanatic of the w^orst type against Jewish 
 Reform and Reformers, .so much so that his too marked 
 zeal was looked upon by many Reformers as artificial 
 and not quite sincere. His was a romantic nature; his 
 eye was dimmed by the mist of mystic illusions and there- 
 fore blind to the requirements of the new age. He could 
 have done great things in Berlin had he lived less in 
 the past and more in the practical present.* The fact 
 is, that the election of i\I. Sachs by the Berlin Congre- 
 gation did not prove a fortunate acquisition, for the 
 conflict within the Congregation, instead of decreasing, 
 extended in intensity. The progressive element, 
 
 *See niv Graetz's Geschichtsbaueri; Berlin, 1881, page 84-8S. 
 
226 KKFORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 which was utterly ignored in the whole affair, pro- 
 tested to no avail against the hasty election.* Of what 
 benefit was the sermon to them if it was used as a 
 weajion against progress and Reform? The same or- 
 thodoxy which triumphantly had pointed to the cabi- 
 net-ordinance of 1823 prohibiting the Jewish sermon in 
 pure German, found all of a sudden in Sachs their 
 mouthpiece. The (rerman seimon which so long had 
 been condemned as a Reform, was taken in the service 
 of orthodoxy against Reform and Reformers. All 
 gushes of verbosity, all the tinsel of glittering plati- 
 tudes, all outbursts of .sentimentality, all the ballast of 
 Rabbinical quotations could not conceal the fact that 
 the prayers were recited without feeling, thought and 
 sentiment, and that the pulpit did not even attempt to 
 become a power for good in the cause of progress and 
 enlightenment. 
 
 The worship in the Synagogue, the system of 
 education of the young, .so far as Judaism was con- 
 cerned, was worse in the large Jewish community of 
 Berlin than in the smallest provincial town of Bavaria, 
 Wuertemberg, Hessen or Baden. 
 
 In consequence of this sad state of affairs several 
 influential heads of families in Berlin resolved to form 
 a society of their own and to devise ways and means 
 towards the realization of their hopes of perpetuating 
 Judaism in its es.sential purity among their children. 
 Dr. Siegmund Stern delivered a course of lectures,! 
 which electrified the large audiences and filled them 
 with new enthusiasm for Judaism and its glorious 
 future. These lectures created a profound sensation, 
 not because of their originality of ideas, — for the ideas 
 were not new, — much less because of the deep scholar- 
 
 *The election of preacher took place in accord with an old retju- 
 lation of 1750 and was contested. No less than two hundred of the 
 most prominent and influential members of the Congregation have 
 signed a document, which energetically pointed out the conse- 
 quences of this step. 
 
 tSee two volumes of these lectures on: "The Religion , of Juda- 
 ism" and "The Task of Judaism" (Die Mission des Judenthums," 
 and "Die Aufgabe des Judenthum's," Berlin, 1845-46, 
 
SAMUKI. HOI.nHKIM. 22/ 
 
 ship contained tlicrein, but on account of the popular 
 attractive style, the wonderful delivery with which 
 Stern presented to the people the ideas, sentiments, 
 thoughts and feelings which so fully and fittingly ex- 
 pressed their own convictions. The success of those 
 lectures is mainly due to the time of their delivery, and 
 to their appeal to that which moved and filled the 
 heart of the audience. ''Worte, die vom Herzen 
 kommen, gehcn zum Herzen." They have reawakened 
 the pride of the Jews in their glorious past and 
 future and filled them with new enthusiasm for the 
 sublime mission of Judaism. Religion and life, said 
 Stern, are not, cannot and must not be in conflict, and 
 a religion not in harmony with the demands of life is 
 not religion, but pietism. This conflict is only ap- 
 parent, not real. Judaism does not reject the justifia- 
 ble and urgent claims of the progressive age, but ap- 
 preciates and recognizes them. Reform is aggressive 
 against those only who try to conceal the existing con- 
 flict between the present and past religious conception 
 ot Judaism. We have to come out openly and boldly 
 before our co-religionists with our sentiments, feelings, 
 opinions, wants and urgent demands. Aside from these 
 lectures. Stern published essays: "Judaism as an 
 i^lement of the State-Organism," and, ''The Present 
 Movement in Judaism, its Justification and its Signifi- 
 cance."* 
 
 Stern's lectures were cc^ncluded on February 15th, 
 1S45, and in the beginning of March meetings were 
 held for the purpose of forming a "Religious Associa- 
 tion" on the basis outlined by vStern. A committee of 
 three was appointed to formulate an ".Vppeal to our 
 rierman co-religionists," in which the tendencies of 
 the new association should be clearly defined. Stern 
 and Holdheim give Bernstein due credit for having 
 greatly contributed towards making the "appeal" 
 largely instrumental in bringing about the wonderful 
 success attending the same. The appeal was published 
 
 *See Freund's Monatsschrifl; Berlin 1S45. 
 
228 KKh(3RMKn JUDAISM. 
 
 April 2, i»S45, and axoidcd the fatal mistake of the 
 "Frankfort l'ro<^rani" by layin^^ the main stress on 
 ])ositive conviction, religions fervor and entlinsiasm. 
 The appeal was signed by thirty prominent Israelites 
 of Berlin. No less than twelve of them were Doctors of 
 medicine or of philosophy, a title which in Germany 
 is indeed a proof of superior knowledge and higher 
 education. 
 
 The appeal gives a graphic descrii:)tion of the 
 existing conflict between inner religion and the out- 
 ward form of its representation. It says: The conse- 
 quences of this deplorable state are: Skepticism, in- 
 difference, pain and fear lest the rising generation 
 should throw away both the shell and the kernel, the 
 husk and the fruit. It is now high time for action. 
 Before it is too late, steps must be taken to save the 
 essential and important parts of Judaism at the ex- 
 pense of its dead, antiquated and superfluous forms 
 and ceremonies. We yearn for a larger faith, we 
 yearn for Judaism, we yearn for positive religion. We 
 cling firmly to the spirit of the sacred Scripture. We 
 cling firmly to the conviction, that Judaism will be- 
 come the future religion of mankind. But we want to 
 destroy the citadel of the dead letter, we do not want 
 to pray for an earthly Messianic Kingdom, we do not 
 care to observe forms which belong to the dead past. 
 Imbued with the sacred essence of our religion we can- 
 not maintain it in its inherited form, much less be- 
 queath it to our posterity. And thus placed between 
 the graves of our fathers and the cradles of our 
 children, we cannot be deaf to the voice of the age 
 calling upon us, the last ones of a great heritage, to be 
 the first ones who shall lay the foundation for a new 
 structure for us and for our generations yet to come. 
 We advocate no secession, no breaking away, from the 
 Jewish Community at large, no schism, no split, but 
 unity is our motto. We call upon all those who think 
 as we do to unite with us in truthfulness, in persever- 
 ance in our struggle, and in fidelity to ourselves." 
 
SAMn-.i. Hoi.DHF.ni. 229 
 
 This appeal could not fail to create a great sensa- 
 tion in modern Israel, not only in I^erlin, but wherever 
 the Ik-rlin papers were read. Six months after its ap- 
 pearance no less than fifty-one Jewish organizations of 
 Germany had given their joyful consent to the declara- 
 tions, and manv Rabbis and Jewish scholars had ex- 
 pressed their appreciation of and full sympathy with 
 the movement. The manifesto fell like a bombshell 
 into the camp of the romantic-orthodox school, which 
 was suddenly made to realize that it did not control 
 the field in the capital of Prussia. The fact that the 
 movement for a thorough Reform originated within 
 the Jewish Congregation of l>erlin, and was backed by 
 the best representatives of Jewish culnre, naturally 
 caused great consternation among the open and secret 
 enemies of Refonn. For the first time substantial 
 proof was offered, that the ideas of progressive Rab- 
 binism* were shared by the intelligent and cultured 
 members of Jewish Congregations in Germany. The 
 manifesto and its effect was a blow to Frankel and his 
 consorts, who sneeringly exclaimed that the "re- 
 ligious consciousness of the people" (Volksbewust.sein) 
 was decidedly against Reform. 
 
 Quite a number of Congregations and individuals 
 had joined the Berlin movement, and even Conferences 
 of deputies preparatory to a Synod were held. The 
 new Congregation increased rapidly, so that in a short 
 time it numbered in Berlin alone two thousand souls. 
 The second day of April, 1845, .saw the foundation of 
 the ''Reformgeno-ssenschaft." Jnne 4, 1845, it was 
 resolved to compile a temporary prayer-book for the 
 approaching Holidays, and in a short time Stern, 
 Bernstein, Simion and Lesser accomplished this work 
 with great credit to themselves. The effect ot the 
 first service was .so overwhelming, that it was resolved 
 to have instead of a temporary a regular divine service, 
 which resolution was carried into effect April 2, 1846. 
 
 *Geijier, Holdheiin, Einhorn, Samuel Hirsch, Samuel and A. 
 Adler, Hess, Wechsler and others. 
 
230 RKKOK.MKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 Dr. Stern's impressive recitation of the prayers, the 
 music under the direction of Professor Julius Stern, 
 the excellent organ, the inspiring sermons of visiting 
 Rabbis tended to create enthusiasm for Judaism, not 
 only among the members of the new Congregation, 
 but among the visitors, many of whom attended the 
 services only from curiosity. The service was in the 
 main in German. Very few Hebrew sentences* were 
 in use. In sentiment, thought and feeling the wor- 
 ship was thoroughly Jewish, though not Palestinian. 
 The uncovering of the head during prayer created 
 more opposition at the beginning than all the other 
 Reforms. The Reader recited the prayers in an 
 oratorical form without any melody, the choir, com- 
 posed of men and women, executed the singing part. 
 Geiger, Samuel Hirsch,t Gotthold Salomon and Frank- 
 furter took active part in the arrangement of the new 
 prayer-book. All prayers expressing the hope of a re- 
 turn to Jerusalem, the restoration of the sacrificial 
 rites, and the transfer of the merits of the ancestors to 
 posterity were omitted. The spirit of sacrifice, which 
 is so strong in modern Israel, and the priesthood of all 
 Israelites found emphasis in the prayer-book. Israel's 
 mission among the nations was forcibly expressed, as 
 was the idea of the Messiah in its historical significance 
 in accord with the prophetical conception of the 
 Messianic age. Instead of lamenting the fall of Jerusa- 
 lem a Thanksgiving-prayer was substituted expressive 
 of the sublime mission with which Israel was entrusted. 
 During the Holidays Dr. Philippsohn,] of Magdeburg, 
 delivered the sermons, six in number. The effect of 
 the solemn service silenced all opposition and hostility. 
 The future of the Congregation was safe and the 
 
 *Shniah, Kaclosh and a few more. 
 
 tin a conversation held with him December, 188S, in Chicago, he 
 informed me, that the resolntion passed by the Reform Genossen- 
 schaft to worship with uncovered head is due to his work. I refer 
 to my articles in the "Jewish Reformer," 1S86, on this subject. 
 
 iPhilippsohn was in those days more radical than in later y ears. 
 He was in 1S46 in favor of Sunday-services, 
 
SAMi'i-;]. iioi.DHiaM. 231 
 
 Minister of Prussia Kichlioni tVlL so friendly inclined 
 towards it tluit no danger threatened from that side. 
 
 On the 2nd of April, 1S46, a pernument service was 
 instituted in a hall with a seatin.t; capacity of more than 
 one thousand persons, and solemnly dedicated by 
 Holdheim, whose sermon was publislied. (Berlin, 
 1846, Behr). Holdheim dwelt on the passaj^e of the 
 first appeal: "We yearn for a laroer faitii, we yearn for 
 Judaism, we yearn for i)rotjressive religion/' 
 
 The Reform Congregation tried hard to induce 
 (reiger to accept the position of Rabbi. But he an- 
 swered that he would not be the Rabbi of a part of the 
 Jewish community. In accord with a resolution of 
 September 10, 1846, Holdheim was called as Rabbi 
 of the Berlin Reform -Congregation, and he accepted. 
 Thus Holdheim left a position in a state where Juda- 
 ism enjoyed the same official orivilegesas did Christian- 
 ity. He gave up a position of "Laud-Rabbi" which 
 was paramount to that of a Bishop in the Church, and 
 which was duly recognized by the government. When 
 we bear in mind that in exchange he accepted a posi- 
 tion in a society which had not even the privileges of 
 an average Jewish Congregation, which was merely 
 tolerated, and was looked upon with suspicion and dis- 
 trust from all sides, we cannot help admiring his 
 courage, firm principles and great self-confidence. 
 
 At this juncture it is desirable to point out the most 
 distinguishing characteristic of the Ik-rlin Reform-Con- 
 gregation, a characteristic which no doubt was the 
 cau.se of so little imitation outside of Berlin. This is 
 its pcsition on the Sabbath question, in which Hold- 
 heim had no part. The question of vSundav services 
 had been settled in that Congregation long befo're 
 Holdheim took charge of the Congregation, and Hold- 
 heim did not like the idea of abolishing the Sabbath 
 .services. He expressed himself on this subject as fol- 
 lows: "Concerning the Sabbath service, the i)rophecv 
 of Dr. Bressler, that it would not be able to maintain 
 itself and that the Sunday would be its heir, has also 
 
2-^2 RKKORMKI) JIDAISM. 
 
 been fulfilled.''* In the Third Rabbinical Conference 
 in Breslau (1846), Holdheini had favored the idea of a 
 transfer of the Sabbath, where it is necessary for 
 the sake of saving our religion from certain de- 
 struction.! His speech at the Conference on the 
 Sabbath question created a great sensation. He said: 
 "The main idea of the Mosaic Sabbath is the word 
 'shavath,' i. e. rest. * * * The public sacri- 
 
 fice on the Sabbath was double as large as that of 
 every day. Beyond this the law knows of no other w^ay 
 of celebrating the Sabbath. But rest is strongly urged, 
 and to labor on this day is most severely prohibit- 
 ed.^ Even apparently necessary and insignificant 
 labors like the gathering of mannah, and the making 
 of fire were forbidden." 
 
 He then shows that the Mosaic law does not enjoin 
 the celebration of the Sabbath by divine service. It 
 was onlv in the later course of historical development, 
 in the prophetical, and more so in the Talmudical 
 period, that aside from the negative side of the Sab- 
 bath by rest, a positive, active celebration, consisting 
 of the reading of the Scripture and of divine worship, 
 was introduced. Hence from the Mosaic point of view 
 rest on the Sabbath was indeed a confession of Judaism, 
 and the desecration of the Sabbath by labor was para- 
 mount to denial by act of the fundamental doctrines of 
 the Jewish faith. § Now our modern age, he continues. 
 
 *Holdheim: "Histor}- of the Jewish Reform-Congregation of 
 Berlin;" (Berlin, 1S57, page 180). 
 
 tProtokoUe dei Rabbinerversannnlung in Breslau i846,page 159- 
 73; See also Holdheim's "Predigten Ueber die Juedische Religion," 
 Berlin, 1853, Vol. I, page 277. 
 
 iExodus XXXI, 14-15; Numbers XV, 32-36. 
 
 §Exod. XX, 8-ir; Gen. XI, 2-3. Exod. XXXl, 12-17; Levit. XIV, 
 3-4; Ezech.XX. 16-20; XXlll 36-39. Three reasons: i, God as Crea- 
 tor of the world: 2, God's Covenant with Israel: 3, Redemption from 
 slavery of Egypt, are given for The Sabbath observance. Accord- 
 ing to this tile Jews of America have given up long ago the Sabbath. 
 And the so-called "Conservatives" are no better in this respect than 
 the Reformers. These are and remain stubborn facts. See Dr. Sam- 
 uel Hirsch's telling answer to the U. A. II. C, to the question as to 
 what could be rlone towards arousing interest in American Judaism. 
 (Report of U. A. II. C, 1886, page T026). 
 
SAMri-;!. IK )i.i»i(i' iM. 233 
 
 docs not share this view. The Israelite of our (hi\- 
 who works on the Sabliath, does 1)\' no means den)- the 
 truth of his religion. Were this the case, then the 
 great niajorit)' of the Jews in large cities would ])e her- 
 etics. The celebration of the Sabbath b\- mere rest 
 from labor, as Mosaism will have it, does not convey to 
 us the true idea of the Sabbath. For mere idle rest on 
 the Sal)l)ath cannot lift us u]) religioush' or morallv- 
 Rest per se is for us only the means and condition for a 
 celebration of the Sabbath by a spiritual elevation. 
 Now as to the question what kind of labor is to" be pro- 
 hibited on the Sabbath, the answer is at hand. While 
 from the l^iblical point of view every labor disturbing 
 the Sabbath-rest is prohibited, we from our point of 
 view ought to prohibit every work which disturbs the 
 Sabbath celebration. The Rabbinical Conference of 
 Frankfort has given up the sacrificial worship, by elim- 
 inating every allusion to sacrifice from the prayer-book. 
 In doing this the Conference has placed the higher con- 
 ception of prayer above the outward symbols of bloody 
 sacrifices. Has the Conference thus placed itself in op- 
 position to the Bible ? No. It simply maintains the 
 view of a historical development. I also am not afraid 
 to come before you with the expression of the last con- 
 sequences of my opinion, although I shall not put it in 
 the shape of a motion. I know^ full well that the large 
 majority of the Jews will repudiate my words with in- 
 dignation. But truth and conviction have a right to 
 be heard in our convention. All our endeavors toward 
 the restoration of a worthy celebration of the Sabbath 
 are, alas, in vain, and there exists no thorough reme- 
 dy, to harmonize the conflict between the celebration 
 of the Sabbath and the demands of civil life, except the 
 tran.sfer of the Sabbath to a civil day. I protest against 
 any concession to Christianity which might be inferred 
 from this. I have only in view the possibility of a dig- 
 nified celebration of the Sabbath. The wounds from 
 which the religious life suffers, cut deep into the heart 
 of each of us, and we will stand in need of good council 
 
234 RKKORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 and advice until the time shall have arrived which will 
 pronounce the only possible remedy." 
 
 Characteristic is Holdheim's argumentation on 
 this e^uestion from the basis of the Talmud. Accord- 
 ing to the Rabbis of old, the Sabbath laws have to 
 yield wherever and whenever a hunuui life is in dan- 
 ger. Now, argues he, inasmuch as the Sabbath 
 is defeated in the great struggle against modern life, 
 the duty of self-preservation imperatively demands its 
 transfer to another day, in order to save it from 
 certain death. He claims that only they who observe 
 the Sabbath are justified in their protest against the 
 transfer of the Sabbath, because for them religion is not 
 imperilled, inasmuch as the Sabbath conies out a vic- 
 tor in its battle with life. Those not celebrating the 
 Sabbath are wrong in their opposition to a transfer, 
 because for them religion is in danger. They de facto 
 abolished the Sabbath, they do negatively, what the 
 friends of the transfer are doing, namely: They do not 
 observe the historical Sabbath. But they have to do 
 some positive act, provided they do not want to be ut- 
 terly estranged from our religion. He proves from ex- 
 amples of Jewish history that such transfers had 
 been made without the least harm to religion, as in the 
 case of the Passah-sacrifice in the interest of those who 
 were unclean or in a far country. The Sabbathical 
 )ear and the year of Jubilee, which were based on the 
 Sabbath idea, have not been celebrated in the last two 
 thousand years. Yet this has done no harm to Juda- 
 ism. While in this address he still maintains that 
 "the Sabbath has a determining influence on the pre- 
 .servation of religion," he goes a step further in his 
 sermons published in 1852 and 1853, in which he treats 
 the Sabbath as a "ceremony and institution" like other 
 ceremonies and institutions, which are subject to 
 change as soon as they do not fulfill their task and mis- 
 sion. "Judaism is not embodied in the Sabbath. The 
 vSabbath is a ceremony, an institution, one of tlie many 
 ways leading to the aim of sanctity, but it is neither 
 the onlv wav nor the aim itself. * * * The 
 
vSAMlKL HOLDHKIM. 235 
 
 embodiment ot'Jiuiaism is solely and merely its ethical 
 law. The precept: Holy ye shall be, for holy am I 
 the Eternal, your God. * * Wc see in the 
 
 Sabbath a dav for our self-sanctification, but by no 
 means the svmbol and sign of our covenant with 
 Cxod. * * The celebration of the. .seventh 
 
 day historically handed down to us is in conflict with 
 all the relations of our civil life. ^ Were Judaism em- 
 bodied in the Sabbath, then we would have to .sacrifice 
 our life for that day. But this is not the case accord- 
 ing to our conviction. * * The Sabbath is 
 not the body of Judaism, without which it can not live. 
 It is one of the many institutions which have under- 
 "fone a chany-e in the course of time. * * 
 Temple, sacrificial and sacerdotal .service stood at one 
 time higher than the Sabbath, and wherever they 
 clashed with each other the Sabbath had to yield.* 
 The temple evolved into the house of worship, the sac- 
 rifice into the prayer, the priest into the teacher. * 
 
 * And so the vSabbath-celebration of the seventh day 
 is transferred to another day of the week. * * 
 Shall Judaism, wdiich has already experienced such 
 manifold changes of form without injury to its life, die 
 on account of this single change of a day ? No. We 
 think nobler, better of the divine power of Judaism. 
 
 * * We are the historical Reformers, we re- 
 pair the rents and cracks in the House of God.f In a 
 sermon on the Sabbath he says: "The seventh day, 
 the historical Sabbath is de facto not being celebrated, 
 and the question is not whether we should celebrate it 
 or not, but whether, inasmuch as the seventh day is 
 not ob.served at all, we should sanctify it on another 
 day or not at all. * * In the Synagogue the 
 celebration of the Sabbath is made use of for the pur- 
 ]>u.se of decrying us as destroyers of Judaism, becau.se 
 we celebrate the weekly .service on Sunday instead of 
 Saturday, while the largest portion of the members of 
 
 *Abo<lali (loche Shahbath. 
 
 fHolrlheim: Predij^len, 1S53. "Die Risse and Spalten im 
 Gotteshaiise, Vol, II, paije 274-277. 
 
236 KKFOKMKl) Jl'DALSM. 
 
 the Synao;ogiie can only boast of the fact that they at- 
 tend divine worship neither on Saturday nor on Sunday. 
 The words, 'In every place, where I shall permit my 
 name to be mentioned, I shall come unto Thee, and 
 bless Thee,' (Exodus, XX, 21), apply also to this very 
 day. And while this day might not have the same 
 power as the old Sabbath for the present generation, it 
 wall have it for your cljildren and your children's child- 
 ren. * 
 
 *Holdheini: Predigten, 1852, Vol. I, pages 212-217; I^r. Sanniel 
 Hirsch in his replv to a circular letter addressed to the Rabbis by the 
 U. A. H. C, May'i, 1S85, (XII Annual Report of the U. A. H. C, 
 page 1626), said among other things of the Sabbath question: "What 
 is the Sabbath idea? Certainly no one thinks of transferring Satur- 
 day to Sunday. That would be as sensible as if you would transfer 
 Monday to Wednesday. Further, nobody thinks of interfer- 
 
 ing with those who observe Saturday as Sabbath." "When 
 or where Jews were persecuted, it was easj' for them to cel- 
 ebrate Saturday as Sabbath. Every occupation was denied them, 
 except such as were so much despised that a Christian would not 
 undertake them. Therefore the Jews had a monopoly in their occu- 
 pations, and people needing what could only be found 
 among the Jews, had to choose a Jewish working day. 
 "But how is it today? Thank God, every honorable calling is 
 open to us, but we have a monopoly of none. In most cases — this 
 cannot be denied — not working on Saturday would be the ruin of 
 the whole business. In no case would and could the Jews fulfill 
 their whole duty — that great dut)' to work six daj's for the good of 
 humanity. Judaism proclaims two first and fundamental principles: 
 First, man is on earth to work. Working constitutes his nobleness — 
 distinguishing him from all other earthly creatures, who find their 
 food prepared. (Moses I, 28): You shall conquer the earth. You 
 shall overcome by your working the resistance put against you." 
 "These Sunday services were not proclaimed a Sabbath service. No 
 vSabbath prayer, no "Be Pleased O God With Our Rest" was prayed. 
 These Sunday services must have been decried as an imitation, as a 
 concession to Christianity. Friday evening lectures was the watch- 
 word, and it was declared, "Let people work seven days; God has 
 to be satisfied with fifty out of a hundred." In a similar strain 
 .\braham Geiger, although an opponent of a transfer of the 
 Sabbath to Sunda}-, said some forty years ago: "We have a 
 week day which is especially adapted t\)r divine service, namely, the 
 Sunday. Let us make use of it, if not every week, so from time to 
 time. ^ * Let us not go too far through fear of concession to an- 
 other creed. * * You make the Sabbath a day of work, the Sun- 
 day a day of recreation. Religion, however, should yield entireh' 
 on the Sabbath to the urgent demands of the present and on the 
 Sunday to a stubborn clinging to the past? This is self-deception, 
 through which the religious life is being wholly extinguished." 
 (Ggiger's " Nachggl - Schriften," Vol. i, page 226). In a 
 
SAMIKL HOI.DHKI M. 237 
 
 On April 10, 1S49, the "RelijJ^ious-School," of the 
 Reform - Congregation, which had been temporarily 
 conducted 1)\- Bernstein, was definiteh' estal)lished and 
 dedicated by Holdheim, who had come tor this special 
 purpose from Schwerin. He took as his text the ap- 
 propriate passage: "We shall advance with our young 
 and with our old, with our sons and with our 
 daughters/' (Exod. X, 9). He urged that it was 
 high time to include the girls in the religious instruc- 
 tion, that this was a duty too long neglected in Israel. 
 On August 28, 1847, Holdheim deli\ered his farewell 
 address in Schwerin and as a token of the appreciation 
 of him, a tablet of bronze was hung in the Temple 
 bearing the inscription: "Dr. Samuel Holdheim, 
 Land-Rabbi, 1840-47, has erected an imperishable 
 monument for himself bv his endeaxors in the cause of 
 religion, worship and school." 
 
 The promise of the grand-duke, that the cause of 
 religious progress should be supported, and the convic- 
 tion that his able successor, Dr. David Einhorn, would 
 follow in his wake, made his departure less regretful 
 to him. Einhorn entered upon his position on 
 September 4, and Holdheim delivered his inaugura- 
 
 ])aiiii)lilL't of Julius Rosenthal: "Kxtract from I'roceedin^s 
 of Chicago Sinai Conj^rej^ation. March 26 and April 9, 1SS5," Dr. 
 Hniil Hirsch sai<l the followinji: "The Sabbath is a luitnan want. 
 Rej^arilless of historical associations, it is plantetl in human neces- 
 sity. Men need the periodical rest it brings. And as the day of rest 
 it is the best opportunity to impart instruction on the higher prob- 
 lems of our nature — instruction which requires a teacher trained to 
 impart it — the .services on that day again correspond to a human 
 want. The old Jewish Sabbatli is dead. To successful]}- revive it, 
 seclusion on the ])art of the Jews from the outer world in a new 
 (rhetto would be the price. We cannot afford to pay that price. 
 .\nd therelore, to .satisfy a purely natural craving, we utilize the day 
 of rest — commonly obser\ ed — for the purpose indicateil. Our Sun- 
 ilay service.sare not a transferred Sabbath, but a new creation. Ein- 
 horn had the following to .say on the vexed question: "This we can, 
 should anil must do in order to arrest the evil, viz: Introduce a 
 montlily Sunday service of a non-Sabbatarian character. Such a 
 measure cannot, justly, be attacketl from any point of view and will 
 at the same time bring great blessing." Einhorn: Sermon deliv- 
 ered Shabuoth 1S71, in the Temple Adath Jeshurun. (pages 312, 313, 
 New York, Steiger). 
 
23*^ KKKoKMKl) JI'DAlSiM. 
 
 lion seniion in Berlin on Scpttinhcr 5. l!oth sermons 
 were published, Kinliorn\s at Sclnverin ( Kuerscliner), 
 Holdheim's at Berlin. (B. Belir). 
 
 It was no small thing for Holdheim to <;ive np a 
 position as Land-Rabbi of Mecklenbnrg-vSchwerin for 
 one in an organization which was composed of so man)' 
 intellectual and influential leaders, that it was a 
 difficult task to be their leader. Aside from this the 
 Berlin Jewish Congregation (Juedische (lemeinde) was 
 in possession of wealth, power, of all charitable and 
 educational institutions, basked in the sunshine of the 
 Prussian government, and had in addition an eloquent 
 preacher in the person of Sachs, who was most strongly- 
 opposed to Reform in general and to the new Congre- 
 gation in particular. Aside from this the leaders and 
 originators of the new Congregation, who had almost 
 finished the whole work before Holdheini\s arrival in 
 Berlin, were jealous of their prestige, and by no means 
 so ready for changes and modifications. 
 
 Holdheim published "The Religious Principles of 
 Reformed Judaism, Recommended for the Examination 
 and x\cceptance of the Reform-Societies."* Concern- 
 ing the Sabbath he expresses in this publication the 
 views, that the "Reform Genossenschaft" in transfer- 
 ring the Sabbath-celebration from Saturday to Sunday 
 has not departed from Judaism. He declares, that the 
 "Genossenschaft" celebrates the same holidays at the 
 same time as do the other Congregations. It is, how- 
 ever, strange that the most radical Jewish Reform-Con- 
 "■regation celebrates two davs of Rosh Hashna to this 
 very day, and that Holdheim could not influence it to 
 do away with the second day of new year. Tranfer- 
 ring the Sabbath to Sunday and observing the second 
 day of Rosh Hashaha i. e., the second first day of the 
 year, is an anomaly indeed. 
 
 Holdheim was not only progressive, but extremely 
 aggressive. Like the true Reformer he was not 
 satisfied to rest on his laurels, but he made strong and 
 
 *Berlin, 1847 in seven chapters. 
 
SAMri:i. noLDIIKIM. 239 
 
 successful propaganda for Refonii-Judaism. He was 
 not onlv preacher, but Rabbi, and endowed with the 
 same fervor and enthusiasm for his views as the most 
 orthodox Rabbi is for his opinions. Thus he created 
 i^rcat opposition to Reform on the one hand, but saved 
 it from the bane of "indifferentisni." 
 
 In 1849 the board of trustees on motion of Simion 
 passed a resolution to send a memorial to the Prussian 
 t^overnment pertaining to the oath More Judaico. 
 Holdheim was commissioned to compose this document. 
 He fultilled this task by his publication, ''Memorial of 
 the Society for Reform," January 15, 1850, in which 
 he asked for the abolition of the Jewish oath and pro- 
 posed the formula: "I swear by God," with the clos- 
 ing sentence: ''So help me God."* 
 
 Sachs, who before Holdheim' s arrival in Berlin 
 had been in favor of a Reform of the worship, became 
 after Holdheim's election as Ral^bi of the Reform-Con- 
 gregation a fanatic opponent of Reform, and introduced 
 into Berlin Judaism a sort of "Jewish Pietism," cant 
 and sanctimoniousness, which, aided by bombastic 
 eloquence and flowery, mystic phraseology, did not 
 fail to exert great influence upon sentimental women. f 
 Holdheim's only weapons were the honest word of 
 truth, of sound logic and genuine Jewish theological 
 scholarship. No wonder he had to deal with great 
 difficulties, yet sincere and conscientious opponents 
 gradually commenced to respect and even to appreciate 
 him, though they could not agree with his ideas. 
 
 \ decisive victory was won by H(jldheim over 
 Sachs and others on the inter-marriage ([nc-stion. The 
 
 ♦That he was successful in Ijriii^iii}^ aliout the aholilioii of the 
 Jewish oath in Mecklenburij has lieeii mentioned. 
 
 +See: Israelit. iles, 19 (. Jahrhunderts, 1.S44, No. 3, Correspoml- 
 ence from Berlin In his "opinion" addresseil to the administration 
 of the Conjjreyation (1S46), Sachs considered the "lively and ur- 
 gent demand of a Reform of the divine service" not only justifiable, 
 but saw in it the welcome testimony of re-awakened interest for 
 what had been overlooked before. In the second report he recom- 
 mended the introudction ofCierman sonj^s in the service. See Ein- 
 horn's Sinai, iSji, and "Schil>l)oleth," a word to the JewishjConi^re- 
 i^ation of lierlin," (Berlin, 1S65, Spaeth ). 
 
240 UKl-OKMl-:!) JIDAISM. 
 
 state attorney of Koeiiigsberj^, Prussia, prosecuted Dr. 
 Ferdinand P'alkson, a prominent Jewish physician, who 
 had married a Christian kidy, on account of the de- 
 cisions on the question rendered by the consistory ot 
 Koeni^s])erg and the Rabbinate of P>erlin. Hoklheim 
 in his: "Mixed Marriages Between Jews and Christ- 
 ians," (Berlin, 1850), strongly criticised the decision of 
 the P>erlin Rabbis. His manhood is aroused against 
 the "sentimental romantics of the Jewish orthodoxy," 
 "denen eine schoen klingende Phrase, ein poetischen 
 P>lumenkranz, mit dem man die Ivcichendes Juedischer 
 Mittelalters verziert, lieber ist, als gesunde Nahrung 
 und lebenskraeftige Befriedigung fuer Geist und 
 Herz." (Who prefer a well-sounding phrase, a 
 poetical wreath of flowers," with which they adorn the 
 corpses of the Jewish middle ages, to wholesome food, 
 and to a vital, vigorous satisfaction for mind and 
 heart). 
 
 In all his writings and in the Rabbinical Confer- 
 ence at Braunschw^eig Holdheim laid stress on the im- 
 portant fact, that the Talmudical-Biblical prohibition 
 of mixed marriages has only in view foreign nations, 
 but not the followers of another creed. He treats the 
 subject as a question of liberty of conscience. In this 
 spirit he wrote also against Dr. Schwab's "decision," 
 concerning the "Reform-Genossenschaft of Pesth," 
 which was presided over by Einhorn. It may be 
 mentioned on this occasion that Holdheim was one of 
 the few German Rabbis,* who officiated at mixed 
 
 *I)as (Jutachan des Herrn L. Schwab Rabbiner's zu Pesth ueber 
 (lie Reformgnossenschaft daselbst, Berlin, 1848, page 17; See also 
 my Open Letter to Prof.Maass, in Breslau. Koenigsberg, 1877, Prange. 
 See also Iloldheim's Autonomie der Rabbinen (1843), "Ueber das 
 Religioese Li. Politische (1845), Dociunenle Ueber (ienuschte Ehen," 
 edited by Dr. Falksohn (Hamburg, 1847). The following Rabbis 
 in this country officiated at marriages between Jews and Christians: 
 Dr. Samuel Ilirsch, his son Kmil Hirsch, Someschein, Isaac Mo- 
 ses, and if I am not mistaken, Dr. Schlesinger, of Albany. Dr. Ber- 
 kowitz' case in Kansas City cannot be called a "mixed marriage," 
 as the groom endiraced Judaism. The case created attention because 
 Berkowitz received Mr. Gelat into the fold of Judaism without the 
 rite of circumcision 
 
SAMIKI, HOLDIIKlM. 24I 
 
 niarriao;e.s. In the fourth voliuue of his "Sermons" 
 edited by Dr. Imiiianuel Ritter, the twenty-second and 
 last address is entitled: ''Sermon at a Mixed Mar- 
 riage," on the text "Whither thou goest I will go." 
 (Ruth I, 16-17).* 
 
 In 1854 Holdheim published anonymously a very 
 instructive and interesting school book: "Religious and 
 Ethical Teachings of tlie Mislina for the Use of 
 Jewish Religious Schools." This text-book contains 
 practical hints for every teacher of the Jewish religion. 
 In 1857 followed the catechism entitled: "Haamuna 
 \'ehadaa," (Faith and Knowledge), which is not free 
 from the shortcomings of so many similar text-books, 
 namely, that it is written for philosophers and not for 
 children. In the ''Programmes" of the religious school 
 of the Jewish Reform-Congregation Holdheim 
 published in 1853 and i860 two essays on Jewish 
 religious instruction. His: "Prr^yersand Hymns for the 
 New Year and Day of Atonement," (Berlin, 1859), are 
 also too philosophical to become popular. Aside from 
 this religious poetry was not his forte. 
 
 Not onlv within the limits of his Concrreoation, 
 but m all important questions atfecting Judaism. 
 Holdheim exerted a great influence. He stronglv op- 
 posed the idea of a Christian government, which, was 
 advocated by the baptised Jew Stahl in his publica- 
 tion: "Christian Tolerance." Stahl maintained that 
 Christianity had entered the stage of history as the 
 religion of intolerance, and must necessarily be agres- 
 sive towards all other religions. The government 
 may be tolerant towards individuals but never towards 
 religious communities. Being sure of its divine truth, 
 how could it l)e tolerant towards the error which de- 
 prives God of His honor and robs man of his salvation? 
 Holdheim, in his pamphlet: "Stahl's Christian 
 Tolerance," Berlin, 1836, repudiated such an argu- 
 ment. He shows the great mistake of Stahl, who, 
 looks upon justice, humanity and freedom of conscience 
 
 *Hol<lheini: Predigten ueber die Juedische Religion, Berlin 
 
 lS6y, Julius IJeu/.iaan vicrter Baud, pavje 207-210. 
 
242 rki<'ok:\iKd Judaism. 
 
 as the result of atheistic philosophy. The Jewish 
 j^overninent of Palestine had to be exclusive at the 
 start, when it declared ethical monotheism as the 
 relij;ion of the nation. It had to be first strengthened 
 and iortified in Israel in order to spread later as the 
 religion of mankind and as a blessing for future genera- 
 tions. But during eighteen centuries Judaism has 
 preached liberty of conscience, and ' 'long before Jesus 
 Hillel taught: 'What is hateful unto thee, thou shalt 
 not do unto others,' this is the essence of our religion. 
 The Roman Catholic Church had entered into the in- 
 heritance of the old exclusive Jewish theocracy, and 
 now the Jewdsh apostate Stahl desires to introduce it 
 into Protestantism.'" 
 
 In this book: "Moses Mendelssohn and the F'ree- 
 dom of Thought and Belief in Judaism, Berlin, 1859." 
 Holdheim shows conclusively that Mendelssohn's state- 
 ment that Judaism has no dogmas, simply means, 
 that our religion protests against blind belief, encourages 
 faith based on reason, a rational creed, the pillars of 
 which are knowledge and conviction. 
 
 Holdheim's "History of thejewish Reform-Congre- 
 gation in Berlin"* gives an excellent insight into the 
 origin of this organization. It is by no means an easy 
 task to write such a book without bias and prepossess- 
 ion, especially when the author is an actor in the 
 drama. But under the circumstances the author has 
 done ample justice to his subject. One of the most im- 
 portant passages in this book is on pages 251-54, where 
 he enumerates the results of the Reform-movement in 
 Cjermany in general and of the Berlin Reform-Congre- 
 gation in particular. He first points out the moral 
 power of the very existence of the Berlin Reform- 
 Congregation in those days. It checked in the first 
 place that shameful and disgraceful apostasy, which 
 was for a long time all the rage in the so-called high 
 toned Jewish society circles of the Prussian capital, 
 when parents were not ashamed to sacrifice their inno- 
 
 *lk-iiiii, 1S57, Julius Sprini^er, 251 pages. 
 
SA.Mn-i. IK •i.niii-.iM. 243 
 
 cent children to the Moloch of political advancement, 
 greed, social position and convenience. Thns the 
 Reform-Congregation became de facto the savior of 
 Jndaism in the Berlin of that epoch. While it was in 
 Berlin a matter of daily occurrence that Jews sold their 
 birthright for a mess of pottage at the baptismal font, 
 it is a notable fact that among the members of the Berlin 
 Reform-Congregation, in twelve years only one case of 
 this kind had occurred. And wh\? Because the Con- 
 gregation, composed of the best educated men and women 
 of Berlin Jewish society, had formed a strong public 
 opinion against renegades. People who cared little 
 what the orthodox and more or less Jewish masses 
 thought of such a step, were not at all indifferent to 
 the opinion of men and women who occupied great po- 
 sitions in the mercantile, scientific and artistic world of 
 Berlin, and who were members of the Reform-Congre- 
 gation. Men and women who had the moral power to 
 withstand temptations were of course very severe in 
 their judgment against those who proved too weak 
 against the allurements of sin. Those who looked with 
 etiuanimity upon the verdict of the religious forum of 
 orthodoxy were mightily afraid of the verdict of the 
 moral forum of the Reformers. Thus the Berlin Re- 
 form-Congregation had exercised its beneficial influ- 
 ence in the direction just mentioned even upon the old 
 Berlin Congregation. 
 
 Another proof of the influence of the Reform-Con- 
 gregation is that the directory of the old Berlin Con- 
 gregation, owing to the great success of the religious 
 school of the Reformers, felt impelled "to establish a 
 similar school. They had to do it, because the most 
 prominent members of the old Congregation had sent 
 their children to the school of the Reform-Congrega- 
 tion, where Bible, catechism and Jewish history were 
 tauirht.* 
 
 *I refer in this connection to an excellent article of Holdheini 
 in Einhorn's "Sinai," iS^S.Vol. Ill, pajjes 901-929; "Der verbesserte 
 Religion sun terricht." 
 
_:44 Ki-:i'()mii-:i> jui)Ais:\i. 
 
 Anollicr important work of Holdlieiin was ])ul)- 
 lislied after his death, on the subject of marriage and 
 divorce, and similar topics, written in Hebrew, and en- 
 titled: ^'INIaamar Haisuth/'lUerlin, 1861. Its conclud- 
 ing portions w^ere corrected by Dr. Geiger after Hold- 
 heim's demise. The idea of Sadducees and Pharisees, 
 resurrection and kindred subjects are ingenious. The 
 work owed its impetus to Geiger's "Urschrift und 
 l^ebersetzungen der Bibel," Breslau, 1857, ^^^^^ in the 
 cpiestion concerning Sadducees and Pharisees, reaches 
 a different conclusion from Geiger. The book created 
 a stir in Jewish literary circles. 
 
 I call attention to a review of the valuable work 
 by Dr. Herzfeld, in the Zeitung der Judenthum's 
 (May, 1861). Holdheim himself regarded this work as 
 the result of his most diligent studies, and sacrificed 
 his health by his efforts to see its publication. He did 
 not live to see it. A friend of Holdheim — I think I am 
 not mistaken in saying Samuel Adler of New York — 
 wrote to Einhorn concerning this book, as loUows: 
 "Holdheim is great and marvelous just on the subject 
 of historical criticism, as is seen in the appendix to the 
 book, which is of the greatest value to me. His theory 
 on resurrection, which is for him the key to the un- 
 derstanding of the history of the Sadducees and Phar- 
 isees, is a veritable inspiration. And how he masters 
 the Hebrew language ! I am anxious to see whether 
 the vacillating conservative school, which carries 
 water on both shoulders^ will have the courage to ig- 
 nore this treasure." To this Einhorn remarks: 
 "They will have this courage. They showed still 
 greater courage by insulting Holdheim in his grave." 
 (P^inhoru's "Sinai," Philadelphia, September, 1861, 
 vol. VI, page 266. ) 
 
 Occasionally Holdheim was, like all great men, 
 very sarcastic and unsparing, especially when hypocrisy 
 had to be unmasked. Selig, later, Paulus Cassel, by 
 the way, one of Dr. Sachs' most confidential friends 
 and satellites, a few years before his "conversion to 
 Christianity" had published an "Open letter " to the 
 
SAMli:!. IIOI.DHIU.M. 245 
 
 Congregation of his native town, (iiogan, in which he 
 denounced in the strongest terms the appeal of the Ber- 
 lin "Reforni-Genossenschaft." He claimed that their 
 desire to imitate Christianity and their ignorance of Ju- 
 daism weie the onlv motives of the Reformers. Instead 
 of all criticism, Holdheim simply quotes Cassel's own 
 words in this publication, which read thus: "Our re- 
 ligion did never care to keep those who forsake it; she 
 di^^missed the traitors either with regret or with con- 
 tempt." (Holdheim Gesch. d. Jued. Reformgem, pp. 
 70-71, note; and Zeit. d. Judenth's, 1845, No. 26). 
 Dr. David Cassel said in the pamphlet: ' 'Woher ? 
 Wohin?" (Whence? whither? 1845), that the ha- 
 tred of Talmudical Judaism is mostly found among 
 those, who, in their early youth had devoted their time 
 exclusively to the study of the Talmud, by which re- 
 mark no other than Holdheim of Mecklenburg was 
 meant, who, at that time, had nothing to do with the 
 Berlin Reformers and their "appeal." Holdheim pays 
 his respects to the zealous critic of the "Reformgenos- 
 senschaft" in his "Geschichte, d. Jued. Reformgem," 
 and savs among other things: "Mr. D. Cassel had 
 published his 'Woher? Wohin?' in 1845. Gne year 
 before that time he requested the author to give him a 
 Rabbinical diploma (Hattarath Horaah), and expressed 
 in his letters his great joy on account of the reformato- 
 ry work, 'The Autonomy of the Rabbis,' which pro- 
 claimed so clearly the principles and sentiments which 
 he (D. Cassel) had always darkly felt in the recesses of 
 his heart. Out of this dark feeling of radical Reform 
 has l)roken forth the light of new orthodoxy." (Ibid, 
 p. 71, note i). See also Dr. Beer's scathing criticism 
 of Dr. Cassel's pamphlet.* 
 
 We have seen in Holdheim, as it were, a giant 
 wrestling with the demons of prejudice and supersti- 
 tion, and conquering them. The development from 
 the Jeshiba-Bachur to one of the most radical Re- 
 
 ♦Frankels "Zeitschrift fuer flie religioesen Interessen des Ju- 
 flenthums," Rreslau '1845. 
 
24^J RKFORMKI) JUDAIS.M. 
 
 form-Rabbis of his ai;e was a remarkable evolution in- 
 deed, the outcome of j;reat inner struggles and fierce 
 battles within his own heart, and with enemies from 
 without. Holdheim was always learning, and looked 
 upon Geiger and Zunz as upon his teachers.* He well 
 knew how to discriminate, even in heated discussions 
 between principle and person, although he himself was 
 treated most outrageously by his opponents, who often 
 enough were his personal enemies, f Knowing that 
 his motives were always pure, he could hardly compre- 
 hend, judging as he did others by himself, how men 
 could suspect him of impure motives, and was naturally 
 deeply mortified at the attacks so often made upon him 
 by orthodox and half orthodox enemies. 
 
 Geiger said in the preface to a sermon of Hold- 
 heim published after his death: "Rarely was a man 
 so suspected or attacked, reviled and treated with arti- 
 ficial contempt as Holdheim, but it was as if he had 
 not noticed it; as if all the noise outside had passed 
 over him without any trace. * * With all earnest- 
 
 ness he defended his position; he never reviled his op- 
 ponents, and never in his writings or sermons was he 
 bitter." 
 
 In his later years he concentrated his main activity 
 upon his sermons. They were systematic, logical, 
 clear, concise, void of empty phraseology and verbos- 
 ity, and Jewish to the core. He thus assisted his au- 
 dience greatly in making easy the comprehension ot his 
 sermons, wdiich were replete with philosophical and 
 sublime ideas. He was accustomed to read his ser- 
 mons, but in licrlin he memorized them. His voice was 
 weak and his delivery not pleasant. But so far as sub- 
 stance is concerned, his sermons are among the best of 
 the German-Jewish pulpit. They are published in four 
 x'olumes. The first volume (Berlin, 1852), is dedicated 
 
 *See his "Geschiche der Juedishen Refornigenieiude," Berlin, 
 1857, pp. II and 70. 
 
 +It is, alas, still a dark stain on the escutcheon of Judaism, that 
 especially Jewish theologians have not yet learned to separate in 
 th.ir controversies persons from prin^^iples. 
 
SAMIKI. HOT.DHKIM. 247 
 
 to Dr. David luiihoni, llie Rab1)i of the Refonn Coii- 
 i^regations of Pesth, IJaltiiiiore, Philack-lphia and New 
 York; the second volume (Berlin, 1H53), dedicated to 
 the directory of the Jewish Refonn-Conj^regation at 
 Berlin, contains twenty-eight sermons; the third vol- 
 ume (Berlin, 1855), dedicated to Dr. Gotthold Salomon 
 at Hamburg, contains thirty-one sermons. After 
 lioldheim's death appeared eleven sermons prefaced by 
 Dr. Geiger, and in 1869 Dr. Immanuel Ritter, his bio- 
 grapher, published a volume of twenty-two sermons of 
 Holdheim.* 
 
 Holdheim's sermons are doubtless the clearest, 
 best and most outspoken expositions (;f Reform-Juda- 
 ism. An intelligent man unacquainted w'ith the prin- 
 ciples and doctrines of Reform -Judaism will find in 
 these .sermons a veritable mine of solid instruction and 
 convincing argument. These sermons must be read, 
 re-read and studied, in order to be fully appreciated. 
 Holdheim's ideas of the Jewish Holidays will never 
 lose their interest. His last sermon, which he was to 
 preach on Rosh-Hashana, i860, could not be delivered 
 bv him, as he died August 22d. His text was from 
 Genesis, XXH, 14; "God Will See." The sermon 
 was published wdth a preface by Geiger. In this ser- 
 mon can easily be noticed his presentiment of death, 
 and his consciousness of sinking vitality. But with 
 the true calmness and resignation of a hero he speaks 
 of the perishability of human life, of our perpetual 
 work of grave-digging, in which we cover the impress- 
 ions of yesterday with the solemn events of to-day. 
 But "God seeth." He opens the graves, and the en- 
 deavor to make of to-day the grave of yesterday is vain, 
 becau.se the "Day of INIemoriar' lifts the cover from the 
 coffin, in which the past life was hidden Irom us. 
 This day opens before us our acticms, tears the veil, 
 which selfi.shuess has woven around onr eve, and calls 
 
 *Berlin, 1S69, Julius Benziaii. Kitjhteen of these seruiuiis treat 
 on the Jewish Holidays, one on Stern's departure, one is a Thanks- 
 givinj^-sernion after a cliolera-e])ideinic, one a niarriat^e-sernion, and 
 one a sermon al .1 mixed marriaue. 
 
24H . RKh'ORMKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 to ns, , 'Crod seeth.'" But also many a good angel as- 
 cends out of the graves of the past and joyfully greets 
 us. Let us keep him firmly, in order that he may ac- 
 company us into the new year, and let us not cease to 
 strive further after the good and noble, and if we feel 
 ourselves misjudged b\- men, who blacken what is pure 
 and darken what is glittering, let us always say to our- 
 selves, "God seeth." 
 
 This sermon is also published in Einhorn's 
 "Sinai," Vol. VI, pages 302-310. The following are 
 the closing words of Geiger's preface, which 
 lose much of their force in an English translation. 
 Hence they may find here their place also in the 
 original: "Ueber den Graebern der Vergangenheit und 
 der Gegenwart wird die Zukunft immer mehr zur 
 reinen Erkeuntniss erzogen werden. Was durch die 
 mit uns und nach uns Lebendenals Wahrheit hervorge- 
 arbeitet werden wird, das jetzt bestimmen zu woUen, 
 waere vermessen, ein solches Abschliessen waere der 
 ofanzen Richtung des Verklaerten am Meisten wider- 
 strebend. Wer aber unter den vor und mit uns 
 Eebenden redlich, uneigennuetzig, geisteskraeftig und 
 mit wahrhafter, micht kraenkelnder Gemuethstiefe 
 mach Wahrheit geforscht, daskoennen wir heute schon 
 aussprechen und die unbefangene Zukunft wird es 
 immer mehr bekraeftigen. Und unter ihnen nimmt 
 eine gewichtige Stelle ein: Samuel Holdheini."* 
 
 Alas, Ploldheim did not live to see the hour, in 
 which this sermon was to be delivered. On the 22nd 
 of August, he departed this life. It was on this oc- 
 casion, that the intolerance of the so-called new-ortho- 
 
 Followin^ is a translation- "Over the graves of the past and 
 the present the fntnre will l)e more and more edncated towards 
 a pure recognition. It would be presumptuous to determine now 
 what will be worked out as truth by those who live with and after 
 us. This would be mostly incompatible with the principles of the 
 deceased. Still, even to-day, we are permitted to point out those 
 who, living before and with us, have honestly and unselfishly 
 searched after truth. And the unbiased future will more and more 
 confirm this. And among these men Samuel Holdheim occupies an 
 important place." • 
 
SAM r HI. HOI.DHKIM. 249 
 
 doxy and llie tolerance of the old school manifested 
 themselves. 
 
 Following article of the '^Zeitnnj; des Jndenlhunrs 
 from Berlin on the snbject, may find a place here: 
 "A nervons disease of long standing and the excessive 
 mental strains cansed by the labors of the departed 
 lioldheim on his Hebrew book {''Marriage an<l 
 Divorce") brought about a weakness, and consequent 
 death. In his delirium his spirit was continuallv at 
 work searching and investigating. In his dreams he 
 saw himself in the pulpit and at his desk, and when 
 he awoke he regretted to be unable to write the 
 newlv discovered truths. On the evening of August 
 the 22nd the directors of the Reform-Congregation 
 met, in order to consult about the funeral. It was 
 suggested, that the Congregation of I'erlin should be 
 requested to permit Holdheim to be l)nried in the row 
 appointed for Rabbis. Dr. Waldeck conferred with 
 Mr. M. who was of the opinion, that according to 
 section 14 of the constitution of the ''Hurial-Societv," 
 Dr. Holdheim is entitled to a place in the row ap- 
 pointed for the Rabbis. He added, however, that it is 
 appropriate to ask for the opinion of the hoary Rab- 
 binats - Assessor, Oettinger. Mr. M., accom- 
 panied by Dr. \V., went to Oettinger, informed him 
 of Holdheim' s death and of the desire of the Re- 
 form-Congregation. The venerable sage, over eighty 
 years old, arose and slowly in short intervals spoke as 
 follows: 
 
 "Holdheim is dead? — I>on/c/i dajjon euiiues 
 (praised be the judge of truth). He was a great 
 Lamden (Talmudical .scholar). I have no objection to 
 his interment in the row designated for Rabbis.'' On 
 the evening of August the 23rd a letter of the directors 
 was addressed to the "Burial- Association" requesting 
 them to make the necessary arrangements for Rabbi 
 Holdheim' s interment in the row designated for the 
 Ralibis of Berlin. Dr. Oeiger, of lUeslau, was invited 
 to deliver the funeral oration at the grave and the 
 sermon at the memorial S(.-r\ice on vSuuda\, Auirust 
 
250 RKKORMEl) Jl'DAISM. 
 
 26th, in the Temple. This service was attended by a 
 lai'tre nnniber of orthodox Jews. While at the grave 
 (leiger dwelt on Holdheim's personal (pialities, his 
 oration at the Temple was an exposition of the 
 ])rinciples of Reform-Judaism, for which his deceased 
 friend so enthusiastically labored more than a quarter 
 of a century. The sermon created a deep impression. 
 
 "It must be remarked, that Dr. Sachs was at the 
 springs, while all this happened. After his' return to 
 Herlin he took occasion in his first sermon to arraign 
 forcibly the Berlin Congregation for having permitted 
 Holdheim to be buried iu the row of the Rabbis, and 
 sent in his resignation to the directors of the Congre- 
 gation. The directors answered Sachs iu a dignified 
 manner and left it with him to giv.e them within three 
 weeks a definitive declaration concerning his resigna- 
 tion. I, however, and with me thousands hope and 
 trust, that the time will never come in Israel, when 
 the Congregation will give up its autonomy and the 
 Rabbi will be more than a venerated, experienced 
 adviser." So far the "Zeitung d. Judenth\s. 
 
 The Berlin correspondent of a New York paper 
 had the following to say on the subject: "In mention- 
 ing Christian bigotry, I cannot omit for the sake of 
 justice, to speak of the same quality manifested by a 
 Jew. Dr. Michael Sachs, preacher of the Jewish Con- 
 gregation, sent in his resignation because the Rabbi of 
 the Reform-Congregation, Dr. Holdheim, had found 
 his last resting place in the row of honor at the ceme- 
 tery of the Jewish Congregation, which fact is looked 
 upon as sacrilege by Dr. Sachs. * * He was 
 
 doubtless convinced that his Congregation would rather 
 exhume the body and rudely violate the honor due to 
 the dead, than to do without his services. As soon, 
 however, as Sachs noticed that he was mistaken in this 
 supposition, he repented of the step. The New York 
 correspondent of Einhorn's "Sinai" continues as fol- 
 lows: "Well may we ask with surprise how a man 
 can permit himself to be carried away by* the demon of 
 arrogance to such an extent, especialh- in the metro]:)- 
 
SAMIKI. HOI.I'H l-.l.M. 251 
 
 olis of intelligence, and in a state where the Jews had 
 to wage such hot struggles against Christian fanaticism? 
 We ask surprisingly, how Dr. Sachs, who once remark- 
 ed from his pulpit tliat the "Pijutim were food (Futter) 
 for the people, and who in spite of his show* of ortho- 
 doxy, before the tribunal of genuine orthodoxy is con- 
 sidered no less of a heretic than Holdheim, could com- 
 mit such a nonsensical act, by which he attacked in a 
 most comical manner the orthodoxy of the eighty 
 vears old Rabbi Oettinger, with whose consent the 
 Berlin Directory acted? * * This is one more 
 proof that the representatives of radical Reform are less 
 hated bv the genuine than by the half hearted ortho- 
 doxy, because those who are outspoken in their con- 
 victions honor themsehes by showing respect to their 
 opponents. They, however, who have no firm convic- 
 tions, attempt to replace the lack of self-esteem by a 
 false halo, by a hierarchical noise and bluster. A Ber- 
 lin jester made the following remark on this subject: 
 He hoped that the heretic Holdheim may be saved 
 from the bitter lot of giving to Sachs after a hundred 
 years, lessons in the Talmud. f 
 
 In this article Hinhorn speaks of Holdheim as of a 
 "star of first magnitude," and informs us that an inti- 
 mate friendship of fifteen years duration existed be- 
 tween him and the departed friend. The first volume 
 of Holdhcim's Berlin .sermons (1852) is dedicated to 
 Hinhorn. As proof of Holdheim' s character, Hinhorn 
 
 *Ur.M. Pinner in two pamphlets proves, that Sachs was first a Re- 
 former then orthodox, then again a Reformer. He says: "Sachs be- 
 lame, all of a sudden, verital)]y fanatic in his orthodoxy. So he pro- 
 hibited the most insi»inificaiit change in the worship of a temporary 
 Synagogue and denounced tlie Reformers in the most insolent man- 
 ner from his jjulpit. thus fanning the flames of partisan strife. But 
 as soon as a new regime obtained power and the Reformers captured 
 all the offices in the Congregation. Sachs not only advocated Re- 
 forms in the worship, but arraigned from his pulpit the opponents of 
 the Reforms just as mercile.ssly as he u.sed under the old regime to 
 assail the Reformers. But this is not surprising, as Dr. Sachs was 
 originally a Reformer, and his agreement with the orthodox direc- 
 tory was merely artificial and necessary for the attainment of cer- 
 tain purposes." Graetz extols Sachs, of course! 
 
 Jlt is a well-known fact, that the Talmu<l and Ral)binical lore 
 were not Sachs' forte. 
 
J ,J Rl'.l-OKMl'.l) JUDAISM. 
 
 rchiles the following : In spite of a bitter controversy 
 which was carried on among them in 1845 concerning 
 the oath, in which Ivinhorn had made nse of many a 
 harsh word against Holdheim, the latter approached 
 him at the Conference of Frankfnrt-on-the-Main, say- 
 ing: "We both are struggling in the cause of Judaism.'' 
 — Nothing was further from him, than to force upon 
 others his opinion. He combined the keenest criticism 
 with kindness and leniency. He preferred the crudest 
 orthodoxy to the negations of a philosophical panthe- 
 ism, because, as he wittingly expressed himself, i)ov- 
 erty is preferable to a burden of debt. Holdheim man- 
 ifested the greatest interest in the Jewish Retorni- 
 movcment on American soil, as is seen by his man)' 
 contributions to ''Sinai." The main purpose of his 
 ^'^ Maiunar HaishutlC was to carry the Reform-move- 
 ment into quarters where German is not read. ''And to 
 such a "•Gadol BejissracT^ (great man of Israel) Sachs 
 denies a place of honor in the Jewish cemetery, the ro- 
 mantic Sachs, whose only merit consists in putting to- 
 gether nice phrases. Holdheim gained not only a 
 place in the "house of peace" ( "Friedhof" ), but a 
 place of honor in the battlefield of the modern history 
 of Judaism, where his name \\\\\ radiate long after the 
 winds will have carried aw^ay the flowers of Sachs' so- 
 called poetry. Sachs, the haughty fanatic in kid 
 gloves, wdio has acquired some gold-dust from the 
 gold mines of Judaism, has only brought upon 
 himself the curse of contempt and ridicule by his inten- 
 tion to insult the mortal remains of the great dead, who 
 like his name-sake the prophet Samuel, standing at the 
 frontier of two worlds in Israel had buried with one 
 hand the corpse of Judaism, and had dug with the 
 other the richest treasures from the deepest recesses of 
 his mountains. In the detestable action of Sachs is 
 shown even his fear of the dead lion. He heard Ba- 
 laam's cry of anguish.* 
 
 *"Oi mi jichjah niishmuel." See Geiger's ingenious explanation 
 in his "Urschrift," page 367. Einhprn alludes to the fact that Hold- 
 heim 's name was also Samuel. 
 
SAMl'HI. IIUI.DIIKIM. 253 
 
 "TliL- Hcrlin Con^^rcgatiou ami tlic eij;htv year old 
 RablH Oettiuger honored only themselves by honoring 
 the mantle which had fallen from Eliah, who had as- 
 cended to heaven." (Sinai, 1861, voL \'I). Yet 
 Ciraetz raises to the sky the fanatic Sachs (History XI, 
 p. 571-578), and slings nind at noble Holdheim, which 
 pro\es beyond a shadow of a doubt that Graetz was no 
 historian in the trut- sense of the word. Holdheim 
 was buried among the Rabbis of Berlin, much to the 
 discomfiture of a clique composed partly of romantic 
 cranks and ionoramuses in Rabbinical lore, partly of hy- 
 pocrites, who were not worthy to be mentioned in the 
 same breath with Holdheim. The orthodox and con- 
 servative Jewish press gloated over the demise of this 
 great champion of Reform-Judaism, and cowardly in- 
 sulted the dead lion. Hut the better Jew ish newspapers 
 eulo5iized Holdheim as he deserved. Kinhorn in his 
 "Sinai" spoke of him as follows: 
 
 "Samuel Holdheim is dead. The great master in 
 Israel, the high priest of Jewish theological science, 
 the lion in the battle for light and truth no longer 
 walks the earth among the living." In the number of 
 November* Kinhorn gave an interesting sketch of 
 Holdheim' s life and labors. 
 
 Cxeiger was called from Breslau to deliver the tu- 
 neral oration at the grave and in the Temple. Dr. 
 Immanuel Ritter, for nine years a colleague of Hold- 
 heim, and A. Bernstein spoke on the life of their great 
 friend and master before the members of the Reform - 
 Congregation. In a letter to Wechsler dated Breslau, 
 September 6, i860, Geiger speaks of his sincere friend- 
 ship for Holdheim, although he did not approve of his 
 unhistorical methods. 
 
 In spite of persecution, slander, hatred, malice and 
 fanaticism, which even at this late date do not tire in 
 belittling Holdheim's merits, the impartial historian 
 cannot help placing him in the front rank of the pio- 
 neers of Reform-Judai.sm. His character was pure and 
 
 *'Sinai," 1S60. Vol. V. page 2SS-29.S. 
 
2;, 4 KKI-OK.MKD JUDAISM. 
 
 unsiillicrl, and his most iiiiplacalilt- cneinie.'- — and the}' 
 arc numerous — have to concede tliis fact. 
 
 In the preparation of this chapter I am laroely 
 indebted to Dr. Ritter's ''Samuel Holdheim." P>ut a 
 careful study of Holdheim's writings, of the Reform lit- 
 erature of those days, especially ol Ciciger's works, of 
 the Jewish papers of this period, of the reports of the 
 Rabbinical Conferences in the forties, and of the pam- 
 phlets on the orio;in of the Berlin Reform-Congrega- 
 tion, have taught me to be more just and less biased 
 in my historical judgment, than were Graetz and Rit- 
 ler. The former was prejudiced against, the latter too 
 much prepossessed in favor of Holdheim. 
 
CllAl'Tl-.R \"in. 
 
 LF.OPOIJ) I.OKW. 
 
 TRANSI.ATKl) FROM THK HUXCrARIAN OK DR. IM- 
 
 MAXIKI. LOKW, BY DR. WILLIAM X. I.OKW, 
 
 ATTORXKY AT LAW, XKW YORK. 
 
 The biographical dates here giYeii are authentic. 
 Thev aie taken from Rabbi Loew's diary, from tamily 
 letter.s and memoranda in his own handwriting, all of 
 which are in the possession of the author of these 
 lines. 
 
 Leopold Loew was born in Czernahora, a little Yil- 
 lage in MoraYia, one of the Provinces of Austria, on 
 Mav 2 2, 1811. He was the first born son of a poor, plain 
 couple, the onlv Jewish family in the village. From 
 his father's side he was a descendent of the famous 
 Rabbi Loew Ken Bezallel, of Prague, the hero of the 
 well known Gomel folk-lore or fable of olden times. 
 (1660). From his mother's side he was descended from 
 Mendel Krochmal, Chief Rabbi of Moravia. 
 
 He received a better education than usually fell to 
 the lot of Jewish boys in those days in Moravia. A 
 private tutor engaged for him and his younger broth- 
 ers, taught him. The Roman Catholic priest of the 
 village, who had taken a liking to the bright, wide 
 awake . boy, taught him llu- national language and 
 music. 
 
 Loew showed a great iuclinati(;n t<j\varil music and 
 had nuuli natural abilit\- in mastering it. Music and 
 
256 RKKORMKD JIDAISM. 
 
 song he always regarded as great educational aids, and 
 in his earliest Synagognal Reform ])rograninie, publish- 
 ed in 1839, he dwells on their importance in the vSyna- 
 gogne and the school. 
 
 At the age of thirteen, he left his father's house to 
 enter the "Yeshivah." (High school for Rabbinical 
 lore). 
 
 The institution of the " Yeshivah" is fast dying 
 out. Theological seminaries are rising in their place, 
 but the Yeshivah of olden days was the fountain at 
 which gigantic minds and heroes of deep thought and 
 learning like Loew, acquired that immense and pro- 
 found knowledge of Talmudic lore for which they were 
 known. He frequented three of these Yeshivahs; 
 Rabbi Joachim Deutschmann's at Trebitsch, later at 
 Kollin; Rabbi ]\Ioses Perls' at Kismarton; and Rabbi 
 Baruch* Fraenkel's at Leipnik. In the year 1835 he was 
 made the recipient of his first "Hattarah," (certificate 
 of authorization to act as Rabbi), from Rab])i 
 Deutschmann, who described him as "the most intelli- 
 gent scholar he ever had." His other hattarahs Loew 
 received later on from Chief Rabbis S. L. Rappaport of 
 Prague, Loew Schwab of P)uda-Pesth and Aaron 
 Chorin of Arad. 
 
 In addition to his Talmudical studies he devoted 
 earnest and close attention to Hebrew grammatical 
 learning, so that he was able to write Hebrew with 
 classic beauty and power. He wrote Jewish poetry 
 with easy grace, and many of the classic poems of 
 Schiller were rendered by him into the language of the 
 di\ine psalmist. 
 
 In 1830 he left the Yeshivah and went to Bosko- 
 vitz to relatives, where he remained only a few weeks. 
 In September of that year he removed to Prossnitz, be- 
 coming the scholar of Loew Schwab, then the 
 Rabbi there, who, later on, became his life-long 
 friend and father-in-law. Here did he begin his stud- 
 ies of foreign languages such as French, Italian and 
 the ancient classics of Rome and Atht-ns. 
 
LKOPOIJ) L()K\V. 257 
 
 In all of these he acquired more than superficial 
 proficiency, and a complete bibliooraphy of his works 
 must name articles of literary and scientific merit writ- 
 ten in Hebrew, (ierman, Hunoarian, PVench and 
 Latin. 
 
 In Prossnitz he received the appointment as Hebrew 
 teacher. One of his pupils, Louis Schnabel,* of New 
 York, at one time Superiutundent of the Hebrew Orphan 
 Asylum of that city, puldished in the "Deborah" a 
 series of interesting reminiscences of those days, pay- 
 ing a tribute of grateful love to the memory of his be- 
 lo\ed teacher. Mr. Sclinal)el cannot find words suffi- 
 cienth' eulogistic of Loew's great success as a teaclier, 
 leader, guide, and as a man of amiability and geniality. 
 Instead of the stereotyped, long 'trodden way of teach- 
 ing "Lainen"* and "Rashi," he taught the I>ible 
 pure and simple, in a manner which enal)les the stu- 
 dent to understand and to appreciate it grammatically, 
 aesthetically and arcluieologically. 
 
 In 1835 he emigrated to Hungary. The year be- 
 fore that he decided upon this step, because the 
 "Landes Rabbiucr" — i. e., Chief-Rabbi of Moravia, had 
 refused him a Hatarah on the ground that he, Loew, 
 should never become a Rabbi with his, the Chief-Rab- 
 bi's aid, deciding that a man like Loew, who can read 
 and write German and other languages, is not fit to be- 
 come a Rabbi. 
 
 Loew went to Budapest, Hungary, and here he 
 formed the acquaintance of Loew Schwab, the Chief- 
 Rabbi of the large Congregation. He acted as pri\'ate 
 tutor in several Jewish families and in addition he pur- 
 sued his studies. 
 
 In a table of hours showing his division of time it 
 is made to appear, that his first lessons began at three 
 
 ♦Louis Schnabel, a Moravian, is the author of several interestinfj 
 Ghetto-stories, which were jnihlished in the "Jewish Messenger" of 
 New Vork. Sch. 
 
 t"Lainen" is a corrupt (iennan expression for roailinj£ from tlie 
 Sefer Thora (scrolls of the law). It desiKnales also the attempts 
 of younjj students of the Talmud, to "read" or find out the meaniui; 
 of a Talinudir passage. Sch. 
 
25'^ RKK<>K^rHI) JUDAISM. 
 
 o'clock in the inorniiig. For five years he worked 
 very hard. Every branch of human knowledge was in- 
 cluded in his curriculum. He studied mathematics and 
 geometry, dogmatics, theology and philosophy, exegesis 
 and hermeneutics, logic and psychology, ethics and met- 
 aphysics, the classics and the interpretations of the 
 Scriptures, history and languages, natural history and 
 natural philosophy, oriental languages and archaeol- 
 ogy. None of these were taken up haphazard, but 
 methodically and systematically. 
 
 One-sided philological, historical, philosophical 
 studies then commanded and even now command al- 
 most the exclusive attention of Hebrew scholars. Loew 
 was a close student. Dogmatics, ethics, catechetics 
 and homiletics were fields on which he culled 
 with observing eye, adapting their systems to his own 
 studies. 
 
 In 1837 he graduated from the Lutheran Lyceum 
 of Pressburg, and in 1840 he passed his examination as 
 ''HauptschuUehrer, " at Vienna. 
 
 In the year 1840 he accepted a call as Rabbi of the 
 Jewish Congregation of Nagy Kanizsa in Hungary and 
 1)egan his useful career of Rabbi, teacher and 
 preacher. 
 
 One year previous he had begun his literary career 
 with the publication of a Rabbinical -Reform pro- 
 gramme, which caused men like Holdheim, Manheimer 
 and Schwab to regard the young author with high ap- 
 preciation. This programme was a preface to the great 
 Aron Chorin\s ''Jeled Sekunim." It bears the name: 
 *'Die Reform des Rabbinischen Ritus auf Rabbinischeni 
 Standpunkte."* Thirty years later as the biographer 
 of Aron Chorin and in a critical study — published un- 
 der the pseudonym: "Dr. Weil," — Loew erected a suita- 
 ble and worthy memorial to his great friend and fore- 
 runner. 
 
 *vSee page S9, of this book, also I^oew's Nachgelassene Schrif- 
 Icn. Vol. II, ediled by his learned son and successor in office, Dr. 
 Jniinanuel I,c>e\v, (Szegedin, 1S90). Seh. 
 
LEOPOLD l.OKW. 259 
 
 In Nai;v-Kaiiis/,a he be,i;aii to carry oil I his Rclorin- 
 prograninic. vSviiagoj^uc and school, the two fields ol 
 his labor, soon showed the results of his beneficial ef- 
 forts. Instead of the jari^on sanctioned by custom, 
 orauiuiar and a correct language were introduced. The 
 language of the country was taught, trade schools and 
 girls' schools were opened. 
 
 In the year 1844 he began to preach in the Magyar 
 tongue and to write articles in that language. He pub- 
 lished them in the famous "Resti Hirlap," the foremost 
 Mag\ar newspaper, edited by the Historian Szaki)- 
 and later on by the world -famed Louis Kossuth. One 
 of his articles was an answer to the latter, then only a 
 lukewarm advocate of the rights of the Jews, for 
 which lukewarmness and especially for some derogatory 
 remarks Loew held Kossuth responsible. His 
 Hungarian literary work of those days was almost ex- 
 clusively devoted to awaken in the Magyar Jew a 
 patriotic spirit and to educate and ripen his people for 
 that position, which to attain, was the highest ambi- 
 tion of his life: the emancipation of the Jews in 
 Hungarv. His next efforts were directed to awaken a 
 spirit of love and appreciation in the hearts of the 
 Hungarian people and nation towards the Jews in 
 Hungary. During these years he also began his agita- 
 tion for a correct translation of the Hebrew PJible into 
 the Magyar, a work finished about thirty years after- 
 wards under the auspices of the ''Hungarian Jewish 
 Societ\". " 
 
 Another aim of his life, set then, and ever after- 
 wards most faithfully kept before his view, was to be an 
 ever watchful guardian of his people and his religion 
 against the attacks of the enemies of Jews and Judaism. 
 
 In the month of August, 1846, he moved to Papa, 
 a city in the County of Veszprin, Hungary, having ac- 
 cepted a call from the large and important Jewish Con- 
 gregation of that city. But the Jews of Papa, intimately 
 connected with the jews of Pressburg, could never for- 
 give Loew for his audacity in spending almost two 
 vears in Pressburg, and instead of attending R. Moshe 
 
26o RKl'C)K.Mi:n JIDAISM. 
 
 Szoter's Jeshiba, * studying at the Lutheran Lnxxuui. 
 Here began Loew's religious martyrdom. 
 
 It is impossible to draw a correct picture of the 
 fight, which his call to Papa caused to break out. To 
 understand it full}', one must know the condition of 
 civilization of the Magyar Jews and Magyar Christians 
 of those days; one must have a clear insight into the 
 political organization of the Hungarian Comitatus- 
 System of that time. The protest against his election; 
 — the numerous charges against him, based principalh- 
 on the ground that he was a Reformer, caused a stir in 
 the town- and county meetings, went to the" Statt- 
 halterei" in Ofen, were referred to "Obergespans" 
 and Vice-Gespans to the "Lord of the Manor" 
 and ended finalh' with the election of Loew being con- 
 firmed and the numerous charges against him all being 
 dismissed. Some of his calumniators were even sent 
 to prison. 
 
 Loew's days in Papa were full of sorrow, full of 
 l)ilterness, but he felt no discouragement. He worked 
 indefatigabl}-. He began his labors by consecrating 
 the new Synagogue and followed it up by organizing a 
 new school of four classes. He published the "Ben 
 Chananja,' ■ a monthly dedicated to the interests of Jews 
 and Judaism in Hungary, which publication he renewed 
 several years afterwards and continued for a decade, 
 making the "Ben Chananja" one of the foremost re- 
 ceptacles of Jewish thought in Europe. His "sermons" 
 were delivered in German, and occasionally in 
 Hungarian. While at Papa he became also Professor 
 of Hebrew at the Protestant Collegium of that city. 
 This was one of the causes that brought about such a 
 fierce opposition against him. His Congregation con- 
 sisted also of people in whose eyes the very fact, that a 
 Rabbi should teach men who were to become "Gallochs" 
 (priests), or that a Rabbi should be seen in modern 
 
 *See about Moshe Szofer, page 77,of tliigbook; alsQ Loew: "Der 
 Jueil. Congress" and, "Die Lebensalter." 
 
LEOPOLD LOKW. 261 
 
 dress* side ])y side with a Catholic or rrotestaiit 
 minister was considered a sacrilege. In the opinion of 
 those fanatics, a Rabbi must shun society. 
 
 The Hungarian revolution caused the political 
 nuirtyrdom of Leopold Loew. 
 
 Loew became a chaplain of the national guard and 
 went into the field of battle. His revolutionary ser- 
 mons were by order of the government distributed 
 among the army. Kvcn to-day they are considered 
 masterpieces of ^lagyar pulpit-oratory, and in hand- 
 books of Hungarian eloquence, in Hungarian literary 
 histories, they are referred to and cited as some of the 
 best works of their kind within the range of Hungarian 
 literature. 
 
 At the close of the war, Loew and his father-in- 
 law, Schwab, the Chief-Rabbi of Pesth, were arrested 
 bv the Austrian military authorities and were sent to 
 prison. Loew spent several weeks there. One by one 
 his fellow prisoners were taken out and — shot or hung. 
 The two Rabbis, however, were finally saved. The 
 efforts of their faithful wives (mother and daughter) 
 proved successful, and they were set free "for want of 
 proof." But Loew was placed under a kind of police- 
 supervision and was ever surrounded by ''Spitzeils." 
 (spies). In addition to the fact related below, show- 
 ing how severely Loew was being watched by the 
 police of Austria, the following anecdote is of interest: 
 When Loew was pardoned he was ordered to include 
 into the regular prayer for the emperor and the imperial 
 family, a prayer for Haynau, the military commander 
 of Hungary. Loew promised that he would do so. 
 Years afterwards one morning, Loew, taking the news- 
 papers into his hands, finds a telegraphic dispatch stat- 
 ing that Haynau had died. On the Saturday following 
 Loew left out the prayer for Haynau. Within an hour 
 after the close of the service of that dav he was taken 
 
 *IvOew always wore the picturesque dress on the Magyar: Top 
 boots, an "Attila" reaching below his knees, a "Kossuth" hat with 
 a tassel dangling over the rim of the hat. 
 
262 K1',1<()KM1',)> [IDA ISM. 
 
 before the military authorities and char<red with havin^; 
 broken faith by having; neo^lected to deliver the usual 
 prayer for Hungarv's military commander, who had 
 saved his life. Loew tried to justify his act by show- 
 ing, that Haynau being dead and buried, it would be a 
 stupid thing to pray for him the same prayer as when 
 he was alive and in office. The military authorities 
 were "generous" enough not to punish Loew, but only 
 to "reprimand" him, and ordered him to continue his 
 prayers for Haynau until he (Loew) would be 
 "officially" notified that he need not do so any longer. 
 
 The Jews of Hungary, however, their two fore- 
 most men being saved, were ordered to pay one 
 million Gulden as a fine for their participation in the 
 national cause! When Francis Joseph I had become 
 king of Hungary, de jure, (1867), Loew became the 
 spokesman of a committee which appeared before the 
 king and requested him to remit the then still unpaid 
 portions of this fine. The fine was remitted, and set 
 aside as the National Jewish school-fund, out of which 
 among other institutions of learning the Rabbinical 
 Seminary in Buda-Pesth is supported. 
 
 Loew\s participation in the Magyar revolution, 
 his pamphlets and public letters, his inspiring sermons, 
 that had been published and distributed broadcast 
 throughout the land, were greatly instrumental in 
 causing the independent revolutionary government to 
 promulgate a law emancipating the Jews of Hungary. 
 •It was in 1849, when Minister Bartholomew Szmere 
 read from the balcony of the Szegedin City Hall, then 
 the seat of the government, the order: "The Jews of this 
 land are recognized as citizens of this land." 
 
 A few days later the disastrous revolutionary war 
 came to an end. 
 
 Loew returned to Papa, but remained there a short 
 time only. Within a few hours after his almost 
 miraculous release from imprisonment, his enemies be- 
 gan to embitter his life and to take steps to supply the 
 "proofs" against him that were wanting before. He 
 received a call to Szegedin, the great Magyar city of 
 
T.Koi'oi.D L()i:\v. 263 
 
 the Magyar lowlands, and accepted it. In the days 
 following the Hungarian revolution it was for him not 
 a matter of course to receive such a call, as it was not a 
 matter of course for the Congregation to issue it. Roth 
 parties had to petition the government until finally 
 the necessar)- consent was obtained. In Decem[)er, 
 1850, he assumed the Rabbinate of Szegedin and filled 
 it for a quarter of a centur\-. 
 
 His salutatory, a sermon of great force, was 
 l)ublished under the title "Die heiligen Lehrer der 
 Vorzeit," and is a bpld and manly Reform-programme 
 of an enlightened mind and a truly religious soul. Two 
 editions thereof went through the press. 
 
 lu Szegedin Loew enjoyed the peace he had not 
 known for years and his educational, literary and 
 theological labors showed the beneficial influence of 
 his happy surroundings. His foremost works were 
 written there, and the longer he lemaiued there, the 
 more closely connected he became with his Congrega- 
 tion, which loved him, and with his city which honored 
 and respected him as one of its most prominent 
 citizens. While in Szegedin he received .several calls 
 Irom other Congregations. Vet, his answer was in- 
 variablv, that he could not leave his Con^reofation and 
 his city. Among these calls were tho.se extended to 
 him by the Jews of Lemberg, Galicia, the Congrega- 
 tion of Bruenn in Maehren, the Congregation of 
 Bucharest, Roumania. 
 
 In 1871 he was called to Berlin to the " Hocii- 
 .scliule fuer die Wis.senschaft des Judenthums," just 
 then opened, and in 1873 he was offered the Directory 
 of the Rabbinical Seminary of Buda-Pesth. 
 
 The ''Mafteach, an Introduction into the Holy 
 Writ," was his first greater work ]Miblished in Szeg- 
 edin. It is a very com])reheiisive work of Jewish 
 exegi.ses. 
 
 In 1858 Loew began the publication of his 
 "P.en Chananja," at first as a monthly, later on as a 
 weekly journal, dedicated to Jewish theology. For ten 
 years this magazine, published in a corner of Hun- 
 
264 KKKOKMED Jl^DAISM. 
 
 gary. was one of the ])est exponents of Jewish thoujj^ht 
 and Jewish science. 
 
 In 1863 he was cited before the military trilounal, 
 as Hun,o;ary was then nnder military rnle. The j^ov- 
 ernment had issued an order relating to the consent 
 necessary to be obtained from the political authorities 
 before Jewish weddings were allowed to be celebrated, 
 and ordered also a revenue tax to be paid in the form 
 of stam])s on and for the ''Kethuba" (contract). 
 
 J^oew criticised this movement of the government 
 in unmeasured terms, and though his criticism caused 
 a repeal of the order to tax the " Kethuba," he was 
 .sentenced to two weeks imprisonment, which impris- 
 onment, however, the military commander of Szegedin 
 suspended. "The orders of the government'," he was 
 told by the military auditor, "are not issued for the 
 purpose of being criticised by you." "And yet," Loew 
 replied, "the Minister of Finance repeals the rescript 
 in consequence of this very criticism of mine." 
 
 Similaily did he fare when in 1863 he protested 
 against the orders of the government appointing special 
 Jewish overseers of schools, to be paid by the Jewi.sh 
 Congregations. In his protest he used the following 
 language: "The Jews of Hungary do not beg, they 
 ask not for charity in their religious or in their educa- 
 tional matters. They demand only what is their due. ' ' 
 The government again felt itself constrained to retrace 
 its steps. In spite of the fact that he was considered a 
 "suspect," and that to every sermon of his, even at the 
 graveyard, the military authorities sent a "controller," 
 Loew was still a "persona grata." The purity of his 
 character and his great learning were held in high es- 
 teem by ' ' the powers that were, ' ' and on numerous 
 occasions the government, which watched his very 
 words, referred to him important questions relating to 
 Jewish law, Jewish ritual, cult, customs, arising in 
 Congregations, or before courts of law. 
 
 His written opinions upon these subjects, which 
 fill a mighty volume, are perfect gems of deep thought 
 and ju'ofound learning. 
 
LOEPOLD i.OEW. 265 
 
 In consequence of these requests of the govern- 
 ment, he edited a number of school books for elemen- 
 tary schools and wrote a Biblical history which his son, 
 Dr. Tobias Loew,* rendered into Hungarian, and of 
 which five editions went through the press. In re- 
 sponse to similar requests, Loew published his famous 
 study on the "Jewish Oath," being an exhaustive 
 critical essay on the history of the oath of the Jews. 
 Count Coloman Tissa read this essay at a meeting of 
 the Royal Academy of Sciences of Hungary, and the 
 '^Jewish Times," (Editor, Moritz Ellinger, New York, 
 1872), published an English translation thereof in its 
 columns. Another of his more important opinions fur- 
 nished to the government was "The Jewish Cult," an 
 historical and critical essay, which appeared also in 
 English translation in the columns of the "Jewish 
 Messenger." (Rev. Dr. Isaacs, editor, New York). 
 
 To name here all his works in this field would ex- 
 tend the boundaries of this biography beyond the al- 
 lotted space. The " Augsburger-Allgemcine Zcitung" 
 compares Loew's activity upon this field to that of the 
 Gaons of old. 
 
 The "Ben Chananja" championed not only the 
 cause of reformed, purified Judaism, but also the 
 rights of the Hungarian Jew. When in August, 1862, 
 Trefort, later :\Iinister of Cult and Education in Hun- 
 gary, in an academic lecture made a remark derogatory 
 to the Hungarian Jews and to Jews generally, Loew 
 addressed him in an open letter, which created astir all 
 over Europe. The great daily papers reprinted it and 
 from the most distant parts of the civilized world came 
 letters of thanks for his splendid defense. 
 
 In 1867 the Hungarian parliament emancipated 
 the Magyar Jew. "Ben Chananja" had achieved one of 
 the great objects for which it had been founded. 
 
 Its literary and scientific merits were recognized 
 by the great Abraham Geiger, in his ''Juedische Zeit- 
 
 *He held the oflSce of Deputy Attorney-General of Hungary ami 
 (lied June 6th, iSSo. 
 
266 RKKORMRD JUDAISM. 
 
 sclirift fucr Wisseiischaft mid Lebeii," in the following^ 
 
 "But 'Ken Chananja' confines itself by no means to 
 the important occurrences of the day; it enters earnest- 
 ly into deeper scientific questions and has furnished 
 many a noteworthy contribution to religious and to his- 
 toric learning. 
 
 "The opinions of the editor upon manifold ques- 
 tions which not only touch matters of daily life, but 
 also imj)ortant rites of religion, bear witness to his deep 
 insight into Jewish life and his profound learning on 
 historical and theological subjects. Such contributions 
 are of enduring value. 'Ben Chananja,' in almost every 
 one of its numbers, proves that in spite of all rigidity, 
 the later teachers, and not only the philosophically 
 educated ones, never sacrificed their own independent 
 convictions. This serves to enlighten history and to 
 strengthen the ajjpreciation of the fact, that in Judaism 
 the free decision according to one's own convictions 
 never subjugated itself to the dead letter of the Tal- 
 mud." 
 
 When in 1868 "Ben Chananja" ceased to exist it had 
 secured as co-laborers and contributors some of the very 
 foremost representatives of Jewish learning in all Eu- 
 rope, even the United States of America giving their 
 share (Dr. M. Milziener and the late Dr. Huebsch), to 
 the brilliant list. It ceased to exist, because, L<oew 
 said, the Jews in Hungary being emancipated, it is not 
 fair that a newspaper devoted to their interests should 
 be published in the German language. 
 
 He devoted his time to his historical studies.* 
 Some of his articles relating to the history of the Jews 
 in Hungary are published as early as 1841 in Bush's 
 "Jahrbuch fuer Israeliten" (Isldor Busch of St. Louis, 
 Mo.) and in other periodicals and weeklies. "Die Jue- 
 dischen Wirren in Ungarn;" " Der Judische Con- 
 
 *ne was a member of several Hungarian Historical Societies and 
 one of the judges designated to read the prize-histories of the City 
 of Szegedin. 
 
LKOPOLD LOEW. 267 
 
 gress;" "Juedische Dogincii;" " Das neueste Stadium 
 der Uiig. Jued. Organisation frage," the ten vohnnes 
 of his Ben Chananja, are rich repositories of his histor- 
 ical and critical studies in this field. 
 
 In 1870-71 he published his first volume of his 
 ''Beitraege zur Juedischen Alterthums-kunde/' being 
 two volumes of "Graphische Requisiten u. Erzugnisse 
 bei den Judeu," which were followed soon after by an- 
 other volume "Die Lebensalter." 
 
 These two works crown his efforts in the field of 
 Jewish archaeology, a subject upon which he was au- 
 thority. In the ''Literarisches Centralblatt," his"Le- 
 bensaiter" was reviewed by the great critic Franz Del- 
 itzsch, who said: The author, among the Rabbis of Hun- 
 gary the most prominent and also one of the most in- 
 fluential members of the Synod, proves in the work 
 before us, not only his magnificent intimacy with the 
 whole range of Jewish literature into its very narrowed 
 corners, but also a rare knowledge of history which re- 
 minds one of D' Israeli's curiosities of literature; he is 
 a surprisingly well read mind, who has a saying of 
 Clans Harms as well as a passage of Heinrich Heine 
 at his command; he masters his subject, which in its 
 form, as built by him, is an architectural beauty, and in 
 its style is an artistic gem, which teaches pleasantly 
 and changes even abstrusities into playthings of charm- 
 ing causeries." 
 
 In April, 1889, the "American Hebrew,'' in an ar- 
 ticle on "Children in Jewish Literature," by S. Schech- 
 ter, cites "Die Lebensalter" of Loew as authority upon 
 the subject and says of Loew: "Dr. Loew was not 
 very familiar to English Jews, but he was among the 
 few Rabbis of the modern school who, besides their 
 secular attainments, posse.'Jsed a sound knowledge of 
 the Talmud both in its Haggadic and its Halachic lit- 
 erature."' 
 
 His third work upon the subject of Jewish archae- 
 ology, which was to appear under the title "Der Syna- 
 gogen-Ritus," he did not complete. Part of it ap- 
 peared after his death in "Frankel's ^lonatschrift." 
 
2^)8 KKHORMKD JTDAISM. 
 
 A collection of his Magyar sermous published un- 
 der the title "Beszedek" (speeches), received a full and 
 very laudatory review in the "Jewish Times." The late 
 Dr. Anthony Hofer — an attache of the New York Herald 
 — was requested by the editor to review it. 
 
 Closely connected with Loew's Rabbinical life was 
 the national life of his country. A collection of his 
 ])ublished sermons, would show the political history of 
 Hungary during the years of his Rabbinical career. I 
 point to his addresses: ' 'The Dawn of the Revolution," 
 (1840-48); "The Heroic Struggle," (1848-49); "Vae 
 Victis" (1850-63); "The Dawn of Constitutional Free- 
 dom," (1 863- 1 867); "Constitutional Liberty and Jew- 
 ish Emancipation in Hungary," (1868-1875). 
 
 He loved to celebrate national-political events in 
 his Temple. His commemoration sermons, delivered 
 on the deaths of Gabriel Klanzal, Baron Joseph Et- 
 voes, and Szechenyi, three famous Magyar statesmen, 
 were greatly admired. 
 
 Other occasions, as the opening of the first Hunga- 
 rian Parliament, the coronation of the King, a wed- 
 ding of one of his children, the dedication of 
 a new Synagogue, (he dedicated fourteen S}'nagogues 
 in Hungary), furnished themes for eloquent sermons, 
 which were published and widely read. 
 
 His position in Szegedin was one of compara- 
 tive ease and comfort, yet of constant struggle and care. 
 
 A three-fold martyr: Political, religious and lit- 
 erary, he was ever engaged in fight, now against igno- 
 rance, now against arrogance, now against the blind 
 zeal of Chassidim, now against the impetuousness of 
 the so-called Parnassim. 
 
 The Jewish Congress of or in Hungary knew him 
 not among its delegates. This Jewish Congress was a 
 pet scheme of the then minister of cult and educa- 
 tion, Baron Joseph Eotvoes, a truly warm friend of the 
 Magyar Jew. To bring about a concentration of the Jew 
 and the Jewish Congregations of Hungary under the 
 paternal care of the government was his plan, and the 
 Jewish Congress was to discuss and prepare for it. 
 
LKOPOl.U LOKW. 269 
 
 A verv interesting condition of affairs arose in 
 Hnni;arv. Loew, the very foremost of Reformers, and 
 the most orthodox Chassidim, were for once of the 
 same opinion, to-wit: Both were opponents of the 
 Jewish Congress. The motives of their objections were, 
 however, different. Loew's opposition to the centrali- 
 zation of Jewish Congregations was based, amongother 
 reasons, on the fact, that, "the historic conditions nn- 
 der which a Jewish Congress in Hungary could and 
 should organize the Jewish Church in Hungary, are 
 not yet understood, and that the matter is in the hands 
 of dilettants, who, however kindly disposed, forget, 
 that the divine command 'in the sweat of thy brow 
 shalt thou eat bread' applies here also and was not 
 meant to refer to the bread we actually eat." 
 
 Loew was a member of the Jewish Synods held at 
 Leipzig and at Augsburg. The New York World's 
 correspondent said of him, in a pen picture, that his 
 patriarchal appearance made him worthy the brush of 
 a Rembrandt, while his learning and eloquence, his 
 kindness and geniality, made him a beloved member of 
 that noteworthy gathering. His reports to the Synod, 
 as for instance his opinion upon the subject of rid- 
 ing on Sabbath- and Holidays,are full of profound learn- 
 ing and show a most scrutinizing examination of the 
 subjects of which they treat. 
 
 Loew's social status in Hungary cannot very well 
 be described by me. Jew and Christian loved, hon- 
 ored and esteemed him, and vied with each other to 
 show and to prove it on every possible occasion. Gen- 
 erals of the army, ministers of the state, dignitarie.-; of 
 the church called on him to pay their respects to him. 
 When Szegedin wanted the Roman Catholic Bishop 
 Horvath to represent it in parliament, the city ap- 
 pointed a committee to urge the prelate to accept. As 
 leader and speaker of this committee they named the 
 Rabbi. On numberless occasions, at count v meetings, 
 political festivals, bani[nets of public bodies, it was 
 always Loew who was invited and honored to be the 
 spokesman. It was in Czegled, where he had dedi- 
 
270 RKFORMKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 cated the Tenipk-, that the city and county authorities, 
 headed by the Catholic and Protestant clergy, honored 
 him with a torchlight procession. This very city of 
 Czegled, ten years later, was the scene of a most dis- 
 graceful anti-Semetic riot. 
 
 Old peasants and peasant women, school-boys and 
 school-girls would gather around him and happy was 
 he or she who could get hold of his hand to press it 
 with a reverential kiss upon it. He knew everybody 
 and everybody knew him. With the clergy of the 
 other denominations of his city he stood on terms of 
 intimate friendship. The "piobst" of Szegedin, hoary 
 Anthony Kremminger, was happy, when, on an impor- 
 tant occasion, — the installation of the Vicegespan* of 
 the county, — he had a chance to toast his friend, the 
 Rabbi, calling him b\- names of endearment and 
 reverential respect. 
 
 Loew's Reform-programme was based on the 
 teachings of what he called "the historical school." 
 Beneath a picture 'of his, he wrote the following 
 sentence: "Patience! the future of Judaism belongs to 
 that school which can best understand the past." 
 
 No changes and innovations were even attempted 
 by him, without educating his people to the high 
 standard of intelligence and learning necessary to 
 understand and to appreciate them and to know the 
 why and wherefore thereof. On the 13th of October, 
 1875, he died. 
 
 Whenever a Hungarian Jew steps up to the ballot- 
 box to exercise his constitutional right to vote; when- 
 ever he sees a co-religionist occupying a responsible 
 position of honor and trust in public life; whenever he 
 takes an oath without being compelled to humiliate 
 himself; whenever Jews all over the world see Jewish 
 learning appreciated, Jewish schools blooming, Jewish 
 manhood and Jewish womanhood honored, they will 
 
 *An office similar but more iufluential than that of County- 
 Judge in this country. 
 
LEOPOLD LOKW. 27 I 
 
 think of Leopold Loew,who did so much toward Ijrini^- 
 ing about these happy results. 
 
 They will think of him, who was the greatest 
 Hungarian Jewish patriot, the deepest Hungarian 
 Jewish thinker, one of the most indefatigal)lc and most 
 successful workers for truth, light and justice. His 
 memorN' will ])c ])lessed. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 ABRAHAM C'rKIGKR. 
 
 While comparatively little has l)eeii published on 
 the lives of the majority of the leaders of Reform Juda- 
 ism, especially in the English language, Abraham Gei- 
 ger forms an exception to the rule. Already in 1842 a 
 short biography of Geiger was published in the Silesian 
 lexicon of authors (Nowack's "Schlesisches Schriftstel- 
 ter-Lexicon," Breslau, 1842). The Brockhaus "Con- 
 versations-Lexicon" of 1846 and 1876 and Meyer's 
 "Lexicon" third edition, (Leipzig, 1876), contain in- 
 teresting articles* on Geiger, as does also the Encyclo- 
 paedia Britannica. Berthold Auerbach published a 
 most excellent article on Geiger in the "Gegenwart," 
 (Berlin, 1874, Vol. H, pp. 291-93), Professor L Deren- 
 bourg, of Paris, in the last number of Geiger's "Jued- 
 ischeZeitschrift fuerWissenschaft undLeben" (Breslau, 
 1875, Vol. XI, pp. 299-308), and Karl Emil Franzos 
 in the "Neue Freie Presse," (Wien, January 12, 1879), 
 reprinted in the "Israelitisches Germeinde-und Famili- 
 enblatt," (Nos. 12, 13 and 14, 1879), which I had pub- 
 lished while Rabbi in Bonn. The "Jewish Times" (New 
 York) of 1874 and 1875 contains quite a number of 
 memorial sermons delivered in this country in honor of 
 (jeiger. Dr. Itinhorn's most excellent sermon is pub- 
 lished in the collection of Einhorn's sermons edited by 
 Dr. K. Kohler (New York, 1870-80, Steiger). Dr. N. 
 
 *The articles of 1876 in both Encyclopedias were amended and 
 augmented hy (leiger's learned son, I'rof. Ludwig Ueiger. 
 
274 RKKOKMl-:!) Jl'DAISM. 
 
 Briiell, late Rabbi of Frankfort-oii-the-Main, published 
 also his sermon on "Geiger, " delivered during a me- 
 morial service. Prof. Ludwig Geiger published "Abra- 
 ham Geigcr's Life in Letters" (Vol. V of " Posthumous 
 Works," P>erlin, 1875, Gerschel; also a special edition, 
 Breslau, 1885, W. Jacobsohn & Co.) I published in 
 1879 '.'Abraham Geiger as a Reformer of Judaism." 
 In the English language a short .sketch of Geiger' s life 
 can be found in Henry S. Morais's "Eminent Israel- 
 ites of the Nineteenth Century" (Philadelphia, 1880), 
 from page 92 to page 96. I am very much pleased to 
 see that this conservative author thus commences his 
 sketch: "Great among the greatest for originality of 
 thought and masterly ability in treating a variety of 
 subjects is Abraham Geiger. An imperishable evidence 
 of the depth of his understanding and versatility of his 
 powers he has left in his works upon which scholars 
 will long ponder, not only for the broad knowledge 
 they disclose of Hebrew^ literature, but also for the in- 
 sight into Semitic languages that the author affords 
 the student. No better characterization of Geiger can 
 1)e given than the words which Dr. Herzfeld, of Braun- 
 schweig, once said to me: "Geiger was the teacher of 
 the teachers." Dr. Nehemias Bruell said of him : 
 "Later generations will look upon him as upon one of 
 the greatest teachers of Judaism, as the father of a new, 
 purified conception; as a man who, though at the be- 
 ginning single-handed, whom a few only followed, 
 against whom many fought, yet, undaunted and sure 
 of victory, had advanced in the path of truth, and has 
 become a guide to all who strive higher, and a blessing 
 to all Israel. * * Side by side with the names of 
 
 Hillel, R. Jochanan b. Saccai, Saadia b. Joseph, Mose 
 ben Maimon, Asaria de Rossi, Moses Mendelssohn, will 
 radiate forth in all its brilliancy to the remotest times 
 the name of Abraham Geiger." 
 
 No less an authority than Dr. David Einhorn called 
 Geiger "the most prominent teacher of Judaism in our 
 generation" ("Sermons," page 91). As it is not easy 
 to do full justice in an English translation to the fol- 
 
ai;kaiia.m ckighk. 275 
 
 lowing classical passage of Kiiiliorirs sermon on "Gci- 
 ger," I also quote il in the original German: "Undander 
 Spitze der Maenner solchen glorreichen Strebens und 
 Gotteskampfes stand Abraham Geiger; er, der mit dem 
 Schwerte seines reichen W'issens wie kein Anderer es 
 verstand, Wege durch Felsen zu br'echen und die eiser- 
 nen Riegel vor der Pforte nnserer Schatzkammen zu 
 sprengen; er, der mil dem Zauberstabe des Genius, in 
 unserem innersten Heiligthum. in der .Bibel, neue 
 Welten der Wahrheit erschloss, und mit tiefblicken- 
 den Seherauge in die verborgensten und entlegensten 
 Theile nnserer Geschichte eindrang, um das Juden- 
 thum zu verherrlichen und den Nachweis zu liefern, 
 dass, und in welcher Weise aus den vSplittrn des juedi- 
 schen Geistes der Reichthum der Religionen aller geb- 
 ildeten Voelker geflossen." ("And at the head of the 
 men of such a glorious ideal and struggle in the cause 
 of God stood Abraham Cxciger; he who understood bet- 
 ter than any other how to break paths through and to 
 \n\rst open the iron bars before the gate of our treasure- 
 houses; he who disclosed with the magic wand of genius 
 new worlds in our innermost sanctuary in the Bible, 
 and who with eyes of a penetrating seer entered into 
 tile most hidden and remotest parts of our history, in 
 order to glorify Juddism and to offer the proof that and 
 how the wealth of the religions of all intelligent nations 
 had come from the splinters of the Jewish spirit." 
 But the mere fact that Einhorn in speaking of Geiger 
 had taken as his text, "And there was light — that 
 means Abraham Geiger,"* proves more than anything 
 else what a high opinion this great Reform-Rabbi of 
 America must have entertained of the hero of this chap- 
 ter, whose disciple the writer of this book had the 
 ]nivilege of being from 187 1 to 1874 in Berlin. 
 
 A most remarkable pamphlet, "]\Iodern Judaism, 
 its Emancipation and Reform as brought about by the 
 Merits of Lessing, Moses ^Mendelssohn and Abraham 
 '^xeiiier,"' bv the Danish Professor P'rederic Xielson, 
 
 *He alludes to the naint- "Abraham' and to Isa. LI, 2. 
 
276 RKl''t)K.MI'.l» JIDAISM. 
 
 translated from the Danish into German by I{. Schnh- 
 macher (Arensburg, 1880), while written in an orthodox 
 Christian spirit, does full justice to Geiger, and is im- 
 portant for the keen appreciation it manifests for mod- 
 ern Judaism. 
 
 Abraham Geiger was born in Frankfort-on-the- 
 Main, May 24, 18 10. His father, Rabbi Michael Laz- 
 arus Geiger, was a scholar and highly respected in his 
 Congregation. Every Sabbath he delivered a "Drasha" 
 (lecture), which he usually read before young Abraham 
 on Thursdays. Geiger's mother, "Roeschen" (nee 
 Wallau), while not agreeing with the religious opin- 
 ions of her son felt ver^^ proud of him and greatly 
 rejoiced in his fame. His brother Salomon was his 
 teacher, and is always spoken of by Geiger in terms of 
 deep reverence. The great talents of the bo)- mani- 
 fested themselves very early, ilt the age of two years 
 he was already well known among the Jews of Frank- 
 fort for his wonderful brightness, and when three years 
 old, he could do what the majority of American-Jewish 
 boys cannot accomplish — namely, read Hebrew and 
 German. At the age of six years he studied the Bible, 
 the Mishna and the Talmud. When nine years old he 
 created a sensation in the city of Mayence, 
 and was honored by excellent testimonials from 
 the Rabbis of that city. Of plays, he knew nothing, 
 a fact which he deeply regretted in later years. From 
 his .sixth to his eighth year he attended a .school, the 
 teachers of which were ignorant and the pupils naughty 
 in the extreme. They hated and envied him on account 
 of his "pride" — he took no part in their mean tricks — 
 and prominent faculties. Hence he left that school 
 where he could profit nothing and only lose his good 
 manners. Mathematics and the Talmud were now his 
 favorite studies. His father and brother Heyman were his 
 teachers. The Talmud engulfed his whole attention 
 to such an extent that he would not even read a book 
 written in German. Touchingly he writes in his diary 
 concerning this time: "Woe, woe! How have you fled, 
 the years of my childhood! Neither were lessons of 
 
AiiKAiiAM c;i-;ic.i-:k. 277 
 
 morals inculcated into me, nor was my body strength- 
 ened by means of physical exercises, nor was my soul 
 ennobled by instruclion and education. WocI they 
 are gone! Come back, that I may make use of you!" 
 Geiger was strictly orthodox up to his tenth year. But 
 already in his eleventh year doubts began to awaken 
 in his breast. He was prohibited from reading the 
 history of the Jews. He obeyed this instruction, but 
 he read Becker's ''Handbook of History," and the 
 reading of Greek and Roman history caused him to 
 pause and think. So, for instance, his orthodox 
 conscience was troubled by the question whether it 
 might not be possible that, just as well as Minos had 
 ascribed his doctrines to Jupiter, Lycurgus his to Apollo, 
 Numa Pompilius his to Kmperia, so might Moses have 
 ascribed his to Jehovah. But, in accord with Talmud- 
 ical dialectics, he answered these questions satisfactorily 
 to himself claiming that those heathen legislators in 
 ascribing their laws to their Gods had imitated Moses, 
 who was inspired by God. At the age of twelve he was 
 ' 'loved by fools, respected by ignoramuses, honored by 
 the orthodox," but "pitied by the educated classes of 
 Jews," as he graphically puts it. The Rothschilds paid 
 for his instruction in Latin and Greek. At his "Bar 
 mitzvah" he delivered a "Drasha" (essay on a Halachic 
 subject) which was full of Talmudical subtleties, and 
 a German sermon, during the delivery of which some 
 pious men had covered their faces with their hands. 
 After his father's death in 1823 he became utterly dis- 
 gusted with the Talmud, and his friends, Ludwig 
 Brauufels (his nephew), Max Loeb, S. Bruehl and 
 Ignatz Elissen confirmed him in his views. On the 
 other hand, his family wanted him to become a Rabbi, 
 without, however, being aware of the change which 
 had taken place in his views. Thus he was very 
 unfortunate indeed, as he was not fashioned for a 
 hypocrite, and yet had felt within himself the ambition 
 for theological activity. It must be said, however, 
 that his mother did notice the change which had taken 
 place within him. 
 
2"]^ KHFUR.MKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 April 28, 1829, Geiger arrived in Heidelberg, 
 where he devoted himself in full earnest to the study 
 of classical philology and Oriental languages, under the 
 guidance of Professors Umbreit, Creuzer and Herr- 
 mann. Aside from this, he studied the Syrian language, 
 without in the least neglecting his Talmudical studies, 
 and continued his labors on the ]\Iishna, which he had 
 commenced July 21, 1827. At that time already he was 
 aware of the fact that the spirit of the Mishna is 
 different from that of the Gmara, inasmuch as it does 
 greater justice to the rules of sound logic, and does not 
 indulge so much in rabulistic sophistry and idle argu- 
 mentation. He also studied anthropology under Daub, 
 aud history of literature and culture under Schlosser. 
 Nevertheless, he was not satisfied with the opportuni- 
 ties for study offered to him at Heidelberg, and left, 
 therefore, for Bonn, where the celebrated Orientalist 
 Professor Freytag, filled the chair of Oriental 
 pliilo.sophy. On his way to Bonn he stopped at 
 Carlsruhe, where the Jews greatly displeased him. 
 There he met Dr. Berthold Auerbach, who remained 
 his lifelong friend. Geiger's original intention was to 
 give up the study of theology in Bonn; but his short 
 stay in Frankfort, where new interest was just then 
 manifested in religious matters, induced him to devote 
 his life to the enlightenment of the Jews. He did not 
 want to go to the Wuerzburg Jeshiba, which he called 
 in his diary the "well-known Jesuit institution;" .^o he 
 wended his way to Bonn, where he arrived Oct. 28, 1829. 
 
 The causes of Geiger's wavering irresolution as to 
 the continuance of his theological career were two: — 
 In the first place the conditions of Judaism in Frank- 
 fort, where he found two extremes, the radical and 
 hyper-orthodox Jews (Nachgelassene Schriften, \"ol. 
 I, pp. 298-299) were far from encouraging. Secondly, 
 the few Jewish theological students, whose acquaint- 
 ance he had made in Heidelberg, disgusted him entire- 
 ly with the Rabbinical career. In a letter to Prof. 
 Paulus, he speaks thus on the subject: "I found 
 Jewish theologians in Heidelberg who walked in dark- 
 
Ar.KAIIAM (iKICxKR. 279 
 
 ness, and the thoiioht of the many obstacles which 
 would be laid in my way by such theolo.^ians, and the 
 battles I would be compelled to fight with them, em- 
 bittered me against the study of theology, and Oriental 
 languages engrossed my attention." (N. Schr. Vol. V, 
 p. 47.) If he could have known of the struggles 
 awaiting him in Breslau, he could not haxe written 
 better and more to the point. 
 
 In Bonn life began to be more interesting to him. 
 He mingled more with the people, although he shun- 
 ned the well known societies of the students as they 
 flourish in every German University, because he want- 
 ed to study and not merely to be called a "student." 
 But he met there Jewish theologians, who brought 
 back his taste for and reconciled him again to the 
 Jewish theology. I mention as belonging to this cir- 
 cle, S. Scheyer, Samson Raphael Hirsch, his intimate 
 friend, but later his most fierce and bitter opponent, 
 Ullman, later Rabbi in Coblentz; Gruenebaum, still 
 Rabbi in Landau (86 years old); Frensdorff, later Di- 
 rector of the "Seminary for Teachers" in Hannover, 
 Rosenfeld, Hess and others. "Hirsch," Geiger said 
 in his diary, "has been dragged into a peculiar mode 
 of thinking, through Bernays in Hamburg, has ac- 
 cepted his excessive veneration of the Bible, and his 
 after-philology, in the explanation of the same." 
 
 The.se students had formed a Society December 6, 
 1829, in Geiger's room, the object of which was to 
 preach every Sabbath alternately, and to criticise rigid- 
 ly these sermons. It was to my knowledge the first 
 .society of its kind in modern times. Geiger prai.sed 
 Hirsch' s extraordinary eloquence, keen penetration 
 and quick perception. Hirsch spoke well of Geiger' s 
 sermon (January 2, 1830), and for a year they read to- 
 gether cursorilv the treatise on sacrifices in the Tal- 
 mud (Sebachin). "Thus," the diary continues, "a 
 mutual esteem and love has grown. I esteemed his 
 excellent faculties, his rigid virtue, and loved his good 
 heart; he respected my talents, loved my frankness and 
 mv vouthfnl cheerfulness." I nuntion this on account 
 
28o KKFOR^rKD JUDAISM. 
 
 of the fierce opposition which sprano; up later among 
 the two friends. Geiger mentions that he redeemed 
 Ullman from his orthodoxy. 
 
 How zealously he had studied can be judged from 
 the following curriculum. He studiously attended the 
 lectures of Brandis, on logic, of Calcker on introduc- 
 tion into philosophy, of Freytag on the Arabic lan- 
 guage and exegesis, of Welker on classical philology, 
 of Niebuhr and Huellman on history, of Haase on an- 
 thropology, of Bobrik on philosophy. Aside from this 
 he studied metaphysics, physics, rhetoric, psychology, 
 read Herbart's writings with Scheyer, and in company 
 with FreusdorfF and Rosenfeld devoted a great deal of 
 time to the study of the Talmud. And yet, he found 
 time to give private lessons, partly gratuitously to his 
 friends, partly for the sake of improving his financial 
 condition ; to read thoroughly the German classics, and 
 to take interest in political questions which necessitated 
 a more than superficial reading of the daily press. He 
 was a great enthusiast for political liberty. Concerning 
 the affairs of Judaism in those days, he complains of 
 the atheism and immorality, of the lack of religious in- 
 struction and of the general ignorance of the young. 
 He denounces the worship of the dead letter and the 
 materialistic tendency which was en vogue among 
 students of theology who considered the office of Rabbi 
 as a milking cow. The following is an interesting 
 characteristic of his friends in Bonn, of Samson Raph- 
 ial Hirsch he says, that he indulges in philosophical 
 speculations in the pulpit; of Ullman, that he is too 
 sentimental; that Hess has no idea of what a sermon 
 is,thatFrensdorff preaches to scholarly, and that Rosen- 
 feld is shallow, continuing : ' 'We have no inspiring pat- 
 terns, no masters whom we could follow. If only a 
 Jewish Seminary should be erected at an University 
 where exegesis, homiletics, Talmud and Jewish history 
 should be taught in a true religious spirit, it would be 
 the most fertile, and most instructive institution." 
 This was written August 22nd, 1832, which proves 
 bevond a shadow of a doubt, that Geiger was the very 
 
ABRAHAM GEIGER. 28l 
 
 first among all the Jewish theologians of the nineteenth 
 centnry, who advocated the important idea of found- 
 ing a Jewish Theological Faculty or Seminary, for the 
 edtication of Rabbis. This is a significant historical 
 fact, because the versatile editor of the "Zeitung des 
 Judenthums," Dr. Ludwig Philippsohn, tried fifteen 
 years later to claim the origination of this idea for 
 himself. See also an article of Geiger on this subject 
 in his "Wisseuseleaftlishe Zeitschrift fuer Juedische 
 Theologie" (1835), which was published later in 
 pamphlet-form. In the meantime he continued his 
 grammatical and lexicographical labors on the :\Iishua. 
 Lessing's theological writings, had an inspiring effect 
 on him, and his "Wolfenbuettel Fragments'' awakened 
 in Geiger the thought of a similar work in the domain 
 of Jewish theology. Indeed he published in 1856 a 
 work, "Leon Da Modena," which reminds one forcibly of 
 Lessing's "Wolfenbuettel Fragments." Gabriel 
 Riesser's little pamphlet "On the Condition of the Pro- 
 fessors ot the :\Iosaic Faith in Germany," exercised a 
 great influence upon Geiger, and iii a letter to S. R. 
 Hirsch, then Rabbi at Oldenburg, he expressed him- 
 self in the most sanguine manner as to the effect of 
 this book in creating a spirit of union and in eradicat- 
 ing the demoralizing usury among the Jew^s. It is 
 significant that Geiger deemed it necessary to add, 
 "Do not consider this matter too worldly and not be- 
 coming your position." (Nachgel. Schriften, VI, page 
 49). How times have changed! Geiger the student 
 an enthusiast for harmony and union among the 
 German Jews, while S. R. Hirsch devoted the labor of 
 his life to dismember and to tear asunder the Congre- 
 gations of Israel, a work which his disciples and 
 followers still pursue. It speaks well for Geiger, that 
 already as a student he felt disgusted with Heinrich 
 Heine's sneering and jeering railleries, while Boerne's 
 earnest love of liberty was sympathetic to him. 
 (Nachgel. Schriften V, page 39). Yet the so-called 
 historian Graetz speaks enthusiastically of the 
 apostate Heine. Geiger was highly esteemed by the 
 
282 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 celebrated Orientalist Prof. Kreytag, on account of his 
 proficiency in the Arabic and other Semitic languages. 
 Mostly on Geiger's account the University of P>onn 
 offered a prize for the best work on the question: 
 "What has Mohammed taken from Judaism.''* The 
 prize was awarded to Geiger, August 3rd, 1842. This 
 excellent book secured him also the diploma of Doctor 
 philosophiae in 1835. 
 
 To his intimate friends belonged the Oppenheimer 
 family in Bonn; Elias Grunebaum, then a student at 
 Bonn, who was for the last fifty-six years District 
 Rabbi of Landau, — Geiger speaks of him as a " philo- 
 sophical head full of earnest will and warm zeal for 
 theological studies;"- — I. Dernbourg, of Mayence, now 
 Professor of Hebreu Rabbinique on the Ecole des 
 Hautes Etudes and membre de I'Institut in Paris, and 
 Heinrich and Solomon Hertz, of Cologne. In spite of 
 his lack of time Geiger started a ' ' Society for the 
 Furtherance of Culture among the Jews in Bonn." 
 This society drew him into controversies with the 
 fanatics of that old community. 
 
 Now the question arose with Geiger, how to find a 
 suitable field for his activity. F'or a Reform-Rabbi of 
 Geiger's calibre, sixty-one years ago in Germany, this 
 was by no means an easy task. He applied for the po- 
 sition of Rabbi, then vacant at Hanau, and preached 
 there June 16, 1832, but was not elected on account of 
 his advanced views. He did not belong to the class of 
 the "smart" Rabbis of to-day, who in their trial-ser- 
 mons follow the maxim of that French philosopher 
 who said that "the language is given for the purpose 
 of hiding the thoughts." Still, in November of the 
 same year (1832), he was elected Rabbi of Wiesbaden. 
 He was at that time engaged to be married to Emilie 
 
 *The original question of the philosophical faculty was formula- 
 lated as follows: "Inquiratur, in fontes Alcorani seu leges Moham- 
 edicae eos, qui ex Judaisnio derivandi Sunt." The Commentary of 
 the English Orientalist Sale, and a few extracts of Beidhavi's Com- 
 mentary, made by Prof. Freytag during his staj' in Paris, were all 
 of the material of which Geiger could make use in his difficult 
 work. 
 
AHRAIIA.M CrKIGKK. 283 
 
 Oppenheiin, ol" Bonn, a highly educated lady, on May 
 25, 1833. But he did not marry before July i, 1840, as the 
 salary in Wiesbaden — four hundred Gulden (about one 
 hundred and thirty dollars), per annum — did not per- 
 mit him the luxury of marriage. 
 
 Though the Congregation was small, it contained 
 quite a number of intelligent Jews, who were in favor 
 of progress and Reform. Geiger had to preach, to give 
 religious instruction to the older pupils, to supervise 
 the elementary instruction of the teachers, to perform 
 wedding-ceremonies in neighboring places, and to offi- 
 ciate at funerals. He preached every Sabbath, because, 
 as he expressed it in a letter to Gruenebaum, "he want- 
 ed the sermon to be regarded as a necessary part of the 
 divine service." (December 29, 1832). We must not 
 forget that a sreat manv Tews considered the sermon sim- 
 ply in the light of an unnecessary addition to the service. 
 Geiger was a fiery, enthusiastic and forcible preacher, 
 for whom preaching was no labor, but a pleasure. He 
 was beloved by his Congregation, established in 1835 
 an "Israelitschen ^laenner-Krankenverein," (Society for 
 the Purpose of attending to the Sick), published an 
 "Order of the Synagogue," which abolished abuses in 
 the worship, and fought against the obsolete form of 
 the Jewish oath. Through teaching the Confirmation- 
 class he gained great influence upon the youug. He 
 had several Conferences with his Frankfort friends 
 Creizenach, J. S. Adier, Jacob Auerbach, Dernbourg, 
 P\ Flehinger (Rabbi of Merchingen), Darmstadt and 
 others, in which important questions concerning the 
 welfare of Judaism were discussed. This was virtually 
 the first Ral)lMnical Conference of modern Judaism, and 
 surelv the forerunner of all succeeding Conferences. 
 This fact is also of historical importance, as Dr. Lud- 
 wig Philipp.sohn claimed to be the instigator of the 
 modern Rabbinical Conventions in the interest of 
 Reform -Judaism. 
 
 But all this was not sufficient for Geiger's scope of 
 action. He studied most zealously the philosophical 
 and theological literature of the day, especially " The 
 
284 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Life of Jesus," by David Friedrich Strauss. He 
 divined fully in his letter to Jacob Auerbach on this 
 work, . that this Strauss would revolutionize the 
 Christian Church (January 9, 1837). Geiger intended 
 to publish, in company with FrensdorfF,Dernbourg and 
 others, the works of the Jewish philosophers of the 
 middle ages. 
 
 But the time was not yet ripe for a work mapped 
 out on such a grand scale, although Geiger was ready 
 to do his share of the work. 
 
 He was, however, more fortunate -with his other 
 venture, the publication of his "Wissenschaftliche Zeit- 
 schrift fuer Jeudische Theologie," (Scientific Journal for 
 Jewish Theology), although he had very little encour- 
 agement. September, 1832, before he had occupied a 
 position, he wrote to FrensdorfF on the subject of this 
 periodical. Starting from the valuelessness of "Sulam- 
 ith," which had outlived its usefulness,* he claimed, that 
 the time had come for a scientific treatment of Judaism, 
 no matter what the results might be. 
 
 In spite of disappointment and discouragement the 
 Zeitschrift was published, the first three volumes from 
 1835 to 1838. The first two numbers of the fourth 
 volume were printed in Frankfort (Sauerland's Ver- 
 lag) and the last two numbers in Stuttgart (Brodhag). 
 Following is a partial list of the contributors to the 
 Zeitschrift: Salomon, Kley, Rappoport, ]\Iannheimer, 
 Creizenach, Zunz, Abraham Kohn, Bloch, (Buchau), 
 Herxheimer, and Joseph Aub (Rabbi of Bay reuth, Mainz, 
 Berlin), Leopold Stein, Gruenebaum, Dernbourg and 
 Jacob Auerbach. The fact that such a galaxy of the 
 brilliant intellects of Israel contributed to the periodi- 
 cal is the best proof that it had really filled a long felt 
 want. It advocated the progressive development of 
 Judaism, and tried to prove historically the origin 
 and growth of the Jewish ceremonial law. By this 
 
 *The tendenc}- of the Sulamithisthus characterized in his letter. 
 "It says to the Christians: 'We Jewish children are no more as 
 naughty as we have been. We behave better, we imitate you, and 
 are, therefore, worthy of our rights.' " 
 
ABRAHAM GKIGER. 285 
 
 critical method it was easily shown how a great many 
 of the ceremonies, customs and usages of the Jews and 
 their raison d^ etre in certain circumstances, had out- 
 lived the sphere of their usefulness in our age and 
 amidst occidental surroundings. Reform is nothing 
 new, as changes have taken place in all ages and climes, 
 in accord with the demands and exigencies of the times. 
 On account of the dispersion of Israel among all na- 
 tions, their religious institutions were by no means free 
 from non-Jewish influences. It was in particular 
 pointed out where Reform was needed. This system 
 is justly designated as historical-critical, based as it is 
 on scientific research and investigation. Therefore 
 Geiger deserves to be styled the creator of a scientific 
 Jewish theology, which has placed the Jewish Reform- 
 movement on the firm basis of science. The little there 
 was of this movement before Geiger, was merely the 
 result of an aesthetic want in the service of the Syna- 
 gogue. It simply touched the surface, but did not en- 
 ter into the very spirit of Judaism. Thus practical 
 questions of Jewish life were treated in the Zeitschrift, 
 for instance the "Jewish Customs of Mourning, " "Mu- 
 sic on Sabbath and Holidays in the Synagogue," "Re- 
 moval of the Shoes on the Day of Atonement and on 
 the Ninth of the Month of Ab, and during the Blessing 
 of the Priests," by A. Kohn; "The Holidays," by 
 Bloch; "TheChalizah," by Guttman; "The Position of 
 Women in the Synagogue," by Geiger, and others. 
 These things may appear insignificant to-day, but they 
 were momentous questions in those days, and the mere 
 fact that Rabbis often of small Congregations had the 
 courage to give freely their advanced opinions on these 
 subjects has done wonders toward establishing the 
 principle of a scientific Reform and toward creating a 
 warm interest in this movement, even in circles where 
 Reform was either utterly unknown or was not deemed 
 worth while thinking of. For, so long as the Reform- 
 movement was in the hands of a few preachers, school- 
 teachers and private men, the official Judaism, as rep- 
 resented b)' the Rabbis, took hardly any notice of it. 
 
^S*^, REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Gciger's agitation, however, emanating as it did, from 
 a Rabbi, aided and abetted throngli his Zeitschrii't by 
 Rabbis, did not fail to call attention and to produce a 
 certain consternation in the camp of orthodoxy. Just 
 imagine for a moment that at a time when to be a 
 Rabbi and to be strictly orthodox were identical terms, 
 quite a number of young Rabbis, under the leadership 
 of Geiger, dared to throw the gauntlet to the powerful 
 and influential orthodoxy of Europe, and to advocate 
 Reform in their official capacity as Rabbis, thus invest- 
 ing the despised and hated Reform-movement with 
 Rabbinical authority. This was a very bold step in- 
 deed sixty years ago, because unheard of before in the 
 checkered histor}- of Judaism. 
 
 But the Zeitschrift, while in the main devoted to 
 the internal affairs of Judaism, and to a scientific re- 
 search into its history and literature, did not neglect 
 to fight valiantly for the emancipation of the Jews. I 
 only mention Geiger' s forcible and classical refutation 
 of A. H. Hartman's hostile assaults against the Jews. 
 Geiger justly held the opinion that outward oppression 
 is always the source of stagnation, stability and retro- 
 gression within.* A glance at the miserable state of af- 
 fairs of Judaism in Germany to-day, where officially 
 orthodoxy holds sway, wdiile practically atheism and 
 indifference are rampant, prove the truth of this view. 
 
 Geiger' s prize-essay: "What has Mohammed 
 Taken from Judaism?" was published in book form in 
 1834 in Bonn. The celebrated Orienialist, Sylvester 
 de Sacy of Paris, and other eminent scholars spoke 
 highly of it, and helped to establish Geiger' s literary 
 reputation. He published also interesting articles in 
 the "Universal Kirchen Zeitung, " of Darmstadt, and 
 in other journals. 
 
 But his main object to bring the progressive Rab- 
 bis of Germany together in convention, was not lost 
 sight of and he worked undaunted by obstacles, until 
 
 *See Zeitschrift, I., 552-567, 340-357: II-. 78-92, 463-473, a°(l '"3' 
 "Der Fortschreitende Rabbinisnius." (Konigsberg, 1S77). and page 
 130 of this book. 
 
A15RATIAM CxKIGKR. 287 
 
 he succeeded. Thus, iu August, 1837, the first Rab- 
 biuical Coufevcuce was held at Wiesbadeu. It was at- 
 teuded by Drs. Geiger, Kohu, of Hoheuems; Mayer, of 
 Stuttgart; Bloch, of Buchau; Wasserman, of Mueh- 
 ringen; Wagner, of Mannheim; Herxheimer, of Bern- 
 burg, Aub, of Beyreuth, Stein, of Burgkunstadt; Gutt- 
 nian, of Redwitz; Loewy, of P'uerth and Wechsler; 
 Friedlaender, of Brilon, then eighty years old, Gruene- 
 bauni, of Landau, Hess, of Eisenach, came too late; 
 Selz, of Uehlefeld and Neubuerger sent excuses, but 
 declared their sympathy. While we cannot chronicle 
 great tangible results of this Conference, the mere fact 
 that the most intelligent and cultured Rabbis of Ger- 
 many had assembled to discuss subjects pertaining to a 
 Reform of Judaism, was in itself a result of important 
 consequences for the future. True, their orthodox 
 opponents ridiculed it, saying, that nothing was done. 
 The same thing was said by the orthodoxy after every 
 similar assembly in the last fifty years. But it was, to 
 say the least, a proof of courage, and self-denial, that 
 those Rabbis were not afraid to attend such an assembly 
 which was called together lor the purpose of advanc- 
 ing the cause of progress and Reform among the Jews. 
 Loewy, Guttman, Kohu, Bloch, Wechsler, Herx- 
 heimer and Aub are complimented by Geiger in his 
 letter to Jacob Auerbach, (August 22, 1837), for their 
 zeal and activity. It was resolved, that practical ques- 
 tions should be discussed in the Zeitschrift and that 
 the Rabbis should give their opinions and final votes 
 on them. Loewy, ?ylayer and Stein were appointed a 
 committee to publish a home prayer-book in accord 
 with the demands of the times. The report spread by 
 the orthodoxy, that the members of the Conference 
 were ordered by the government to disband proved of 
 course untrue. 
 
 But it cannot be denied, that notwithstanding the.se 
 results Geiger did not occupy the position to which he 
 was entitled. Not only was his salary so poor, that 
 he could not afford to marry his beloved Emilie Oppen- 
 heim, of Bonn, but neither his literary nor his Re- 
 
288 RKFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 form aspirations could find realization in the small 
 Conc^regation of Wiesbaden. (See Geiger's Nacligel- 
 Scliriften, pages 77, 80, 81 and loi.) 
 
 No wonder that he applied for the position in 
 Gothenburg (March 6, 1835). But owing to the de- 
 nunciations of his orthodox "friends" he was not 
 elected on account of his "heresy." It must be said 
 that Geiger, in his application for the position, did not 
 in the least attempt to conceal his ideas. In 1838 he 
 gave up his position in Wiesbaden, to the great regret 
 not only of the government, but also of the Congrega- 
 tion, which is proven by the letters addressed to Gei- 
 ger by the two bodies. 
 
 But now the time seemed propitious to Geiger's 
 orthodox enemies to vent their spite and to wreak 
 their vengeance on him. In the Zeitung des Juden- 
 thums of August 18, 1838,* he was slandered by 
 an anonymous, who said that Geiger was compelled to 
 resign his position in Wiesbaden on account of his ' 'im- 
 moral character. ' ' This coward went so far as to sus- 
 pect him politically. Gabriel Riesser and the Board 
 of Trustees of the Wiesbaden Congregation felt called 
 upon to answer that contemptible correspondence in a 
 manner highly flattering to Geiger. When the office 
 of ' 'Land-Rabbi' ' was created in Wiesbaden, the position 
 was again off"ered to him. His relations to his Con- 
 gregation was always most pleasant. When he cele- 
 brated his twenty-fifth jubilee as Rabbi, (November 21, 
 1857), he was made the recipient of an elegant present 
 and of a complimentary letter from his former Congre- 
 gation in Wiesbaden, and when the new Temple was 
 finished, Geiger was called to Wiesbaden in order to 
 dedicate it August 24, 1869. His sermon on that oc- 
 casion, "Israel's Spiritual Life," was printed and repub- 
 ished in his "Nachgel.Schriften, Vol. I, pp. 434-444." 
 
 *It was in bad taste on the part of Philippsohn, the editor of 
 the paper, to publish an anonymous slanderous correspondence 
 against Geiger, the successful candidate in Breslau. The very fact, 
 that Philippsohn was also a candidate for the Breslau position, 
 ought to have prevented him from publishing the libel. 
 
ARRAHAM Crl-.KiKK. 2.Sq 
 
 Shortly before his departure for Wiesbaden he 
 published in his Zeitschrift an article "The Author 
 and the Rabbi," (Vol. I, pp. 492-504), which may be 
 considered as the programme of his comin^^ strno;gles. 
 Tile drift of this article is, that the author has the 
 whole community of Israel as his audience. Therefore 
 he has not only the right, but the duty to consider the 
 disagreements and divergencies of the entire commu- 
 nity of Israel. He has the privilege to express r.is 
 opinions, no matter how much they may differ from 
 those generally accepted, and time must show whether 
 his arguments are convincing. He is bouu'l to call 
 forth opposition, but this will only help the cause he 
 represents. Absolute truth and the eventual dominion 
 of the idea must be his ideal. But the same author 
 will have to employ a different method in his quality 
 as Rabbi of a single Congregation. Then and there, 
 he must accommodate himself to the desires of the 
 members, and in view of his success in practical work, 
 he will be satisfied with what he can accomplish. He 
 will make use of existing circumstances to the best of 
 his ability. A man of peace, he will labor in the field 
 which is not at all touched by partisan strife. While 
 as author he may oppose certain customs and usages, 
 he will make good use of them for the same purpose in 
 his quality as a Rabbi. In short, while the aim and 
 object of the Jewish author and Rabbi are identical, 
 the means to be employed are naturally different. As 
 long as both labor in the cause of the ultimate realiza- 
 tion of the Jewish religious idea, they fulfill their mis- 
 sion. It is, therefore, not hypocrisy or incon.sistency, 
 if a man, who as author advocates progressive measures 
 of Reform, is conservative in his Congregation. 
 
 This view was sustained by the most prominent 
 Rabbis of Europe during Geiger's troubles in Pireslau. 
 
 GKIGKR IX BR?:SLAr. 
 
 Xotwithstanding the fact that Hreslau could boast 
 of a comparatively large number of cnltured Jews, 
 orthodoxv in its strictest form had still full control there 
 
2qo RKKORMKl) J l' DA ISM. 
 
 in the l^eginniiig of the fourth decade of this centurv. 
 Rabbi S. A. Tiktin held full sway in the Jewish Con- 
 gregation of Kreslau. As an instance of the tyrannical 
 way in which Tiktin availed himself of his power, I 
 call attention to the following fact. A Jewish printer 
 by the name of Sulzbach, was about to print M. 
 I>rueck\s reformatory publication on the ^'RaVjbinical 
 Ceremonies," but S. A. Tiktin, like a censor of the in- 
 quisition, prohibited Sulzbach from doing so. This 
 was possible in Breslau in the year 1836. The book 
 was published, anyhow, by the bookseller Schultz at 
 the instigation of the lexicographer, Dr. W. Freund, 
 and did not fail to create a great sensation on account 
 of its bold criticism of the Rabbinical additions to the 
 the laws of Moses. Geiger published a thorough and 
 favorable review of this book in his ' 'Zeitschrift, ' ' ^' which 
 fact was the cause of numberless annoyances and evil 
 consequences for the young Rabbi. 
 
 When the desire to introduce German sermons, 
 and a reformed service in the Synagogue of Breslau 
 could no longer be suppressed, the general attention 
 was directed upon Geiger. He declined, however, to 
 accept the position ot a mere preacher; he wanted to 
 be Rabbi. I have tried to explain in the chapter on 
 Holdheim, that it was not a question of vanity, but of 
 principle, why Holdheim as well as Geiger, insisted on 
 the title of "Rabbi." In the meantime the "Rab- 
 binats-assessor" Falk of Breslau died (1838) and the 
 vacant position was advertised. The advertisement 
 called for "theologians endowed with Biblical, Tal- 
 mudical and scientific scholarship," who were "capable 
 of delivering instructive and edifying sermons on each 
 Sabbath." Of twelve applicants for the position, four 
 were found worthy of special consideration, namely: 
 
 Drs. Luduig Philippsohn, Samuel Holdheim, 
 Solomon Herxheimer, and Abraham Geiger. At the 
 instigation of the committee, the latter was invited to 
 stop in Breslau on his trip through Germany and to 
 
 *See pages 63-65 of this book. 
 
AI'.KAIIAM CI'.IC.MK. 2CJI 
 
 delivt-r SLVcial sermons in the vSvnaj^o^ne. (iciger 
 replied that it is not his cnstom to deliver 
 trial sermons, but that he would be willing to 
 preach once. He arrived in Breslau July 17th, and 
 was invited to preach July 21. Rabbi Tiktin received 
 also an invitation to be present on the occasion of 
 Geiger's sermon. But Tiktin's party lost no time in 
 trving to prevent the sermon. They called the atten- 
 tion of the Chief of Police Heincke to the fact that the 
 king had ])rohibited the delivery of German sermons in 
 a Jewish house of worship.* He referred them to the 
 government, went to hear Geiger's sermon, and com- 
 ing home from the Synagogue, found the answer from 
 Berlin, that Geiger should not preach. Geiger's ser- 
 mon was electrifying, and produced the greatest en- 
 thusiasm, although very many of his audience had be- 
 come utterly indiflferent to religion. He preached on 
 the text ''Generation goeth and generation cometh, but 
 the earth stands forever" (Kohelet I, 4), and pointed 
 out that in the midst of eternal change the spirit only 
 is immutable. Israel is always the same, so far as the 
 basis of its spiritual existence is concerned, although 
 the manifestation of this fundamental thought has 
 been different at different times. Israel, in the times, 
 of the prophets, was another than the Israel in the 
 dispersion, and the Israel of to-day is again another, so 
 far as customs, usages and observances are concerned. 
 Therefore the outward form must not be idolized, be- 
 cause it is changeable. The prophets say: "It has 
 been said unto thee, oh man, what is good, and what 
 thy God expects of thee, nothing but 'o 'do justice, 
 love kindness, and to walk humbly before they God.' " 
 (M call VI, 9). Now, suppose you would answer: I 
 have practiced numerous ceremonies, but I was not 
 always just, then you have neglected the eternal tor 
 the sake of the perishable. Straw, stubble, chaff and 
 wheat disputed once, each of them exclaiming: 'For 
 mv sake was the field sown.' The wheat, however, 
 
 *This was clone after the Jacobsohii Temple in Berlin had been 
 clo'iefl in 1^27,. 
 
292 KI-:K0KMK1) JUDAISM. 
 
 said: 'Wait until the owner of the field arrives/ As 
 soon as he came, he threw away the straw, burnt the 
 stnbble, and let the chaff fly away. But he most care- 
 fully gathered the wheat. Now it is not necessary to 
 throw away the chaff before the wheat is ripe. Thus it 
 is with the forms and ceremonies, the bearers of the 
 spirit. As soon as the spirit has departed from 
 them, they are like straw, stubble and chaff, useless 
 in the cause of piety. Institutions change with the 
 times. When you gather water in a reservoir and shut 
 it up carefully, you will find after weeks the same 
 drops. But is it the same water? Why no! It is a 
 stagnant pool. The taste is gone. So it is with the 
 lifeless form, which cannot be preserved, after its 
 spirit has departed. (3nly the husk changes, not the 
 kernel and essence."'^ In consequence of this sermon 
 Geiger was elected as second Rabbi and "Rabbi- 
 natsassessor" of the Breslau Jewish Congregation, July 
 25th, 1838. 
 
 Now one might think that the election excitement 
 Ijeing over, things in Breslau went on quietly and 
 smoothly. But this was not at all the case. On the 
 contrary, the machinations of the enemies of progress 
 ■in general and of Geiger in particular, were just now 
 commencing in full earnest, and on a most extensive 
 scale. Before Geiger's election his opponents found 
 fault with him on account of most ridiculous trifles. 
 Thus they objected to the gown he wore in the pulpit, 
 because it was made of velvet and not of silk, which 
 was the fashion among the Polish Rabbis. They found 
 fciult with him because he folded his hands and directed 
 his eyes heavenward while praying, and because he 
 said '^ 'Abraham" instead of "Avrohom," "Isaac" in- 
 stead of "Jizchak," "Moses" instead of "Maushe," 
 and so forth. 
 
 After his election, -however, these comparatively 
 harmless tactics were changed, and a fierce, bitter, yea, 
 
 +This sermon was published in pamphlet form (Breslau 1838, 
 Friedleander) and is reprinted in Geiger's Posthumous works; Vol. 
 I, pages 355-369. 
 
ADRAIIA.M GKI(;i:k. 293 
 
 desperate fi<^lit was made aj^aiust liiin, in which means 
 most foul were employed to serve the end, all of course 
 ^''ad majorcm dei gloriatn.^'' 
 
 All efforts were made to prevent the sanction of 
 Geiger's election by the government. In Prussia, the 
 goxernment has the power to veto the election of any 
 clergyman. In Geiger's case such a nullification of his 
 election was the more plausible, as he was considered a 
 foreigner in Prussia — he was a Frankforter — and was in 
 need of naturalization papers. Four individuals had so 
 far forgotten every sense of decency and shame, as to 
 make themseives guilty of political denunciation, which 
 is called ''Messirah" and is considered in the Talmud one 
 of the worst crimes, equal to murder, incest and idola- 
 try (Talm. Jerusch. Peah i, 13). Now these- four 
 champions of the Talmud importuned the Prussian gov- 
 ernment not to naturalize (leiger, because he was not 
 only an innovator, but a dangerous demagogue-, who 
 aimed at the destruction not only of the church but of 
 the state. These "Watchmen of Zion" added the sin 
 of bearing false witness against their fellowman to the 
 crime of denunciation. But not satisfied with this 
 dirty piece of work, Rabbi Tiktin and his henchmen 
 hired a baptized Jew, Franz Karl Joel Jacoby, to write 
 a promemoria against Geiger. The Prussian ministry 
 demanded of Geiger an explanation of the charges of 
 heresy brought forward against him. Geiger answered 
 thoroughly, and proved to the satisfaction of the 
 government the ignoranceand maliciousness of his ac- 
 cusers. The following passage of Geiger's excellent 
 reply may find a place here: "What, however, demon- 
 strates, be\"ond a doubt, the malicious intentions and 
 the evil designs of the traducers, is the manner of their 
 attempt to bring into disrepute in the eyes of the gov- 
 ernment, all those who happen to be opposed to their 
 private opinions. Not capable of doing battle with 
 the spirit, they would like to make use of the sword of 
 the laws, by stamping every view differing from theirs, 
 as the result of re volutionaiy ideas. It is revolting in 
 the extreme, that people should arrogantly impute to 
 
294 KKF()KMl';i) JI'DAISM. 
 
 men whom tlie\' owe their better civil condition in the 
 state, a 'passion lor innovations' and 'malevolence;' that 
 people in their malicions cowardice and mean deceitfnl- 
 ness dare to say of men who always defend them 
 against hostile attacks, that they cause themselves to be 
 used as tools for a revolutionary movement. 
 
 Geiger went in the meantime to Bielefeld and 
 Frankfort, where he came in contact with the Prussian 
 ambassador, whose opinion was required as to Geiger's 
 political record. He answered that nothing of any 
 damaging character could be found in the records at 
 Mayence, and that having read the " Zeitschrift" he 
 could not help being astonished at the ability and vast 
 scholarship of Geiger as manifested therein. 
 
 In order to be nearer Breslau, Geiger went to Ber- 
 lin, w^liere he remained from September, 1838, to De- 
 cember, 1839. He conferred with the ministers Alten- 
 stein and Rochow, and with Alexander von Humboldt, 
 whose powerful influence greatly benefitted his case, 
 and who remained his life-long friend. Among other 
 acquaintances of note, which Geiger had formed in Ber- 
 lin were: Bettina v. Arnim, ]\Iax Ring, who wrote an 
 excellent poem on Geiger, while presenting him in 
 Breslau with a costly cup in the name of the Congrega- 
 tion; H. D. Oppenheimer, Ludwig Bamberger, and 
 Leopold Zunz, in whose house he was always a wel- 
 come guest. The leading men of the Berlin Jewish 
 Congregation had done absolute!}- nothing, although 
 they were requested b}^ the Congregation of Breslau to 
 interest themselves in behalf of Geiger and his just 
 cause, which was also their cause. This fact is in 
 keeping with the character of the Berlin Jews, who 
 deemed themselves very crafty in doing — nothing. 
 
 The following extracts of Geiger's letters during 
 his stay in Berlin will alwavs remain interesting read- 
 ing. In a letter to Jacob Auerbach he says among 
 other things: " Neither the government nor the Jews 
 will weaken me in my firmness. The former would 
 like to get rid of me in roundabout ways. But this 
 will not do, they have to say clearly and definitely, 
 
Ar.RAHAM (IKKiHk. - 295 
 
 ' We do not want you,' or they have to accept me. 
 I o-ive a year of inv life and even more, '' * that 
 the Prussian government may speak out clearly and 
 decisivelv as to its measures toward Judaism without 
 subterfuges. * * They would like very much to 
 
 tire me out, so that I should throw away the pittance, 
 which would give them a chance to pose as the lovers 
 of justice; yes, I would go, would have gone long ago 
 if it had been only my own affair. As it is, I will 
 carrv the matter through to the very last moment. 
 These gentlemen, as well as the faint hearted Jews, are 
 mistaken in me. My perseverance is a cause of em- 
 barrassment to their weakness and to their tricks, and 
 thev confess already that they are embarrassed. * * 
 
 I am much too proud to attack Philippsohn as an op- 
 ponent of mine. * * That I do not like the Jews 
 of Berlin you know by this time through Mr. :\I. It 
 is here where a person learns to know what indifter- 
 entism means. * They are here very strong in nega- 
 tive action only. * ' * They say that the cancer 
 must not be cut out, a little scraping is sufficient. 
 This mav look nice for a time, but the cancer contin- 
 ues to eat. * * I know that I will accomplish 
 more in creating religious interest and in weakening 
 indifferentism than all these men who talk so positive- 
 ly. * * Please give my pamphlet on the 'Es- 
 tablishment of a Jewish Theological Faculty' nc 
 further attention. Let it sleep as does the faculty. 
 The latter walks, thank God, in the realm of the 
 sainted souls, and has fled from his friend Philippsohn 
 and his con.sorts. Its enemies would not have done it 
 any harm."t 
 
 In a letter to M. A. Stern, dated August 2, 1839, 
 he savs: '^The embarrassment of the government 
 grows on account of my perseverance, aided by the 
 constancy of the Congregation in P>reslau. The latter 
 
 *Thi.s remark is just exactly as true to-day as it was fifty-one 
 vears ago. 
 
 tLetter to Jacob Auerhacli, dated Ik-rlin, June i3-2ist 1S39 (Post- 
 huniou- \Vork>, Vol. V, pages 140-142). 
 
 O 
 
296 RKFOKMKI) jri'AlSM. 
 
 acts indeed nobly. No trouble and no costs are avoid- 
 ed — you can well imagine that I do not live here at 
 my own expense — in order to bring about a favorable 
 result. Even if the decision of the government should 
 turn out against me, the attention and sympathy which 
 the matter has produced, cannot help bearing fruit. 
 But should the result be favorable, great things have 
 been accomplished, and I hope to do much in a Con- 
 gregation of such importance as the one in Breslau.* 
 
 Of his relation to Zunz, Geiger says in another 
 letter to Stern, dated November 1 4th- 1 6th: "My per- 
 sonal intercourse with Zunz I would not give up for 
 any price. 1 have indeed learned of Zunz very much, 
 and to have won in him a friend, not only a literary 
 associate, is saying a good deal, and is also of import- 
 ance. * * While I always paid serious attention 
 and love to the history of Judaism, I have made it 
 more of a specialty, owing to the impulses of Zunz and 
 my intercourse with him." From different reasons 
 Geiger discontinued the publication of his " Zeit- 
 schrift" temporarily (1839). But he hoped that others 
 would follow in his footsteps, but in vain. He writes 
 to Stern in the same letter. * * "The main thing 
 is that most of these Rabbis, and just the ones who oc- 
 cupy prominent positions, and who could exercise great 
 influence upon others have learned too little. * * 
 Philippsohn, for instance, possesses practical sense and 
 versatility, but ability and the purity of character are 
 lacking." 
 
 In a letter to Stern, dated December 6th, 1839, he 
 informs Stern of his final success in the matter of nat- 
 uralization, and continues: "I must confess I am 
 proud of the fifteen months spent here and of their 
 successes; many others would not have had the perse- 
 verance and the self denial necessary for such a pro- 
 tracted stay." 
 
 Geiger' s enthusiasm for his chosen field was so 
 great that no matter how things might have turned 
 
 *Geiger: Posthumous works, Vol. V, pages 142-145. 
 
AHkAHAM (;KK1KR. 297 
 
 out, he would have reuiaiued Rabbi. He expressed 
 himself ou the subject as follows: ''Should I fail, owiu<;' 
 to the slow course aud to the stupidity of the people, I 
 will kuow how to jret throu^^h the world, but I shall 
 reiuain Rabbi, eveu without au office. I kuow so well 
 how I can be a useful member in the. history of Juda- 
 ism, that uothiui^ can perplex me now."* 
 
 November 6th, Geiger was officially notified that 
 his election in Breslau was sanctioned by the goxern- 
 ment. On December 24th he went to Breslau, and on 
 January 2nd, 1840, he entered npon his position. He 
 bound himself to preach almost every Sabbath, to su- 
 pervise the educational institutions of the Congrega- 
 tion, and to care for the religious instruction of the 
 young. 
 
 On January 4th he delivered his inaugural sermon. 
 Not a few of his former opponents became his friends. 
 He married July ist, 1840, in Frankfort, where he was 
 invited by the Congregat on to preach, and was pre- 
 sented with a diploma as Rabbi. His trip to Breslau 
 via the cities along the Rhine, and by way of Berlin 
 was a triumphal march. His reception in Breslau 
 July i6tli was a grand affair, giving testimony of the 
 sincere affection which united Rabbi and Congregation, 
 a bond which in consequence of mutual struggles in a 
 sacred cause becomes always firmer. 
 
 Geiger' s wife, Kmilie, understood perfectly how 
 to make her house the social center of the Congrega- 
 tion. For years the members of the Congregation, 
 old and young, rich and poor, assembled on the first 
 Wednesday evening of every winter month, and on 
 Purim evenings, and these receptions or jours fixes 
 were looked forward to with the greatest pleasure by 
 the best element of Breslau Jewdoni. Geiger' s mar- 
 ried life was blessed with two daughters and two sons, 
 Dr. Berthold Geiger, Attorney at Law, in Frankfort-on- 
 tlie-Main,son-in-law of Dr. Jacob Auerbach, and Doctor 
 
 *(ieij<er: Posthumous works, Vol. T, pages 7-25; see, also 
 Dr. Geiger's pamphlet: "Die Ivetzten Zwei jahre" (Breslau 1840, 
 Friedleander). 
 
29?> RKK0KMP;D JUDAISM. 
 
 Ludwify Geiger, Professor of History at the University 
 of Berlin. He is the author of numerous historical 
 works, and editor of his father's posthumous writings. 
 At present he is editor of a magazine in the interest of 
 the history of the Jews, which periodical is subsidized 
 ])v the " Deutsch-Israelitischen Gemeindebund," (The 
 Confederation of German-Jewish Congregations). The 
 fact that Ludwig Geiger and not the so-called historian 
 Graetz was intrusted with this important task, shows 
 the true importance which is entertained in Germany 
 of Graetz' s historiography. 
 
 But those who think that Geiger had smooth sail- 
 ing in Breslau, after his victory over his unscrupulous 
 and fanatical enemies, are very much mistaken. In- 
 spired by S. A. Tiktiu and his satellites, an anonymous 
 pamphlet was issued, entitled: "The Election of 
 Rabbi in Breslau." The author of this stupid publica- 
 tion was a certain Davidsohn, who was paid by the or- 
 thodox party of Breslau for his tirade against Geiger. 
 In reviewing the libelous pasquinade, Geiger alludes to 
 a Talmudic passage, and sarcastically translates it as 
 follows: "David's son comes then only, when the 
 intellect is gone and when the money has given out."* 
 
 Geiger refutes in the strongest possible terms the 
 foolish fashion — :and this may be a hint to the ortho- 
 doxy of our days — of introducing into Judaism terms 
 which belong to Christianity exclusively. Judaism knows 
 no" 'orthodoxy" or "heterodoxy," because the questions 
 agitating the diflferent parties within Judaism do not 
 touch dogmas, but the ceremonies. Since time imme- 
 morial even those Rabbis who most strictly complied 
 with the practice of every observance and usage, held 
 the most radical views on inspiration, revelation, mira- 
 cles, personality of God, resurrection, immortality of 
 the soul, supernaturalism, and so forth, f 
 
 *This obscure passage speaks of the coming of the Messiah, who 
 is called in Talniiidical phraseology: "Son of David." 
 
 + It would lead nie too far to give even a small number of pas- 
 sages proving this important assertion. They can be found on pages 
 127-128 of my "Principles of Judaism compared with those of Chris- 
 tianity" (I^eip/.ig, Baumgaertner, 1S77): andin my "The Talmud from 
 
ABRAHAM (;KICrKR. 299 
 
 The writer of this pasquinade reproaches the 
 Prussian Ministry in unmeasured terms for having 
 sanctioned Geiger's election. He is convinced that if 
 the just (?) complaints of the orthodox Jews had 
 reached the throne of the king, and if the dissenting 
 opinions of Geiger had been known to the highest 
 authorities, it would have been needless for him to 
 write on the subject. The fact of the matter is that 
 the enemies of Geiger had left no stone unturned in 
 order to oust him. At first they appealed to the 
 government of the province of Upper Silesia, then to 
 
 the point of view of Modern Judaism" (Berlin, Issleib, 18S0). But 
 some instances niav find a place here: "Who knows, who ascends 
 the heaven, returns and tells us'MTalm. Makkoth. 23I. "Atinie will 
 come when all religious laws and ceremonies will lose their validity" ' 
 (Niddah, 61). "God never came down from heaven to earth, Moses 
 and Elijah never ascended the heaven" (Succah, 5)r "Israel has no 
 longer to expect a Messiah, for the prophecies concerning the Mes- 
 siah were fulfilled through Hezekiah" (Sanh, 99). Many Christians 
 and a great many orthodox Jews are of the opinion that the so-called 
 Biblical criticism is the work of modern theologians, a product of 
 the Nineteenth century. Nothing of the kind If they will please 
 go back fifteen centuries, they surely will be nearer the cradle of 
 this so-called "new science." In the middle of the third century 
 Simon ben Lakish, the great Talmud teacher, decided that Job never 
 existed but was a poetical creation, aud furthermore, that the names 
 of the angels were borrowed from a foreign people (Babylonians, 
 Persians), by the Jews during the exile. By the wa_\ it may be men- 
 tioned, the highly-gifted Gaon Saadiah, who flourished in the ninth 
 century, unequivocally placed reason above the Bil>le and the Tal- 
 mud, and explained away many of the "miracles," for instance the 
 speaking serpent in Paradise, Balaam's ass, the witch of Endor, and 
 so forth. His contemporary, Chivi of Balk, explains the crossing 
 of the Red Sea by the Israelites as "ebb and flood," the manna as a 
 sort of resin emitted by the sweating of certain trees, the radiant 
 face of Moses as caused by too much fasting, and he plainly denies 
 supernatural revelation. Isaac ben Salomo, another contemporary, 
 maintains that Gen. XXXVI, 31: "These are the Kings of p:(lom. 
 who reigned before kings in Israel existed," had not been written 
 by Moses, but at the time of King Josaphat. Moses Gikaiilia brings 
 prophecies of Isaiah in connection with the events of his own time. 
 S.imuel ben Chofni, -Vlnilwalid (Jonah ben Ganach), ben Jasus (Jiz- 
 chaki) belonged to the same critical school. Abraham Ibn Esra, 
 (born 1093, died 1167), is tha first who boldly acknowledges the Bab- 
 ylonian origin of the so-calied "Second Isaiah" (chapters 40-66), and 
 hinted at ditlicult passages of the Pentateuch, thus attacking the 
 authenticityof the same Spinoza explained these interesting pas- 
 sages. (See my lecture on "Spinoza," Chicago Inter-Ocean, Decem- 
 ber, 1SS3, and my "The Talmud," a series of lectures delivered 
 jh Denver, pages 40-41. Denver, 1SS4). 
 
300 Ki':i'()RMi':i) jidaism. 
 
 the minister of the interior, then to the king, then 
 they attempted to effect Geiger's removal from office. 
 
 He then accuses the representatives and members 
 of the Breslau Congregation of frivolity, because they 
 had elected Geiger, arraigns them that money leads 
 the fashion with them, and contradicts himself in 
 the following sentence, where he concedes that they 
 possess a higher education and are imbued with a 
 strong religious sentiment. Geiger was right in saying 
 ''Davidsohn came after he had lost his senses." 
 
 The author comes then to Geiger, and brings 
 forth eight accusations against him, which would be 
 entitled to a place in the "Curiosities of Literature."* 
 
 First Accusation: — Geiger has approved the 
 abolition of the Fast of the Eve of Passover, for the 
 benefit of a first-born son. Now, ]Maimonides and 
 numerous Rabbis of the middle ages, disregarded this 
 usage. 
 
 Second Accusation: Geiger does not observe the 
 customs of mourning between Passover and the Feast 
 of Weeks. The observance, not to shave one's beard 
 in the "Sephira," i. e., the seven weeks between 
 Pessach and Shabuoth, is of very late origin, and 
 meaningless.! 
 
 Third Accusation: — Geiger disregards the custom 
 of holding vigil on the night of the Feast of Weeks. 
 This is a foolish cabalistic usage, which is not even 
 mentioned in the latest codices. - 
 
 Fourth Accusation: — Geiger called the observance 
 of Tashlich;!; an invention of the people, which was 
 not deemed worth while to be mentioned in the codex. 
 
 *There is no conservative Rabbi in America who is not t^uilty of 
 the offenses of which Geiger is here accused. 
 
 tSee Ur. Landsberger's "Heathenish origin of the custom not to 
 marry between Passover aud the Feast of Weeks. (Breslau, 18S9, 
 Schletter: also Geiger's Zeitschrift, Vol. VII). 
 
 tSome of the hyper-orthodox Jews go in the afternoon of New 
 Vear (first day) to a river or dyke and throw pieces of bread or cake 
 into the water, reciting the verses, Micah Vll, iS-20. On account of 
 the expression "cast all their sins into the depths of the sea," the 
 ceremonv is called "Tashlich." 
 
Al-.KAHA.M CEIC.KR. 3OI 
 
 Fifth Accusaliou:— Cknj^cr should have said that 
 the processions, with branches of pahns and myrtle- 
 branches on the Feast of Booths, were nothing but ex- 
 pressions of joy, as the whole festival is the "time of 
 our jov." Geiger has proven this assertion. 
 
 Sixth Accusation; — Geiger should have said that 
 the washing of the hands after leaving a house, where 
 a corpse lies, is meaningless. Horrible s n, this! 
 
 vSeventh Accusation: — Geiger had said, that the 
 praver at sight of the moon should be shortened thus: 
 'Traise'd be he who always reneweth the moon.'' The 
 onlv wrong I can see in Geiger, is that he did not de- 
 nounce such a prayer as idolatry and moon-worship. 
 
 Eighth Accusation: — Geiger had asserted, that 
 the removal of the shoes is no act of reverence and re- 
 spect among us, on the contrary, ill-mannered. Hence, 
 is the custom that the Aaronites remove the shoes 
 while blessing the people (Duchenen) objectionable. He 
 also mentioned that the Biblical command that the 
 priests .should bless the people daily, was practically 
 abolished and limited to three holidays only. 
 
 I have mentioned these "accusations" in order to 
 show how ridiculous they were. 
 
 He finds also fault with Geiger' s criticism of S. 
 Raphael Hirsch's "Nineteen Letters, ""^^ in which 
 Geiger strongly arraigned the disgusting idolatry of 
 the Jewish ceremonies, which is mentioned in these 
 letters. Among other things, Geiger said; "It is 
 very funnv indeed to call a man an atheist because he 
 writes two words or touches a candle on the Sabbath." 
 The pamphleteer further accuses Geiger of "wicked 
 superciliousness" and of "conceited rationalism," be- 
 cause he expressed doubts as to the Biblical origin of 
 the custom to have "Mezuzoth"! on the door, and of 
 
 *The.se letters appeared. 1S36, under thepseudonMii "Hen I'siel," 
 second edition, 1SS9, Frankfurt. 
 
 tDoorpost. (Deut. XI, 20.) On a piece of parchment are writ- 
 ten the passages, Deut VI, d-9; XI, 13-21 (inclusive), and on the 
 back the word "Shaddai" (Almighty). According to Isaiah 
 LVII, 8, its origin seems to be heathenish. 
 
302 Kl<:i'()RMl'.l) jri»AISM. 
 
 laying- "Tcfillin"* (phylacteries) cm the head and hard. 
 A less ignorant writer would have known that already 
 Rabbi Samuel Ken Meier, f the grandson of Rashi]:, not 
 only expressed such doubts eight hundred years before 
 Geiger, but went further than Geiger by declaring 
 plainly and unmistakably, that the passages, Exodus 
 XIII, 9, Dent. VI and XI, must not be taken literally 
 but figuratively, just like Canticles XIII, 6, "Engrave 
 them like a seal on thy heart." The Samaritans do 
 not lay "Tefillin" and have no "Mesusoth."S 
 
 In conclusion, Geiger censures most severely all 
 those who talk for pay about things of which they 
 know nothing. His biting sarcasm against the "Beer- 
 hetebll scholarship" of the modern orthodoxy, which, 
 utterlv devoid of tflie knowledge of the origin and 
 history of religious customs, is always at hand with the 
 hue and cr\-: "It is a Mizvch; it is written," must be 
 read in order to be appreciated. He calls this sort of 
 learning a "curse to Judaism."^ 
 
 The struggle in Breslau became more intense and 
 made the suspension of Tiktin necessary (1842). But 
 this was rather the signal to a renewed fight, in which 
 
 *Tefilin, "Tefilla" (prayer). There are two kinds, "Tefillin shel 
 'f ('Jad" (of the hand) and "Tefillin shel Rosh" (of the head). On pieces 
 of parchment are written the following passages: Exod. XIII, i-ii; 
 K-xod. XIII, 11-17; Deut. VI, 4-10; Deut. XI, 13-22. 
 
 tHe is known as "Rashbani," and complemented the Talmudical 
 lal)ors of his grandfather, Rashi. He was one of the "Tossafists" 
 (Baale Tossafot) and a clear sighted commentator of the Bible, 
 which is best proven l)y his rationalistic explanation of Mesusa and 
 Tefillin 
 
 jriis name was vSalo;nen ben Isaac [1040-1105], a disciple of Ja- 
 cob 1). Jakar in Woinis, and Isaac b.Juda in Mainz. He commen- 
 tated the entire Bible and Talmud, and it has always been a matter 
 of surprise how one man could accomplish such a gigantic work 
 and tremendous task all l)y himself. Zuuz was the first to do him 
 justice. 
 
 ^Because the}' take the passages in a figurative sense, like Prov. 
 111,3; VI, 22; VIII, 3; Isaiah XLIX, 16. See Geiger, Zeitschrift der 
 Deutsch Morgenl. Ge.sellsch., Vol. XX, page 570. 
 
 IILiterally, "well explained." The book is a compendium con- 
 taining the numberless Jewish customs and observances. 
 
 IfSee (jeiger, "The last Two Years; Letters to a Befriended 
 Rabbi." 
 
AP.KAIIAM CKK'.KR. 303 
 
 fair incaiis and foul were used to harass Oei^er. Tik- 
 tin's followers were espi-cially enil)ittered on account of 
 the ovations offered to Geiger by his Con.ij;regation. 
 Here is the translation of an address presented to (yei- 
 ger and signed bv every member of the Breslau Con- 
 gregation: "(Konr own accord we approach you from 
 the midst of vour Congregation, which highly reveres 
 you, and which feels happy on account of your pious, 
 (xod-fearing activity, in order to express to you plainly 
 and candidly, our deep veneration and love in a time 
 when, alas, yon have to fight hard struggles against 
 the unholy weapons of those who accuse you of heresy, 
 and against the poisoned arrows of slander and cal- 
 umny. We also give vent to our deep indignation on 
 account of the unworthy attacks with which blind pas- 
 sions overwhelm you. The pure and holy fire of en- 
 thusiasm for the genuine Judaism, wdiich inflamed you 
 to show, with scientific keenness and clearness, the 
 eternally tiue kernel of our own faith, will encourage you 
 to continue your Rablnnical activity, which you have 
 begun so gloriously and carried on so happily in the 
 interest of strengthening the religious spirit in our 
 Congregation and in the community of Israel at large. 
 Vou will accomplish your noble work in spite of the 
 hostilities with which earthly interests and passions 
 obstruct your wa\-. You may be sure of the thanks 
 and the veneration of all noble men and of the 
 blessing of God, who is a God of life and light, and 
 who will grant all-powerful protection to your work. 
 So mote it be. Signed, The Members of the Israelit- 
 ish Congregation of the City." 
 
 No wonder that such an address, signed by every 
 member of the large Congregation, did not fail to fill 
 the hearts of Geiger's enemies with fierce wrath and 
 violent anger. Did not this address unmistakably 
 convince them, that all their tricks and machinations 
 had produced the contrary effect ? Instead of depriv- 
 ing him of the respect and confidence of the people, 
 these intrigues had made him most popular, and his 
 name a h'>useh(jVl word in P>reslau. We can easily 
 
304 RKFORMl-,1) JIDAISM. 
 
 understaiul that such a feeliiio- must have been <;alling 
 to the small hut active band of fanatics and hypocrites 
 who constituted themselves as the saviors of Breslau 
 Judaism in those days. Their impotent rage knew no 
 limits. They became desperate, lost their heads, 
 committed one foolishness after another, and simply 
 made themselves ridiculous. For, was in not foolish- 
 ness — yea, madness on their part, even to dream of the 
 possibility that the Prussian government would remove 
 Geiger from his position as Rabbi of so prominent a 
 Congregation, which had just as one man publicly de- 
 monstrated that they loved and worshipped him ? 
 Was it not ridiculous to imagine for a moment that 
 the government which two years before, at a time when 
 Geiger was comparatively a stranger in Breslau, had 
 sanctioned his election, would now undo its actions in 
 order to please a few fanatics who had an axe to grind? 
 And yet Tiktin and his party petitioned the Prussian 
 ministry to remove Geiger, after a most successful 
 activity, from his office, in the face of the fact that he 
 had done more for the Congregation and lor the cause 
 of Judaism in two years, than Tiktin and all Silesian 
 and Polish Rabbis had accomplished during their life- 
 time. If ever it proved true that " Queni Deus vult 
 perdere eum dementat,"* it proved so in this case. In 
 order to succeed, eight Rabbis of Posen and Upper Si- 
 lesia — Eger,f Israel and David Deutsch, J. Caro and 
 others, — were induced to declare that Geiger was not 
 only unworthy to occupy a position of Rabbi, but even 
 to be admitted as a witness in a court of justice. 
 
 *Whoiii God wishes to destroy, hiui he makes mad. 
 
 tHis father, Rabbi Akiba Eger, born in Eisenstadt, November, 
 1751, was Rabbi in Maerkisch-Friedland, and Posen. He could have 
 wielded apowerfwl influence for good but he used his influence in or- 
 der to prevent the regulation of the school system among the Jews 
 of the province of Posen. He thought he had done a great thing in 
 freeing the Jews from military service, not knowing that he had in 
 this way hurt the cause of the Jews in Prussia, by giving rise to the 
 belief in the accusation that the Jews were cowards and unwilling to 
 shed their blood for their country. While he was considered a saint 
 by the ignorant masses, he was not able to make Posen a prominent 
 seal of Jewish learning. His scholarship was limited, his "opinions" 
 
ABRAHAM GKICiER. 305 
 
 These eight pygmies acted as if Judaism had a tribu- 
 nal of inquisition, and as if they had constituted 
 this tribunal. In two pamphlets : " Darstellung des 
 Sachverhaeltnisses in seiner hiesigeu Rabbinats- Angel - 
 egegenheit," by S. A. Tiktin;* and " Entgegnung 
 auf den Bericht des Obervorstehercollegium's der hie- 
 sigeu Israeliten-Gemeinde ueber die Rabbinats- Angel- 
 egenheit an die Mitglieder/'f by the same author, 
 Geiger is most mercilessly attacked as a man who sys- 
 tematically works to destroy the pillars of Judaism in a 
 manner never done before, and who, in spite of all this, 
 "does not blush and is not ashamed to officiate as 
 Rabbi." (p. 16). :More than this, Geiger is branded 
 by these eight zealots as an infidel, who must be de- 
 spised, shunned and separated from the community of 
 Israel, and whose word as a witness before a court of 
 justice is unworthy of belic-f. (p. 26). 
 
 To such an outrageous insult Geiger had to an- 
 swer, and answer he did in a manner worthy of a 
 Geiger. He delivered an address before his Congrega- 
 tion, which he published under the title, "Ansprache 
 en meine Gemeinde.";): 
 
 One of the great complaints of Geiger' s enemies 
 has been that he was not satisfied with the position of 
 a "preacher" or "lecturer," but that he insisted upon 
 the title "Rabbi." Geiger was right in his action, as 
 was Holdheim in a similar case in Berlin. Had the 
 Reformers given up their titles as "Rabbis," the Re- 
 form-movement would have gained no stronghold in 
 
 on religious subjects did not betray a man of brains. He was one 
 of those Rabbis who strongly condemned the Hamburg temple ser- 
 vice. (See Geiger, Posthumoes Works," Vol. II, page 259). His 
 son simplv inherited from him the position of Rabbi in Posen. al- 
 though he was a — nonentity. See page 190 of this book. Chap VIII, 
 Holdheim. Akiba Kger died Oct. 12, 1S37. 
 
 ♦Presentation of the affairs pertaining to liis Rabbinical office. 
 Breslau, 1842. 
 
 tReply to the report of the Board of Directors of this Congrega- 
 tion, in matters of the Rabbinical office. Addressed to the mem- 
 bers. Breslau, June 19, 1S42. 
 
 iAddress to niv Congregation, (Breslau, 1S42), also published in 
 Geiger's Posthumous Works, Vol. I, pages 52-112. (Berlin. 1S75, 
 Ivouis (ierschel, London, Asher & Co.) 
 
3o6 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 the Congregations. Geiger, when coming to Breslan, 
 acted like a gentleman toward Tiktin, while the latter 
 behaved like an ill-mannered, nneducated ''Rebbele." 
 Geiger called on Tiktin in company with Robert 
 Dyhrenfnrth, president of the Congregation. Tiktin 
 requested Geiger to call on him again next day, but 
 alone. Geiger complied with this reqnest, but was 
 told that Tiktin was not at home. Geiger left his 
 card there, and before leaving Breslan, he took leave 
 of Tiktin. As soon as Geiger had entered upon his 
 duties in Breslau, he asked of Tiktin, through Scheyer 
 Eliason, when his visit would be most welcome. 
 Tiktin' s rude answer was that he did not desire 
 Geiger' s visit. Who then disturbed the peace of the 
 Congregation, Geiger or Tiktin?* When Geiger was 
 requested to deliver a sermon at a wedding, at which 
 Tiktin was to officiate, Tiktin staid away. Although 
 Geiger never failed to attend Tiktin' s addresses, which 
 were full of insulting allusions to Geiger and the 
 officers of the Congregation, Tiktin always absented 
 himself when Geiger preached, although his sermons 
 were utterly free from personal polemic. Even on 
 holidays he did not attend the Synagogue, notwith- 
 standing the fact that the directors of the Congrega- 
 tion proposed to him to preach on the first day, pro- 
 vided he would come to the Synagogue on the second 
 day, when Geiger preached. Nevertheless did Geiger 
 not tire in trving to bring about a more harmonious 
 feeling. At a banquet wdiere both Rabbis were 
 toasted, Geiger answered the toast, saying among 
 other things, that while he and Tiktin may differ in 
 their religious views, both of them are laboring in the 
 interest of the preservation of our religion. After the 
 speech he approached Tiktin. But all this was of no 
 avail with that haughty and conceited Rabbi, whose 
 
 *It is, however, a mistake to imagine for a moment, that Tik- 
 tin's ungentlemanly conduct towards Geiger was influenced by the 
 difference of religious opinions. No, it was simply meanness and 
 jealousy. P'or Tiktin had treated his colleague Falk, fifteen years 
 before, in the same wa)-. Falk, however, was orthodox. 
 
AKRAHA.M (iKIOKR. 307 
 
 scholaisliip was b}' no means great. Whenever Rab- 
 binical functions like Chalizali and Get (ritual divorce) 
 made the presence of both Rabbis necessary, Tiktin 
 intentionally slighted Gciger, in order to show him 
 that he did not recognize him as a Rabbi. These in- 
 sults occurred so frequently that at last the board of 
 directors of the Congregation was compelled to inform 
 Tiktin, that a continuation of these gross insults to his 
 colleague, would be followed by Tiktin' s suspension 
 from his office. And, as Tiktin stubbornly refused to 
 carry out these directions, he was suspended (1842). 
 
 It was a principle with Geiger and with all other 
 Reform-Rabbis to oppose strongly the division of the 
 functions of the Rabbi and of the preacher. Wherever 
 such divisions existed, the Rabbi was regarded as the 
 representative of stability and stagnation, and the 
 preacher as the representative of progress, develop- 
 ment and Reform. This state of affairs was bound to 
 create and to keep alive two opposing parties in the 
 Congregation; the party of stabilism, represented by 
 the Rabbi; the party of progress, led by the preacher. 
 Thus discord and dissension were perpetuated and 
 nurtured. How right Geiger was, is best proven by 
 the fact that nowadays such a division of the Rabbini- 
 cal office is almost unknow^n. 
 
 Geiger was peaceably inclined. He even sacrificed 
 his Zeitschrift "for the sake of f)eace," but having 
 found out too late, that his peace-offerings were not 
 appreciated by his bitter enemies, he commenced its 
 publication again. 
 
 The following is another proof of the "piety" of 
 Tiktin and his henchmen. On April 3, 1842, the 
 funeral of Heyman Oppenheim, a prominent member 
 of the Congregation, took place. Geiger was requested 
 to deliver a funeral sermon. Whether Tiktin was 
 also asked to do so, is not known. Still he spoke, but 
 instead of delivering a funeral address, he cowardly 
 abused his privilege in order to vent his spite against 
 Geiger and. his friends, whom he insulted in the most 
 outrageous manner. He incited the mob to such 
 
308 RK FORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 an extent, that, when Geiger was abont to begin his 
 sermon, the tnnmlt became so tremendous, and the 
 wild noise and excitement so fearful, that Geiger was 
 almost thrown into the grave. With his usual calm- 
 ness and tact, he simply said: "I do not wish to dis- 
 turb the rest of the dead; depart in peace." Who 
 then disturbed the peace? It was not until after this 
 scene, that Tiktin was suspended. Geiger preached a 
 sermon on the Sabbath following this outrage, 
 admonishing the hearers to preserve peace, and warn- 
 ing them against the "unholy fire" of fanaticism and 
 selfishness. 
 
 Sunday following this impressive sermon, three 
 so-called "messengers of peace" made their appearance 
 in Geiger' s house. Naturally he thought that they 
 had been sent by Tiktin, in order to apologize in his 
 behalf for the affront offered to Geiger by Tiktin' s 
 miserable behavior at the funeral. But how disap- 
 pointed was Geiger when these messengers revealed 
 their mission. The}- — or better, Tiktin — had the af- 
 frontery to ask of Geiger that he should declare his 
 willingness to give up in future, his co-operation in 
 the functions of Chalizah and ritual divorces; in other 
 words, Geiger should resign his prerogatives, privileges, 
 rights and duties of Rabbi for the sake of pleasing an 
 ignorant fanatic and malicious enemy, who was his in- 
 ferior in ev'ery respect. One of the Jesuitical mediators 
 proposed as a kind of a compromise, that if Geiger 
 would promise never to be present at such functions, 
 Tiktin — how gracious! — would grant him the right to 
 be present, would even condescend to eventually invite 
 him to attend, knowing, of course, beforehand, that 
 Geiger would not come. Geiger, an honest, straight- 
 forward man, who despised crookedness and trickery, 
 most indignantly declined such an arrogant pretension, 
 and emphatically declared that a peace based on hostile 
 sentiments cannot last. He said that Tiktin possessed 
 not the least authority to grant or refuse him Rab- 
 binical rights and privileges after the directory of the 
 Congregation had decided the matter. At the same 
 
AliRAHA.M tiKIOKR. 309 
 
 time he was willing to forget Tiktiu's insults and even 
 to go to him, or to meet him on neutral ground, in 
 order to offer him his plan of reconciliation. Again 
 Tiktin declined. Geiger nevertheless proposed to him 
 the plan, that they should alternately officiate in Rab- 
 binical functions, which arrangement, however, need 
 not interfere with the members of the Congregation, 
 should they perfer Tiktin or Geiger for the performance 
 of their function. Even this plan, whicli had formerly 
 met with Tiktin\s approval was now rejected by him. 
 
 Such systematic stubbornness on the part of Tiktin, 
 forced the directory of the Congregation to enlighten 
 the Congregation as to the true state of affairs. Thus 
 appeared the "Report of the Obervorstehercollegium 
 to the ^Members of the Congregation on the question of 
 Rabbi," (Breslau, 1842, May 25),* in which Tiktin is, 
 of course, blamed for his unjustifiable action. The 
 fact was, that Tiktin wanted no rival and no competi- 
 tion. Geiger's so-called "heresy" served Tiktin simply 
 as a cloak to conceal his selfishness. This is proven 
 by the fact that he already rai.sed the cry of "split in 
 the Congregation" when for the first time the question 
 of engaging a second Rabbi came up, who, "by his 
 religious conduct, would be able to gain the approval 
 of Tiktin." 
 
 We have mentioned how Geiger was excommuni- 
 cated by eight Rabbis of Upper Silesia and Posen. 
 Geiger sarcastically asked those Rabbis whether it is 
 not both foolish and wicked to use in our enlightened 
 age bulls of excommunication instead of instruction 
 and conviction ? "Are these Rabbis, Tiktin and con- 
 sorts, so utterly blind as not to know that by using 
 such means and weapons, their contemporaries will 
 leave them more than ever before to their isolation? 
 Do they still imagine that all they have to do, in order 
 to make harmless the destructive critici.sni of their 
 system, is to wrap themselves in their Polish gowns? 
 
 *Bericht des Ohervorstehercollef^^ium's an die Mitglieder der 
 hiesigeii Israeliteiigemeinile ueber die gegenwaertigvorliejiede Rab- 
 binats-.\ngelegenheit. Breslau, 1842. 
 
310 KKKOR.AIlil) JIDAISM. 
 
 Of what a\ail were the bulls of excouiniuiiication and 
 the biirnin.i;- of the writings of IMoses IMendelssohn and 
 Hartwig Wessely ? 
 
 ''They failed, although the Rabbis who in those 
 davs undertook the battle against progress and cul- 
 ture, were men who did not step directh' from the dry 
 goods shop and slaughter house into their Rabbinical 
 chairs,* but had devoted a whole life-time to their 
 studies." Such pygmies as Tiktin and his abettors 
 were the last ones who could check the wheel of pro- 
 gress with their impotent hands, by mere noise and 
 the cry of heresy. Those peculiar saints of Posen, 
 Beuthen and Lublinitz accused Geiger of being a 
 "Karaite" and a " Sadducee," which proved their 
 recklessness and ignorance in judging men and things. 
 P'or Geiger was all his life-time the strongest opponent 
 of the "Sadducees" and "Karaites," just because 
 "the Sadducees idolized the letter of the Bible," and 
 the "Karaites" clung to the letter without paying the 
 least regard to the spirit, f The other reproach that 
 Geiger had attacked the: "tradition" is another proof 
 of the ignorance of his opponents regarding Jewish his- 
 tory, as the principle of "tradition" is simply the prin- 
 
 *Geiger alludes apparently to the despicable manner in which 
 ignorant sons inherited in those degenerate daA's of orthodoxy, the 
 Rabbinical positions of their fathers — Tiktin was one of this spe- 
 cies — by means of nepotism, and even by the lavish use of money, 
 in order to corrupt voters, just as it is done in political primarj- elec- 
 tions in this country. In Hungary, Poland and Russia, these meth- 
 ods are still en vogue in many Congregations. This deplorable sys- 
 tem is well described in the following forcible language: "We do 
 not find fault with the views of these men (Abraham Bing, Wuerz- 
 ^^"rg; Jacob Lissaer, Lissa; Akiba Eger, Moses Sopher, Pressburg), 
 as they could not entertain others and were honest, but it is foolish 
 to find in this, greatness and holiness. Consistency is easy when we 
 do not see, or do not want to see the other side of the ques- 
 tion. P3'gmies only take their places, reduced storekeepers or the 
 sons, according to the principle of heredity. Whenever a system 
 has become rotten, but is not yet entire!}' subdued, these are its last 
 supports. (Geigei: Lectures on Jewish history, from 1S30 to the 
 present da}', meaning 1850, delivered in Breslau in the winter of 1S49- 
 50; Posthumous Works, Vol. II, page 259. 
 
 tSee Geiger: "Wissenschaftliclie Zeitschrift fur Juedische Theo- 
 logie" Vol. I, page 36; Vol. II, page 114; "Judaism and its History," 
 Vol. I, Lecture VII, (Breslau, 1S64, Schletter) translated into Eng- 
 
Al?RAIIA^r GKKiKR. 3II 
 
 ciplc of continuous progress and development, as op- 
 posed to the slavish worship of the letter of the Bible. 
 We, who live within the Jewish Reform-movement 
 and labor in its cause, are not only adherents of the 
 tradition, but the rings in its long, endless chain. 
 The eight " infallible" Rabbis claimed also that the 
 contents of the Talmud are "eternally binding." No 
 man who has the least conception of the science of 
 Judaism would be guilty of such a ridiculous utter- 
 ance, as the Talmud never was and never intended to 
 be considered as a code of laws. * These "scholars" 
 must have felt the weakness of their faulty argumenta- 
 tion, for at the end of their brochure they say that 
 their system needs no defense against a Dr. Geiger, 
 and can be as little shaken by him as can a rocky wall 
 be shaken by a little boy fDarstellung, p. 29). History 
 proves that the ' ' rocky wall ' ' has become very shaky 
 indeed. On page 31, they threatened "measures which 
 would be incalculable in their consequences." Very 
 convincing arguments, indeed ! Justly, Geiger replied: 
 " It is very convenient to envelope ignorance with the 
 nimbus of holy inviolability, but such love of conven- 
 ience must not be looked upon as conscientiousness and 
 religious zeal." 
 
 Geiger was a worker; he preached more, instruct- 
 ed more, delivered more lectures than was his duty. 
 What has Tiktin done in the seventeen years of his 
 ministration in Breslau ? He quarreled with the Con- 
 gregation because they wanted him to deliver twelve 
 lectures during the year. He insisted that, in accord 
 with his contract, six lectures — addresses on different 
 occasions included — was all they had a right to expect. 
 Such were the " saviors of Judaism" in those days. 
 
 lish by Dr. Maurice Mayer (New York, t866, Thalmessinger & 
 Cahn)". The "Karaites"' were the followers of Anan, son of David, 
 of Babylonia. They worshipped the letter of the Hible to such an 
 exagj^erated extent, that they would freeze for twenty-four hours each 
 Sabbath, and wouM sit in the dark I-'riday ni^ht, because it was not 
 permitted to kindle tire on the .Sabbath in Jewish dwellings. 
 *See my "Talmud." (Denver, 1SS4), pagesj-S. 
 
312 refor:med Judaism. 
 
 The directory of the P>reslau Congregation did 
 not remain idle, bnt sent circnlar letters to the most 
 prominent Rabbis of Germany and Austria, asking 
 them for an expression of their views on the compati- 
 bility of Judaism with free research, and whether a 
 man who holds a free, scientific, Jewish-theological 
 conviction, and advocates the same in his Congrega- 
 tion, school and publications, is fit to officiate as 
 Rabbi. 
 
 Seventeen Rabbis, all recognized as great schol- 
 ars, answered in the affirmative. 
 
 These "opinions," which we consider among the 
 most important contributions to the literature of "Re- 
 sponses" on Jewish subjects,* have been published by 
 the Breslau Congregation in two parts. The first partf 
 contains the "opinions" of Rabbis, Drs. Friedlaender, of 
 Brilon; Chorin, of Arad; Holdheim, of Schwerin; 
 Wechsler, of Oldenburg; Kohn, of Hohenems; Herx- 
 heimer, of Bernberg; Einhorn, of ,Birkenfeld; Hess, of 
 Stadt-Lengsfeld; Guttman, of Radowitz; Wassermann, 
 Muehringen,now "Oberkirchenrath" of Wuertemberg, 
 Stuttgart. The second part (Breslau, March, 1843), 
 contains the opinions of Drs. Levi, of Giessen; Aub, of 
 Baireuth (later Mainz and Berlin); Cahn, of Trier; 
 Maier, of Stuttgart; L. Adler, of Kissingen, later Cas- 
 sel; Stein, of Burgkunstadt, later Frankfurt; Elias 
 Gruenebaum, of Landau. Loewy (Fuerth), Schlesin- 
 ger (Sulzbach), Gosen (Marburg), had also sent 
 "opinions" and answers, but requested the Breslau 
 Congregation not to publish them. Frankel (Dresden), 
 Rappoport (Prag), had sent evasive or condemning re- 
 plies. Ullman (Crefeld) declined to express himself, 
 "in order not to give new fuel to the flame." Phil- 
 ippsohn was the only one who did not consider it worth 
 while to even answer the request of the Breslau Con- 
 
 *The "opinions" on the Hamburg Temple prayer-book-contro- 
 versy pale into insignificance when compared with this collection. 
 
 tRabbinische Gutachten ueber die Verraeglichkeit der freienFor- 
 schungmitdem Rabbineramte. (Compatibility of Free Research 
 with the Olhce of Rabbi.) Leopold Freund: Breslau, September, 
 1S42. 
 
ABRAHAM (;eu;kr. 313 
 
 gregation. The fact is, that Philippsohn has proven, 
 during his long career, a secret enemy of Geiger, al- 
 though he did not deem it good policy to come out 
 openly against him as long as Geiger was living. But 
 hardly had he closed his eyes when he attacked the 
 dead lion, saying in his "Zeitung des Judenthums" that 
 Geiger was no theologian. I have resented this cow- 
 ardl V insult, promptly and most forcibly, in my ' 'Jued- 
 ischeGemeinde-Zeitung" (Bonn, 1879), duringmy min- 
 istration in Bonn, where Philippsohn lived. In his 
 jeview of my book, ^'Abraham Geiger as Reformer of 
 Judaism" (1879), Philippsohn made the above remark, 
 and this, too, in the face of the fact that authorities 
 like Prof. Dernbourg, Berthold Auerbach, David Ein- 
 horn and numerous other scholars had justly ranked 
 Geiger as the most prominent theologian of the nine- 
 teenth century. Philippsohn could never forgive Gei- 
 ger his mental supremacy and recognition by all the 
 leaders of thought. Like all small men, he was vin- 
 dictive and conceited in the extreme. His maxim was: 
 "I and none besides me." His motto was "rule or 
 ruin." From the very moment when Geiger was 
 elected Rabbi in Breslau, for which position Philipp- 
 sohn was a candidate, the latter proved hostile to the 
 former. This animosity had increased with every new 
 success which Geiger attained, and it capped the cli- 
 max in the statement that Geiger was no theologian. 
 The Talmudic passage: " :^Ien blame in others the 
 faults which they themselves possess," applies well to 
 this case. For in theological Jewish circles it is well 
 known, that while Philippsohn was a classical philolo- 
 gist, a most versatile journalist and quite eloquent as a 
 preacher, Jewish theology and Rabbinical lore were 
 not his forte. Hence, he was surely the least compe- 
 tent man to criticise Geiger in such a sweeping way. 
 
 Geiger occasionally expressed himself quite strong- 
 ly concerning Philippsohn' s shallowness and lack of 
 principle and character; but he gave him credit for 
 what he had accomplished. In his lectures on Jewi.sh 
 historv, delivered in Breslau in the winter of 1849-50, 
 
314 REFORM Kl) JUDAISM. 
 
 Geiger, after having given an analysis of the scope of 
 his Zeitschrift,* said among other things: "Thus 
 several newspapers were established, the Universal- 
 Kirchenzeitnng of Hoennighaus (1837), and in the mid- 
 dle of May of the same year, the Allgemeine Zeitung 
 des Judenthums, by Philippsohn, in Magdeberg. But 
 it wanted to be a paper, more in order to satisfy than to 
 stir up. Hence, it avoided decision and outspokenness 
 in those points where it feared to lose a part of its 
 readers. Aside from this, the personal notice of the 
 editor was pushed forward too much, while the paper, 
 with ill-concealed animosity, opposed notice of other 
 persons of whom its editor was afraid, lest they might 
 overshadow him. But the merits of versatility and 
 industriousness cannot be taken away from the editor, 
 who also took hold of other questions, delivered in 
 1848 lectures for workingmen, became secretary of the 
 board of trade and published a commercial paper, by 
 whtch, however, no Jewish Reformer is lost.^f 
 
 The "Rabbinical opinions" on the question of 
 the compatibility of free research with the office of 
 Rabbi, are of the same importance for modern Judaism 
 as were the "theological opinions" on Bruno Bauer's 
 heresy for modern Protestantism. 
 
 Dr. Friedlaender (Brilon), then eighty-five years 
 old, declared that neither the Mishna nor the Talmud 
 contained divine revelations, and the laws found there 
 are simply subjective views of individuals, without 
 the least binding authority. , The oldest Rabbis have 
 introduced reforms and have even abolished laws of 
 Moses. Hence is Geiger fully entitled to be a Rabbi, 
 even though he attacked the Talmud. Chorin (Arad), 
 seventy-seven years old, expressed himself even more 
 forcibly. Truth, not ceremonialism, is the irrepress- 
 ible demand of the age; hence, free research and un- 
 trammeled investigation are necessary. Reforms were 
 introduced already in Biblical times. The circumcision 
 
 *We call attention to the fact, that Philippsohn's "Zeituns; des 
 Judenthums" was published two years later than the Zeitschrift. 
 tGeiger: "Posthumous Writings," Vol. II. page 271. 
 
AHRAllAM (iKIGKK. 315 
 
 was set aside under Moses* and the Day ot Atonement 
 under King Solomon. + The prophet Elijah, although 
 no priest, offered sacrifices on hills, which was an in- 
 fraction upon the law of Moses. Hillel has abolished 
 the year of release (Shmittah), an important Mosaic 
 law. Rabbi Gershom ben Judah prohibited, in the 
 eleventh century, in the Rabbinical Synod at Worms, 
 the Levirate marriage. 
 
 One of the first and most thorough opinit)ns was 
 given by Holdheim. As Rabbi Eger, of Posen, was 
 the representative of the most rabid opposition to 
 Reform, Holdheim took his opinion as a starting point 
 for his argument. . Eger declared everyone who does 
 not subscribe to the Talmudical interpretation of the 
 Bible a heretic and unfit to be a witness, in fact an out- 
 cast from the community of Israel. In a masterly and 
 irrefutable manner, by means of the Talmud, Hold- 
 heim proved the fallacy of Eger' s views. He showed 
 conclusivelv how Eger had confounded Talmud and 
 tradition. He further demonstrated how Geiger, in 
 his struggle against the Jew-hater, Prof. Hartman, at 
 a time when his orthodox traducers had indulged in 
 their dolce far nieiite, not e\en knowing of the danger- 
 ous assaults against Judaism, had already scientifically 
 explained the difference between Talmud and Tradi- 
 tion. The principle of Tradition is not stagnation. It 
 has not a tendency to make us slaves to the dead letter 
 of the Bible, but rather disposes us to enter into its 
 spirit and is in itself the result of a progressive de- 
 velopment within Judai.sm. The Talmudists them- 
 selves never claimed infallibility for their views. There- 
 fore they tried to find in the Bible a stipport {Assmachta) 
 for their opinions. Now the same genius which moved 
 them moves the Rabbis of our days. And if they could 
 find support in the Bible for their innovations, the 
 
 *He doubtless means that the "generation of the wilderness" 
 were not circumcised; and yet Moses made a covenant at the end of 
 his life, with those uncircumcised Israelites. (Deut. XXIX. S). 
 
 +He apparentlv alludes to I Kings, VIII. 2-6. The Talmud re- 
 marks that in that vear the Dav of Atonement was not celebrated. 
 
3l6 RKKOR.Mia) Jl'DAISM. 
 
 Rabbis of our days will also, if necessary, find such 
 support. Geiger, is, therefore, not a Karaite, who 
 denies Tradition, but he heartily favors and scientific- 
 ally advocates its growth and spiritual development. 
 Holdheim arraigned the nine Rabbis from Upper- 
 Silesia, who, in contradiction to their motto: "Love 
 truth; love peace," instead of trying to refute and con- 
 x'ince Geiger, insulted and denounced him. He 
 censures those bigots who, in their contemptible spirit 
 of hatred and revenge, were not ashamed to demand of 
 the directory of the Breslau Congregation the removal 
 from office of a man whose scientific writings they 
 were too ignorant to understand and too stupid to ap- 
 preciate. In answer to Tiktin's "Darstellung," 
 (representation), in which he had accused the direc- 
 tors of the Congregation of having elected, as second 
 Rabbi, a man who "denies the Traditional Judaism and 
 whose vocation seems to be to eradicate and to destroy 
 it forever," Holdheim gives a true estimate of 
 Geiger. To Geiger, who had abandoned the method 
 of narrow-minded casuistry, in order to promote a 
 higher and more scientific study of the Talmud, be- 
 longs among the Rabbis of the new era the merit of be- 
 ing the first critical investigator. 
 
 He it was, who had recognized in Rabbinical 
 Judaism a historical growth, and he, endowed with a 
 thorough knowledge of the material and with critical 
 acumen, had the ability to bring order and system into 
 the chaotic mass of details, and to find out the moving 
 spirit of every epoch. The directory of Breslau deserves, 
 therefore, credit for having called such a man to take 
 charge of the spiritual welfare of the Congregation, the 
 more so, as Tiktin, like the rest of the orthodox Rab- 
 bis, had done nothing to revive and to lift up its declin- 
 ing religious spirit. A man like Geiger among the old 
 and the young will awaken enthusiasm, and inspire 
 ardent love for our time-honored heritage. A man of 
 science, who, like Geiger, is imbued with religious 
 earnestness and fervor, is the right man for the place 
 in a large and intelligent Congregation. Geiger is just 
 
ABRAHAM GKIGKK. 3^7 
 
 the mail, who "in a time when religious indifference 
 and materialism go hand in hand, combines in a rare 
 degree great power of mind with warmth of heart, pro- 
 found scholarship with a popular style, (ieiger is the 
 right man to fan the spark of religion to a burning 
 flame and to repair the damage which had been done in 
 consequence of long neglect and of an utter want ot 
 every spiritual care." 
 
 Dr. Wechsler said that to deny to our age the 
 right of introducing reforms, is to drive away the intel- 
 ligent Jews from Judaism. Theology is a science and 
 demands free research. Kohii (Hoheneins) thinks that 
 the lamentations of orthodoxy about religious decline 
 are false and greatly exaggerated. The many new 
 Temples which are being erected yearly, and the great 
 interest which is generally taken in the introduction of 
 reforms and improvement in the service, give the lie to 
 these hollow pretenses. Indifferentism is the result of 
 rigid Rabbinism. The Talmud is not law, but merely 
 a source of theolog)-. Herxheimer makes the distinc- 
 tion between Geiger, the author, who has the right of 
 applying full criticism on religious questions, and 
 Geiger, the Rabbi.* Einhorn (Birkenfeld, late Balti- 
 more, Philadelphia and New York), said: " The Tal- 
 mud is neither infallible, nor was it at any time ac- 
 cepted as Jewish law; hence, not even a practical dis- 
 regard of a traditional ceremony by a Rabbj could 
 make him unfit for the office, as long as it is the out- 
 come of his scientific research." Hess (Weimar) de- 
 fended the most radical reform by the necessity of the 
 progressive development of tradition. Not only the 
 religious authorities, but even the masses have a voice 
 in the introduction of reforms. Stabilism decays in 
 consequence of its inconsistencies. Guttmau (Redwitz, 
 Wuertemberg), finds the term "tradition" too far ex- 
 tended, inasmuch as the Talmud had increased the 613 
 laws of Moses to no less than 13,602. Geiger's activ- 
 
 *This is Geijier's own point of view. Zeitschrift, (Vol I pages 
 492-504; Posthumous Writings, Vol. II, page 267). 
 
3l8 RKKORMKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 ity deserved the highest recognition, considering the 
 fact that his tradncers, who style themselves "the pil- 
 lars of Jndaism," are a set of lazy drones. Wasserman 
 calls attention to the fact that from the point of view 
 of Rabbinism, nobody can be now-a-days an orthodox 
 Jew. Ill the olden times, liberal Rabbis have criticised 
 the most essential doctrines of Judaism, but no attempt 
 was made to read them out of the fold. Hirsch 
 Fassel* (Prossnitz, Mrehren) proves from the point of 
 view of strict orthodoxy, that free research is not only 
 permitted, but is demanded by the Jewish theology. 
 Nobody has a right to expel a Jew from a Congrega- 
 tion. Levy (Giesseii) considers free research and 
 timely innovations in the domain of Judaism necessary. 
 Aub looks upon the largest portion of the Talmud as 
 upon human work, which has never been made a law. 
 Calm claims that though the office of Rabbi necessi- 
 tates the execution of prescribed forms, it is needless 
 for him to believe in the necessity of those observances. 
 Full of righteous indignation, he arraigns Tiktin and 
 consorts as follows: " You act as if you were the sav- 
 iors of Judaism. Conscienciously and boldly we say: 
 You have done nothing for the preservation of our re- 
 ligion. Yes, you are the cause of the frivolous spirit 
 which here and there is found among the Jews in mat- 
 ters of religion. The following passage in Tiktin' s 
 'Presentation' is without doubt true: 'But what 
 more could I do at the sight of the fatal destruction not 
 only of traditional but of Mosaic Judaism, in order to 
 check the raging torrent of religious and moral annihi- 
 lation — what else could I do than protest ? ' Does he 
 not condemn himself by his own words ? Lo ! such 
 dangers threatened Judaism, and he could do nothing, 
 and has done nothing, except protesting within the 
 four walls of his room! If it was indeed so bad as all 
 this, and he was really in earnest to check the "raging- 
 torrent," w^hy, then, does he trade and barter with the 
 directory of the Congregation about the number of ser- 
 
 *His "opinion," on account of some technicalities was not pub- 
 lished in the "Rabbinische Gutachten." 
 
ARRAIIA?^! GEIGER. 319 
 
 moiis he is bound to preach during a year ? Why does 
 he object to preaching twelve times during the year? 
 Suppose the by-Laws of the Congregation call only for 
 six sermons during the year ? Can six sermons during 
 the whole year suffice to check such evils as they exist 
 in Breslau, according to Tiktin's own statements? In 
 this case he ought to have delivered sermons continu- 
 allv, every Sabbath, every new moon, every fast- and 
 holiday,' whenever an opportunity arose, in order to 
 admouish and encourage the people, regardless of cir- 
 cumstances, to preserve morality and religion. He 
 ought not to have rested, and the pulpit ought never 
 to have been vacant on those days. He ought not to 
 have been satisfied with "examining a few poor child- 
 ren in his room," but ought to have instructed the 
 young in the truths of our religion, in order to guard 
 it from the destructive spirit of the age. This he 
 ought to have done by all means, instead of laying the 
 hands in his lap, merely looking on, regretting, crying, 
 lamenting and protesting. Is he not ashamed before 
 his own followers to pose as the preserver and pro^ 
 lector of our religion? What has Tiktin and consorts 
 done ? Nothing ! What for the elevation and moral- 
 ity of the Congregations? Nothing! What for the 
 schools ? Nothing ! What for the divine service ? 
 Nothing I What for eradicating prejudice against the 
 adherents of other religions ? Nothing, nothing at 
 all I These are no idle charges, but all Congregations, 
 officers and governments must agree with us in this. 
 We modern Rabbis do not claim, like Tiktin and his 
 consorts, to be the only saviors of Judaism. Far be 
 this from us I We are free from such conceit. But 
 we can claim, that we strive after the good, and that 
 we work with might and main, and do our best in 
 order to further and establish it on a firm basis. We 
 can truly say that we zealously labor in the cause ot 
 education and divine worship; that we do not neglect 
 our duties; and that we do more than merely take our 
 salary. This, too, will be attested by all Congrega- 
 tions where modern Rabbis officiate, and by all officers 
 
320 RKKORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 and governmeuts. Ihit they could accomplish much 
 more, and their activity would be a still greater bless- 
 ing were it not for the deplorable fact that, alas, in 
 almost every Congregationt here can be found just such 
 men as Tiktin and consorts, who impede our every 
 step forward, disturb us in our good work, and when 
 we make the least attempt for a beneficial change, 
 they suspect us as infidels and belittle us in the eyes of 
 the masses. Acting on the maxim, ' To sit idh' by and 
 do nothing is the best,' they pose as the saints of the 
 land, as the thirty-six pillars of the earth, with whose 
 demise the world will go to ruin." 
 
 In order to justify himself for not delivering Ger- 
 man instead of "jargon" sermons, Tiktin said on page 
 7, that "such sermons are prohibited by the Prussian 
 government;" and then he jesuitically adds: "It is 
 not my business to investigate the fact that German 
 addresses are deliveied in the Synagogue nevertheless, 
 in some Jewish Congregations of the Fatherland by 
 preachers who are expressly engaged for this purpose, 
 m^en where the Rabbi stands at the head of the cnl- 
 tus." To this Dr. Calm pointedly remarks: " Had 
 Tiktin excused his failure to deliver sermons in good 
 German, on the plea that lie was not capable of doing 
 so, because he belonged to the old school of Polish 
 Rabbis, he would have been honest,, even if he had 
 argued that in his opinion sermons delivered in the 
 'jargon' were more effective than classical German dis- 
 courses; and nobody would have found fanlt with him. 
 But his attempt to represent all modern preachers, 
 Rabbis and theologians as criminals who break the laws 
 of the land on every Sabbath and holiday, or whenever 
 they deliver a German sermon,* is most cowardly, 
 fanatical, contemptible and worthy of a disciple of 
 
 *The prohibition of German sermons in the Synagogues in Prus- 
 sia after the forcible close of the Jacobsohn-Temple in Berlin, (1S23), 
 was caused by the Jewish orthodox}-. The government cheerfully 
 complied with this request, in the hope of disgusting the educated 
 Jews with the Synagogue worship and of driving them into the fold 
 of Christianity. Alas, this hope has not proved to he an idle one. 
 See "David Friedlaender," pages 33-36, this book. 
 
AHRAHAM GKIGKR. 321 
 
 Loyola. The purpose of this hypocritical remark was 
 the wholesale suspension from their offices, by the gov- 
 ernment, of all modern Rabbis and preachers, a con- 
 summation which would have made again ignorant 
 Polish Rabbis such as Tiktin, Eger and consorts, mas- 
 ters of the situation in Prussia." 
 
 It is interesting that Cahn speaks in his "opinion" 
 of Chalizah and Get as of "meaningless, senseless and 
 most burdensome precepts for our time."]: He also 
 mentions that the modern Rabbis are more scrupulous 
 in the performance of ceremonies in strict keeping 
 with the old laws, than are many orthodox Rabbis; 
 although the moderns may hold advanced opinions on 
 the validity of those ceremonies.] He calls attention 
 to the humbug which is practiced, for a consideration, 
 of course, with the so-called "Kosher-letters," for 
 wine, etc., by a number of orthodox Rabbis. To-day, 
 half a century after Dr. Cahn's publication, this 
 swindle with "Kosher-letters" is carried on in our en- 
 lightened age, in the city of New York, by a so-called 
 self-styled Chief Rabbi, who is recognized as such by 
 not one intelligent Jew of America. Could Dr. Cahn 
 have foreseen how the henchmen of this "Chief Rab- 
 bi" — Ulcus a non lucendo, a man who is utterly 
 ignorant of any living language, and has, so far, not 
 even given proof of his supposed scholarship in Hebrew 
 and Talmud — like a horde of voracious wolves, pounce 
 upon the poor dupes and innocent victims of supersti- 
 tion, in order to divide the spoils acquired by means 
 of a shrewd design, the "plomb," he would have ex- 
 pressed himself still stronger on the subject than he 
 has done. 
 
 *"Rabbinische Gutachten," Vol. II, page 27. 
 
 tin this connection I mention that while Rabbi in Bonn, a 
 "Shochet" wanted the Kabbalah (permission to kill animals 
 accordinji to Jewish rites). As he was ii,'norant of Ililkhoth vShechi- 
 tah, 1 refused to give him the permission. vSurprised, lie asked me 
 for my reasons, as I was known to belong to the Reform-Rabbis, who 
 do not consider vShechitah "niin hatorah," which fact had, of course, 
 nothing to do with the case. The strangest thing, however, was, 
 that the orthodox Rabbi Auerbach gave him the Kabbalali for three 
 chickens anrl a few thalers. This hapj)ened in 1S79. 
 
322 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Dr. Maier, of Stuttgart, styles Tiktiii's defense of 
 the neglect of his official duties toward his Congrega- 
 tion, ''unworthy," which cannot but fill with indigna- 
 tion even his friends and followers. "Was perchance, 
 ]\Ioses hunting up cabinet orders and old rescripts of 
 the government, prohibiting him from instructing his 
 people when thf y came to him, mornings and evenings, 
 in order to hear his teachings and decisions? Did he 
 look for rusty statutes, on the strength of which he 
 could get out of the fulfilment of the duties toward the 
 people? Did he anxiously deduct the lessons and in- 
 structions which he had given to them? Tiktin is no pastor 
 in accord with the word of God; for such a shepherd 
 feeds his flock with knowledge and intelligence (Jerem. 
 Ill, 15), and does not refuse the nouiishment for which 
 it craves." Maier ably refutes the argument of Tiktin 
 and followers, with the good Jewish maxim that 
 Judaism has never in its history punished opinions, 
 ideas, views and doctrines, but actions, deeds, practices 
 and performances. Not one of these fanatic Rabbis, 
 even charges Geiger with an action which might be 
 regarded incompatible with the position of Rabbi. All 
 they claim is, that his principles are heterodox. While 
 it must fill a man with pain to see that men utterly de- 
 void of scientific culture, who do not even occupy a 
 standing as Talmudical scholars, have the brazen im- 
 pudence to give a verdict against purely scientific re- 
 searches, to deprive the author, on the strength of their 
 onesided judgment, not only of his honor but of his salva- 
 tion; it is very pleasing indeed to know that one lives 
 outside of the range of such zealots. If these people 
 had the power, as they have the will, they would de- 
 clare as dishonorable the best and most intelligent 
 portion of Israel, and would deliver them to the funeral 
 pile. 
 
 Mendelssohn has demonstrated* that Judaism 
 grants to the scientific inquirer the widest scope, the 
 
 *' 'Jerusalem," pages 14 and 52. 
 
AIJKAHAM (JKIC.IvK. 323 
 
 fullest freedom of research. Josephus* informs us that 
 the Sadducees, though differing widely in their relig- 
 ious views, from the Pharisees, were never deemed un- 
 fit to hold offices, as long as they performed their 
 functions in accord with Pharisaic custom. On the 
 eve of the Day of Atonement the high-priest had to 
 take an oath that he would perform the ceremony of 
 the Abodah in accord with Pharisaic, and not in ac- 
 cord with Sadducaic usage. (Mishna, Joma I, 4). How 
 much less then could Geiger be removed from his 
 office when his actions did not justify such fanatic 
 measures? True, the people stoned once a priest on 
 Succoth, because he poured out the water upon the 
 earth, instead of pouring it upon the altar. f Had he 
 poured it upon the altar, no harm would have befallen 
 him, which shows that actions and not opinions were 
 l)unished. Rabbi Joseph Colon, + the great fanatic, de- 
 ix)sed Rabbi IMoses Capsoli of Constantinople from his 
 office, not on account of his disbelief in Talmudical 
 principles, but on account of his illegal performances 
 in matters pertaining to Jewish marriage laws.§ But 
 this was done at a time when Rabbinical power and 
 tvranny had reached its zenith. Hence, the removal 
 of Geiger would be a matter unheard of in Jewish his- 
 tory. Aside from all this, Geiger is neither a Sadducee 
 nor a Karaite, neither a Copher (atheist) nor an 
 Apikores-ll This is another reason why the accusa- 
 tions of Tiktin and consorts Tall to the ground. 
 
 *Josephus, "Antiquities," Vol. III. paj^e 12.— The Saducees de- 
 nied tlie V)elief in future reward and punishment. See on this im- 
 portant sul)ject: Geij^er: "Judaism and its History," translated into 
 Knglish by Maurice Mayer. Pages isS-iyn. 
 
 +Talinud Succah, page 46. 
 
 ijoseph Colon (V)orn in France) was Rabbi in Mantua, Italy, in 
 the fifteenth centurv. He had a bitter controversy with :Me.-ser Leon 
 (Judah ben Jechiel^, a physician and philosopher in :Mantua in 1S40, 
 who published a Bible-rhetoric (Nofeth Zufim). Both were expelled 
 from Mantua by the Duke, on account of their quarrels. Colon pub- 
 lished a commentary on the Pentateuch. 
 
 ^SSec "Responses of Joseph Colon," No. 83, 84; and "Responses 
 of Rabbi vSalomon ben .Vdereth," No. 180. 
 
 IIApikores, from the (ireek, "I^jjicur." means in Rabbinical lan- 
 tiuage. "skeptic." 
 
324 RKl'ORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 Rabbi Eger, whose only merit it was to be the 
 son of Akiba Eger, who inherited the Rabbinical chair 
 of Posen, proved both his contemptible character and 
 his ridicnlons ignorance by applying the following pas- 
 sage of Maimonides to the case of Geiger: ' 'He who does 
 not believe in the oral tradition * * belongs to 
 
 the class of infidels and free thinkers (Apikorssim) 
 whose life is in eveiybody's hand, /. ^., it is permitted 
 to mnrder him.* Now this coward actnally incited 
 fanatics to kill Geiger. Is it then any wonder that 
 during the notorious funeral sermon of that other 
 worthy, for whose person Eger entertained such affec- 
 tion (" birds of a feather flock together "), the mob was 
 about to throw Geiger into the grave ? No, it was 
 simply the natural consequence of Eger's second argu- 
 ment, which reads thus: "As soon as it is known 
 that a man denies the tradition, it is permitted to 
 throw him into the pit. He who would kill such a man, 
 fulfills a holy duty by putting offense out of the way." 
 
 But it would be an insuit to the memory of the 
 great philosopher Maimonides to imagine for a moment 
 that he meant what men like Tiktin, Eger and others 
 of this ilk inferred from his words. This clique, which, 
 thank God, has lost its influence upon the better class 
 of Jews, would treat Maimonides not a whit better 
 than they treated Geiger. For the writer of the 
 " Moreh Nebuchini"f was, for his time, to say the 
 
 *Maim., Hilchot Mamrim, Chap. Ill, Sec. 1-2. 
 
 t"Guide of the Perplexed," published 1191, deals with the per- 
 plexities of religious belief, tries to haruionize belief with reasou. 
 In this work, Maimonides opposes the tendency to materialize God 
 and to localize his favors. He holds sacrifice to be a lower state of 
 religious worship, and that the sacrificial system of the Jews had 
 only the object in view, to wean a people living in the midst of 
 idolatrous nations, from worse, and to lead them to better things. 
 But in his opinion the value of sacrifice, like the value of prayer, 
 lay in the fact that it was merely a means to an end, and not the 
 end itself. Sacrifice, he held, was at one time designed to teach 
 self-denial and practical repentance. Prophecy he explained as 
 a natural development of man's intellect, a kind of genius, or inspir- 
 ation. He expressed similar rational views on the belief in angels 
 and demons. Now, it was just such fanatics as Tiktin, Kger, Caro, 
 Deutsch, who bitterly persecuted the philosopher Maimonides. 
 Just as these Polish Rabbis called the aid of a Christian govern- 
 
ARKAHAM GKIGEK. 325 
 
 least, just as enlijijlitened and liberal in his religious 
 vie.ws as was Geiger for his time. 
 
 The alleged passage of Maiinonides applies only to 
 those men who deny the oral law, in order to indulge 
 nndisturl)edly in their levity and the lust of their 
 heart. * But Maimonides did not speak of men who devote 
 their life-time to the study and research of the Thora, 
 who practice its precepts, although their scientific con- 
 viction compels them to doubt the justification of cer- 
 tain ceremonies. Were Kger and the other Polish 
 zealots right, then Maimonides would be the first to 
 deserve all the penalties which these worthies wanted 
 to inflict upon Geiger. 
 
 Blind belief has never been encouraged by Juda- 
 ism. Even with regard to the doctrine concerning 
 God, which is surely very important, we are command- 
 ed: Know, therefore, and reflect in thy heart, that the 
 eternal is God (Dent. IV, 39). Mark well, " Know," 
 not blind belief. The Hebrew language has not even 
 a term for '' belief.'' And we should blindly believe 
 in the infallibility of human traditions ? "I, for my 
 person," continues Maier, "consider the belief in the 
 authority of a man just as much idolatry as any heath- 
 enish idolatry. For where is the difference, whether I. 
 l)end my knee before a lifeless idol of wood or stone, 
 or before the dead letter of a Rabbi Akiba, or Rabbi 
 Tarfon?" The most prominent teachers of Judaism 
 
 ment to remove Geiger from office, so the bigots in Maimonides' 
 time denounced him to the Catholic Dominicans, who burned his 
 writings. But Maimonides and Geiger are immortal, because "the 
 works of the pious and righteous men bear fruits," while "the 
 actions of the evil-doers bear no fruit. "The name of the wicked 
 rots." Were it not for Maimonides, the names of his contempo- 
 raneous persecutors would have been forgotten long ago. Were it 
 not for Geiger, not a human being would know to-day the exis- 
 tence of such ol)Scure individuals like Tiktin, Eger and other non- 
 entities. As to Maimonides and Geiger. every impartial and hon- 
 est historian is bound to appl> the Hiblical passage: "And the 
 wise shall shine like the brilliancy of the expanse of the sky, and 
 they that bring many to righteousness shall be like the stars for- 
 ever and ever." — Dan. XII, 3. 
 
 §See Sec. 3 of the chapter quoted l)y Eger. This "honest" 
 "servant of the Lord" has no doubt "forgotten" to quote also the 
 third section. See also Ikkarim, I, 2. 
 
326 KKKORMKI) JCDAISM. 
 
 ieco<;nize the authority of reason in matters of reli- 
 gion.* 
 
 And does not the Tahnud itself contain the strong- 
 est criticisms? If the Talmudists always ask: ^'■Mina- 
 /an^''^ " Why is this," "whence follows its justifica- 
 tion ?" then we surely have the right to the same criti- 
 cal inquiry. There was never a time in Jewish history 
 when the authority of the Talmud was officially recog- 
 nized by the community of Israel. The same Maimo- 
 nidesf whom Geiger's enemies cite against Geiger, 
 plainly says, that only the precepts of the Bible, and 
 not those of the Talmud, can claim divine origin. In 
 conclusion Maier said: ''The best refutation of the 
 slanders against Geiger was offered by the Breslau Con- 
 gregation, which threw them into the waste basket. 
 The efforts of the obscurants, from Upper Silesia and 
 Posen, to prevent the religious and scientific regenera- 
 tion of Judaism, can do no harm. When in the last 
 century among the Jews an attempt was made to stop 
 the only well-spring of science, it proved a dismal fail- 
 ure. And yet, the combined influence of the most 
 prominent Rabbis of Germany and Poland, among 
 whom were giants of Talmudical lore, was brought to 
 bear in order to check the movement of the Mendels- 
 sohn school. How much less can pygmies of the 
 Eger type expect to succeed in a similar undertaking 
 at a time when science has become a powerful stream 
 in Israel ? It will carry them away and bury them in 
 the depths of its floods." 
 
 Dr. L. Adler, Kissingen (he was thirty-five years 
 Land-Rabbi of Hessen-Cassel), pleads for free research 
 
 *Bachja ibn Bakiula: Introduction into "Chobotli halevovoth," 
 Sadia Gaon in his "Emunotli Vedeoth" (Faith and Knowledge) 
 Eliah Del Medigo in his "Bechinath Hadatli" (Examination of tlie 
 Jewish law), and others. 
 
 + Sefer Haniizvoth, second radix, with notes of Nachnianides 
 and Hurwitz. See commentary page 7b. The same opinion is ex- 
 pressed even more forcibly by R. Jehuda Halevi, Kusari III; 39. 
 The Talmud itself is the best proof against stagnation and stabilism. 
 Hillel denied the belief in the coming of the Messiah. Fortunately 
 for him Tiktin and Eger were not living then, else they would have 
 insisted upon his removal from the Rabbinical office. 
 
ABRAHAM (iKIGKR. 327 
 
 and proves that even the Tahniulists had introduced 
 reforms. 
 
 Dr. Leopold Stein strongly arraigns Tiktin for his 
 attack on the German sermon and for his neglect to 
 preach every Sabbath and holiday. He solemnly pro- 
 tests against Tiktin' s attempt to represent the Reform 
 Jews as a new "sect." Only dogmatic differences make 
 the formation of "sects" necessary. There existed only 
 one sect in Jewish history, namely, the "Karaites." 
 Jews who do not observe many ceremonies, have not, 
 on this account, ceased to be Jews, and are no separate 
 "sect." The learned Rabbi, Dr. Geiger, far from de- 
 nving the "tradition," has proven in his Zeitschrift, 
 that we owe to the Talmudists, in opposition to the 
 "Sadducees" and "Karaites" the principle of a pro- 
 gressive development of Judaism.* Only such people 
 as practice sinful idolarty with every letter of the Tal- 
 mud, can place the critic of the tradition in the same 
 category with him, who denies it.f Stein says, that 
 the time for merely protesting, as Tiktin and followers 
 do, has gone by long ago. Since fifty years, when the 
 old Rabbis protested against the reading of Mendels- 
 sohn's translation of the Pentateuch, protest is the 
 only weapon of orthodox Rabbis, but this weapon has 
 become rather rusty in our days. For time is mightier 
 than their protests. A man once saw a carriage with- 
 out a coachman, slowly passing by him, instead of 
 taking the seat of the missing coachman and becoming 
 master of the horses, he cried "halt! halt!" So 
 often did he repeat this cry, that the horses began to 
 be aware of their power and freedom, and in a wild 
 dash they ran away with the carriage, caring little for 
 the calls "halt! halt!" which that foolish man kept 
 on repeating long after the horses were out of hearing 
 of his voice. Even .so have the old Rabbis acted in the 
 last fifty years. It was in their hands to make them- 
 selves masters of the situation, by becoming leaders of 
 
 ♦Zeitschrift fnr Juedische Theologie I, 36 ff. 
 
 +We consider the very expression "denial of the tradition" a 
 proof of ntter ij^noranre as to the meaning of "Irailition." 
 
328 RKKORMKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 the Reforiii-inoveinent. With a little discretion and 
 tact they conld have directed its conrse more snccess- 
 fnlly. But they have missed the excellent opportunity. 
 They did not move along with the tide, but remained 
 standing on the same spot calliiig "halt! halt!" to 
 the wheel of progress, protesting, lamenting and cry- 
 ing. They have made a most egregious mistake. 
 The horses left to themselves without a master ran 
 away. Now it is too late. Their cries "halt ! halt !" 
 have no effect at all; are not even heard. 
 
 Under such deplorable circumstances the younger 
 generation of Rabbis, had to do something in order to 
 save the carriage from utter destruction. Seeing the 
 poison of apostasy and indifferentism spreading and 
 well nigh eating up the marrow of Judaism, beholding 
 the empty benches in the Synagogues, the neglected 
 schools, the flocks going astray without the care of 
 wise shepherds, they went to work, to repair the great 
 damage, to stem the dangerous tide of apostasy, and to 
 save what could be saved. And, thank God, their ef- 
 forts are crowned with success. Thousands of our co- 
 religionists, who felt themselves strangers in the House 
 of God, find themselves again at home, wherever 
 beneficial Reforms in the worship have been introduced. 
 In all our Reforms we have the welfare and perserva- 
 tion of our religion at heart. We believe with Maimon- 
 ides, that there are times when a member of the body 
 has to be sacrificed in order to save the whole body 
 from utter decay. The demand for Reform is so general 
 among the masses, that not even the unanimous dictum 
 of all the present Rabbis would be powerful enough to 
 check it. The attempt of Rabbi Eger and his associates 
 to exclude the Reformers from the pale of Judaism, is 
 therefore, to say the least, foolish, in the extreme. 
 Thank God, these men are powerless. Such men as 
 Dr. Geiger are of the greatest benefit to the cause of 
 Judaism, which is badly in need of just such men in 
 our days. The more burdensome we make Judaism 
 for the people, the less they will care for it. 
 
ABRAHAM (IKKiKR. 329 
 
 Dr. CTriieiiebauiii, LaiuUui, proN'cs that the very 
 stupendous growth ot the ceremonial laws from 613 in 
 the Pentateuch to several thousands in the Talmud* is 
 a most radical Reform. For is it not in contradiction 
 to the words of the Pentateuch: Ye shall not add and 
 ye shall not take away? (Dent. IV, 2). 
 
 Tly the citation of about a dozen instances t he con- 
 clusively proves that the Talniudists have abrogated, 
 not only Rabbinnical, but Mosaic laws, consequently 
 Tiktin and consorts, who claim that "no human 
 authority is permitted to set aside or even to modify 
 Talmudical precepts and prohibitions" are sadly mis- 
 taken indeed. Just the contrary from what they so 
 apodictically assert is true. P'ar from doing a wrong it 
 is the duty of Rabbis to follow the good example set 
 by the great teachers of old and to introduce beneficial 
 changes and Reforms in accord with the urgent de- 
 mands of the times and the necessities of localities. 
 
 In a most thorough manner he demonstrates his- 
 torically the utter ignorance of Tiktin and consorts as 
 manifested by their unscientific statement that the Tal- 
 miulical explanations of the Piiblical laws are of divine 
 origin." P'reedom of research was valued so highly 
 even after the establishment of the Sanhedrin in 
 Jerusalem, that it was forbidden to write the interpre- 
 tations of the law, in order to give a chance to other 
 hermeneutics, in cases where the exigencies of the age 
 rendered them imperative. It was only owing to out- 
 side oppression that the Alishna and later the two 
 Talmuds were permitted to be collected and written. 
 P^'anaticism from without palsied every free activity 
 and productive power of the Jews. "The misery and 
 barbarism of the times, which made beggars even of 
 the Greeks and Romans," said the scholar and genius 
 Zunz, "exercised the same influence upon the Jews.";); 
 
 *See Maimonides Sefer Hamizvoth, rad. I on this subject. 
 
 tMishna Rerachotli, Chap. I, Maasser Sheni II, 2, Tahii. Beza, 
 fol 5, Tosafoth Jebanioth .S61), vSota 4Sa. 
 
 iDer Zeiten Noth uiul Barbarei, die selbst Griechen und Roe- 
 iner /u IJeltlern machten, uebte auf die unj^luecklichen Juden glei- 
 cheii liinnuss. 
 
330 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 This simple historical statement must take away 
 from the Talmudical laws the nimbus of divine origin. 
 But as the Rabbi of Posen belongs to the class of peo- 
 ple who cannot comprehend the plainest historical 
 argument, it is a good thing that the Talmudists them- 
 selves corroborate the truth of this argument. If then 
 Tiktin and consorts condemn Geiger, they must also 
 condemn Maimonides, Albo and a host of the greatest 
 leaders of Jewish thought in all ages and climes. 
 Hence Dr. Geiger is more in accord with the "tradi- 
 tion" than his traducers of Lissa, Posen and Liiblinitz. 
 They are guilty of the sins which, in a spirit of 
 ignorance and arrogance they imputed to Geiger. 
 
 We have dwelt at some length on these "opin- 
 ions" because they are of the greatest importance for a 
 thorough understanding of the Jewish Reform-move- 
 ment, and because it is the first time that the English 
 reading public will have the opportunity of getting a 
 clear insight into the struggles which the leaders of 
 modern Rabbinism in Europe had to undergo. For 
 Geiger stands for the principle of Reform-Rabbinism. 
 He was the sun, the other Rabbis were satisfied to be 
 considered the stars, and gladly received their light 
 from him. In the conclusion of his opinion Dr. Aub 
 appropriately used the following phrase: 
 
 "Rabbi Dr. Geiger, in w^honi we venerate the first 
 representative of the scientific Theology of Judaism, "f 
 
 As is often the case in history. an event took place 
 just at that critical time, which gave room for the 
 general belief that peace would be established once 
 more in the Breslau Congregation. 
 
 On March 20th, 1843, Tiktin died, and Geiger did 
 honor to his memory in spite of all that had happened. 
 The Prussian Ministers Eichhorn and Arnim re- 
 
 *Rabbin. Gutachten II, page ii, "Dr. Geiger in dem wir den 
 ersten Repraesentanten der wissenschaftlichen Theologie des Jii- 
 denthunis verehren." The fact that Philippsohn, envious of Gei- 
 ger's greatness, was not ashamed to write that "Geiger was no the- 
 ologian," changes nothing in the matter. 
 
 tSee Israelii of the 19th century, I843, page 64. 
 
A15RAHA.M (iKICKR. 331 
 
 jccted the petition of his opponents and refused to re- 
 move Geiger from office. 
 
 But peace was not restored, owing to the agita- 
 tions of the orthodox party. They wanted a second 
 Rabbi. On Geiger' s recommendation Dr. Fassel was 
 invited, preached on trial and was elected (February 
 25th, 1845), but did not enter upon his position. 
 
 Now the opponents of Reform worked with might 
 and main, to dismember the Congregation by inducing 
 the members to refuse their payment of their dues. 
 
 As the radical element of the Congregation was 
 also in favor of a split as the only means of a lasting 
 peace, G. Tiktin, the son of S. Tiktin, was elected as 
 Rabbi of the orthodox party. 
 
 Geiger' s salary was materially increased in con- 
 sequence of this arrangement. But the conservative 
 element was so well represented in the administration 
 of the Congregation, that it retarded the work of Reform. 
 This fact became partly the cause of Geiger' s acceptance 
 of a call to Frankfurt, his native city. Geiger him- 
 self was also in favor of a split in the Congregation. 
 He was convinced, that it had to come sooner or later 
 in every large Jewish community. As early as 1842 
 he expressed these views in a letter to Jacob 
 Auerbach, dated April i8th. "The healthy portion 
 even if numerically small will, develop in time 
 in its solidity and harmony with the age, while the 
 sickly and unsound portion will be swept away by the 
 waves of the new era. In London the split is a fact, 
 in Hamburg it cannot be kept back, and in Frankfurt 
 it will come to pass in a short time."* 
 
 In 1843 Geiger received a call to Petersburg 
 through Dr. Max Lilienthal of Riga, later of Cincin- 
 nati. But Geiger refused to leave Germany. In his 
 letter to Lilienthal he said: I love Germany, although 
 its institutions exclude me, the Jew. Does love ask 
 for a reason? I feci mvself interv^jven with its science 
 
 (/ciger: Posthumous works Vol. V, page i6i. 
 
332 RKKORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 its spiritual earnestness, and who will cut in twain the 
 nerve of his being?* 
 
 In 1849 Geiger was requested by his Congrega- 
 tion to publish outlines and a plan to a new " Prayer- 
 book, "f In accord with the principles contained in 
 this pamphlet the famous prayer-book of Geiger ap- 
 peared in 1854. + 
 
 The spirit of progress, with due regard to the 
 historical basis permeates this prayer-book. All 
 prayers are eliminated, which do not express the true 
 sentiment of the worshipers. The service is shortened 
 considerably. The second edition of the prayer-book, 
 which came out 1870 is more reformed than the first. 
 It is used in Frankfurt, Bonn, where the author of this 
 book had introduced it under great difficulties, and in a 
 very few other German Congregations. Geiger' s 
 principles on the Jewish service are thoroughly ex- 
 pressed in his "Theses to the Synod at Leipzig," 1869. 
 A few points, however, which are not contained in 
 those theses, may find their place here. The exodus 
 from Egypt can no longer occupy such an important 
 place in our prayers, as it used to occupy. The same 
 is the case with Amalek, Haman and the sufferings in 
 middle ages. As the language of prayer, Geiger con- 
 cedes, that the Hebrew is not our mother-tongue. The 
 second holiday is not Biblical. 
 
 Of special interest to our readers will doubtless be 
 Geiger' s opinion on the vexed question of Sunday- 
 service. I therefore copy in full an article, which I 
 published five years ago on this important subject in 
 the "Jewish Reformer, "§ January, 1886, and which 
 
 *Posthum. Works, V, page 165. 
 
 tThe)- were published only for the Congregation. ( Breslau, 
 1S49, Leop. Freund, 36 pages). In 1S61 they were reprinted under 
 the title: "Necessity and Measure of a Reform of tlie Jewish Di- 
 vine Service." 
 
 l"Israelitish Prayer-book for the Public Worship of the Whole 
 Year, Sabbath and Holidays Inclusive," with a new German adapt- 
 ation (not translation). (Breslau, 1854, I. Hainauer 570 pages). 
 
 §Dr. Kohler, New York, and Hirsch, Chicago, were the editors of 
 that excellent weekly. 
 
Ar.RAHAM GKIGEK. 333 
 
 was at the- time extciisi\-ely copied by the Jewish press 
 of this country: 
 
 ABRAHAM GKlGKK OX SLXDAV-SKRVICK. 
 
 Dr. Geiger said in his pamphlet "Nothwendigkeit 
 nnd Maass einer Reform des Jnedischeu Gottesdienstes, " 
 — ''Necessity and Limitation of a Reform of the Jewish 
 Divine Worship," (Breslau, 1861): 
 
 "The holidays, when celebrated in a more dig- 
 nified form, will surely attract a large part of the Con- 
 gregation to the houses of worship, but I do not expect the 
 same from the Sabbath. It will always remain a com- 
 paratively small circle, which will attend the divine 
 service, even if it should be conducted so as to answer 
 all the demands." 
 
 These prophetical words, although spoken twenty- 
 six years ago in Germany, corro])orating the saying 
 "the wise man is more than a prophet," cannot be 
 taken as a weapon against Reform. For Geiger ex- 
 plains this utterance as follows: 
 
 "Here in particular, we must exclaim in relation 
 to Reform the fatal words, 'Too late!' If in the 
 generation preceding ours the needs of the spirit and of 
 the heart had been considered, if the divine service had 
 not been made entirely indifferent, yea repelling to the 
 thinking, intelligent classes, the inclination of the heart 
 might perhaps have been powerful enough to draw 
 people to the house of worship on the Sabbaths in spite 
 of many obstacles. But now the stream of life has 
 overflowed its dams. Complaints or reproaches, will 
 not be strong enough, to lead it back again to its old 
 channel. The grown people attend to their business, 
 the children go to school,* and the House of God has 
 to rely upon a small, firm circle, of accidental visitors. 
 * * Now we ask ourselves: Shall we there- 
 
 fore bear ill-will against life? Shall the I louse of God 
 not offer its blessings, because they are not appreciated 
 as thev ought to be at the time and hour when thev 
 
 *In Germany the Jewish children attend school on Saturdays. 
 
334 RKFORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 are ofi'ered? Shall the youth be pimislKd by beiii^; de- 
 prived of all edification, because the parcutssend them 
 to school on this da)'? * * Should we not rather utilize 
 every opportunity offering itself to us, in order to win 
 back the masses to the House of God and to religious 
 life though it be at a time which so far has not yet 
 been used for this purpose? Our ancient teachers 
 thought so. For those, who could not attend service 
 on Saturday morning, they substituted a solemn 
 service on Saturday- afternoon, Monday and Thursday 
 mornings. Let us follow their example. There is one 
 week-day, which is especially appropriate for divine 
 service, because the general business-pursuits are sus- 
 pended on that day, namely Stinday. Let us make 
 use of it, if not regularly every w^eek, but at least from 
 time to time. A solemn Sunday-Service (and be it only 
 once a month) will answer the puipose of giving to a 
 large part of the Congregation the opportunity of a 
 common devotion, without infringing upon the right 
 of the Sabbath. Do not go too far in your apprehen- 
 sion, that such a service might be construed as a con- 
 cession to other denominations. I honor this shyness, 
 whenever urged in opposition to the shallow aping, 
 the begging before the doors of others. But, when you 
 once have given way to the general custom in all other 
 affairs of life, then do not boast of a steadfast persever- 
 ance and ot insisting upon your peculiarity just in that 
 one point, which concerns neither your gain nor your 
 pleasure, but the religious food of so many. You 
 make the Sabbath a day of work, the Sunday a day of 
 recreation. Religion, however, must yield on the one 
 hand to the needs of life, and on the other to the 
 prejudice of the past. This is self-deception, through 
 which religious life is being stifled entirely." 
 
 Geiger is also opposed to the blessing of the people 
 by the so-called " Kohanim" (priests), to the "Sefirath 
 haomer, "* and considers earnest, solemn music a 
 good substitute for the blowing of the Shofar on New 
 
 *Numbering of 49 days between "Passover" and "The Feast of 
 Weeks." 
 
ABRAHAM GEIGKR. 335 
 
 Year's day. At any rate the Mislina deems three 
 flourishes of the cornet (Tekia, Terua, Tekia), suffi- 
 cient. The Lulab on the feast of Succoth can be dis- 
 pensed with, as the feast is no longer an agricultural 
 country-holiday, which was its original meaning. 
 
 Geiger's word made itself felt in every important 
 Reform-movement. 
 
 We have dwelt at length in our biographies of 
 ''Chorin" and "Salomon," on the Hamburg-prayer- 
 book-controversy in 1818 and in 1842. Geiger, when 
 asked by the Temple people to give his "opinion" on 
 the prayer-book, published a pamphlet: "The Hamburg 
 Temple Controversy, a Question of the Hour."* He 
 was, however, not satisfied with merely justify- 
 ing the Hamburg ritual, but he criticised the Temple 
 for doing things bv halves. He said: "The Temple 
 has missed the great opportunity to make itself the 
 banner-bearer of scientific religious progress, in the 
 domain of modern Judaism." Geiger emphatically ex- 
 claimed. "Free from all retarding elements, respon- 
 sible onlv to its enlightened members, they could have 
 well afforded to handle questions which were delicate, 
 yea, dangerous for others less fortunately situated. 
 They could have exercised a great influence in the di- 
 rection of scientific Reform in Judaism. Instead of 
 this the literary activity of the Temple centered in the 
 publication of the sermons of its preachers. While 
 many of them are excellent contributions to our homi- 
 letics, the principle of a scientific Reform in Judaism 
 is not treated with that full consideration, to which it 
 was entitled at the hands of the independent Hamburg 
 preachers. Not only that the laborious work of build- 
 ing up a Jewish theology on the basis of historical 
 criticism received no support at the hands of the Tem- 
 ple, but its representatives looked down upon this new 
 movement as antiquated and superfluous, as if the di- 
 vine service were the alpha and omega of all progress 
 
 *Der Hamhurj^er Tenipelstreit, eine Zeitfraj^e, (Breslaii, 1S42, 
 Nachj^el-Schriftcn, Vol. I, passes 1 13-197.) 
 
S3^ REFORMED JUDAIS^r. 
 
 ill Judaism. The fact, however, is that the Hamburg 
 Temple is already regarded as au " innoceut institu- 
 tion," the worst thing which could befall it. The 
 Temple, or at least its prominent leaders had so little 
 understanding and appreciation of a scientific Jewish 
 theology, that they opeiily advocated the long exploded 
 idea, that a Rabbi has to practice every observance of 
 the Shulchan Aruch, because he is Rabbi.* In its joy 
 over its great victory in the matter of worship, the 
 Hamburg Temple rested on its laurels, and intoxicated 
 by success, became indolent and indifferent as to future 
 greater possibilities of Reform-Judaism. The drift of 
 Geiger's criticism is in brief this: The Temple owes 
 its origin to its opposition to the Hamburg Synagogue. 
 Having accomplished its object as an opposition-es- 
 tablishment, it has lost every interest in a progressive 
 movement within the Synagogue on the basis of a 
 scientific Jewish theology, which justly recognizes its 
 representative in Abraham Geiger and his school, f 
 
 (xciger considers the second new prayer-book of the 
 Temple entirely too conservative, and sees in it little 
 progress in comparison with the prayer-book published 
 twenty-three 3'ears before. In certain points it is even 
 retrogressive, among other things the service instead 
 of being shortened is lengthened. The hope of the re-es- 
 tablishment of a Jewish kingdom in Palestine finds ex- 
 pression in the prayer-book, the formula "May our 
 eyes see it, when thou, O God, returnest to Zion" is 
 retained. The passage "Oh, let shine forth a new 
 light on Zion, that we may all speedily behold its 
 light," which is wisely omitted in the prayer-book of 
 1819, is printed in small type and in parenthesis, but 
 without the German translation in the prayer-book of 
 1843. How inconsistent! How timid! The same 
 
 *This is to this very day the only argument of our oi-tiiodoxy 
 in Europe as well as in this country. 
 
 tThis criticism is just. As proof I mention the fact that when- 
 ever a reformatory measure came to a discussion at the Rabbinical 
 Conferences in the forties, the Hamlmrg preachers exclaimed: 
 "Oh, this has been introduced or abolished in our Temple many 
 years iigo. " 
 
ABRAHAM (;i<:ic;kr. 337 
 
 procedure is noticeable in the prayer, ''and restore the 
 service to the inner part of thy house, and the burnt- 
 offerings of Israel and their prayers mayest thou accept 
 in love and favor." Aut-aut. The purpose of sucli 
 proceeding can only be to cast suspicion on those pray- 
 ers without showing the proper courage of eliminating 
 them, which is not worthy of an organization like the 
 Hamburg Temple. While the Abodah* is omitted 
 from the Jom Kippur service, which fact might be re- 
 garded as a protest against the animal sacrifice, this 
 impression must leave us when we notice the retention 
 of the main part of this historical recitation, in which 
 bitter complaint is made that ''now we have no high- 
 priest, no sacrifice." 
 
 Another point of difference between the prayer- 
 book of 1 819 and the one of 1842 is that, while the 
 former omitted the service for Minchah on Sabbath- and 
 holidays, the latter retained it, which is retrogressive 
 rather than progressive. 
 
 How a prayer-book of an organization which 
 boasts of having fully emancipated itself from the yoke 
 of Rabbinism, can contain the prayers: "I^raised be 
 thou, God, who hast commanded us to recite Hallel,"f 
 or to "light the Chanucca lights," or to "read the book 
 of Esther,"* is utterly incomprehensible. For it is a 
 well known fact that the Bible knows nothing of these 
 commandments. The fact that these benedictions are 
 printed in small type, in parenthesis, and without the 
 German translation, makes the matter still worse, de- 
 monstrating that the authors were well aware of their 
 glaring inconsistency. 
 
 But a very strong testimonium paupertatis for the 
 Temple is contained in the following passage of the 
 preface to the new prayer-book: " The Temple differs 
 from other Israelitish Congregations in but a few 
 
 ♦Literally "Service" in the Temple of Jerusalem. This prayer 
 describes in full the service of the High-Priest on the T>ny of Atone- 
 ment. 
 
 tPrayers for New- Moon and Holidays. 
 
 {It is recited on the festival of Purim. 
 
33*^ REKORMKI) JUDAISM. 
 
 forms of ils ritual, not, however, in religious doctrines. 
 "What does the term 'other Israelitish Con^reo-ations' 
 mean in a time of struggle, transition and 
 changes like ours, which is not ripe for fixed religious 
 dogmas ? But if it means, as it apparently does, that 
 the prayer-book is in principle at one with the traditional 
 and official mode of worship of the majority of Jewish 
 Congregations, then this declaration is simply not true. 
 For notwithstanding its glaring inconsistencies, the 
 views of the Temple on personal Messiah, sacrifice, 
 divine authority of the Rabbinical ceremonial laws, are 
 most decidedly at variance with the masses of so-called 
 conservative Congregations. * 
 
 But, if it were true that the only differences con- 
 sists in '-a few forms," then we might almost be justi- 
 fied in exclaiming: "Quel bruit pour une omelette." 
 
 The time has gone by, when the salvation of 
 Judaism is dependent upon mere outward embellish- 
 ments of the service, which might, after all, prove to 
 be luxuriant death-chambers of our religion, if they 
 are out of all touch with the entire new religious con- 
 ception and scientific spirit of modern Judaism. If the 
 Hamburg Temple intends to exercise a lasting influence 
 upon modern Judaism, it has to make itself the living 
 organ of the spiritual development of Judaism. 
 
 The experience of the last fifty years has proven, 
 that Geiger was right. To-day the Hamburg Temple 
 wields less influence in the Judaism of Germany than 
 it ever did. It still exists, vegetates, is for all we know 
 in a flourishing financial condition, as its members are 
 rich, but that is all. Its preachers are men of very 
 mediocre talent, unknown in literature, and cannot 
 bear comparison with men like Salomon, or Kley. 
 
 In the chapter on Holdheim we have dwelt 
 at length on the "Frankfurt Reformverein. " f 
 
 *The new prayer-book and its opponents (Das neue Gebetbuch 
 and seine Verketzerung, Hamburg, 1841). See chapters on "Chorin"' 
 and "Salomon" in this book; also Geiger: Posthumous Works, I, 
 pages 161-168. 
 
 +See pages 204 ff. of this l)ook. 
 
AHKAIIAM (iKIGKR. 339 
 
 Gciger, while taking a warm inlerest in the move- 
 ment as he did in everything pertaining to Reform- 
 Jndaism, did not favor the means employed by the 
 Society, and was opposed to its revolutionary spirit. 
 This Reform-movement had utterly ignored a histori- 
 cal development in Judaism. He characterizes it as 
 follows: 
 
 "But also a revolution was not wanting. Those 
 who had been separated long ago from the Jewish Con- 
 gregations desired at last to give full and public ex- 
 pression to their views. But removed entirely from 
 the historical ground this task became rather difficult. 
 The ''Reform-Society" of Frankfurt, and the "Friends 
 of Reform" (in Breslau), were right in their struggle, 
 but as soon as they intended to build up, they were 
 not capable of constructing a new building out of mere 
 negations, which offered nothing new.* The only 
 new deed which emanated from the Society was the 
 abrogation of the circumcision.! While Geiger, as we 
 have seen beforeij; was by no means opposed on 
 jjrinciple to a schism within Judaism, he was not in 
 favor of forcing a split. The Reform of the whole 
 community of Israel was his beau-ideal, even though 
 such a consummation was in the very nature of things 
 
 ♦The same holds good with regard to the "Ethical-Culture- 
 Movenient" in this country, which can claim not a single new idea 
 not contained in 'the Jewish prophets. We challenge Prof. Felix 
 Adler. to prove by one single instance, that his teachings are super- 
 ior to those expressed by Micah VI. S, and dozens of similar pas- 
 sages. It is far easier to pose as a founder of a new religion than to 
 prove the necessity of a new religion. It has indeed been proven, 
 that wherever Reform-Judaism has able and scholarly representa- 
 tives — I point particularly to Chicago, where Jlirsch holds the 
 fort— ethical-culture is no success. It is the remarkable vigor of 
 Reform-Jud.iism in America, which is a matter of great disap- 
 pointment to our Hthical-CuUunsts. Hence their cociuetry with 
 our ultra-orthoiloxy — les e.Ntremes so touchent — and their trium- 
 phant cry, that Judaism is dying out, although they know it 
 best, that if it is dying, it is a mighty lively corpse indeed. 
 
 tGeiger's Posthumous Works; Vol. II. page 272. 
 
 :See his letter to Jacob .\uerbach, (page 331 of this l»o(>k); also 
 Posthumous Works Vol. V. page 161, and letter to Wechsler, Jan. 
 1st, 1S49. 
 
340 RKFORMKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 slow, iip-liill work.* Another mistake of the ^'Refonn- 
 Vereiii" was, that it intentionally ignored the 
 theologians, who in snch a question as the abolition of 
 circumcision were entitled to a hearing, f Geiger 
 estranged many a friend from him on account of his 
 opinion touching the Frankfort Reform-Societ}'. 
 
 In Breslau a similar movement was attempted, 
 where in a declaration signed by a number of promi- 
 nent men the following demands were made: 
 
 (i) "Abolition of the belief in a personal Messiah; 
 (2) of the dietary laws; (3) of the laws which cause the 
 conflict of the Sabbath with the demand of every day 
 life."]: But only the Berlin "Reform-Genossenschaft" 
 proved a success. 
 
 After Holdheim's death the Berlin Reform-Con- 
 gregation was so anxious to induce Geiger to become 
 
 *It is for this ver}- reason that he twice refused the position of 
 Rabbi in the "Reform-Genossenschaft," of Berlin. Conscientious 
 regard for the historical continuity of Judaism did not permit him to 
 cut loose from the Jewish community at large. (Geiger's Zeitschrift, 
 III, pages 216-218; also Posthumous Works, V, page 246, letter to 
 Wechsler, and page 231 of this book. 
 
 tGeiger's letter to Stern, June II, 1S44; Posth. Works, V, page 
 174, Freund's "Zeitschrift zxn- Judenfrage in Deutschland." (Breslau, 
 1844, pages 109-116). 
 
 iBreslauer Zeitung, April 4th, 1845. Later on they resolved to 
 transfer the Sabbath to Sunday. Geiger published a pamphlet: 
 "Nine Years Ago and To-day," (Breslau, 1846), in which he boldly 
 advocated his views. He was then attacked in five "open letters," 
 which followed one another in rapid succession, and were considered 
 as Freund's work. In answer to this appeared: "Address of the 
 ^Majority of the Breslau Isr. Congregation to Dr. W. Freund." (Bres- 
 lau, 1846). See also: "True Report Concerning the Last Events in 
 This Congregation," (Breslau, 1846), anonymously, but written bj' 
 Geiger, and "Israelit d. 19, Jahrh.," 1846, No. 17 ff. In a letter to a 
 friend March 8, i85i, he writes: "Within the Congregation I strug- 
 gle, I conqvieror succumb, and have the good consciousness that my 
 struj^gle has stimulated powerful germs, which, after my strength is 
 broken, will produce fertile developments. * * * j have 
 declined such a position several times. I have refused the position 
 as preacher in the Temple of Hamburg at a time when I had re- 
 signed my position in Wiesbaden, and when the chances for mj- nat- 
 uralization in Prussia and of entering upon my position in Breslau 
 were very doubtful indeed. I have twice declined the position in 
 the Berlin Reform-Congregation, the first time under very difficult 
 and precarious circumstances in this city." (Breslau). 
 
AIJKAllAM tiKKiHK. 34' 
 
 Hoklln-iin's successor, that they even oflVrcd to rc- 
 transler the Sunday to Sabbath. 
 
 Gciger's motto was: ''The Reform has to emanate 
 from Rabbis and Cono;regations," but not from the 
 Conj;regatious alone. He advocated this opinion in a 
 lecture^ entitled : "From Whom Shall Reforms 
 Emanate?" delivered ISIarch 28, before the Breslau 
 Reading-Society. Therefore was Geiger, heart and 
 soul, in favor of the "Rabbinical Conferences," and 
 was an enthusiastic member of the First Rabbinical 
 Conference in Braunschweig. He expres.ses himself on 
 this subject as follows: 
 
 "Revolution is not successful in religion, which 
 demands not only tearing away of what is antiquated, 
 but ennobling of what is existing, and of creating new 
 things, when necessity demands it. This method was 
 emploved by the Rabbinical Conference, and it was 
 the right way, notwithstanding the fact, that different 
 stages of Reform were represented. These Conferences 
 were checked in their development, long before they 
 were given sufficient time to mature. Their motto 
 was: 'Change, Reform, not Revolution.' They had 
 to fight to the right, and to the left, but if they had 
 had three years longer for their work, the fruits would 
 have been seen ere now."* 
 
 The fruits at any rate are seen in the growth of 
 Reform-Judaism, particularly in this country. 
 
 It was impossible for Geiger on account of official 
 business to be present at the Braunschweig Convention 
 at the beginning of the Conference, f But when he ar- 
 rived June iSth, he was greeted with great enthusiasm 
 by all present. ".\11 surrounded" — thus a contemporary 
 de.scribes it — "the little man with the penetrating look 
 and the long hair, as if he would have been a saint. 
 All welcomed him most heartily, as if they wanted to 
 say: You are our pioneer, you first opened unto us 
 
 *Posth. Works, II. paj^es 272-273. 
 
 ille lia<l sent a highly enthusiastic letter to the Conference, 
 which was published in paniphlet-forni; also in I'osth. Works, I, page 
 197-202. See also my Isr. Genieinde-Zeitung, No, 28, Vol. IV, 1S79. 
 
34 J RKFOK.MKD Jl'DAISM. 
 
 the way of critical research, of progress in Ral)binisiii. 
 It is you, who first proclaimed the idea of a living de- 
 velopment in Judaism." He had been elected even 
 before his arrival, a member of the committee for the 
 revision of marriage-laws. He took part in the eleventh, 
 last meeting, offered a resolution to create a fund, in 
 order to defray the expenses of Rabbis attending the 
 Conferences, and to have the Protocols of the Con- 
 ference published in book form, the money to come 
 from subscriptions. He was elected to the committee 
 on S. Hirsch's resolution to abolish and revise a 
 number of dietary- and Sabbath-laws. 
 
 In the second Rabbinical Conference, Frankfurt, 
 1845,* he was present during the whole time. He 
 was Vice-President, and acted as President in the very 
 important eight meetings when the question on the 
 INIessiah was discussed. The Conference voted him its 
 thanks for the very able manner in which he presided. 
 He strongly opposed Frankel, who declared that ac- 
 cording to Jewish law, the Hebrew language had to be 
 used in prayer. . He argued against mentioning the 
 sacrifices in prayer, and against a special celebration of 
 the Rosh Chodesh.f He offered resolutions aiming at 
 the establishment of Jewish theological faculties and at 
 the publication of good devotional books for the home 
 use. He was elected on the committee for both reso- 
 tions. 
 
 The third and most important, because most de- 
 cisive and active Conference, was the one held in Bres- 
 lau, to which Geiger had invited, aside from the mem- 
 bers present at former Conferences, the Drs. Zunz, 
 Sachs and Leopold Loew. 
 
 I refer to a resume of the resolutions of the Bres- 
 lau Conference, which I have published in the "Year- 
 book of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, ' ' 
 as a member of the Committee on Publication, (Cincin- 
 nati, 1890, pp. 95-100). 
 
 *From July 15th to July 28th. 
 
 |-The beginning of the month is usually celebrated by reciting 
 Hallel and Yaale vejavo. 
 
•ABRAHAM GKlGKR. 343 
 
 Dr. L. Adler offered, iu the name of the Confer- 
 ence, a vote of thanks to Geiger for the ''just, kind and 
 clever" manner in which he presided over the assem- 
 bly in the midst of some very exciting debates, when 
 the most burning questions and vital subjects were 
 discussed. Through this Conference the Breslau Con- 
 gregation became renowned throughout Germany as the 
 banner-bearer of Reform-Judaism and scientific Jew- 
 ish theology, and the bond which united the Congrega- 
 tion with its celebrated spiritual leader became stronger 
 than ever before. Geiger's introductory and clo.sing ad- 
 dresses of the Conference were masterpieces of oratory 
 and scientific expositions of the aims and aspirations of 
 progressive Rabbinism. In the introductory speech Gei- 
 ger said among other things, that we do not meet here 
 for the purpose of fettering the Congregations, of inter- 
 ferine with the religious freedom and autonomv of the 
 people. Even if such authority should be given 
 to us, we would not accept it, knownng as we do 
 that true religious life can devolop there only, where 
 the fullest freedom of conviction reigns supreme. We 
 are here simply as representatives of the science of Ju- 
 daism, who, assisted by our observations and experience 
 in office, are able to recognize the wants of the Con- 
 gregations, and to propose to them the necessary means 
 of supplying the needs of our age. We are not here as 
 clergymen in contradistinction to the so-called laymen. 
 Such conceptions are utterly unknown in Judaism. 
 
 But we are here as men well versed in the history 
 of Judaism, we are here to exchange our views as 
 brethren in the Rabbinical office, and to offer the re- 
 sult of our discussions and council to our Congrega- 
 tions. We are here, not merely for the sake of 
 abolishing, solving, setting aside and destroying. 
 Our "task" is to strengthen our religion in the spirit 
 of truth, and only where it is necessary we shall not be 
 afraid to remove the crusts and shells. It is a de- 
 struction for the sake of building up. 
 
 After an excellent resume of the labors of the Con- 
 ference, and the closing address of Geigcr, the work ot 
 
341- REFORMED JUDAISM'. 
 
 the Conference was couclnded, alas, not to l)e resumed 
 until after twenty-three years in Cassel (1868)* where 
 the preparations were arranged for the Synods in Leip- 
 zig (1869), and in Augsburg (1871). Twenty years 
 have again passed, but the religious state of affairs in 
 German Judaism is so miserable, the hypocrisy, cow- 
 ardice, and selfishness of the Rabbisf of the so-called 
 Reform-Congregations in Germany, so contemptible, 
 and the indifferentism, atheism and apostasy of the 
 masses so frightening, that there is hardly a hope for a 
 change for the better in the near future. The Rabbis 
 — there are very few exceptions but exceptatio con- 
 firmat regulam — as a rule preach their weekly sermons, 
 do a little teaching of the young, and let well enough 
 alone. The few scholars among them study in their 
 libraries and publish occasionally a book on some phil- 
 ological, arcliEeological, philosophical, or at best exeget- 
 ical subject, which has no bearing on the practical re- 
 ligious life of the present. They are very cautious and 
 shrewd, these Rabbis. 
 
 To touch burning questions of the day might be 
 followed by unpleasant consequences, might compel a 
 man to show his true colors. But it is just this, that 
 these "wise Rabbis" most carefully avoid. Hence 
 German Rabbinism of this day offers, with very few 
 exceptions, the deplorable and anomalous sight, that a 
 Rabbi will pose as the most radical critic of the Bible, 
 and yet be afraid to express his true opinion on the 
 dietary laws or on some obsolete Jewish custom. 
 Much less will he dare to disregard publicly a Jewish 
 
 *The fourth Rabbinical Conference, which was to be held in 
 Muenchen, was not held, owing to the political fermentation of 
 those days. After the Revolution in 1S4S the reaction in Germany 
 was so powerful, that liberal religious movements could not hope to 
 lie successful. The Protocols of the Hreslau Conference were edited 
 Ijy the conmiittee (Geiger and his friend Prof. M. A. Levy.) (Bres- 
 lau, 1847, Leuckart, 317 pages). Geiger published also a condensed 
 report concerning the work of the Third Conference of German 
 Rabbis. (Breslau, 1846), and in reply to orthodox attacks he pub- 
 lished a defense of the resolutions on the Sabbath-laws, entitled: 
 "The Third Conference of German Rabliis." (Breslau, I846.) 
 
 tTlie majority of them were graduates of the Breslau Seminary, 
 which has become a Jesuitical Institute under Frankel and Graetz. 
 
ABRAHAM GKIGER. 345 
 
 custom which he considers antiquated. The okl, bokl, 
 courageous Reform-Rabbis, of Germany, whose names 
 are honorably mentioned in this book, are no longer 
 amoug the living, and the present young generation of 
 Rabbis are fanatic orthodox* or noncommittal. 
 
 But let us return to Geiger. The Reform-move- 
 ment did not entirely occupy his labors. Aside from 
 his literary work, he let no opportunity pass by, with- 
 out utilizing it for the benefit and welfare of the Jews, 
 for whose political emancipation he had always evinced 
 the same interest as he had shown for their spiritual 
 and intellectual elevation. As this book is in the 
 main devoted to the Jewish Reform-movement, we can- 
 not treat thoroughly this side of Geiger' s labors. Suf- 
 fice it to say, that he had several conferences with 
 King Frederic William IV, (1841), with Minister 
 Eichhorn, (1843), in behalf of the Jews. Republished 
 several pamphlets, among others: "Rabbinical Opinions 
 on the Duty of the Jews to Serve as Soldiers," (Breslau, 
 1842), in which he justly considered the exemption of 
 the Jews from the duty to defend their country, not in 
 the light of a favor, f but as an insult. In the city of 
 Breslau he also resented promptly in the press every 
 attempt to wrong the Jew^s.J: Politically he openly 
 espoused in meetings the cause of liberalism. 
 
 It is needless to say, that he never neglected his 
 literary labors. Aside from his "Zeitschrift"§ he 
 published a: "Grammar and Reader to the Language 
 
 *The pupils of the orthodox Seminary, presided over by the 
 hyper-orthodox Dr. Hildesheimer in Berlin. They bind the hand- 
 kerchief around their body so that God might think it is a belt, car- 
 ry no umbrella on the Sabbath, a. s. f. 
 
 rThe orthodox Jews wanted such a "favor" because soldiers can- 
 not keep the Sabbath and the dietary laws. 
 
 jBreslau Zeitung, 1SS4, No. 28. when a hospital for the citizens 
 of the "Christian denominations" was to be erected. His protest 
 caused a change in the by-laws. 
 
 ^The Zeitschrifi. however, did not come out regularly, as it was 
 too much of a strain for Geiger. who had to write almost every arti- 
 cle. The fifth volume in four fascicles was published in 1S43 and 
 1S44. of the sixth volume in 1S47 only three numbers were published. 
 Fifteen years later it appeared again regularly. 
 
346 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 of the Misluia,"* (11 parts, Breslau, 1845). '^The 
 Northern French School of Exegesis in the Twelfth 
 Century." "The Anthropomorphism in the Hag- 
 gaidali and the Rabbis of the Arabic school," on the 
 "Family Kimchi"f and Jnda Halevi.;!: These labors, in 
 which Geiger shows also his remarkable talent as a 
 translator and poet are highly praised by Tal- 
 landierg in the "Revue de deux Mondes." Another 
 exegetical work of great merit is his: "Parshandatha, 
 the Northern French School of Exegesis," (Leipzig, 
 1855). "Samples of a Jewish Defense Against Christian 
 Attacks in Middle Ages, ||" among which the pamphlet 
 on the Karaite: "Isaac Troki, the Apologist of Judaism 
 at the Close of the Sixteenth Century," was published 
 separately.^ Among his multifarious monographs 
 deserves special mention, his: "Moses ben Maimon," 
 with a Hebrew supplement under the title : ' 'Iggereth ha- 
 Shemad leha-Rambam;"** "Joseph Salomo Del Medi- 
 go, ' ' his letter to Serach ben Nathan, translated and edited 
 with notes, German and Hebrew, ff Geiger' s mono- 
 
 *The attempts of attacks against the 1:)ook by Graetz were most 
 promptly resented by Geiger in several articles: "Samples of a Con- 
 servative Criticism" (Israelit of the nineteenth century, Nos. 5-6, 
 1S45 and Nos. 5-10, 1845). The book found entrance into German 
 Universities. 
 
 tSee introduction to Geiger's Hebrew writings. 
 
 :l:Posthumous works, III, 34-97-176. 
 
 §1853, Avril T5ih, p. 3S1. 
 
 IIDeutscher Volkskalender, 1851, 1856, 1859, Posthumous Works, 
 III, pp. 178-223. 
 
 ^Breslau Jahrbuch 1853, in pamphlet form (Breslau, iS53),Kern, 
 44 pages, and Posthumous Works, III, pp. 178-223. 
 
 **"Studien," edited by M.Breslauer (Weigert & C. Breslau, 1850). 
 
 t+Berlin, 1840 (W. Wilzig), 104 pages in German, 80 pages in He- 
 brew, see Melo. Chofnajim and Posthumous Works, III, pp. 1-34. 
 Jos. Sal. Delmedigo, born June 16, 1591, descendant of a family of 
 scholars, studied medicine in Padua, devoted himself zealously to 
 the study of science of mathematics, in which he greatly excelled, 
 and to the Kabbala. He was body-physician of the Prince Radzivill, 
 near Wilna, and traveled extensively. Geiger was the first to prove 
 Jos. Delmedigo's liberal religious views, by bringing to light his fa- 
 mous letter to Serach, which is full of biting sarcasms against the 
 benighted Rabbis of his day. His views on angels, prophecy, crea- 
 tion, Bible, Talmud, Kabbalah, were rationalistic. Graetz, true to 
 his unjust method to throw mud at all those who did not belong to 
 the orthodox Polish school of Rabbis, belittles the merits of Josef 
 
A15KAHAM OKIOKR. 347 
 
 graph on: "Leon do Modeiia"* is dedicated lo the 
 memory of Isaac Samuel Reggio. This book is most 
 remarkable and deserves more than mere passing 
 mention. Leo da ]\Iodena was a man, who under the 
 cloak of defending the Talmud, most sarcastically 
 criticised it, and witli biting irony attacked the letter- 
 worship and ceremonialism of his age. He was in this 
 respect the forerunner of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, 
 who employed the same method in attacking the 
 Bible and Christianity in his: "Wolfenbuettel frag- 
 ments" which, though published under the name of 
 another are his work. L. D. Modena had of course to 
 be very cautious in his polemic, and therefore he 
 published so-called refutations of "heretical views." 
 Hut the "refutations" were so lame, childish and 
 ridiculous, that they rather strengthened the cause of 
 his "apparent opponent." In this way L. D. 
 Modena attacks the custom of laying Tefillin, the 
 second holiday, the dietary- and vigorous Sabbath-laws, 
 
 Delniedigo. Dr.David Cassel, in his "Guide for the Instruction in the 
 Jewish History and Literature" (Leitfaden fuer den Unterricht in der 
 Jued. Gechschte und Literatur, Berlin, 1875), mentions Delmedigo's 
 letter thus: "Delmedigo's true ideas are now known through his let- 
 ter to a Karaite, which was published recently" (p. 97)- It would 
 not have hurt Cassel in the least to give the credit for bringing this 
 letter to light, where it was due, although Geiger was not a favorite 
 with the former satellite of Michael Sachs. (See also Geiger's Post- 
 humous Works, II, p. 195). 
 
 *"L.D.M., Rabbi of Venice, and his Losition to the Kabbalah, to 
 the Talmud and to Christianity" (Breslau, 1S56, J. M. Kern, 63 pages 
 in German, 34 pages in Hebrew). L. D. M. was born 157 1, in Ven- 
 ice, died 164S in Venice, where he filled the position of Rabbi. He 
 was a most fertile author, published a " Hebrew-Italian Lexicon," a 
 "Mnemotechnic," a "Warning against Gambling," which was trans- 
 lated into the Latin and German, and anti-Kabbalistic and anti- 
 Talmudic writings "Ari Nohem" (the roaring lion), and "Shaagath 
 Arje" (the bellowing of the lion). See my Jued. Literar. Centralblatt 
 No. I (Koenigsberg, 1S76), on Leon da Modena. It is needless to 
 .say that tiraetz attacks L. I). M. in an unworthy, or better, in a 
 "Graetz"-worthy manner. He calls him the worst names, "hypo- 
 ciite," "blasphemer," "despiser of Judaism." (Graetz' History of 
 the Jc-ws, X, p. \T,q\. 
 
T,\S UVA'OHMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Llic eiuUess prayers,* the Sliechitali, even the lasting 
 on the Day of Atonement. For this only can be the 
 meaning of his remark, that everybody should fast in 
 accord with his physical and mental strength. He is 
 particularly bitter in his censure of the excrescences of 
 Rabbinical Judaism, which is a sin against the words 
 of Moses: "Ye shall not add to it," and advocates 
 the return to the plain, genuine, old, and pure Biblical 
 Judaism. 
 
 Geiger's philosophical labors include the follow- 
 ing: The Ethical Basis of the Book on the "Duties of 
 the Heart, "f and "Jewish Poetry of the Spanish 
 School.";*: Besides numerous articles on Rabbinital lit- 
 erature contributed to Hebrew periodicals, § he 
 adorned the great "Journal of the German Oriental 
 Society "II with contributions which show his vast 
 erudition in the field of Syriac lexicography and Sa- 
 maritan literature. No less an authority than Dr. 
 Adolph Neubauer, Professor of Oriental Languages in 
 
 ^This is done in the following ingenuous argumentation. The 
 Talmud prescribes that he who goes on a dangerous journey, has ful- 
 filled his duty by reciting a short prayer. To'this I^. D.M. adds, "We 
 Jews are always in danger." (See also Posthumoiis Works. Vol. II, 
 pp. 1 89- 1 94). 
 
 t Breslau, 1S53, June 3rd, an introduction to E. Baumgarten's 
 edition of Bachja Ibn Bakuda's "Chovoth halevovoth" Wien, 1853, 
 pp. 13-22. 
 
 i Leipzig, 1856, Isr. Volksbibliothek, HI, andPosthumous Works 
 III, pp. 224-251. Highly interesting translations from the Hebrew 
 into German poetry are given by Geiger of the poets: Salomo Ga- 
 hirol, Juda Halevi, Juda Charisi, Isaac ben Ruben, Moses Ibu Esra, 
 .\braham b. Meir Ibu Esra, Juda b. Isaac b. Shabthai, Meir b. Tod- 
 dros Halevi, Isaac Polkar, Sal. b. Ruben Bonafed. 
 
 §Kherem Chemed, Czar Nechmad, Hechalutz, by Schorr and 
 others. 
 
 II As it is out of question for us to dwell at some length on 
 these labors, we simply record the titles of the essays: " To the 
 Theology and Exegesis of the Samaritans," lecture delivered by Gei- 
 ger before the Congress of Orientalists in Breslau, September 30th, 
 1857." "To the History of the Talmudical Lexicography, Vol.XII, 
 pp. 142-149, August, 1S57;" "Why does the Book Sirach belong to 
 the Apokryphs?" Vol. XII, pp. 536-543, April 4th, 1858; "The Legal 
 DifTerences between Samaritans and Jews," Vol. XX, pp. 527-573, 
 Frankfurt, December 24th, 1865; "Jewish Terms in the Syrian Liter- 
 ature," Vol. XXI, pp. 487-492, Frankfurt, November 25th, 1S66. 
 
A15KAHAM GEIGKR. 349 
 
 Oxford, Knglaud, ranks Geiger as ''the highcsl living 
 anthority on Samaritan literature."* 
 
 But all this did not yet suffice for Geiger\s enthu- 
 siasm for diffusing the science of Judaism. He there- 
 fore found time to give lectures to candidates of Jew- 
 ish theology on history, literature, Chaldaic language, 
 introduction into the Mishna, and other subjects. Dr. 
 Landsberger (Darmstadt), Friedman (Manheim), Gold- 
 stein (Posen), Colin (Schwerin, now Berlin), Schoen- 
 gut, Manksch and others were fortunate enough to hear 
 these lectures.! Aside from this Geiger lectured reg- 
 ularlv before the "Reading Society" on scientific sub- 
 jects, which had nothing to do with Judaism. J 
 
 But Geiger discontinued his lectures for the follow- 
 ing reasons. We have often mentioned how enthusi- 
 astically Geiger always worked for the establishment 
 of a Jewish theological faculty, for the realization of 
 an idea which originated with him. Now, after long, 
 weary waiting, the great dream of his youth seemed 
 to approach its fulfillment. He foimd at last the right 
 man in the person of Commercieurath Jonas Fraenkel, 
 Breslau, who was ready, at Geiger' s earnest solicitation 
 to endow such an institution. But in this instance 
 again the prophecy was verified. "Thou shalt see the 
 promised land, but thou shalt not enter into it." By 
 all sorts of intrigues, machinations, and tricks, Geiger 
 who was destined by Fraenkel to become the leader of 
 the new Institution, was passed over, and instead of 
 him the conservative Zacharias Frankel was elected 
 Director of the "Seminary." Unfortunately the 
 founder of the Institution died, long before it was given 
 over to its destination, and the executors of his will 
 simply betrayed the sacred trust placed in them, by the 
 establishment of a "Jesuit en-Anstalt,"* where hypoc- 
 
 *In order to do full justice to Geiger's literarj- labors, a special 
 book of great dimensions would have to be written, 
 
 tSonie of them are published, Posthumous Works, II, pp. 1-32, 
 
 246-274- - , . , • 
 
 JGeiger: First and Second Report of the Jewish "hociety tor 
 
 Teaching and Readinsr" (iS4;,-iS44). 
 
 *Hot-bed of Jesuitism. The methods of the Jesuitical Seminaries 
 
 of the Catholic Church are employed there. The system of espion- 
 
350 KKKORMKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 I'isy and cant aie at a premium. This treacherous act 
 has done incalculable harm to the cause of Judaism in 
 Germany, and is the reason why Judaism in Germany 
 of to-day, thirty-eight years after the establishment of 
 this Institution, is in a worse plight than it was before 
 the existence of the " Breslau Seminary." We say it 
 — and we challenge anyone to disprove this important 
 statement — that the Breslau Seminary has hurt most 
 severely, not only Reform-Judaism, but Judaism in 
 general, at least in Germany. Things there are so bad, 
 that the number of Jewish apostates is daily increasing, 
 while at the time when Reform-Judaism in Germany 
 was at its zenith, a case of apostasy was a rare occur- 
 rence. " By the fruits the tree can be recognized." 
 As the disciples of the " Breslau Seminary" occupy the 
 prominent positions in Germany, they, the gardeners 
 of the vineyards, must be made responsible for the de- 
 plorable fact that the garden is in a worse condition 
 than before they took charge of it. An Institute, 
 where the students are expected to come every morn- 
 ing wath their Talith and TefiUin to the Synagogue 
 of the "Seminary," where the one who screams 
 louder than his fellow-student, while praying, has bet- 
 ter prosj)ects of getting a stipend than the other who 
 may know more and study more and whose character 
 is nobler; an Institute, where the system of espionage 
 is encouraged, where a student who would write on 
 Sabbath would be denounced to the director of the 
 Seminary, and be punished by losing a stipend, such 
 an Institute is bound to breed hypocrisy, Jesuitism 
 nepotism, flattery, intrigue, and all those qualities 
 which do not make for riofhteousness. 
 
 age is en vogue. The stiidents, who can best play the hypocrites, 
 are preferred in the distribution of stipends and other benefits, and 
 are sure to be recommended to the best paying positions, while 
 those endowed with great talent, industry, pert-everance and charac- 
 ter have to take a back seat. But for this very reason the latter 
 class are few and far between, and belong to the rarae aves in Bres- 
 lau. As a rule they do not stay long there, the atmosphere does not 
 suit them. More than half of Geiger's dsciples in Berlin belonged 
 to this class. 
 
ABRAHAM GKIGKK. 351 
 
 There is many a man in Germany who, although 
 belonging to the best disciples of the Breslau 
 "Seminary," and endowed with great oratorical 
 powers, is condemned to eke out a miserable existence 
 in some cross-road town, just because he could not give 
 up his manhood and independence, just because he 
 spurned the idea of acting the hypocrite. Men of such 
 calibre are literally persecuted and hunted down there 
 bv the "powers that be." Xotnina sunt odiosa^ but we 
 could give the names of at least three or four of Breslau 
 "Seminarists," who have undergone and are still 
 undergoing just such sad experiences. 
 
 The trouble with the "Seminary" is not so much 
 that it represents conservative Judaism, but that it is 
 colorless, and that the majority of its graduates are 
 orthodox in orthodox Congregations, and Reformers 
 in Reform-communities. Hence they represent no 
 principle at all, and are consistent only in their incon- 
 sistency. Is it then any wonder, that the Congrega- 
 tions, presided over by such Rabbis, are getting more 
 and more indifferent to Judaism. Was not Graetz, 
 the power behind the throne in the 'Seminary, ' him- 
 self a type of the whole system at work there? There 
 was a Professor of Jewish history, who in the 
 notorious eleventh volume of his "History" fanatically 
 condemns sermons in the vernacular, music and choir 
 in the Temple, and other innocent Reforms, slings mud 
 at every advocate of Reform, and raises to the skies 
 every Polish tramp, who has published the most worth- 
 less trash. Now people might think this Professor 
 "conservative" and on the strength of this almost pardon 
 his injustice. But in the first and second volume this 
 very same Professor appears as "radical of the radi- 
 cals," treats the Bible, the five books of Moses not ex- 
 cepted, as the most faulty huugling work^ speaks of 
 Joseph, Moses, miracles and revelation as legends. Now 
 look at this picture and then look at that. One must 
 of necessity be false.* If then the teacher sets such an 
 
 *vSee my Graetz' " Geschichtsbauerci" (Berlin, iSSi, Issleib), es- 
 pecially pajics S8 to loS. 
 
352 RKFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 example of principle and consistency, what can be ex- 
 pected of the pupil? 
 
 It can well be imao^ined, how disappointed Gei- 
 ger must have felt not only on account of the personal 
 injustice done him, but more so, because the establish- 
 ment of a conservativ^e Seminary, was justly looked 
 upon as a blow aimed at the Reform so ably and en- 
 thusiastically advocated and represented by him. Since 
 that time he has been no longer firmly opposed to the 
 idea of leaving Breslau, although he had refused the 
 position offered to him as Director of the Frankfurt 
 Philanthropin. 
 
 Geiger's "Religious-School" started in 1843 was 
 a great success ancl caused him much joy, as did the 
 yearly confirmatin. Public spirited as he was he took 
 great interest in almost every important Jewish 
 organization of Breslau, charitable or educational. 
 Poor students found in him a great friend. He assisted 
 them directly and indirectly. He was often called 
 upon to dedicate Synagogues. 
 
 In 1844 he lectured before the Congress of 
 Orientalists in Dresden on the: "Value of the Study of 
 the Mishna for the Hebrew and Syriac." In Muenchen 
 and Wiesbaden, where he delivered sermons, he re- 
 ceived great ovations and honors. 
 
 The year 1857 must be considered the most im- 
 portant in Geiger's eventful life. For in this year his 
 life-work, his monumentum acre perennium was com- 
 pleted, his: "Urschrift und Uebersetzungen der 
 Bibel in ihrer Abhaengigkeit von der inneren 
 Entwickelung des Jndenthum's."* In the same year 
 he also celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his 
 Rabbinical career. 
 
 The "Urschrift" this chef d'oeuvre of Geiger is 
 the fruit of twenty years' labor, and presents a critical 
 investigation of the Bible. The work was considered 
 epochal on account of its original and revolutionizing 
 
 *"Urschrift (means original manuscript), and Translations of 
 the Bible in their Dependence upon the inner Development of Juda- 
 ism" (Breslau, 1S57, 500 pages). 
 
AHKAIIAM OKKIER. 353 
 
 theories on the Bible, on the development of Jndaisni 
 and its contact with Christianity. Geiger has proven 
 in this work, that the political and religions strnggles 
 of the Jewish nation and the different political parties 
 had much to do with the text of the Bible. The 
 nnmerous conflicts and contradictions of the Bible are 
 explained by the fact, that they were intentional 
 partisan changes of the different political parties which 
 existed before the canon of the Bible was concluded. Two 
 of these parties are described in a new original manner, 
 entirely different from current ideas, and exploding 
 former notions. Even to this very day the Sadducees 
 are represented as Philhellenists, i. e., friends of Greek 
 customs, who had placed themselves beyond the pale 
 of Judaism, who had embraced new Grecian refine- 
 ment, who had become utterly denationalized as 
 Epicureans, Sensualists and worldlings, who neglected 
 all religious interests. The Pharisees, on the other 
 hand, have also assumed a false meaning. It was 
 particularly through the influence of Christianity, that 
 the Pharisees were, and among thj masses are still, re- 
 garded as narrow-minded men, who strained at a gnat, 
 who would indulge in outward worship, without being- 
 animated by true, inward piety, without capability for 
 more exalted, religious ideas. Some went even so far 
 as to place them in the same category with hypocrites, 
 bigots and fanatics. It was the merit of Geiger's 
 ''Urschrift" to have thrown new light on these sub- 
 jects. Geiger proves that the "Sadducees"* con- 
 stituted the priestly nobility, vested with power, and 
 
 ♦Zadokites, from "Zadok," the high priest, a friend of the Da- 
 vidian dynasty. Joshua b. Jehozadak, the high priest, was 
 a leader of the exulants who returned from Babylonian captivity 
 (Haggai, vSacharia. Ill Ezech. XXXIV, 23-24; X'XXVII, 24-25; II 
 Chron. XXVI, 16: I Chron. XXIV, 9-20; 12-28, 16-39, 27-16, 29-22, 
 5-31, 6-35; II, 24-26: Nehem. XII, lo-ii; Esra VII, i; Nehem. XI, 11; 
 I Chron! IX, 11; II Chron. XXXI, 10-13). They were also called 
 '•/addikim" the righteou.s * * * because they were also 
 judges. The high priest was styled as " Malkhizedek" "the king of 
 justice." Thus "Zaddik" btcanie a title for "prince," Psalm CXIII 
 118, CXXV, 2; Psalm CX; Isaiah XLIX, 24-25: I.X, 21-22. vSee Gei- 
 ger: I'rschrift und Uebersetzungen der Bibel, pp. 20, 38, 57, 83, 293, 
 221, loi, 264, 215, 102, 202, 493. 
 
354 reform?:d judaism. 
 
 placed above the masses, made their own personal 
 interests paranionnt to all others. The "Pharisees," 
 on the other side, constituted the very body of the peo- 
 ple, were representatives of true democracy. Their 
 exertions were directed toward the establishment of 
 equal rights for all classes. Their struggle was one 
 which is repeated in all times when great interests are 
 at stake, a struggle against priestcraft and hierarchy, 
 against the prerogatives and privileges of individual 
 classes. It was also a battle on the side of the 
 Pharisees for the great principle, that outward qualities 
 do not exclusively constitute a claim to higher moral 
 standing, but that the prize belongs to inward, relig- 
 ious conviction and moral worth. Thus the Pharisees 
 were virtually the progressive party of the people, op- 
 posing the Sadducees, who formed the aristocracy, held 
 all offices, basked in the favor of the court, were priests 
 themselves, or connected with the priestly families, 
 were in possession of power and influence which they 
 strove to retain. The means which the Pharisees 
 were compelled to employ, seem, at first sight, not to 
 bear out Geiger's new" views concerning them. But 
 when examined more thoroughly in the light of those 
 times and circumstances, they fully correspond wath 
 Geiger's theories. In order to oppose the priests suc- 
 cessfully, it was of the utmost necessity at that time 
 to claim priestly prerogatives and privileges for the 
 masses of the people. They would not assign higher 
 duties to others, lest they w^ere obliged to ascribe to 
 them also higher distinction. Hence the Pharisees 
 said: 
 
 "We, the people, are as holy and occupy the same 
 exalted position as you, the priestly and aristocratic 
 part}'. Hence the Pharisees took upon themselves 
 from political reasons all the numerous priestly laws of 
 purity (dietary laws), and many others, which were 
 formerly observed by the Sadducees only. True, they 
 went too far in this, and were thus the cause of the 
 multifarious, burdensome additions to the laws of 
 Moses, of which the Mishna and Gniarah are full. 
 
AHRAIIA.M OKIC.KR. 355 
 
 (jcigcr proves this by numerous instances. He lurtlier 
 denioustrates, that two schools existed within the 
 Pharisaism, the old and the new Halacha.* 
 
 The old Haiacha is the norm of the Sadducees, 
 while the numerous additions of laws, observances, cus- 
 toms and usages made by the Pharisees form the new 
 Halachah. These differences can most clearly be 
 noticed in the laws on purity, sacrifice, Temple-service 
 and in the penal laws.t The decline of Sadduceeism is 
 shown in the Samaritans, t and Karaites, § their natural 
 heirs in blind letter-worship. After the destruction of 
 the Jewish commonwealth and the burning of the 
 Temple in Jerusalem, the Jewish nationality was 
 broken, and Sadduceeism was dead. For the occupa- 
 tion of the priests was gone, their ministrations in the 
 Temple with the sacrifices were no longer wanted. Not 
 a shadow of worldly power was left. No more conten- 
 tion for office and distinction, no more separation from 
 and no more elevation above the masses. The Sad- 
 ducees vanished from history. The Pharisees of the 
 strict school of rigorous observance still existed, and 
 were represented by the Shammaites, those men who 
 thought to effect the sanctification of the people by 
 rendering the yoke of the law heavier and heavier. 
 y After the destruction of the Temple their gloomy senti- 
 ment, continually looking backwards towards the 
 ancient customs and institutions, strove to gain the 
 ascendency, and advocated destructive asceticism. But 
 the progressive school of the Hillelites, who paid 
 
 ♦Literally it means "walk," from the Hebrew word "halach,' to 
 ;^'(). Althou</h Moses emphatically and ener>fetically interdicted any 
 addition to the six hundred and thirteen coniniandnients of the Ten- 
 lateuch ("Ve shall add nothing and take off nothing'M, these pre- 
 C"pts have been augmented in' the Talmud to the imposing number 
 of 13.602. The filial decisions, which the Rabbis, judges, students 
 and leaders were obliged to commit to memory on account of their 
 practical importance, were called Halachah. See my: "The Tal- 
 mud" (Denver, 1S.S4), pp. 17-1S. 
 
 tSee Oeiger: Urschrifl, pp. 134-1,^5. '5', 'S-*^, i?.^-'/'^- 263, 270, 
 272, 351, marriage laws. S6S and 473. 
 
 iGeiger; Urschrift. pp. 77. So, 13S, 139, 262, 372. 445, 468, 403. 
 
 ^I'rschrift. pp. 106, 149, 16S, 16S, 395, 420, 437. 467, 479. 
 
356 RICI'ORMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 liiglic-r respect to sentiment than to vigorous laws, who 
 consulted the time and yielded to its pressing demands 
 rather than to obsolete usages and antiquated customs, 
 saved the spirit of Judaism from perishing and pre- 
 pared it to enter successfully upon its marvelous 
 pilgrimage through the world. Geiger then goes on 
 to give a most minute description of the factors which 
 were at work in shaping the text of the Bible, its 
 translations and the later literary monuments of the 
 Jews. With the instinctive intuition of the true 
 genius he points out the numerous changes of the text, 
 which were made by the opposing parties of Judaism 
 at different periods of our history, in order to serve 
 their partisan purposes, in order to make the text of 
 the Bible what seemed to be most advantageous to 
 their party-inteiests. The German term "tenden- 
 zioese Aeuderungen" covers the ground better than 
 any Knglish word we know of. Follownng up this line 
 of argument for an unbiased explanation of the Bible, 
 Geiger shows the same method in a scientific apprecia- 
 tion of the Talmud. He sees in the Talmud, which is 
 regarded by so many as the very embodiment of stag- 
 nation and ossification, a stupendous innovation upon 
 the simplicity of the Bible-religion, and the grandest 
 possible proof of the progressive development within 
 Judaism.* 
 
 *Geiger expresses himself on the Talmud as follows: " In gen- 
 eral, his (the Jew's) spirit was never bent down in him, however 
 much depressed his outward carriage. While in dark ages bishops 
 and knights were entirely devoted to ignorance, and the difficuk art 
 of reading and writing remained something foreign to them, this 
 remnant of the dispersed Jews still preserved an aspiration to spirit- 
 ual development, often but n one-sided one, which would not always 
 keep pace with progress in life, but still it was a spiritual energy 
 which forever saved their freshness. Canonization of ignorance has 
 never been the rule in Israel. Science now and then took a crooked 
 route, their acuteness sometimes went astray, their mind now and 
 then adorned itself with worthless tinsel, but it was ever active. 
 Gigantic works of darker and brighter times are before us, produc- 
 tions of thought and profound spiritual activity, and they awaken 
 our reverence. I do not endorse ever}- word of the Talmud, nor 
 ever}- idea of our teachers of the middle ages, but I would not lose a 
 tittle thereof; they contain an acumen and power of thought which 
 fill us with reverence for the spirit that animated our ancestors, a 
 
Al'.RAIIAM (-.KU'.lvK. 357 
 
 We do nol claim to have given to our readers even 
 a faint synopsis of a work like Geiger's ^'Urschrift," 
 which he himself had considered the work of his life. 
 The ideas held forth were adversely commented on by 
 scholars of the opposite school, and the author 
 had to face a raging storm, on account of the 
 radical views on the Bible, advanced for the first time 
 in Jewish history by a Rabbi in office. Especially 
 Krankel and his school were merciless in their stric- 
 tures. The same school, Gractz in particular, have 
 since then made Biblical-criticism a favorite occupa- 
 tion. 
 
 But Geiger had the satisfaction to find soon his 
 work appreciated and recognized by scholars whose 
 reputation was established in th? world of letters. Dr. 
 Neubaner said: "The chief merit of Geiger's re- 
 searches in regard to this branch of study is his power- 
 ful analysis of obscure Talmudical passages.'' Professor 
 Schenkel has in his world-renowned "Bibellexicon," 
 (1872), virtually adopted Geiger's researches on 
 "Pharisees." Schenkel is one of the most prominent 
 Christian theologians of this century. The "Volks- 
 zeitung" of Berlin, said that the "Urschrift" offered 
 for the next ten years entirely new material for im- 
 portant critical research. The "Kreuzzeitung," the 
 organ of the Junkerpartei,"* attacked the work in 
 strong terms, while a Professor of Catholic theology, 
 Krueger in Braunsberg, made Geiger's results the basis 
 of his book, ''De secerdotum apud Judaoos nobilitate"t 
 and acknowledged this fact in a letter of thanks to 
 Geiger. The "Revue Germanique" contained a most 
 excellent article on the "Urschrift," and Ploldheim 
 was full of enthusiasm about the work. The study of 
 the book he said regenerated him scientifically, and 
 inspired him to the publication of a work in Hebrew 
 
 fullness of pouncl sense, salutary maxims, a freshness of opinion often 
 bursts upon us that, even to this day, exercises its vivifyinv^ and in- 
 spiring effect upon us." (pp. 2S4-S5.) (Geiger, "Judaisin and its 
 Ilistorv," pp. 2S4-S5. My "Talmud," pp. 13-14)- 
 
 *The paVty of the ultra-orthodox old Prussian nobility. 
 
 rOn the priestly nobility of the Jews. 
 
35^ Klil'ORMEl) JUDAISM. 
 
 lanj;uaoe.* The "Protestant Kirclic-nzcitiuij.;/' the 
 organ of scientific orthodoxy had in No. 44 an essay: 
 " The Result of the Jewish Investigation on Phari.sees 
 and Sadducees," (Nov. ist, 1862), in which Geiger's 
 views are fully indorsed. Ih'ockhaus's "Conversations- 
 Lexicon" of 1864, contains an article on "Apokryphs," 
 based on the results of the "Urschrift." Professor 
 Dozy of the Leyden (Holland) University in a book: 
 "The Israelites at Mekka" and another Dutch scholar 
 A. Juynbell in his "Relation of the Kingdom of 
 Juda to the xA^ssyrian Power" in the years 741-711, 
 have also based their researchesf on Geiger's 
 "Urschrift." A disciple of the great French savant 
 Renan, Isaie Levaillaut asked Geiger's permission to 
 translate the "Urschrift" into the French, saying, that 
 Renan, whose secretary he was, promised to find a 
 publisher for the work. "Renan," he said in his letter, 
 "before leaving Asia, charged me to inform you what a 
 sympathetic reader you have in him." ;|; Of other re- 
 nowned Chi'istian German Professors, who have ac- 
 cepted Geiger's theories on the: "Sadducees and 
 Pharisees" may be mentioned: Holtzmann in the 
 second volume of the, "History of Israel" by Weber 
 and Holtzman, Hanne in Hilgenfeld's periodical, 
 Haussrath in Gelzer's Monthly, and Keim in his, 
 "History of Jesus of Nazareth," in the first volume, 
 (1867). ' 
 
 These instances, which could be augmented, go 
 to show, that the "Urschrift" of Geiger is next to 
 Zunz's "Gottesdientliche Vortraege der Juden,"§ the 
 most prominent Jewish publication of this century. 
 How man^■ of our American Rabbis know of the ex- 
 
 *Holdlieiiii's "INIaaiiiar Haisluith" is meant. See p. 244 of this book. 
 
 tBoth works were published in Holland in 1863. See Geiger's 
 Zeitschrift, III, pp. 150-151. 
 
 i"M. Renan, m'a charge avant de partr de vous remercier de 
 toutes les charmantes choses (jue vous lui avez envoyees et de vons 
 dire quel lecteur synipathique vous avez en lui." 
 
 §Berlin, 1832. For scientific Jewish theology (ieiger's Urschrift 
 is even of far greater import than Zunz's "(iottesd. Vortr," 
 
AHRAHAM (;ki(;i-.r. 359 
 
 istence of this literary inoiiument of modern 
 Judaism? Hov main- possess it, how many 
 read and study it? Few, very few take suflficient 
 interest in exegetical studies concerning the origin and 
 development of our Biblical literature. And yet, with- 
 out such studies the history of Judaism cannot be com- 
 prehended. If this book shall have the effect of inducing 
 our voung American Rabbis to devote a part of their 
 time to the study of (^eiger's ' 'Urschrift, "even at the risk 
 of reading a few chapters less of Spencer, Huxley and 
 others — the author will feel himself greatly rewarded. 
 "Look up to Abraham (Geiger), the father of modern 
 Jewish theology!" I remember, that at the celebra- 
 tion of Geiger^s last birthday in Berlin, Dr. Emil G. 
 Hirsch, then a student of the "Hochschule fuer die 
 Wissenschaft des Judenthums,"t spoke of his inten- 
 tions to translate the "Urschrift" into English. It 
 would only be a debt of gratitude, if Geiger' s disciples 
 in this country and in England should undertake this 
 praiseworthy task. True, it would be too difficult a 
 work for one man. But four men like Emil Hirsch, 
 Felix Adler, Samuel Sale, and the author of this book, 
 all disciples of Geiger, could easily accomplish such a 
 labor of love. The thanks of the scientific world of 
 England and America would surely follow. 
 
 Next to the publication of the "Urschrift" the 
 year 1857 was epochal in Geiger's life on account of 
 the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his 
 Rabbinical career. (Nov. 21st). This event became 
 a great holiday for the Breslau Congregation and com- 
 munity. Congregations, (Wiesbaden, Posen and 
 others). Magistrates, friends, and students vied with 
 one another in making this day a feast. Presents and 
 congratulations poured in from all sides. Among 
 dedications to the Jubilee I mention in particular the 
 one written by the celebrated poet, Berthold Auerbach, 
 Geiger's life-long friend. It begins with the Hebrew 
 quotation from Genesis, XXVII, 27: "See the smell 
 of my son is as the smell of the field which (rod has 
 blessed." He concludes thus: "In vour work as a 
 
360 kKKORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 scholar and in your religious activity is a breath of the 
 field, always fresh, invigorating as the air of nature. 
 May it continiie to enliven you and everything emanat- 
 ing from you." Lazar Geiger, Dr. Honigman, Prof. M. 
 A. Stern, (Goettingen), Ferdinand Cohn, (Hreslau) also 
 sent beautiful poems and dedications. Tlie celebration 
 lasted three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In a 
 letter to Jacob Auerbach, dated Dec. 3, 1857 Geiger 
 says: "I may speak of days of feast. * * The 
 recognition, which I have received, is, to say the least, 
 a full recompensation for all my labor and painful 
 struggles. The author, as a consistent representative 
 of a scientific system, has been celebrated by his fol- 
 lowers, the undaunted progressive Rabbi has been 
 celebrated by the Congregations, more than he de- 
 served. But I appreciate even still higher, that it has 
 been demonstrated, that the man was not lost in the 
 author and Rabbi. Men participated in the festivities, 
 who do not sympathize with my radical views, who 
 not seldom were my opponents."* 
 
 But, alas, for the inconstancy of human happi- 
 ness! Geiger' s beloved wife Emilie, to all appearances 
 enjoying good health on this day of gladness, had 
 already then suffered of a disease, to which she suc- 
 cumbed three years later, Dec. 6th, i86o.t 
 
 Geiger could never forget this hard bereavement, 
 and the name of his beloved wife was always mentioned 
 in the prayers after meals in his house. During her 
 sickness in Berlin, Zunz and his wife proved them- 
 selves true friends. 
 
 The more Geiger threw himself into the vortex of 
 scientific labor on account of this sad loss. He resumed 
 again this "Zeitschrift fuer Wissenschaft und Leben," 
 which w^as uninterruptedly published until Geiger' s 
 
 *Posthumous Works, V, pp. 221-22. 
 
 tThe following epitaph, written bj^ Geiger, adorns her grave: 
 "Was du gevvesen,-Wird nie verwesen,-Bleibst wie hinieden, Im 
 ewigen Frieden,-Vor Gottes Throne, -Des Mannes Krone der Kinder 
 Wonne-Des Hauses Sonne." ("What thou hast been will never die. 
 Thou remainest before (iod's throne in eternal peace. As thou hast 
 been here, the husband's crown, the children's joy, the home's sun.") 
 
ABRAHAM GKIC'rKR. 3(^)1 
 
 death. It was a quarterly Review" and invited as con- 
 tributors the "Biblical searchers of all denominations." 
 Indeed Christian Professors like Xoeldecke-vStrassburg, 
 world-renowned Orientrilists, like Wright in London, 
 Chwolson in Petersburg; Walz, New York; Fleischer, 
 Leipzig; Delitzsch, Leipzig and other European 
 authorities honored Geiger's Magazine with their con- 
 tributions. Those of our readers, who are no strangers 
 to the literature of Oriental philology are aware of the 
 fact that the men just named belong to the recognized 
 authorities of the Nineteenth century. Of Jewish 
 scholars, who contributed to the "Zeitschrift" I 
 mention Zunz, Prof. Dernbourg, Steinschneider, Prof. 
 Luzatto, Wechsler, Prof. Goldzieher, Gruenebaum, 
 Prof. Harkavy, Prof, M. A. Levy, Prof. M. A. Stern, 
 Jacob Auerba'ch, Samuel Adler, N. and A. Bruell, K. 
 Kohler, Landsberger,Kirchheim, Prof. Ludwig Gei- 
 gcr, Prof. Neubaner,* L. Baer, Schorr, Erlich, Wolff, 
 Wiener, Kaiserling, Wolf, Vienna, Triber, Aub, 
 Rothschild, Kohn, Prof. Schiller-Szinessy, Baerwald, 
 Felsenthal, Tobias Cohn, D. Oppenheim, Lebrecht 
 and others. Geiger's literary correspondence was 
 verv extensive. In the same year, (i860), he under- 
 took a journey through Switzerland and a greater part 
 of Germany, where he formed interesting acquaintances 
 with Prof.' Lazarus, Sprenger, Valentin, Buedinger- 
 Weil, Hitzig, Benfey, Bertheau, Noeldecke, and renewed 
 the friendship with Stern, Frensdorff and others. 
 
 In consequence of Dr. Leopold Stein's resignation 
 the position in Frankfurt was offered to Geiger repeat- 
 edlv,.but he flatly declined out of consideration for 
 Stein. He even urged Stein to make peace with the 
 Frankfort Congregation, and to remain in office after a 
 special committee had been sent to him from Frank- 
 fort entreating him to accept the call, Jan. 4th, 1863. 
 But alter a petition of members of the Frankfort Con- 
 gregation to reinstate Stein was not acted upon, and 
 
 *Prof. Adolph Neuliauer (< )xfor(l). said that Geiger was doubtless 
 the "highest living authority" on Samaritan literature. 
 
3^2 REFORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 the position would have been offered to another, Gei- 
 ger did not feel it incumbent upon him to dismiss 
 another deputation, headed by his friend Dr. Elissen, 
 therefore he accepted the position in his native city, 
 (February 7th, 1863). 
 
 It is needless to say, that enemies of Geiger, most 
 particularly those who tried in season and out of season 
 to embitter his life in Breslau, were the first to speak 
 of Geiger' s ingratitude towards the Breslau Congrega- 
 tion in leaving it, and of the "wrong" done to his 
 friend, Dr. Stein, by going as Rabbi to Frankfort. In- 
 deed a pasquinade full of the meanest slanders, 
 aspersions and insinuations reflecting on Geiger' s 
 character was published in the same year in Bres- 
 lau by an anonymous assailant, under the title: "Dr. 
 Geiger and His Removal From Breslau to Frank- 
 fort."* This libelous pamphlet had only the effect to 
 make Geiger, who still wavered, f owing to the en- 
 treaties of his Breslau friends, immovable in his reso- 
 hitions, and with a heavy heart he saw no other way 
 than to send in his resignation to the Breslau Congre- 
 gation, (March 13), which was accepted April 13, to 
 take effect August ist. 
 
 There are those who claim that Geiger ought to 
 have remained in Breslau. After the treachery of the 
 executors of the Fraeukel-endowment in basely be- 
 traying the trust placed in them, cheating Geiger 
 out of the office of director of the Breslau Seminary 
 and making of it a hot-bed of Jesuitism and hypocrisy, 
 it is rather surprising, that Geiger remained in Bres- 
 lau so long, without being disgusted. Aside from this 
 his wife had died and his isolation became more oppres- 
 sive. Now Frankfurt was the place of his birth, where 
 he had relatives and old friends. And, last but not 
 least, he laid the flattering unction to his soul, that the 
 
 *Breslau 1863. There is reason to believe that Graetz and his 
 clique were not ignorant of the personality of the nameless coward. 
 
 tHe had even written to Frankfort, requesting the Congregation 
 to release him from his promise to accept the position, but this re- 
 quest was not granted. 
 
ABRAHAM GEIGER. 363 
 
 Rothschilds and the numerous other Frankfort Jewish 
 millionaires would be easily influenced by him, as their 
 Rabbi, to establish in Frankfort a Theological Institu- 
 tion for the education of consistent Reform-Rabbis, 
 which would stand under his guidance and sole con- 
 trol. Later events will show that the Psalmist was 
 right in saying: "Do not trust in the rich." In a 
 letter to Stern,* Geiger said: "If I could only succeed 
 in establishing in Frankfort a Rabbinical Seminary in 
 accord with my ideas. And this is after all the most 
 important motive of my removal." Geiger' s depart- 
 ure from Breslau was equally honorable for the man 
 who officiated there twenty-three years ?s for the Con- 
 gregation. On July 4th, Geiger delivered his farewell- 
 sermon before an audience which filled the Temple to 
 its utmost capacity. On July 7th, a banquet was 
 tendered to him, at which toasts, poems and costly 
 presents of magistrates and friends gave proof of his 
 great popularity. The ladies of the Congregation, his 
 pupils, and the Societies over which he presided, 
 overwhelmed him with presents, addresses and tokens 
 of love and respect. In a letter to Stern of January 
 25th, 1863, Geiger writes: "The poor children shed 
 tears on hearing that I intended to leave. jMany 
 Guelfish court-pastors w^ould like to see such tears, 
 but they are only shed because they remain in their 
 places." On July 9th Geiger left Breslau, and after a 
 sojourn of a few weeks in Colberg, a summer-resort, 
 he arrived Aug. 9th in Frankfort. Of the numerous 
 poems to Geiger the one entitled: "Abschieds- 
 grurs" (Farewell Greeting), by Dr. S. Meyer, Breslau, 
 July, 1863, is touching in the extreme. We excerpt 
 the following lines: 
 
 "Wem drang's nicht einmal in die Seele tief, 
 wenn ihn der Mutter traute Stimme rief? Dass er noch 
 einmal in dem heil'gen Raum, Geniessen moeg, der 
 Jugend gold'nen Traum; die ]\Iutter hat sich nichl des 
 
 ♦June 17th, 1863. Posthumous Works, V, p. 263. 
 
364 RKFORM]-;d JUDAISM. 
 
 Kiiur.s zu schaeiiieii, und will den grosseu Soliii, 
 zurueck sicli nelmieii." 
 
 GEIGKR IN FRANKFORT. 
 
 Had Geiger been the man to seek a resting-place 
 after long struggles and hot contests, he could not 
 have found a better place than Frankfort, the town of 
 his birth. But he felt disappointed, that the main 
 object of his accepting the po.sition, namely the estab- 
 lishment of a Theological Faculty, could not be realized, 
 although he left no stone unturned to bring about such 
 a consummation. True, his sermons, his religious in- 
 struction imparted to the young and his confirmation- 
 classes were a source of joy to him and of general 
 satisfaction to his Congregation. But he found noth- 
 ing to fight for, and hence the enthusiastic combatants 
 of the palmy days of Breslau were wanting, in 
 short, Geiger was not in his element. His plan to 
 form a: "Society for Jewish Affairs," was not suc- 
 cessful, although D. D. Adler, of Cassel; Landsberger, 
 of Darmstadt; Goldschmidt, of Leipzig, Calm, of 
 r.Iainz, Aub, of Mainz, Rothschild, of Alzey, Goldman, 
 of Birkenfeld, Suesskind, of Wiesbaden, Wittelshoefer, 
 of Floss, Wertheim, of Berlin, Koeuigswarter, of 
 Paris, w^ere present in Frankfort to hold a discussion. 
 
 The absence of contention gave Geiger an op- 
 portunit}' to devote more time and attention to the 
 science of Judaism. He w^as j^leasantly surprised b)- 
 visits of old and new friends such as M. A. Stern, 
 Berthold Auerbach, Edward Lasker, Prof. Dozy, of 
 Leyden, Prof. Staehelin, of Basel, Joseph Dernbourg, 
 of Paris, M. A. Levy, of Breslau. Jacob Auerbach and 
 Raphael Kirchheim belonged to his most intimate 
 personal friends in Frankfort. In a letter to Wechsler 
 Geiger writes: A man who has been accustomed for 
 twenty-three years to be the center of the Congrega- 
 tion will meet in Frankfort with many centrifugal 
 forces and al.so with men who wan t to be centers 
 themselves. FVankfort * * cannot so easily be made 
 
AHRAIIA.M GKIGKK. 365 
 
 enthusiastic."* In saying this, Geiger does not mean 
 that he was less popular in Frankfort than in Breslau. 
 But no man can accomplish in eight weeks the work of 
 twentv-three years. Geiger continued in Frankfort 
 his lectures on "Judaism and Its History."! In a 
 letter to M. A. Levy he said, that Graetz has ''no 
 historical intuition" and in a letter to Stern he calls- 
 Graetz "a charlatan of the first water."* A strong 
 expression, but a man like Geiger knew w^hat he was 
 saying. Whenever an eminent scholar died (Luzatto, 
 Frankfurter and others) he comDlained, that there are 
 no good men to take their places. 
 
 The following letter is practically important for our 
 own circumstances in this country just now, when we 
 are grappling with the question of the wholesale immi- 
 gration of Russian Jews. Geiger' s ideas on the Rou- 
 manian Jewish question are bold and in pleasant con- 
 trast with the seutimentalism which is so often parad- 
 ed in our Jewish Press. In a letter to Saniel Markus, 
 of Bucharest, § he is Just as outspoken in this matter as 
 he is in everything else. He took great interest in the 
 Roumanian Jewish question, and interested the Berlin 
 Jewish Congregation and his own Congregation in the 
 matter of sending petitions to the King and to the 
 Chancellor. Indeed, the King of Prussia and the 
 Prince of Hoheuzollern, father of the reigning prince 
 of Roumania, promised to do their best in the matter. || 
 
 But at the same time Geiger did not shut his eyes 
 to the seat of the evil. In two articles entitled 
 "Spirit and Money," he forcibly raised his voice 
 against "political missionary activity." No nation 
 can be regenerated by another. "Civilization cannot be 
 imported, and can be acquired only by hard labor. 
 Who has ever assisted the Jews in Germany? Did they 
 ever ask the mediation of France, England or America? 
 
 ♦October 15th, 1S63. Posthumous Works, V, p. 2S5. 
 
 tHreslau, Schletter, 1S62-1S65. 
 
 tPosthunious Works, V, p. 257. 
 
 ^Posthumous Works. V, p. 297-299. March I7lh, 1868. 
 
 llSee Geiger's Zeitschrift, VI, pp. 81-86, 160, 2S9. 
 
366 RKKORMKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 Much as we sympathize with you Jews in Roumaiiia, 
 it is not well if you always wait for outside assistance, 
 and thus show how little confidence you have in your- 
 selves. Go to work energetically, as we in Germany 
 have done and are still doing. Continual complaints 
 lose their force and degrade. * * Work and labor 
 in your own cause. * * Be doubly watchful over 
 yourselves, so that prejudice against you can find not 
 even the semblance of a cause. * * But the worst 
 possible thing is, when you never cease to beg for 
 money. As soon as a house is on fire in Galicia, the 
 whole west of Europe and America are expected to pay 
 for the damage done. When a crop in Persia is bad, 
 an appeal is made to all the Jews, and when a mob of 
 Roumania ruins a few houses, then all Israel should 
 establish insurance-societies. * 
 
 Geiger did not object to alms-giving as such, but 
 to its abuses. " It onl}- relieves temporarily," he con- 
 tinues, "without stopping the sources of the evil. 
 These sources are: Ignorance, fanaticism, intolerance, 
 hostility to culture and civilization. Just keep on 
 throwing away thousands and thousands of thalers by 
 sending them to Jerusalem. They encourage and nur- 
 ture barbarism, laziness, fanatic fury and savagery, f 
 Out of the midst of the land itself must emanate the 
 powers and forces of civilization and regeneration. The 
 imported article will never accomplish the work.+ 
 
 Geiger felt most painfully the isolation of the pro- 
 gressive Rabbis who were in favor of Reform. Again 
 he instigated a movement tending to revive the Rabbin- 
 ical Conferences of 1844 to 1846. The following is a 
 synopsis of a most excellent article on the present situ- 
 ation: "The Resurrecting Rabbinical Conference. " § 
 "I say to-day, what I said more than thirty years ago. 
 The Jews as a whole have advanced, but Judaism does 
 
 *Geiger's Zeitschrift, X, pp. 161-165, 220. 
 
 tEven the hyper-orthodox Sir Moses Montefiore, was excommu- 
 nicated by this gentr}', because he dared to establish schools in Jeru- 
 salem. 
 
 iWissensch, Zeitschrift, X, p. 218. 
 
 ^Zeitschrift, VI, pp. 161-171, July 10th, 1868. 
 
ABRAHAM GKKiER. 367 
 
 not keep pace with the progress of the time. * * 
 
 The Congregations do not know what they want and 
 do not want what they know. The intelligent Jews do 
 not wish to be distnrbed from their rest, and are there- 
 fore ready to make the most disgusting concessions.* 
 * * There must be found some remedy, no matter 
 
 how many attempts are accompanied by failure. * * 
 Public discussions are growing to be a pressing necessity. 
 The new results of scientific research must no longer 
 remain buried in the library of the student, or in some 
 magazines read by specialists, but they must become 
 public property of the masses. We entertain now rad- 
 ically different ideas on the Bible and the Talmud, 
 from those we entertained two decades ago. This 
 knowledge must be imparted to the people. * * 
 
 "We must, by means of public discussion, try to 
 eradicate ignorance. It is ignorance which induces 
 some to cling anxiously to the most obsolete forms. 
 Others again through ignorance, are led to believe, 
 because they do no longer practice effete customs and 
 antiquated ceremonies, that they cut loose entirely 
 from the fold of Judaism, and many a Rabbi is afraid 
 to abolish a custom which had lost its meaning in our 
 days, because he does not wish to act single-handed, 
 not knowing how his Congregation will look upon his 
 step. Therefore discussions on such questions by the 
 Rabbis, and the presence of representatives of Congre- 
 gations at such discussions would be considered as an 
 expression of the will of the Congregation. There are 
 things where a change or total abolition are urgent de- 
 mands of the time. * * All this impelled me, in 
 company with others, to revive the Rabbinical Confer- 
 ences. Twenty years ago it was necessary to have 
 only Rabbis admitted as members of such assemblies. 
 But even then worthy scholars like Jost and Znnz were 
 invited to the Conferences. In our day, however, we 
 need not hesitate to admit men who are well versed in 
 the Jewish literature, even if they kre no Rabbis. 
 
 ♦This is a true picture of the state of Judaism in Kurope in our 
 davs. Not so in America. 
 
368 RICKORMED JUDAISM. 
 
 Dr. Pliilippsohn, acting on Geiger's suggestion, 
 called a Conference to Cassel, which convened August 
 nth to 13th, 1868, and was attended by twenty-four 
 Rabbis. The question of public worship occupied them 
 almost exclusively. While they did not act on this 
 question, they passed the resolution to hold in 1869 a 
 Synod in Leipzig, which should be composed of Rabbis, 
 Jewish scholars and representatives of Congregations. 
 Geiger's influence can be seen in this resolution. He 
 strongly opposed the idea of adn;itting to the Synod 
 delegates only, who were elected by Congregations to 
 the Synod. In an article: "The Conference in the 
 Cassel"* he said: "The Conference did well to op- 
 pose the idea of electing delegates. Such a clause is 
 useless, because even the decisions of delegates are not 
 invested with legal power, and it is dangerous, because 
 not the men of principle, but the men of mediocrity, 
 would constitute the majority of the delegates. What ? 
 Just those sincere men, who are not satisfied to swim 
 along with the current, but who, following the dictates 
 of their conscience, are not afraid to do battle for their 
 conviction, if needs be, should be kept away from the 
 Synod ? Should not the men of genuine firmness of 
 character, who never flinch and never waver in their 
 convictions, be entitled to take part in discussions, the 
 very object of which is to strengthen principle and to 
 vivify conviction ? 
 
 "What is the use of all compromises, of all successes, 
 if faint-heartedness is nurtured, and the living impulse 
 of the spirit is killed ?" 
 
 Thus the Synod at Leipzig was held.f 
 
 Geiger was not over-elated over the results of the 
 Leipzig Synod, because over-cautiousness, timidity 
 and want of courage characterized the assembly. 
 He missed in it justly the spirit of the Rabbinical 
 
 *Zeitschrift, VI, 241-247. See also a very interesting article by 
 Dr. Wechsler on the "Cassel Conference," Zeitschrift,VII, pp. 70-74. 
 t See my "Report on the First Synod, of Leipzig, June 29th to 
 July 4tli, 1869, In the "Yearbook of the Central Conference of Ameri- 
 can Rabbis," pp. loo-iii, ^Cfncinnati, 1891, Bloch Publishing Co.) 
 
ABRAHAM (iKICI-.K. 369 
 
 Conferences held in the forties. Comparincr the 
 Philadelphia Rabbinical Conference, which met 
 November 3rd to 6th, 1869,* with the ''Synod/' 
 Geiger candidly admits that the Leipzig Synod 
 was not satisfactory,! that indecision was one of 
 its great defects. He said that Philippsohn's bombas- 
 tic ^resolution betrayed too ostentatiously a desire of 
 creating a sensation and producing an effect outside of 
 Judaism, but that it was inconsistent, devoid of force 
 and principle, so far as the inner development of Juda- 
 ism was concerned. It was even worse than valueless, 
 inasmuch as it put upon the transactions the stamp of 
 superficiality and shallowness. These declarations and 
 the discussions on the divine worship showed a careful 
 evasion of principles and burning questions. In short, 
 the Synod was afraid to appear liberal, had the courage 
 to recede a few steps, and was so bold as to appear con- 
 servative. 
 
 Of the Philadelphia Conference Geiger speaks very 
 enthusiastically. "Here we meet with flesh of our 
 flesh, spirit of our spirit. The men who controlled this 
 Conference are Germans who crossed the ocean, who 
 brought to America their knowledge and theological 
 point of view, who still are intellectually nurtured from 
 the sources of its spiritual life, but who in free America 
 are enabled to a more consistent and more energetic ac- 
 tivitv. Here are names of sterling characters in their 
 former homes in the fatherland, very dear, brave old 
 friends. There is the worthy, considerate S. Adler, there 
 is Einhorn, always aglow with youthful, noble zeal, 
 who has already gone through his development in 
 Schwerin and Pest, and feels now invigorated in the fresh 
 air of America. There we find also the straightfor- 
 ward, candid Hirsch."t 
 
 Just at that time Geiger was requested by the 
 Frankfort Congregation, to publish a. prayer-book. 
 
 *In a book on "Reform Judaism in America." %ve will have occa 
 sion to say more of this Conference. 
 tZeitschrift, VIII, i)p. 5-6 H". 
 ille wasRahbi in Philarlelphia, at Knesseth Israel Congregation. 
 
;^yo rp:formk:d judaism. 
 
 This work was done on the basis of the theses laid be- 
 fore the "Synod" and scientifically argned in an 
 essay entitled: "Plan for a New Prayer-Book.' ' * Dr. 
 J. Auerbach and Raphael Kirchheim assisted Geiger 
 in this work, which was however not finished in 
 Frankfort, but in Berlin, where it was published in 
 1870 in two volumes under the title: "Israelitish 
 Prayer-Book Second Edition, Berlin, L. Gerschel's 
 Publishing-House. ' ' 
 
 But Geiger's literary activity in Frankfort was 
 not exhausted with the question on worship. Aside 
 from four sermons and "Congratulation to Zunz on the 
 Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday," a very important 
 historical document for the lives of both these great 
 men,f he contributed to Loew's "Ben Chauanjah," to 
 the "Zeitschrift der Deutsch - Morgenlaendischen 
 Gesellschaft" on Syrian and Samaritan philology, and 
 published his "Zeitschrift," where most of the articles 
 emanated from his pen. 
 
 The lectures: "Judaism and its History," which 
 were delivered by Geiger before selected audiences in 
 the winter-months of 1863-64, and 64-65, are his most 
 popular works. They were mercilessly attacked, 
 particularly on account of his bold opinions on the 
 "origin of Christianity, " ideas which were never before 
 expressed by a Jewish theologian. But even his op- 
 ponents like Delitzsh;): in Leipzig could not deny the 
 originality and philosophical independence of his 
 ideas, the stupendous scholarship stored up in these 
 works and the brilliancy of his descriptions of the dif- 
 ferent epochs of Jewish history and literature. Tnis 
 work does not pretend to be a "History," biit gives 
 outlines of Jewish history and culture. The first 
 volume contains "A Review of the New Labors on 
 
 *Zeitschrift: "Our service," VI, t-2t, which caused a highlj-inter- 
 estint; controversy between Geiger and Dr. Joel, his successor in 
 Breslau." See Dr. Joel: " Zur Orienirung in der Cultusfrage," and 
 Geiger: ''Zu Schutz und Trutz," Zeitschrift, VII, pp. 1-59. 
 
 t Posthumous Works, I, 296-30S. Geiger calls Zunz his master and 
 teacher. August, 1S64. 
 
 i Jesus and Hillel, Leipzig, 1S64. 
 
ABRAHAM GKIOKR. 37 1 
 
 the Life of Jesus," in which Renau's and I). F. 
 Strauss' s works on this subject are ably and strongly 
 criticised. To the second volume is appended an 
 ''Open Letter to Prof. Dr. H. Holtzman."* 
 
 In 1867 Geigcr published: "Salomon Crabirel 
 and His Poems, "f which opened to the public the view 
 into an entirely new realm of literature. We see here a 
 great poet and gigantic mind wrestling with the un- 
 fathomable mysteries of life. Geiger's translations 
 from the Hebrew into elegant German are masterpieces 
 of poetical genius, and generally recognized as such. 
 
 In 1866 attempts were made by the friends of Re- 
 form in the Jewash Congregation of Berlin to induce Gei- 
 ger to accept the position of Rabbi in that city. Berthold 
 Auerbach's first letter to Geiger on this subject is 
 dated Fel)ruary, 1866. But Geiger's enemies published 
 a pamphlet, in which extracts from Geiger's "Ur- 
 schrift" were put together without system and sense, 
 in order to prove his heresy and unbelief. It took, 
 three years of incessant struggle and alert watchful- 
 ness on the side of the liberal and progressive party, 
 before their purpose of electing Geiger as Rabbi of 
 Berlin became realized (September, 1869). This re- 
 sult was not a little due to the labor of his friend, Dr. 
 Aub, who in his "opinion" on the compatil^lity of 
 free research with the office of Rabbi, given 1842, 
 spoke of Geiger as "the first representative of the 
 scientific theology of Judaism. ":|; 
 
 The only thing which induced Geiger to make a 
 change from Frankfort to Berlin was the assurance 
 given him that he would find in Berlin the long looked 
 for opportunity to teach students of theology in the 
 
 *Hreslau, 1S65, Schletter's Verlag, 203 pages. 
 
 tLeipzig, Oscar Leiner, 148 pages. 
 
 iSee page 312 of this book, and Rabbin. Gutachten, II, p. 1 1 ( Bres- 
 laii, 1S42). Dr. Aub was one of the teachers of the author of this 
 V)Ook. My book: "Tlie Self-criticism of the Jews" (Die Selbstkritik 
 (ler Ju(len) Berlin, jSSo, second edition, Leipzig. 1S90, was dedica- 
 ted to him. 
 
372 KKIORMKI) JUDAISM. 
 
 "Hocliscliule fiR-r die Wisseiischaft dcs JudcMitlmins."* 
 Without this linn promise he would uot have accepted 
 the position. 
 
 gkigp:r in r>p:RLiN. 
 
 The general fear that Geiger would have to strug- 
 gle hard with orthodoxy was, we are glad to say, 
 not well grounded. Hence the few years still allotted 
 him to live, were not embittered by unrelenting ene- 
 mies. The circumstances in Berlin in 1870 were 
 vastly different from those in Breslau in 1838. 
 
 Geiger entered upon his position in Berlin in Febru- 
 ary, 1870. His sermons and religious school were great 
 favorites with the people. His sermons on the occasion 
 of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Ber- 
 lin Congregation f and on Kosch,:|: were published. 
 He lectured alternately in both Synagogues of Berlin 
 before inspired Congregations. 
 
 The Synod at Muenchen, 1870, could not be held 
 on account of the German-French war, but two years 
 later the second and last Svnod was held at Augsburg, 
 ni which Geiger had taken great interest. This Synod 
 pleased him better than the one at Leipzig, because a 
 
 *The Prussian government insisted on the change of the name 
 "Hochschule" to that of "Lehraustalt" (Institute of Learning). 
 We are informed by Prof. Lazarus, the founder of the Institution, 
 that it is very prosperous, and that many students of the Breslau 
 Seminary and Budapest "Rabbinats-Austalt" come to Berlin to finish 
 in the "Lehranstalt" their theological education. The students are 
 called to positions before their studies are finished. See Geiger's let- 
 ter to Prof. Lazarus, October 5th, 1869, also letter to the Directory of 
 the Berlin Congregation, October6th, 1S69 (Posthumous Works, V, pp. 
 324. 325 and 326). To all those of my esteemed readers who enjoy 
 this, my book, I can conscientious!}- sa}- that without Geiger's ac- 
 ceptance of the Berlin Rabbinate, I would not have been so fortu- 
 nate as to form Geiger's acquaintance and to become his enthusiastic 
 disciple. For it was Geiger, who, by iiis sermons and writings, in- 
 fluenced me to leave the orthodox school of Dr. Hildesheimer in 
 fierlin, and to espouse the cause of Reform. Geiger's removal from 
 Frankfort to Berlin was therefore instrumental in the publication of 
 this book. 
 
 tSeptember loth, 1871, Zeitschrift, IX, pp. 241-255. 
 
 JAt the coffin F J. L. Kosch, member of parliament. 
 
AHRAHAM {-.KIC.KR. 373 
 
 more progressive spirit aiiiiuated its uKni1)ers'' and 
 more important and radical resolutions were passed 
 
 there. 
 
 Lazarus and (ieiger published the transactions 
 of the Augsburg Svnod.f This was the last Synod 
 which Geiger attended, and, alas, the last Jewish 
 Synod in Germany. 
 
 Of Geiger's literary activity in lierlin we mention 
 hi. pamphlet against the Prussian Ober-Kirchenrath ort 
 the ''Conversion to Judaism." This great light of the 
 Church had sent a Ukas to the pastors standing under 
 his jurisdiction in which he ordered them in every case 
 where a Christian embraced Judaism, to make known 
 this "painful news'' to their parishioners, to mention 
 the name of the apostate, to give public expression to 
 the feeling of mourning on account of this apos- 
 tasv, and to admonish the Congregation "to pray 
 that God may have mercy on the renegade and 
 may let him recognize the error of his way." 
 The Jewish Congregation of Berlin protested energet- 
 ically against such a piece of mediaevalism and earned 
 the applause of a number of enlightened Christians, 
 who came out in a strong declaration against this intol- 
 erant act on the part of the church government. ^ Gei- 
 ger criticised in his brochure, not only the "Ukas" but 
 the "general behavior of the church toward Judaism 
 in modern times." 
 
 Aside from his "Zeitschrift "Geiger published the 
 third volume of his: "Judaism and its History, "t 
 which owed its existence to the lectures delivered in 
 the winter-months of 1870 in Berlin. 
 
 *See Zeitschrift of \V. U. L., VIII. 81-100. See also letter to 
 Stern: "The retardin<< elements were absent, and a fresh, courat^eous 
 spirit pervaded the Synod." 
 
 I refer to my resume of the resolutions of the Auijsl)ur<i Synod m 
 the Yearbook of the Central Conference of American Rabl)is, pp. 
 111-117, (Cincinnati, 1S91, Bloch Pul)li.«hing Co.) 
 
 jBerlin, 1873. Louis Gerschel, 262 paj^es. 
 
 i Judaism and its History. Ill vols, containing the history of' the 
 thirteenth to the sixteenth century, inclusive. Hreslau. 1871, 200 
 pages. 
 
374 RKKORMKl) JUDAISM. 
 
 Ihil llie cro\vnin<j^ success of his Berlin career was 
 the lectures from 1871 until his death, which he de- 
 livered before students, some of whom were Christian and 
 some did not study theology. These lectures were first 
 given in the Epraim-Veitel-Heine Institution of learn- 
 ing, together with D. D. Steinschneider, Lebrecht, 
 Aub, and Haarbruecker. But since the establishment 
 of the "Hochschule fuer die Wissenschaft des Juden-, 
 flium's," they have been delivered there. The author 
 of this book regards it as the greatest happiness of his 
 life to have enjoyed the privilege of attendnig all these 
 lectures in both Institutions. Only those who were 
 so fortunate as to have this privilege* are capable of 
 forming an idea of Geiger's power as a lecturer on 
 Judaism. Tho.se who only heard his sermons could not 
 enter into the true being of the man, jJut in his lec- 
 tures amidst enthusiastic students, who were inspired 
 by the ideals of a science of Judaism, who had the am- 
 bition to labor in the cause of Reform-Judaism, to 
 propagate his ideas, to continue his difficult, but sub- 
 lime task, there he was in his element. Though sixty 
 years old, he spoke like a man of twenty, his eye was 
 aglow, the "Shekhina" seemed to rest on his face 
 when he introduced us into the intricacies of Jewish 
 history, literature, philosophy, and particularly of 
 Biblical criticism. There we sat, spell-bound, listening, 
 catching fire from his fire, and inspiration from his 
 great mind. We made of course notes, but his lecture 
 would become so interesting, his eloquence so magnetic 
 that it was impossible -to write, and when the bell rang 
 admonishing us that the academic hour had passed, 
 nobody was more sorr\' than we, his students, ad- 
 mirers and enthusiastic disciples. Other Professors of 
 the "Hochschule" delivered also more or less instruc- 
 tive lectures, but from experience the author of this 
 book can say, that it happened less often that one of 
 the students missed a lecture of Geiger than one of 
 the other Professors. The author of this book never 
 
 *There are only four in this country, Felix Adler, the author, 
 of this book, Emil G. Hirsch and Sale. 
 
ABRAHAM (iKlOKK. 375 
 
 appreciated better the full meaning of the words of 
 Jeremiah: "Mv word is like the fire, and like a ham- 
 mer, which splinters rocks/' than after a lecture of 
 Geiger. Alas for Judaism, that only such a short 
 space of time was allotted to this great man for his 
 work. With his death the "Hochschule" could ex- 
 claim: "My glory, my splendor, and my pride has de- 
 parted." He hini:-;elf considered these three years just 
 on account of his activity in the "Hochschnle" as the 
 happiest of his life. No hour was too early,^ or too 
 late, no weather was too hot or too cold for this work, 
 for which he received no pay. In case of indisposition 
 he requested his disciples to come to his house in order 
 not to lose a lecture. He lectured at 6 o'clock in the 
 morning and at 7 o'clock in the evening. He was 
 always glad to hear the opinions of his students on dif- 
 ferent subjects, in connection with his lectures, no 
 matter how erroneous these views were. He was free 
 of the " Professorenduenkel " (conceit) so common 
 among German Professors of Universities and among 
 the Professors of the Breslau Seminary.* 
 
 We cannot even attempt to give here a synopsis of 
 his lectures. The subjects of his lectures were: "The 
 History of the Twelve Tribes," (1871), "Universal In- 
 troduction into the Science of Judaism," "Introduc- 
 tion into the Biblical Writings," " Pirke Abof'f and 
 "Genesis." In a letter to Wechsler he speaks very 
 enthusiastically about this work: "What is wanting 
 in our days,"'he exclaims, "is able, young theolo- 
 gians with firm convictions. The ' Hochschule' 
 aims to satisfy this want. We have a band of brave, 
 enthusiastic students, and if material support could be 
 given them, as they are recruited from the poorer class- 
 es, their number could be considerably increased. It 
 is impossible for me to devote to this, my work, the 
 
 *Frankel and Graet/ had the reputation of being proud and dis- 
 tant. 
 
 f'Kthics of the Fathers," philoloj^ically, historically and honii- 
 leticallv treated. All these lectuces are published in the Posthumous 
 Works' Vol. IT, p. T-216 and Vol. IV. 
 
376 RKFOKMKD JUDAISM. 
 
 time wliich I should like to devote to it. I lecture five 
 times during the week, * * and the preparation 
 
 for such scientific lectures demands a great deal of 
 time and labor. I would cheerfully give more lectures 
 but I cannot overtax myself."* "These lectures," he 
 writes to Stern, December 27th, 1872, "tax my time 
 to such an extent that I could hardly manage in the 
 last few months to answer a letter."! Whenever a 
 prominent man, particularly a good Reformer, died, he 
 felt keenly the lo-s to the cause. So he writes to 
 Wechsler after the death of Dr. Mayer, of Stuttgart: 
 "He has accomplished much for his circle, and has 
 reached the goal of his life. But again I have to re- 
 peat with you the question. Where is the after-growth, 
 which will replace such men?" He deeply regretted 
 that the majority of the younger Rabbis were hostile, 
 or at least indifferent to the Reform-movement, because 
 they had no courage of their opinions. 
 
 After Luzatto's death he w^rites to j\I. A. Levy:^ 
 "Whenever a man dies in our day we stand perplexed, 
 because in the first place there are no men to replace 
 them, and secondly, because people want a man wlio, 
 however, should not be a man." It was for this reason 
 that he labored so hard for the "Hochschule," which 
 he thought would produce men for the Jewish pulpit. ;i 
 Now it must not be inferred from Geiger's enthusiastic 
 activity in the "Hochschule," that he favored the 
 method in which the Institution was conducted. Oil, 
 no. He objected in the first place to tire management 
 of the "Hochschule" by a Curatorium (Board of Gov- 
 ernors). According to his idea of a Jewish theological 
 faculty, such Institute .should be managed by the Pro- 
 fessors only, and not by men standing outside. He 
 further did not consider mere lectures sufficient, but re- 
 garded seminary exercises of the students as a necessity. 
 He further objected to the principle of having Profes- 
 
 *Posthinnous Works, V, p. 335, letter November 25;.h, 1S72. 
 
 tlhidem, p. 256. 
 
 jNoveiiiher 2d, 1^65 Posthumous Works, V, p. 300. 
 
 §See also hi.s letter to L. R. Bischoffsheim, ibid. pp. 346-353- 
 
ABRAHAM GEIGER. 377 
 
 sors, representing opposite religious views, teach in one 
 and the same institution. We can say from experience 
 that this latter objection in particular was well justi- 
 fied. There was, for instance, the Professor ot the 
 Talmud, Dr. Loewy, a fanatic and zealot of the worst 
 type, who .spoke in the meanest, most ungentlemanly 
 manner of Geiger to us, the students, and who went so 
 far in his rudeness toward Geiger, that he never recog- 
 nized him. Loewy is a disciple of Frankel and Graetz. 
 The following three mottoes of Geiger, which he 
 wrote under his three pictures (Frankfort, 1839, Bres- 
 lau, 1846 and 1857), give an insight into his ideals and 
 aspiration. 
 
 1. "I have tried so far to harmonize the two differ- 
 ent missions of author and Rabbi. I believe that I 
 have not undertaken an unnatural union, and I patient- 
 ly await the only authoritative verdict which the God 
 of truth will render. To him my life and my aspiration 
 remains consecrated . " * 
 
 2. "Through knowledge of the past to the under- 
 standing of the present, through comprehension to be- 
 lief." 
 
 3. "To draw from the past, to live for the present, 
 to work for the future." 
 
 Geiger was an enthusiastic Rabbi, and prized this 
 vocation higher than that of the author. Preaching 
 was his favorite occupation, and the introduction of the 
 least Reform in worship or practical life was a source 
 of the greatest pleasure to him. The older he grew the 
 greater became his love and enthusiasm for religion and 
 Judaism, and therefore he labored so zealously and en- 
 ergetically for Reform as the only means to perpetuate 
 the Jewish religion. But notwithstanding his very lib- 
 eral ideas he practiced even those ceremonies which he 
 most forcibly attacked in his writings. ' 
 
 He did so, because he did not want to give the en- 
 emies of Reform the satisfaction of saying that the 
 Jewish Reform-movement is simply a question of con- 
 
 ♦Posthuinous Works, I, p. 504. 
 
37^ ui':FORMKn judaism. 
 
 veiiicncc* He looked upon the movement from an 
 idealistic point of view, and cheerfnlly offered sacrifices 
 in its behalf so far as his convenience and pleasure 
 were concerned. It was no doubt unpleasant for Gei- 
 ger, who strongly opposed the dietary laws,f to take 
 pa'rt in a social affair and to abstain from the food spread 
 on the table, or travel long distances without the en- 
 joyment of adecent meal. Still he lived up to the di- 
 etary laws, and had even to hear the sneers of his rad- 
 ical friends. He hated atheism and ridicule of religion, 
 and was merciless in his criticism against scoffers. His 
 mind was very pious and mild; he never missed saving 
 a short German prayer after meals. His pen was very 
 forcible in defense of what he considered right, but he 
 was tolerant toward others who differed from him in 
 their opinions. Envy and jealously he did not know. 
 He was an optimist, who never despaired of the final 
 victory of truth and justice over error and wu^ong. He 
 always judged others favorably, and excused their 
 shortcomings. He was charitable without making a 
 show of it, knew how to touch the hearts, and 
 moved even those who did not share his advanced 
 views. His religious instruction in his school (Relig- 
 ions-Schule) was so animating that his pupils still speak 
 of it. 
 
 His scientific and official activity, his intercourse 
 with friends and his family-life, were the only pleasures 
 for which he cared. Theater and amusements had lit- 
 tle charm for him. He loved simplicity, comfort and 
 the strictest regularity. 
 
 In the last few years of his life he felt really happy, 
 occupying the most prominent Rabbinical position in 
 the world, enjoying a scientific activity as Professor of 
 a theological faculty, where he could mould the minds 
 of future Rabbis, recognized and appreciated by the 
 
 *That orthodoxy did not learn much since that time, is pi'oven 
 by the fact that even to this day this argument is still its only wea- 
 pon. 
 
 +See his letter to Zunz. "These dietary laws, so devoid of spirit 
 and sense, and so hostile to sociability." 
 
Ar.UAIIA.M GHIGKR. 379 
 
 literary world,* and possessing love and strength to 
 labor. Apart from this he was blessed with excellent 
 health and good children, his sons being very promi- 
 nent in their professions. Althongh sixty-fonr years 
 old, Geiger had no gray hair, and conld be seen at five 
 o'clock every morningstandingat his desk working. For 
 he never sat down while stnd^ing. In a poem (of Ang. 
 7,Norderney i87i),Geiger prayed that he may never live 
 to see the day when his mind and heart shonld cease 
 to be active while his body is still nnimpaired. His 
 wish was fnlfilled. October 2 2d he was as nsnally en- 
 gaged in scientific labors, was in the best of hnmor, 
 and went to bed cheerfnly. In the morning of Friday, Oc- 
 tober 23d, he was fonnd dead in his bed. No trace of 
 death-struggle was visible in his face; a paralytic stroke 
 of the brain destroyed the laboratory of the deep 
 thinker. The heart which beat so warm for religion 
 and science was still, t 
 
 The funeral took place October 26th, from the 
 elegant new Berlin Synagogue at the Oranienburger 
 Strasse. The Temple was illuminated, the pulpit 
 draped in mourning, exotic plants filled every available 
 nook. The mourning assembly made an impression 
 not easily to be forgotten, not so much on account of 
 its quantity, but of its quality. With a few exceptions, 
 
 *See Berthold Auerbach's description of Geiger' s last birthday 
 celebration, May 24th, 1874, in the "Gegenwart," 1874, p. 293, where 
 Berthold Auerbach said in his toast, that the future historian 
 would have to say that Abraham Geiger has done for Judaism of the 
 nineteenth century what Moses Mendelssohn has done for Judaism 
 of the eighteenth century. 
 
 + The leading orthodox paper of Germany, "Israelit" Dr. of 
 Lehman (Mainz), had the following announcement of Geiger's death: 
 "An diesem Tage wurde ausgerottet die Person in Israel, die meinen 
 Hand zerstocrt hat" (On this day the person who has destroyed my 
 covenant was cut off from Israel), to which Prof Dernbourg, of 
 Paris, in his necrologue on Geiger remarks as follows: "And thus 
 tliey. the pious ones, have greeted his death with an exclamation 
 of joy! A prince in Israel had fallen, and they clapped their hands 
 ar.d attempted to vilify the dea<l man. while they did not dare to 
 look into the rigid face of tlie living. \Vc turn away with disgust 
 from this ilegrading spectacle, and with that contempt which he 
 would have shown to such bacchanalias." (Jued. Zeitschrift, ¥. \V. U. 
 L. XI, p. ;o7). 
 
380 RKF0R:\IK1) JUDAISM. 
 
 the men who chiiined literary distinction were pres- 
 ent to show their hist honor to the most distinguished 
 Rabbi of the nineteenth centnry, to the man who has 
 done more than any other man toward the work of 
 denationalizing the Jews and tow^ard creating a 
 scientific Jewish Theology. 
 
 After the singing of a dirge by the choir, Dr. Anb, 
 the life-long friend and colleague of Geiger, delivered 
 the funeral oration, which moved the assembly to tears, 
 and was considered the greatest effort of his life.* Rev. 
 Dr. Goldsmjdt of Leipzig spoke in the name of Gei- 
 ger' s disciples and followers, saying among other 
 things, that while the number of his disciples who 
 actually sat at his feet in Breslau, Frankfort and Ber- 
 lin might not be very large, almost every modern Rab- 
 bi of this century belongs more or less to his pupils, as 
 he has been by his epochal w-ritings the teacher of 
 teachers. Rev. Dr. Ungerleider, Rabbinats-Assessor, 
 preached at the grave. The Congregations of Breslau, 
 Wiesbaden and Frankfort were represented by delega- 
 tions. Rev. Dr. N. Bruell, of Frankfort; Dr. Vogel- 
 stein, ot Stettin, and the author of this book, then Pro- 
 fessor at the "Samson-Realschule" at Wolfenbuettel, 
 were among the Rabbis outside of Berlin who 
 hastened to Geiger's funeral. In May, 1875, the Jew- 
 ish Congregation at Berlin unveiled the monument 
 erected to the memory of Geiger, the inscription of 
 which reads as follow^s: 
 
 '■'•The Jezvish Congregation of Berlin to its never-to- 
 be-forgotten teacher and leader, AbraJiam Geiger.'''' 
 
 Eighteen years have elapsed since Geiger's death, 
 but the position of Geiger is not yet filled. The Con- 
 gregation of Berlin has since that time elected several 
 '' Rabbinats- Assessors, " but no — Rabbi. 
 
 Since that time in Germany the Jewish Reform- 
 movement has gone backward rather than forward. 
 No Rabbinical Conference or Synod in the interest of 
 Reform-Judaism has been held there since Geiger's 
 
 *While Aub was a great theologian, he was not prominent as 
 preacher. 
 
AliKAHA.M GKIGKK. 381 
 
 death. Willi the exception of the Weekly published 
 by the author of this book from 1876 to 1881, no pe- 
 riodical advocating Reform-Judaism has been published. 
 WMienever Rabbis met in Conference, it was for insig- 
 nificant material interests of the profession. Germany, 
 the cradle of Reform-Judaism, has since Geiger's death 
 lost its prestige. German Judaism of to-day presents 
 to the impartial observer the sad spectacle of religious 
 indifference, atheism, hypocrisy, Jesuitism and most 
 absurd orthodoxy, in short, materialism of the 
 worst type. There are now more cases of apostasy 
 among the German Jews than ever before since the 
 forties. 
 
 But Reform-Judaism is no longer dependent on 
 Germany. America has entered upon the heritage of 
 German Reform-Judaism. In fact Reform-Judaism in 
 this country is nothing more and nothing less than 
 German Reform -Judaism, "bone of its bone, and 
 flesh of its flesh." 
 
 The future of Reform-Judaism in this country is 
 most promising, and from the results already accom- 
 plished we may gather the cheering hope of still great- 
 er things yet to come. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Auerbach, Berthold 105, 273, 27S, 313, 379 
 
 Auerbach, Isaac Levin 39> ^3. 95. I34. I35. 283 
 
 Auerbach, Jacob 202, 220, 283, 2S4, 2S5, 331, 339 
 
 Auerbach in Bonn 3^1 
 
 Adler, S 156, 165, 217, 224, 229. 244 
 
 Adler, L 99. 1/4. 221, 224, 312, 326, 343 
 
 Adler, Felix I5. 59. 203, 339, 359, 370, 374 
 
 Adler, M ; 2c6 
 
 Adler, J. S 2S3 
 
 Ashkenasi, Zebi • 9^ 
 
 Abtalion 10 
 
 Akiba, Rabbi ,. • 3^5 
 
 Alexander, Von Dona Schlobitten 22 
 
 Ahage, Moses ". 77 
 
 Abraham 17 
 
 Anan 1 1 
 
 Aub, Joseph 59, 284. 287, 312, 330, 371, 374, 3S0 
 
 Arnheim, Dr 58 
 
 Abranison 55 
 
 Amnion 152 
 
 Albo. Joseph 148 
 
 Abudiraham '. 140 
 
 Acher, or Ben Abuja 181 
 
 Aniram 140 
 
 Arnim, Bettina von 294 
 
 Asher 3°5 
 
 Amal-k 332 
 
 Biederman, M. L 82, 83, 154 
 
 Bodenlieimer 156 
 
 F>oerne 122 
 
 Bretschneider 129 
 
 Bauer 129, 130, 131 
 
 Hernays, Isac ... .132, 133, 135, 136, 140, 141, 142, 146, 147, ibo, 279 
 
 Benrlavid, L 20, 22, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 83 
 
 Beacon sfield, Lord 28 
 
 Bernliardt, Sarah 28 
 
 Barzelloni, Jehuda 140 
 
 IJeer. Ilerz 39. loi 
 
 Beer, Mrs. 154 
 
 Beer, J 39. i^o 
 
386 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Beer, Peter 86, 245; 
 
 Breideiibacli 50 
 
 Bonaparte, Napoleon 51, 106 
 
 Butschowitz 75 
 
 Bachja, Ibn Bakuda. 326 
 
 Bachrach 69 
 
 Benet, Mordechai. 61, 67, 68, 69, 73, 77, 78, 82 
 
 Brecher. G. Dr 65 
 
 Bruell. Jacob 65, 99 
 
 Bruell, Neheniias 65, 274 
 
 Bruell, Adolph 65 
 
 Bloch, M 61, 2S4 
 
 Brueck, M 63 
 
 Baervvald 59, 202, 361 
 
 Berliner 56 
 
 Birchoffsheini 54, 376 
 
 Bernstein, A 196, 197, 19S, 201, 220, 227, 229, 237, 253 
 
 Bodenheimer 116 
 
 Bloch Publishing Co 368 
 
 Bressler 231 
 
 Berkowitz 240 
 
 Bush 266 
 
 Brill. J 17 
 
 Becker .• 272 
 
 Baer 361 
 
 Braunfels, Ludwig 277 
 
 Beidhavi 282 
 
 Bloch, of Buchau 287 
 
 Bamberger 
 
 Breslauer 346- 
 
 Baunigarten 348 
 
 Bonafed, S. B. Ruben 348 
 
 <^ahn 312, 31S, 320, 321 
 
 ( union . 77 
 
 Cohen, S 77 
 
 Culturverein 43 
 
 Chorin, Aron 60, 65, 79, Si, 86, 88, 93, 174, 256, 257. 312, 314, 335 
 
 Colon, Joseph, Rabbi 323 
 
 Chassidim • 159 
 
 Creniieux, Adolphe 28, 152 
 
 Colin, Rosette 100 
 
 Canipe iiS 
 
 Carlo, B 131 
 
 Creizenach 202, 207, 283, 284 
 
 Carnioly . 202- 
 
 Cassel, Urs. David and Selig 244, 245, 347 
 
 Creuzer 278 
 
 Calcker 2S0 
 
 Caro 304, 324 
 
 Charisi, Juda 378- 
 
 Don at £9. 
 
 David 77, 121 
 
IXDKX. 387 
 
 Dukes 65 
 
 Delvuc 35 
 
 D'Israeli 2, 7, 267 
 
 Du Toit .... 98 
 
 Deutschniann 256, 310 
 
 Delitzsch. Franz 267 
 
 Dernbourg 273, 282, 283, 284, 313 
 
 Darmstadt 283 
 
 David.'^ohn 298, 300 
 
 .Deutsch 304, 324 
 
 *Dvhrenfurth 306 
 
 Delmedigo, Jos. Sal 34^ 
 
 P'li.'^ha, ben Abuja 
 
 Engel 21 
 
 Einhorn, 11, 99, 174. 2c6, 211, 214, 220, 222, 229, 231, 237, 23S, 239, 
 243, 247, 250, 252, 273, 274. 275. 312, 313, 317 
 
 Eger, Akiba 324 
 
 Elieser. Rabbi 77. 79- 80 
 
 Eger, RabbL 77, 304, 305. 3io, 315, 321, 324, 326, 328 
 
 Ezra 15. 38 
 
 Elijah. Prophet ,...121, 315 
 
 Ettlinger 132 
 
 Ense, von • 22 
 
 Enulen, Jacob 9° 
 
 Evbe.shuetz, Jonathan 61, 90 
 
 Elia Del Medigo 326 
 
 Emanuel, King 181 
 
 EUinger, Moritz 265 
 
 Etvoes, Baron Joseph 268 
 
 Elissen. Ignatz 277. 362 
 
 Euchel, Isaac , 20, 22 
 
 Eliason, Scheyer 306 
 
 Eichhorn 345 
 
 Frankel, Zacharias 49, 61, 124, 151, 190, 194, 256, 312, 349 
 
 Friedrich 163 
 
 Fassel. Hirsch 62, 318 331 
 
 Fuerst 64, 201 
 
 Frankfort 62 
 
 Frankel, 56, 65, 98, 105, 134, 193, 199, 201, 205, 20S, 211, 218, 219, 220, 
 
 221, 222, 223, 224, 245, 267, 375, 342. 344, 349, 377 
 
 Friedlaender, 19-2S, 31, 33-44. 5°, 52, 56, 57. 60, S3, loi, 124, 134. 136. 
 
 174, 204, 209, 224, 287, 292, 297, 312, 314, 320 
 
 Fleckeles 24, 25, 69. 70, 77 
 
 Frankfurter 95, 133, 134, 142, I43, I5i, 156, 161, 162, 192, 230 
 
 Formstecher 99 
 
 Fuerth 104 
 
 Fries, Prof. I. T 105 
 
 Faust, of Goethe 103, 104 
 
 Freystadt 188 
 
 Ferdinand, Count Karl 5°, 55 
 
 Franzos, K. Eniil 273 
 
 Frevtag, Prof 278, 2S0. 282 
 
388 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Frensdorff 279, 2S0, 284 
 
 Freund, Leopold 197, 227, 296, 312, 332, 340 
 
 l"!ehinger 2S3 
 
 Falk 290, 306 
 
 Friedman • . . .349 
 
 Gosen 312 
 
 Grote, von 36 
 
 George, Duke 121 
 
 Gottheil, G 125 
 
 Guttman 92, 134, 174, 194, 2c6, 2S5, 287, 312, 317 
 
 Gamaliel 137 
 
 Graetz, 30, 31, 35, 56, 57, 67, 68, 73, 80, 81, 87, 88, 93, 95, 177, 179, 180, 
 
 181, 182, 185, 187, 19S, 200, 212, 251, 253, 254, 281, 298, 344, 346, 
 
 347, 362, 375, 377- 
 
 Gentz 22 
 
 Gans 43 
 
 Geiger, 11, 28, 31, 35, 43, 52, 54, 59, 62, 65, 74, 82, 91, 92, 95, 99, 130, 
 
 134, 13&, 137, 154, 155. 157, 162, 163, 165, 174, 186, 188, 189, 192, 
 
 194, 198, 199, 201, 203, 206, 2TI, 212, 2I4-2I8, 220, 229-231, 236, 
 244, 246, 249, 252, 254, 265, 273, 294, 296, 311, 313-317, 322-328, 
 330-33^- 
 
 Geiger, Emilie 297 
 
 (ieiger, Berthold 297 
 
 Geiger, Ludwig 29S 
 
 Gerschel 305 
 
 Gershom ben Judah 315 
 
 Gessner 23 
 
 Gambetta 208 
 
 Guensburg 83, 95 
 
 Guedeman 87 
 
 Goldsmidt 87, 99, 1 19, 14S, 149, 154, 207 
 
 Gruenebaum, Dr. Elias 99, 205, 279, 282, 283, 284, 287, 312, 329 
 
 Goldsmidt, Anna Maria 112, 115, 156, 380 
 
 Gebhardt 201 
 
 Crabriel, S 371 
 
 Gelat 240 
 
 Gabirol, Salomon Ibn . 348 
 
 Goldstein 349 
 
 Hertz. H 2S2 
 
 Hartman, Professor. 286, 315 
 
 Haman 332 
 
 H ollzman 358 
 
 Hanne 358 
 
 Hilgenfield 358 
 
 Hausrath 35S 
 
 Honigman, Dr 300 
 
 Haarbruecker. 374 
 
 Hesiod 221 
 
 Hillel. 242, 274, 315, 326, 370 
 
 Huebsch, Dr. Adolf 266 
 
 Harms, Claus 267 
 
 Hofer. 268 
 
 Hovarth 269 
 
INDEX. 3S9 
 
 Herrmann 278 
 
 Huelhnan 2S0 
 
 Haase 2S0 
 
 Herbart 280 
 
 Hertz, S 282 
 
 Hirsch, Kniil G 3S, 65, 237, 240. 332, 339, 359, 374 
 
 Hirsch, S. R., 62, 199, 200, 206, 216, 229, 230, 231, 236, 240, 279, 280. 
 
 281, 301 
 
 Hirsch. Samuel I55- 206 240, 342, 369 
 
 Herz, Henrietta 19, 21 
 
 Herz, Dr. Marcus 21 
 
 Holdheim, S., 11, 31, 85, 99. 134. 137, 155, 179-183. 1S5-202, 209-224, 
 
 227, 229-254, 340 
 Herzfeld, L., 58, 155, 212, 216, 217, 223, 224, 244, 274, 290, 305, 312, 
 
 315, 316, 338, 357, 358 
 
 Homberg, Herz 23, 100 
 
 Hildesheimer 27, Si, 86, 87, 345, 372 
 
 Hatzfeld 63, 82 
 
 Harms. Claus i iS 
 
 Hoffman 1 18, 156 
 
 Hardenberg, von 3^, 39 
 
 Henriquez I54 
 
 Herxheimer i55- I74, 2S4, 287, 290, 312, 317 
 
 Haeidemheini 156 
 
 Hess 174, 199, 206, 217, 218, 229, 279, 2S0, 2S7, 312, 317 
 
 Hadrian 181 
 
 Heine 182, 267, 281 
 
 Heilpern 201 
 
 Heincke 291 
 
 Hosaia 212 
 
 Halphern 215 
 
 Homer 221 
 
 Humboldt, Alexander and Wilhehn 21 
 
 Itzig 20, 22 
 
 Isaiah 24. 54, 187, 301 
 
 Isac 10 
 
 Isac, ben Reuben 348 
 
 Isler, M 161 
 
 Israel, Ben 156 
 
 Isaac. Dr 265, 332 
 
 Jedidjah 24 
 
 Joschany 77 
 
 Jacob 77i 147 
 
 Jacobv. Franz Karl Joel 293 
 
 Jafe .' 76, i.5t> 
 
 Jellinek 65,99 
 
 Jochanan lo, 274 
 
 Jeremiah I39 
 
 Jehuda, Halevi, Rabbi 326, 34^ 
 
 Jacobv 152 
 
 Jerome. King 57 
 
 Joshua, ben I'erachia . So 
 
 Jost 2;, 58, 92, 147, 163, 165. 177, 189, 190, 192, 202, 367 
 
390 INDEX. 
 
 Jebainoth 15^. 
 
 Joseph, Kniperor, 11 23, 29, 262 
 
 Job ;..'....'.. 24 
 
 Jacobsohn, Israel, 28, 37, 39, 45-51, 55-60, 83, 91, iot, 209, 224, 274, 320 
 
 Jopl," T 99, 370 
 
 Jeiteles, Leo 92 
 
 Jesus 17, 34, 181, 358, 370, 371 
 
 J ohlson 21 
 
 Jolowicz 216 
 
 Joseph vi Preface. 274 
 
 Josephus 323 
 
 Karo 
 
 194 
 
 Karo, Joseph 144 
 
 Kaiserling 120, 163 
 
 Kahn 155, 220 
 
 Kann. 69 
 
 Kauffmann, David 65 
 
 Karpeles 65 
 
 Kahnan 65. 
 
 Kalker 56, 91 
 
 Kruse 59, 
 
 Kochen 35 
 
 Krug 42 
 
 Kobak ; 172 
 
 Klopp, Onno viii Preface 
 
 Kirchheiiu 201, 202, 222, 223, 370 
 
 Kohler, Dr. K viii Preface, 211, 273, 332 
 
 Kmith 21, 22 
 
 Kohn, Abraham 77, So, 124, 13S, 164-172, 177, 178, 287, 312, 317 
 
 Kosh 28, 372 
 
 Kiev, Edward IC5, 119, 151. 2S4, 338 
 
 Krieshaber 6S, bg, 70, 71 
 
 Kunitzer 73, 76 
 
 Kemper ix Preface, 179 
 
 Kossuth 259 
 
 Klauzal 268 
 
 Kremminger 270 
 
 Kern 240 
 
 Krueger • 357 
 
 Levy, M. A ; 77, 104, 312, 318, 344 
 
 Liberman 76 
 
 Landau, Ezechiel 66, 68, 69, 77, 8j, 86 
 
 Lissa 61, 147, 310 
 
 Lonovics 90 
 
 Loeffler 42 
 
 Lavater 11 
 
 Leopold, Count of Dessau 49 
 
 Loewy 154, 287 
 
 Loewengard 121 
 
 Ivoewenstein 1 28 
 
 Lev}', Israel 150' 
 
 Levy, Aron '. . . 150 
 
 Lessing, G. Ephraim to, 20, 275, 281, 347 
 
IXDKX. 391 
 
 Lindau 20, 25 
 
 Loew, Leopold, viii-ix Preface, 9, 59, 62, 73, 89, 90, 92, 99, 201, 255- 
 
 265, 267-271, 3i2 
 
 Lehman, I)r °i 
 
 Leon. Moses 89 
 
 Levin, Rahel 22 
 
 Levin, Dorothea 22 
 
 Louositz 189 
 
 Luzzatto, S. U 205 
 
 Lesser 229 
 
 Loew, I)r Inunanuel 255 
 
 Loewy i-^ Preface, 312, 377 
 
 Leoii, Mess-jr 323 
 
 Loew. Dr. \V 255 
 
 Loew, Tobias 265 
 
 Loeb, Max 277 
 
 Landsherger, Dr 3^°- 349 
 
 Lissauer 3^^ 
 
 Lovola 321 
 
 Lil'ienthal. Dr. Max 33^ 
 
 Leiner, O^car 37^ 
 
 Lazarus, Professor M viii-ix Preface, 372, 373. 
 
 Lebrecht, Dr 374 
 
 Lehman, Emil viii Preface 
 
 Leucht, Rabbi x Preface 
 
 Montefiore, Sir Moses 14S, I54 
 
 Montefiore, JL I '54 
 
 Montefiore, Mrs. H. I 151 
 
 Montefiore, Claude vin Preface 
 
 Marx. David 15°, ^54 
 
 Moccalta ^54 
 
 Melle 162 
 
 Mordechai 168 
 
 Maseltob 77 
 
 MaL.ch, Chajim 77 
 
 Melisch. Levin 77 
 
 Me ver ' 7^, 3^3 
 
 Maehren 62, 63, 73 
 
 Maggid ; ,• • ^/ 
 
 Mendelssohn, 9, 15, 20, 25, 30, 32, 33, 40, 43. 49, 124, 142, 18S, 193, 
 
 194, 195, 199, 210, 224, 242, 274, 275, 310, 322, 379 
 
 Mannheiuier. L N., 39, 99, 133, 139, 140, I4l, 154- 160, 177, 205, 20S, 
 
 209, 210, 211 284 
 
 ^Lannheimer, B. F ^77 
 
 Maimonides, 28, 40, 100, 135, 138, 145, 148, 159, 209, 223, 274, 300, 
 
 324, 326, 328, 329, 330 
 
 Muentz 65, 67, 69, 73, Si 
 
 Maier 143. 216, 220, 312, 322, 325, 326 
 
 Maurice, Mayer 3^^ 
 
 Marks, Rev I47 
 
 Metz 62 
 
 Munk, Professor 55 
 
 Moses, 10, 43, 49, 78, 84, 89, 109, 113, 121, 139, 189, 195, 199, 240, 299, 
 
 315. 317. 322. 348 
 
392 INDEX. 
 
 Migazzi 28 
 
 Mendelssohn, Joseph 124 
 
 Maccabees jSi 
 
 Menelaus ij^j 
 
 Moninisen viii-xi Preface 
 
 Moses, I., Rabbi, Chicago x Preface 
 
 Moses, Capsoli ^23 
 
 Marcus, Dr. L , 102 
 
 Maass _ 240 
 
 Milziener, Dr. M 215, 266 
 
 Meyer .'.273 
 
 Morais, Henry S 274 
 
 Modena, Leon D 248, 2S1, 347 
 
 Manksch -^40 
 
 Meyerbeer ,. loi 
 
 Napoleon . .■ ^i^ ^2, 215 
 
 Nestler 162 
 
 Nicolai 21 
 
 Nowack 273 
 
 Nielson, Professor V 275 
 
 Neubuerger 287 
 
 Nathan, Serach ben 346 
 
 Neubauer, Professor Adolph viii Preface, 361 
 
 Newburger, Morris x-xii Preface 
 
 Oettinger 249, 253 
 
 Oppenheini, Hyman 74^ 307 
 
 Oppenheim, Eniilie 282, 283,' 2S7 
 
 Oppenheini, D 361 
 
 Oppenheim. Dr viii Preface 
 
 Oppenlieinier, H. D 294 
 
 Oxford . 761 
 
 Paul, Apostle. _ 12, 151 
 
 PilHtz 60, 92 
 
 Porges 65 
 
 Prussia 19. 39 
 
 Phillip, King of Spain 181 
 
 Posen igo, 359 
 
 Pinner, Dr 251 
 
 Perl, Moses, Rabbi .......'...... 256 
 
 Pressbnrg 310 
 
 Philippsohn, Dr. Moses 100, loi, 312-314 
 
 Philippsohn, Gustav 130 
 
 Philippsohn, Phoebus ix Preface, 155, 163 
 
 Philippsohn, Dr. Ludvvig, 157, 216, 230, 281, 283, 288, 290, 295, '313, 
 
 314. 330, 36S, 369 
 
 Rothschild, Baron 62, 277 
 
 Recke, von der 212 
 
 Rechnitz 69 
 
 Rausnitz 69 
 
 Reiss 161 
 
 Riesser, (iabriel 28, 124, 133, 135, 152, 163, 207, 281 
 
 Ruehs ^ . 103, 1 29 
 
INDKX. 393 
 
 Rupp 152 
 
 Rainier 21 
 
 Rossini 27 
 
 Rebenstein 196, 220 
 
 Rappoport, Sal. L 205, 210, 223, 256, 284, 312 
 
 Rosenthal, Jnlius 237 
 
 Ritter, Iniinanuel ix Preface, 193, 212, 213, 223, 241, 247, 253, 254 
 
 Rossi. Asaria de 274 
 
 Rosen feld 279, 2S0 
 
 Ring. Max 294 
 
 Reggie, Samuel 347 
 
 Saadia, Gaon, ben Josef 274, 326 
 
 Schlegel 32 
 
 Schleierniacher 21, 35 
 
 Schlesinger 312 
 
 Seesen 23 
 
 Salomo, King 114, 315 
 
 Salomon, G., ix Preface, 95, loi, 103-107, 109, 112, 113, 1 15-125, 127, 
 
 12S, 130, 131. 134, 135-163, 192, 209, 219, 220, 230, 247, 284, 335, 
 
 33S. 
 
 Sanhedren 159 
 
 Salomon, ben Adereth 323 
 
 Skreinka, Lazar 92 
 
 Silberman, H^skel 92 
 
 Speyer, Michael • . . loi 
 
 Selim, A . . . ■ 104 
 
 Samuel, Mar 118, 195, 252 
 
 Sichrowsky 154 
 
 Szanto 154 
 
 Schott 127, 155 
 
 Sobernheim 105 
 
 Salvador .... 1 52 
 
 Szopher, Moses 61, 77, 85, 260, 310 
 
 Speier, Michael 76, loi 
 
 Schwab, Dr. Leopold 62, 240, 256, 257 
 
 Steinschneider, Dr. Moritz 62, ^74 
 
 Schescheth, Rabbi 91 
 
 Schnabel 257 
 
 Szemere 262 
 
 Schechter 267 
 
 Szechenjy 258 
 
 Szegedin 269 
 
 Saccai, Jochanau ben 10, 274 
 
 Schuhniacher 276 
 
 Scheyer 279, 2S0 
 
 Strauss 284, 37 1 
 
 Selz 287 
 
 Sulzbach 290 
 
 Schultz 290 
 
 Stein, Iv, 92, 99, 134, 154, 185, 202, 206, 207, 219, 220, 226, 227, 229, 
 284, 287, 295, 296, 302, 312, 327, 361, 362, 373, 376 
 
 Schorr ; 348 
 
 Schoengut 379 
 
 Samuel, ben Meir 116, 302 
 
394 INDEX. 
 
 Schletter 300, 371 
 
 Steiyer 
 
 •237 
 
 Stuttgart 219 
 
 Struve, von 152 
 
 Simion 161, 220, 227 
 
 Sachs. 99.205,211,225,239,247,250-253 
 
 Schreiber, Dr. Kmanuel, v-xv Preface, 9, 10, 11, 17, 54, 59, 61, 63, 65, 
 74, 86, 87, 117, 118, 120, 135, 178, 181, 182, 193, 198, 212, 217, 
 224, 225, 230, 232, 273, 274, 299, 311, 313, 332, 333, 341, 342, 347, 
 
 351, 353, 357. 368, 369, 372-375. 377. 380, 3S1. 
 
 Schoyer, Herz 77 
 
 Schiller-Szinessy 256 
 
 Steinhardt.. ., 56,91,92 
 
 Steinthal 59 
 
 Spieker 55 
 
 Schlegel 22 
 
 Spalding 42 
 
 Shetach 10 
 
 Shniaja 10 
 
 Sclnverin 191 
 
 Springer 193, 242 
 
 Sclienkel 357 
 
 Schiff, Jacob ix Preface 
 
 Samfield, M., Rabbi ix Preface 
 
 Suesskind, Rabbi, Dr 364 
 
 Spinoza, Baruch 171 
 
 Stern, M. A., Professor in Goettinger, 201, 202, 207, 295, 296,340, 
 
 360, 361, 363-365, 373, 379 
 Stern, Dr. Sigismund, of Berlin 202, 226, 227, 229, 230, 247 
 
 Tobias, Moses '. 77 
 
 Tiktin, S. A., xv Preface, 74, 189, 194, 199, 290, 291, 293, 298, 304- 
 
 311, 316, 318-327, 329, 331 
 
 Teller, Probst 21, 34, 37, 45 
 
 Tillich 98 
 
 Trier, Sal. Abraham 205 
 
 Tarfon, Rabbi 325 
 
 Tissa, Count 265 
 
 Tiktin, G 331 
 
 Talandier '. 346 
 
 Troki 346 
 
 Trietsch 61, 120 
 
 Ukbah 195 
 
 Ullman 279, 2S0, 312 
 
 Ungerleider, Dr 380 
 
 Voigt 41 
 
 Veit, Dorothea 21, 32 
 
 Viser, Adam 92 
 
 Vogelstein, Dr 380 
 
 Wertheimer, Joseph Ritter von 147, 154 
 
 Warschan 40 
 
 Wolf, Professor, of Vienna 361 
 
 Wolf, Joseph 49, 98 
 
INDEX. 
 
 395 
 
 Wolf. A. A 206 
 
 Woffssohn ^° 
 
 Wesselv, Haitwig ^9, 201, 310 
 
 Wilhelm III, King 40, 190 
 
 Weil 79,202,258 
 
 Wohhvill. Dr „ 95 
 
 Wolff, Abraham 65, S3, 95, 97, 105, 1 19, 361 
 
 Willstaetter, Klias ^ ' ' '^<^ 
 
 Wechsler, Dr. B., 145, I94. 212, 229, 253, 2S7, 312, 317, 339, 3bi, 3b\ 
 
 37^ 
 
 William III, King 224, 225 
 
 WaUleck, Dr .•249 
 
 Wien 273,348,361 
 
 Welker „ 2° 
 
 Wasserman 287, 312, 318 
 
 Wright 361 
 
 Walz 301 
 
 Wuerzburg 3i<^ 
 
 William, King Frederic IV 345 
 
 Wilzig, W . . '. 34b 
 
 Weber 35^ 
 
 Wiesbaden ;^- • ^359 
 
 Weil, Charles, Pine Bluff -^ Preface 
 
 Zebi, Sabbathai, •; -oo' o ^^ 
 
 Zunz. Dr. Leopold, 23, 28, 31, 39, 43, 44, 83, 85, 86, SS 89 92. 94, 95, 
 125 140, 144, 145, 193, 194, 201, 207, 211, 224, 246, 2b4, 296.302, 
 
 329- 358, 562, 367, 370, 378 
 
 Zoellner ^^ 
 
 Zoellner ^4 
 
 Zimmerman 
 
ANALYTICAL IXDIvX. 
 
 A bodah, 323, 337. Apikores, 323. 324. Apostasy of Jews in con- 
 ■^^setjuence of the forcible close of the Jacobsohn Teiu])le by the 
 Prussian government, 6, 31, 34, 5S, iSi, 243. Autonomy of Rabbis, 
 194, 202. Aesthetical-llomiletical period, 6, 7. Architology, Jew- 
 ish, Leopold Loew's labors in this field, 267. American Israelite. 63. 
 American Hebrew, 267. 
 
 TJarmizvah, foolery, 212. Ben Chananja, 265-267. Biurists, 16, 
 ■^-^162. Bible, Salomon's translation into German, 127, 152. Bibli- 
 cal criticism, vi Preface, 211, 351-361. 
 
 r~^heder, 1S3. Copher, 323. Chaliza, 1S5, 285. 306. 307. Chau- 
 ^-'vinism, Jewish. We are Jews by religion, not by race, 27, 2S. 
 Central Jewish Consistory in France, 53, 54; in Hessen-Cassel, 56. 
 Confirmation of boys and girls, 56, 57, 352, 364. Centennial of Jacob- 
 sohn, 58. Censorship over Jewish reformator}* literature, xv Pre- 
 face, 73, 76, loi, 290. Conference of Rabbis in Wiesbaden. 1837, 155, 
 2S7; Braunschweig, 155, 15S, 214-217, 240, 341, 342; Frankfort, 158, 
 159, 219, 222, 342; Breslau, 159, 232, 236, 342, 345; Cassel, 344. S^^^'- 
 Philadelphia, 369. Circumcis'ion, 2C5-212, 373. Central Conference of 
 American Rabbis, 342, 368, 373. Christian government, 241. 242. 
 Christianity, 32, 35, 38, 130, 131, 352, 359, 365, 370, 371, 373. Civil- 
 ization cannot be imported, 306, 365. Congress of Jews in Hungaria, 
 26S. 
 
 D 
 
 isturbance in the Synagogue of Arad; 73, 74, at the cemetery of 
 !>reslau, 307, 308. Dabar Beitto, 82, S3. 
 
 "pmancipation of the Jews, 25-27, 345. Election of Rabbi in Bres- 
 "^lau contested, 292-296, 29S. Ethical culture movement, 203, 339. 
 Eleh Dibreh Halbrith, 42. Emek Hashaveh, 73, 75. 
 
 T^ranzschule in Dessau, 97, 106. Freischule (Free School) in Ber- 
 -*■ lin, 15, 16, 22, 23, 43. Fanaticism of the Jewish orthodoxy 
 against Mendelssohn, 14, 124, 142, 310, 326; against Wessely, 142, 
 310, 326; against Jacobsohn-Temple, 39, 40, 58, 184; against Chorin, 
 69. ?•. 73. 76, 81, 90; against Salomon, 101; against first Hand)urg 
 Prayer-book, 76, 81; against second Ilamburg Prayer-book, 132-146; 
 against the English Reformers and against Mrs. II. I. Montefiore, 
 by Sir Moses Montefiore, 147-151; against .\braham Kohn, 169-171; 
 against Samuel Holdheim, by Frankel, 200, 244, by Sachs, 253, 346, 
 34S-351, by Graetz, 179-183; against the Frankfort Reform-Society, 
 by Frankfl, Rabl)i Salomon Trier and I. X. Mannheimer, 205-212; 
 
398 
 
 AVALVTICAL INDKX. 
 
 against Loew, 260-262; against Geiger, 74, 2S7-289, 292-296, 29S-311, 
 33^' 357i 362, 379; against Rabbinical Conference in Braunschweig, 
 217. Faculty Jewish theological, 155, 188, 280, 281, 349-352, 362-364, 
 
 371, 372, 374-377- 
 
 f^ eiger. the "first representative of the scientific theology of Juda- 
 ^-^ism," 330; the "highest living authority on Samaritan litera- 
 ture," 349, 361; although the indirect originator of the Rreslau Rab- 
 binical Seminary, he is cheated out of tl;e position as its Director, in 
 violation of the desire of the founder. Com mercien rath Fraenkel, 
 349. (ieiger on the Talmud, 356, 357; on Reform-Judaism in Amer- 
 ica, "flesh of our flesh, spirit of our spirit," 369; "Judaism and 
 its History," 310, 357, 365, 370, 371; his opinion on the Synods in 
 Leipzig, 369; Augsburg, 373; the Rabbinical Conference in Philadel- 
 phia, 369; on Sunday service, 236, 333. 334. "Geiger als Reforma- 
 tor des Judenthums," by Schreiber, 1879; "Gottesdienstliche Vor- 
 traege " of Zunz, 44. 94, 194, 358. Gmarah. 189. 
 
 XTaggada, 47. Halacha, 355. Hallel, 337, 341. Historiograph}', 
 its falsification, b)' Graetz, 30, 31, 35, 123, 179, 183, 214, 347. He- 
 brew language in the Synagogue, 48, 79, 117, 139, 144, 145, 157, 159, 
 176, 220, 227. 230, 332. Heres}- hunting in Hungaria, 71, 76, 81. 
 Hochschule fuer die Wissenschaft des Judenthum's, 59, 203, 359, 371, 
 
 372, 374, 376, 377. Historical-critical school, 8, 10, 193, 253, 270, 2S4- 
 286. 330, 336, 341, 353-356, 359, 361, 367 370, 373-375, 377- Humanis- 
 tic period, II. Haphtarah, 145, 192. 
 
 Tggereth Elassaf, 84. Israelit des ten Jahrhundert, of Dr. Hess, 19, 
 -*-i99, 201, 213, 214, 217, 222, 224, 239, 340, 346. Israelitische Ge- 
 meinde Zeitung of Dr. Schreiber, 273, 313, 327, 341. Israelitische 
 Annalen, 58, 189. Issur, 146. 
 
 Jeshiba, 64,66, 67, 89, 256. Jeschurun, of Kobak, 175-177. Juden- 
 hetze a result of the reaction in Prussia, 42, 43, 127, 131, 186. Ju- 
 daism in PVance, 51-55; in England, 55. Jewish Reformer, 224, 230, 
 332. Jewish Spectator, 224. Jahrbuch fuer Israeliten, of Isidor 
 Busch, 266. Jewish Messenger, by Isacs, 265. Jewish Times, by El- 
 linger, 265, 273. Jehi Razon, 140. Jom Kippur, 337. 
 
 K;.' 
 
 abbalah, 65, 346-348. Karaites, 310, 311, 316,323, 327, 346, 347. 
 Kosher, 6S, 184, 321, Kerem Chemed, 348. Kiddush, 144. 
 
 T eibzoll, 13, 50. Legalism, 12. P'riedlaender's sensational letter 
 ■^to Probst Teller, 17, 32-35. Geiger's sensational letter to L. Zunz 
 on circumcision, 211, 378. Leipnik, ii Preface, 63, 65. Leviathan, 
 
 70. 
 
 IV/Taamar Haishuth, 8, 244, 249, 252, 35S. Meassefim Hameassef, 
 17, 23. Moravia's contribution to the science and Reform of Ju- 
 daism, 61-65. Mishna, 159, 329, 346, 352. Mezuzoth, 302. Messia, 
 159. 340, 349. Mikve, 222. Midrash, 65. More Nebuchim, 140, 324, 
 325. Mendelssohn's Verdienste um die Deutsche Nation, 11, 17. 
 Minhag, 145. Megilla, 120. Meshubbod, 98. 
 
N 
 
 ANAI.VTICAI. INDEX. 399 
 
 euzeit, by Szanto, 154, i6o. 
 
 Orj^aii 111 a Synagogue, first, 47; in Arad, S7. Organ (lucslioii still 
 Shibboleth'of the orthodox and Reform parties in tierinaiiy, 87, 
 8S. Orient, 90, 1S9, 190, 194, 201, 205. Opinions on the first Ham- 
 burg Praver-book. 77-81; on the second, 132-147; on the compatibil- 
 ity of free research with the office of Rabbi, 174, 312-330; on circum- 
 cision, 205-212. Or Xogali. 76. 
 
 Pharisees, 63, 323, 353-356, 35S. Prophecy, 324. Pentateuch trans- 
 lation, by Moses Mendelssohn, 14-16. First Prayer-book of Ham- 
 burg, 76-81; second Prayer-book, 132-146, 234-239, 335-33^"?; of the 
 Loiulon West-Phid Synagojiue, 147-151; of Prayer-book of deiger, first 
 edition, 332; secondedition, 332, 333, 370. Prayer-book of the Berlin 
 Refonii-Genossenschaft, 230. Philanthropin, 154, 202, 352. Jewish 
 pulpit, 94, 95, 152, 162, 163, 225. Pijutim, 47, 139, 246, 251. Pilpul, 
 1S3. Purim, 26, 337. Parnass, 98. Principien des Judenthum's, 
 36', 56, 135, 181, 298. 
 
 R! 
 
 abbinical Tribunal, 73-/6. Radical Reform advocated b} Benda- 
 -vid, 28, 29. Reform of worship first introduced by Israel Jacob- 
 sohn, 46, 47. Refonii in (ialicia, 166, 167. Suppressed in Berlin by 
 King Freidrich Wilhelm III, 31-34, 58. Reform in Vienna hardly 
 deserves this name, 86. Revelation, vi Preface, 147, 148, 198, 211, 
 351. Reform-movement in England, 147-151; in America, 55, 369, 381. 
 Rabbi's and preacher's offices combined, 186, 261, 290, 305-307. Re- 
 form-Society of Frankfort-on-the-Main, 204-214, 33S, 339; of Breslau, 
 340. Reformgenossenschaft in Berlin, 225-232, 241, 243. Romanti- 
 cism, 8, 239, 245, 250, 254. Revolution in Hungary, 361, 362. Re- 
 form-Rabbinism, 2S5-287. Reform-Judaism in Germany on the de- 
 cline, 350, 381. Resolutions of Rabbinical Conferences, 156, 219-222, 
 232, 236; of Synods, 269, 368, 369, 373; of Breslau Congregation, ap- 
 preciating Ge'iger, 303, 304; of Philippsohn, 369. Revolution is not 
 Reform, 341. Reform Advocate of Dr. K. G. Hirsch, 65. Resig- 
 nation of Dr. Stein, 361, 362. Reaction, 42. Roumanian Jews, 365, 
 366. Russian Jews, 365. Reform should emanate from Rabbis and 
 Congregations, 341. Resurrection of Rabbinical Conferences, 266- 
 268. Reform-Congregation of Buda-Pesth, 247. 
 
 Qadilucees, 310, 323, 327, 353-356, 35^- Salon, 21, 22. Sephira, 300. 
 ^^Sermon in German in the Synagogue strongly opposecl, 36, 37, 47- 
 50; prohibited by the Prussian government, 39, 40, 58; in the Hun- 
 garian language, . Shulchan .Vruch, 144, 190, 210, 224, 336. So- 
 ciety for Culture of the Jews (C'ulturverein), 43. Sanhedrin in Paris, 
 51-55. Sturgeon controversy, 68-71. Synod advocated by Choriu, 85, 
 at Leipzig, 85. 269, 36S, 369;' at Augsburg, S5, 269, 373. Rabbinical 
 Seminary in Breslau, 349, 352, 362; in Berlin, 342; lUida-Pesth, 261, 
 262, 263.' School-fund in Hungary, 262. Selichoth, 86. Shiiia, 140, 
 145. Sabbath question, 222, 231, 237. 333, 334, 341. Sunday service, 
 236, 237, 333, 334. Samaritan, 65, 302, 34S, 349, 355- J^plit in large 
 
400 ANALYTICAL IXDKN:. 
 
 Coii<;re,i;ati()iis ml-i'css iry, 339. Sliiiiitlah, 315. Siila!iiilli, 14, 49, 9S, 
 loo, 28;. Sinai, l)y Kinhorii, 206, 24S-253, 243. Sjll-eriLicisin of the 
 Jews, by Schreiber, xiii Preface, 120, 163. Sliaiiunass, 107. 
 
 Sclinione Ksreh, 134, 137. Sidrali, 145. Shochit, 321. Shechila, 
 321, 34^"^- 
 
 npalnuid, 5, 10, 15, 52, 65, 66, 79, 118, 181, 1S2, 310, 311, 315, 317. 326, 
 .327, 309. 330. 355. 357- Tradition, 210, 315, 316, 326, 330. Trans- 
 lation ot the I'rayer-boolc into German, iirst, 1786, by Friedlaender, 
 24, 25. Tax on meat, fish and candles must be paid by the Jews in 
 Galicia, 16S-170. Tefillin, 116, 302, 347, 350. ThefiUa, 144, 145, 202. 
 
 ^' T Trschrift und Uebersetzungen der Bibel in ihrer Abhaengigkeit 
 ^^ von der innern Entwickelung des Judenthum's," 252, 352-359, 
 £71. 
 
 'XT^ehu Rachum, 140. Velamalshinim, 134, 146, 14S. 
 
 " AA7ord at the Right Time," by Chorin, 82, S3. 
 
 'VT'aale Vejavo, 144, 341. 
 
 /eitschrift fuer Juedisclie Theologie, 8, 65, 120, 130, 137, 165. 174, 
 ^192, 194, 285, 310, 327, 340, 345, 365; fuer Wissenschaft und Leben, 
 vii-viii Preface, 162, 163, 266, 273, 300, 310 317, 340, 345, 365-370, 
 372, 373, 379; der Deutscli Morgenlaendischen Gesellschaft, 348, 
 370. Zeitgeist, xiii Preface, ^11. Zeitung des Judenthums, 92, 137, 
 150, 151, 163, 165, 188, 192, 244, 250, 314. 
 
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