7iir;7arzony

WISIIAROMICIL

EARLY REFORM MOVEMENT LEADERS
ASSOCIATED WITH ISAAC M. WISE

GREETINGS OF THE SEASON

By JOSEPH LEISER

N'iowing it from the security of es- Nicholas I, proposed to introduce in
tablished institutions, it may not occur the great Russian empire.
to the generation now growing into
As
Russian official, Lillienthal
maturity in our reform temples that visited the large Jewish settlements
the introduction of Reform Judaism of Russia on his mission of modern-
in this country met with strenuous op- izing educational methods. Greeted
Position. Every modification of ritu- in the early stages of his labors with
al,—such as the removal of hats on suspicion, often with unmistakable
the part of the men, family pews, or- resentment and bitter opposition, he
guns, mixed choir, the abolition of the experienced in a few years, by very
second-day holiday observance, even contrast, the friendliest co-operation.
a Prayerbook with a few prayers in His Russian experiment, covering a
the vernacular and the elimination of period of five years, was suddenly cut
all references to a personal messiah, short on the assumption, it is alleged,
bodily resurrection, the restoration of that further promotion and advance-
the sacrificial system and the rehabil- ment of himself and the cause of Jew-
itation of the city of David,—was hit- ish education was conditioned on his
,rly contested. These things, evident- becoming a convert. This Lillienthal
1v of minor impirtance and inconse- regarded as tantamount to spiritual
Tient MI in a religion that stresses crucifixion and his Russian connec-
personal conduct and social righteous- tions were abrutly ended. America,
mess, are issues that still divide ovine which had always appealed to him,
congregations into dissenting factions. became a haven of refuge. Ile ar-
While no reform congregation in these rived in New York in November,
days sells privileges in connection 1845. Although a young man, he
with the reading of the weekly scrip- was one of the best known Jewish
tura] portion, this undignified prat- leaders in the world and came to the
ties and many other indecorous fea- Unites! States with that reputation.
tures which prevailed of old were not His career in Russia
had made him a
eradicated without the bitterest op- man of mark and, being a man of
position.
culture and force, he soon made his

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A
Rosh Ha -Shanah
Message

Upon this momentous occasion in the life
of your people, Rosh Ha-Shanah, 5684, we
extend a message of greeting and our best
wishes to the Jewish men and women of
Detroit for a happy and prosperous

New Year

May the New Year see your hopes fulfilled
and may it be rich in the successful accom-
plishment of your highest aims.

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aided him in all his undertakings.
Without any effort on the part of the
rabbi, the reading of the l'iutim was
abolished and the sale of Mitzvoth
stopped. A choir was soon organ-
ized under the direction of the rabbi,
and an organ installed.
During the 50 years and more that
Dr. Wise lived in Cincinnati it was
men of the type of Marcus Fechheim-
er who enabled him to carry through
his epochal projects, and men like

Bernhard Bettman, Julius Freiberg,
Moritz Loth and many others who
served on the hoard of governors of

the Hebrew Union College and on the
executive board of the Union of
American Hebrew Congregations.
Without these leaders, drawn from
the congregational rosters, Dr. Wise
would have been confronted with in-
surmountable obstacles.
Every one of the great projects
broached in one shape or another to

invitation with alacrity. His address
was well received and he gained a
large circle of new friends, among
them men and women of considerable
influence. Shortly after he returned
to Albany from this trip he received
word of his unanimous election as rab-
bi of Beth Elohim and accepted the of-
fer, but later withdrew it with consid-
erable reluctance. llis contact with
this southern congregation, however,
convinced him that there were true.
hearted reformers there, while the
congregations of the north were dead
and he had refused to hear the clamor
for a revitalized and Americanized
Judaism.
He concluded naturally,
that if he was to do anything for the
benefit of Judaism and prevent the ex-
piration of his ancestral faith, th is
work had to be (lone in the north. Here
there were still a large number who
believed in the corning of the Messiah
and in bodily resurrection of the dead.
Expressions of doubt regarding the
efficacy of utilizing only liebrew at
worship drew forth abusive letters
and a like result followed the an-
nouncement that the wearing of the
phylacteries and the ceremonies con-
nected with the Zizith were superflu-
ous and unnecessary. To accept these
ideas which are taken for granted in
our day, was regarded in the middle
of the last century as a step bordering
on apostacy.

His visit south crystalized his de-
termination to concentrate his labors
in the north and the co-worker who a..-
sisted him in these efforts WAS Dr.
MAX Lillienthal.
Lillienthal had proceeded Wise to
America after a most unusual career
in Russia in which he had bee, the
companion of statesmen and diplo-
mats. Ile suddenly terminated , hat
promised to be a brilliant career there
and came to this country. Born in
Munich, Bavaria, in 1814, of a
wealthy mercantile family, he sledded
to prepare himself for the profession
of rabbi according to the new stand-
ards advanced in Germany. One of
these was to combine a knowledge of
rabbinics with a classical education.
To this end Lillienthal studied at 'he

yeshibah of Wolf Hamburger in
Furth and at the same time attended
lectures at the University fo Munich,
from which he received his Doctor of
Philosophy degree in 1837.
While still
university student he
was brought into intimate communi-
cation with Dr. Ludwig Phillippson,
editor of the Allgemeine Zeitung des
Judenthums, who recommended him
to the Russian government as super-
intendent of the new school which
was to be established at Riga and
also as organizer and director -of the
modern educational curriculum Which
the Russian government, under Czar

a

a journal than a Jewsish newspaper.
These contributions, continued over a
long period and covering a variety of
subjects, constituted Dr. Wise's ap-
prenticeship in journalism. It also
made him known outside of his lim-
ited circle. And on it came to pass
that in 1854 Congregation Bene Je-
shurun of Cincinnati extended him a
call to become its rabbi and Dr. Wise
accepted it on condition that he be
elected for life. His condition, sin-
gular and bold for that day, was ac-
cepted.
The Jewish community of Cincin-
nati in the early days numbered a
very few Englsih, Dutch and French
Jews, and it was not until 1830 that
the influx of German Jews occasioned
the formation of a congregation. Into
the details of this early congrega-
t ional history . is needless to enter.
When Dr. Wi • came to Cincinnati
the gentleman r ith whom he had the
most intimate !ealings was Marcus
F'echheimer.. Wise said of him
that he was a
in of education, tact
and force.
ihenner realized the
ability of the r ..0y-elected rabbi and

..,-
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Es:

.

.

a

Greetings of the Season ,_=- -- ,- - - ,

.-E._ ..-._
--- . -_
FROM
,_- - -
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--- ,_.

The Harry J. Dean Co.

DECORATIVE CONTRACTORS
INTERIOR FURNISHERS

launched by Dr. Wise WAS first
one or another of these men. From

the founding of the American Israel-
ite in 1856 to the establishment of

the Union of American Hebrew Con-
gregations in 1873, and the opening
of the Hebrew Union College in 1876,
every measure initiated by Dr. Wise
was seconded and sustained by these
splendid men and women who helped
One must indeed be endowed with influence felt in America,
to make Cincinnati the foremost Jew-
heroic qualities to overcome the sib-
There were not many congrega- ish city in the United States.
stinancy of tradition. The conserva- tions in those days and still fewer
The greatness of Dr. Wise can be
tism of those who would not yield to rabbis. Religious affairs were in an
measured today by the firmness of
the demands of the new age and the unpromising state and a man must
his resolution to stand, often almost
exingencies of American democracy needs have been strong
and courage- alen, for the claims of the spirit. His
threatened to render impossible the ous to
devote his powers to the cause pe<b
.. ies, as his detractors labeled
survival of Judaism in this country. of his ancestral faith in an environ-
tilt such as the formation of
Whatever attributes his biographers ment so hostile
and unsympathet.c. "Wise College" to prepare young
may assign to Isaac M. Wise, on this
One week after his arrival in New men for the rabbinate of America;
quality the are all agreed; he is brave.
York, Lillienthal was invited to the organization of congregations to
It required determination, convic-
preach before Congregation Anshe unify practice and ritual; a prayer
tion, self-confidence and superior cour-
Chesed. This congregation combined book acceptable to a majority of con-
age to inject into the chaotic mass of
with two other synagogues and elect- gregations — these projects, which
American Jews living in this country
ed him chief rabbi and on Jan. 10, have been so thoroughly vindicated,
in the middle of the last century, a 1846, he
was installed.
were upheld by a very few formerly.
conception of Judaism in consonance
Although he thus began as a sym- Even all of the reform rabbis did not
with American democracy instead of
at
first lend him sympathetic co-
pathized
with
orthodoxy,
still,
as
he
with European monarchies. At that
time Judaism was unorganized here. became better acquainted with Amer- operation. Many criticized in no
charitable
manner and sometimes
ican
conditions,
he
recognized
the
It was even devoid of consciousness
and was perpetuating here the rigors need of reform, says his biographer. from motives that might have been
questioned.
In
other
words,
he
became
more
lib-
and regime of legalistic Judaism, at
American Judaism owes an inesti-
meaningless continuation of that me- eral minded with the years that bring
chanical ceremonialism which the thephilosophical calm. In course of mable debt to Dr, Wise. Ile made
newcomers had practiced in their nar- time he became more and more out- Judaism in Amemica acceptable to
row European environment. They spoken in his reform position and the standards and attitude of Ameri-
brought with them unbounded hope to united with Dr. Wise in whatever can democracy. This was a natural
better their material condition but measures he could consistently advo- result of his conviction that this na-
clung tenaciously to the ritualism of cate with his firm belief in the ne- tion, conceived in liberty, shall never
perish from the earth so long as all
their ancestral faith. It was the re- cessity of gradual development.
sulting conflict between the inherited
Two weeks after the arrival of Dr. of its citizens, regardless of creed,
ritualism and the demands of the new Wise in this country, in the summer race or previous conditions of servi-
age that engaged the attention of the of 1846, Dr. Wise met Dr. Lillienthal tude are permitted to enjoy the
early religious leaders of Reform Ju- and the foundation was laid for that blessings of liberty. Ile fought
daism in America.
friendship which continued through- against the introduction of any meas-
Dr. Isaac M. Wise , who became the out life in mutual respect and admir- ure in national or state legislation
leading champion among that valiant ation. On the recommendation of that denied the Jew the full privi-
band, was preceded by two men of Dr. Lillienthal, the young rabbi was leges of his citizenship, such as the
German origin. Both of these fore- urged to locate in Albany, N. Y., notorious Order No. 11, issued by the
runners were invaluable in assisting where a new congregation had been War Department, which constituted
him to rear on this western continent formed and a rabbi was urgently a bold discrimination against Jews
a new altar to the God of their fath- needed. A visit to the capital of during the storm and stress of the
ers whom American Jews could serve the Empire State resulted in Dr. Wise Civil War.
in gladness, but in the manner and remaining in Albany eight years as
In Cincinnati so throughout the
with methods best adapted to that de- rabbi, first of Congregation Beth Elo- Union, north and south, east and
mocracy under whose protecting flag him and then later of Anshe Emeth. west, Dr. Wise in the course of his
they had now sought and obtained The latter was organized by dissent- professional duties met in the various
ers from the former congregation communities a few men and women
refuge.
who withdrew in a body and formed who sympathized with him and up-
One of these two early reform lead-
a congregation more in consonance held him. It was these early leaders
ers closely associated with Dr. Wise
with those ideas and principles that who effected the establishment of Re-
was Gustav Posnanski, Rabbi of Beth
had been preached from the pulpit of form Judaism throughout the Middle
Elohim Of Charleston, S. C., and the
Beth Elohim by Dr. Wise. The new West and South. Laboring with Dr.
other was Dr, Max Lilienthal, who,
congregation, humble in origin, soon Wise, they enabled him to make his
as Rabbi of Anshe Chesed, New York,
progressed and within a short time dreams real. Without them there
and Bene Israel, Cincinnati, until his
was able to acquire property which would have been delay and final dis-
death in 1882, was Wise's most inti-
was converted into a synagogue.
appointment. All liberal American
mate friend and co-worker in every
In this congregation, in addition to Jewry brings them tribute.
movement for the Americanization
and progress of Judaism and the Jew. the several reforms in the services
Of Beth Elohim, Max 13. May, in which he initiated, Dr. Wise intro-
The birds in the air even despise
his "Life of Dr. \Vise," says that it duced family pews, In Albany he
consisted of Americans of Portuguese also preached those vigorous sermons the miser.—The Talmud.

descent.
Its preacher and leader, that electrified his congregation and
Rabbi Gustav Posnanski, was a Ger- all who were fortunate enough to
man. The reform movement in this hear him. Even in that early day he
congregation began as early as 1821 also lectured in the larger cities of
when a revision of the ritual was au- the seaboard, under the auspices of
thorizes] by its Board of Trustees. various organizations, thus making
tmself known as a speaker, as he
More reforms were introduced after
1836 when Posnanski was installed as had revealed himself as a writer,
rabbi. An organ was placed in the through his contributions to the As-
synagogue and the second-slay obser- monean, edited by Robert Lyon of
vance of Jewish holidays abolished. New York, and particularly to the
The congregation also worshipped Occident, edited by Isaac Leeser, an
ultra orthodox rabbi of Philadelphia.
with uncovered heads.
Leeser gave Dr. Wise the privilege
It was this radical reform congre-
gation which Dr. Wise was invited to of contributing to his Occident,
address in 1850 and he accepted the which, as Dr. Wise said, was more of

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ROSH HA-SHANAH
GREETINGS

5684--1923

A Happy and Prosperous New Year

.

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