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DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the legal Chronicle
September 19, 1941
Season's Greetings from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
31
American Jews—A Century Ago and Today
By DR. JACOB RADER MARCUS
Professor of History, Hebrew Union., College
Roth Hashonah Greetings to All
Tapert Specialty Co.
Season's Greetings and Best \Vishes
Price Drug Co.
WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS
Eat Schraft's Candy
Smoke Muriel Cigars
ENJOY BOTH
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
New Year's Greetings
Lawson Construction Co. El
Builders' Supplies
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Modern Homes
"Service to the Sick"
Phone 138 Sault Ste. Marie. Mich.
Season's Greetinns and Best Wishes
Phil Up with Phillips at
Bud's Service Station
"PHILLIPS 66"
Washing
Greasing
F.H.A. Terms
Portage and Johnstone
2049 Ashmun
Phorie 2127
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Phone 2255
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
New Year's Greetings
Le Shono Tovo Tikosevu
Max C. Smuller
Dealer in
Raw Furs
PAUL L. ADAMS
121 West Spruce St.
Phone 923
SAULT STE. MARIE, MICH.
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Le Shona Tovo Tikosevu
E. E. BOOTH
Happy New Year to All
B
L Transit Co.
Trucking
Member of N.O.R.G.
Quality Meats - Groceries
at the Right Prices
"A Phone Call and Service
to Your Door"
313 ANN ST.
Phone 1841
The only available thru motor
freight service between Lower
and Uppen Peninsula of
Michigan.
160 RIDGE
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Rosh Hashotah Greetings
Belvidere Hotel
VISIT OUR SHIP TAVERN
Always the Best in Musical
Phone 1159
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Happy New Year to All
Arbuckle Drugs
"Prescriptions Our Specialty"
Fountain Service
Fine Foods
Photo Developing-1 Day Service
Entertainment
"FREE DELIVERY"
110 W. SPRUCE
Phone 321
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
517 ASHMUN
Phone 2; 00
Sault Ste. Marie, Mid..
Le Shono Tovo Tikosevu
Happy New Yeas;,, to All
Soo Co-Operative
Mercantile Assn.
KEMP BROS.
COAL CO.
GROCERIES - MEATS
OUR OWN BAKED GOODS
Delivery Service
Phone:
"COAL OF THE FINEST"
JOHNSTONE
Phone 27
598 - 599 - 222 - 221 -515-672
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
A Happy New Year to All
Happy New Year to All
.Edison Sault
Electric Company
SOO SAND
GRAVEL CO.
We Carry a Complete Line of
Electric Appliances for the Home
CINDER BLOCKS — BRICKS
EI‘ECTRIFY AND SAVE
TRANSIT-MIXED CONCRETE
PHONE 627
PHONE 941
Sa'ult Ste. Marie, Mich.
-
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
EDITOR'S NOOTE—A century ago Jews in Ame'rica began to
realize the importance of a press that would chronicle Jewish
affairs, of books that would interpret Jewish life. The dis-
tinguished American scholar, Dr. Marcus, here gives us glimpses
of the past which are instructive for the present.
Let it never be staid that
American Jewry. even a century
ago when it vas a community of
less than 20.000 persons, was
not conscious of its obligation to
further its literature and to ex-
pand its teachings. Jewry 'in the
1840's in this country was just
getting on its feet. It was vitally
interested in everything Jewish,
even if that interest took it to
the other side of the world.
Thus, for example, when the
news came that Jews were being
tortured in far-off Damascus on
the absurd charge of ritual mur-
der, mass protest meetings were
held in New York, Richmond and
Philadelphia in the summer of
1840.
At the Philadelphia meeting,
held on Thursday, August 27th,
in the vestry rooms of historic
Mikveh Israel Synagogue, th-
leading spirit was Isaac Leeser.
It was this same man who, five
years later, bent his efforts to
create an American Jewish Pub-
lication Society. The motiva-
tions that characterized his age
were different from those which
operate in our own. It is true
that they also wanted to educate
their fellow Jews, but their pri-
mary impulse to action grew
out of genuine fear of the Chris-
tian missionary • and his free
literature. The Jewish religion
was in danger because there
were no Jewish books. During
that very generation in the gold
fields • of distant California, a
pious Jewish mother who wished
to give her children a religious
education took a typical Chris-
tian catechism, carefully struck
out the word Jesus wherever it
occurred, and pencilled in above
it the word "God"—and then
proceeded to educate a family
which later became notable in
American Jewry.
It was necessary in toat era
to confound the missionaries, to
save the younger Jewish gener-
ation, to develop a group of
American Jewish writers, and
to create unity in a religiously
discordant Jewish world; all of
this through the creation and
development of common literary
intyrests. That age had a pas-
sion for union and a dread of
the effects of religious discord.
That was why Henry Jones—
who was born plain Heinrich
Jonas—created the Indepemlent
Order of Bnai Brith in 1843.
He not only wanted to further
morality among Jews, but he
also determined to bring a real
unity into American Jewish life
by creating fo' all Jews a com-
mon meeting ground where re-
ligious polemics and credal dis-
harmony would be conspicuous
by their absence.
And so the American Jewish
Publication Society was created
in 1845, patterned in all prob-
ability after one of the mission-
ary and tract societies of the
time. In London in 1841 or 1842
a publishing house called the
"Ciieap Jewish Library" issued
a story " entitled "Caleb Asher",
which had been written for the
moral improvement of the. labor-
ing classes. A reprint of this'
book was the first venture of
the new American press. •
Under the brilliant leadership
of Isaac Leeser, this first society
managed to maintain itself and
to publish fourteen volumes and
pamphlets in about five years.
The subscribers paid but a dol-
lar a year and some of them
expected a new publication every
month. The book-of-the-month
idea must have been born with
them. They were a thrifty lot
and they expected every dollar
to do yoeman service. Then on
December 27, 1851 a fire broke
out in the building of Mr. Hart
on Chestnut and Sixth, and with
the building there went up m
flames the plates and the stocks
of books. The only • insurance
was an apparently childlike faith
in the ability of books to sur-
vive flames. The society was
dead.
Four years later the Jews of
this country must have been
stirred when they read of the
success of the Institute for the
Furtherance of Israelitish Liter-
ature in Germany. Under the
able leadership of Ludwig Philip-
pson, thvOrganizer of German
liberal Jewry, this society issued
eighty volumes, including the
larger part of the manumental
History of the Jews by Hein-
rich Graetz. And Jewry here
knew that this European press
had had to overcome difficulties
which could never arise in free
America.
Eleven years after this, in
1869, Isaac Mayer Wise engaged
in a strong campaign to re-estab-
lish a publication society here.
lie entertained a grandiose
scheme which envisioned the
translation into English of every
rabbinic and medieval Jewish
classic; and when in London the
Society of Hebrew Literature
began to operate under F. D.
Mocatta and David Salomon%
he took credit for it. He felt
that if he could only create a
conference of American congre-
gations, is theological seminary
and a publication society, he
could bring the Messiah! Rabbi
Wise, you see, was a man of
See LITERATURE—Page 32
•
Greetings of the Season
Rosh Hashanah Greetings!
and Best Wishes from
ST. JOSEPH, MICH.
New Whitcomb
Sulphur Springs
Hotel
A Happy New Year to All
LEON ,l. HARRIS
Twin City Coca-Cola
Bottling Co. °
Managing Director
Phone 3-2722
St. Joseph, Mich.
2615 NILES AVE.
St. Joseph, Mich.
New Year's Greetings to All
I.e Shone -love Tikosevu
CITY PLUMBING
CO.
N. I.. MARSHALL.
Peapples Body Shop
PLUMBING ti HEATING
STOKOL STOKERS
Gilbarco and Vortex Oil Burners
Sales and Service
113 COURT ST.
PHONE 3-2422
407 STATE ST.
St. Joseph, Mich.
St. Joseph, Mich.
SINCERE HOLIDAY GREETINGS
Auto Specialties Mfg. Co.
GRAVES
ST. JOSEPH, MICH.
A Happy and Prosperous New Year to All
MULLEN CONTAINER CORP.
Industrial Ave.
ST. JOSEPH, MICH.
SEASON'S GREETINGS from SAGINAW, MICH.
Best \Vishes to All for a Happy and Prosperous New Year
STANDARD OIL CO.
(Indiana)
RED CROWN — SOLITE — STANOLIND
GASOLINES
Janes at Washington
Saginaw, Mich.