Sabato Morais, Seminary Founder, Championed Rights Battle in Pulpit
BY RABBI SAUL I. TAPLITZ
(Seven Arts Feature Syndicate)
American Jews who today are
taking a vigorous part in the fight
for equal rights for their Negro
fellow-citizens are following a tra-
dition established by the great
men who laid the ground-work for
the development of American
Jewry.
Foremost among these illustrious
figures was Sabato Marais, a foun-
der of the Conservative movement
and of the Jewish Theological
Seminary of America.
In 1851, Morais received a call
to leave his native Italy to take
over the pulpit of the Mikveh
Israel Congregation in Philadel-
phia. He found a community bit-
terly divided on the abolitionist
issues of that day.
His conscience allowed no corn-
promise. In spite of the bitter op-
position of his congregation, which
included a powerful minority in
favor of slavery and of laissez-
faire, he continued to deliver fiery
sermons protesting the injustice
of slavery. This brought about a
congregational crisis.
An extraordinary meeting of
the board of managers was con-
vened and the pro-slavery group
forced a resolution forbidding
their rabbi to deliver English
discourses from the pulpit with-
out written authorization. Yet,
although his public addresses
were temporarily restricted, Mo-
rais made no secret of his sym-
pathy with the Negro cause.
His main life's work was yet to
come.
Sabato Marais was one of the
far-sighted leaders at the dawn of
the century who stood at the turn-
ing point—and whose efforts help-
ed to save Judaism at a time of
crisis.
Recognizing that Judaism had to
take a new dynamic form if it were
to survive the challenges arising
in the New World, they were con-
cerned to ensure that such changes
result in strengthening the his-
toric chain and in affirming the
tradition of Torah.
Morais and his colleagues, in
promulgating the philosophy of
Conservative Judaism, took their
stand upon the precedent estab-
lished by the ancient Torah sages,
who were constantly reinterpreting
and molding the pattern of the
law, adapting it to the new condi-
tions and insights of their age.
The disunity in American Israel
was distressing to Morals, and it
was his earnest endeavour to at-
tain a closer relationship with the
movements that flanked Conserva-
tism on each side. But his hopes to
attain some theological unity with
his Reform colleagues were shat-
tered in his lifetime.
Morais realized that the doc-
trines of the Hebrew Union Col-
lege at Cincinnati, the clerical
Judaism. The Sunday school move-
ment in Philadelphia looked to
him as its founder.
In 1887, the University of
Pennsylvania awarded Dr. Marais
the honorary degree of doctor of
laws—the first time a Jew had
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SABATO MORAIS
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It was decided that the time had
come to establish an institution of
Jewish learning that would train
rabbis for American pulpits in ac-
cordance with the principles of
Jewish tradition.
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In January, 1886, Morais is-
sued a declaration signed by
himself and six other rabbis an-
nouncing that since it was im-
perative to make a strong ef-
fort for the perpetration of
Judaism in America" . . . it is
proposed to form an institution
in which Bible and Talmud shall
be studied to a religious pur-
pose." The Seminary would be
". . . dedicated to the knowledge
and practice of historical Juda-
ism."
On Jan. 2, 1887, the Jewish
Theological Seminary of America
formally opened its doors in the
Happy New Year — Shalom Aleichem
building of Cong. Shearith Israel
in New York, with Sabato Morals
presiding.
Dr. Marais was designated as
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the first president of the Semi-
863-8424
nary's faculty and its professor
of Bible. He remained dedicated
to the Seminary and occupied its
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position until his death Nov. 11,
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!
1897, at the age of 74, continuous-
ly journeying from Philadelphia
to New York despite great physi-
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The influence of Sabato Morair
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was keenly felt in many areas of
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edge was prodigious—and he wrote
prolifically on a vast range of
themes from theology to politics,
literature and current affairs.
He reaped honors and accolades
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from outside the community, and
even outside the nation. He was
To Our Customers and Friends
involved in the cause- of freedom
and unification of the land of his
birth, and Joseph Mazzini, the re-
nowned Italian patriot, was an in-
timate friend.
In recognition of his efforts for
the Union cause, the prestigious
Union League of Philadelphia
elected him an honorary member.
His home was a place where
young people were accustomed to
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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
62-Friday, September 24, 1965
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