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SINAI to CINCINNATI Lay Views on the Writings of Isaac M SINAI TO CINCINNATI Lay Views on the Writings of Isaac M. Wise, Founder of Reform Judaism in America hy D EN A WILANSKY 1937 RENAISSANCE BOOK COMPANY NEW YORK COPYRIGHT, 1937, BY DENA WILANSKY MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA » DEDICATED TO JUDAISM ''Knowledge exists to be imparted" ' EMERSON "ALL THAT THE LORD HATH SPOKEN WE WILL DO" Long, long ago, a sound of beauty filled The earth, and even the heavens were thrilled. In Sinai's wilderness a voice was heard, Sweeter than music or the song of bird. A new-born people giving homage true, "All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do." "Before Me, thou shalt have no other god," Oft had Israel felt the chast'ning rod, Until the consciousness of God supreme Dispersed the shadows like the sunshine's gleam. Though now they worship not Ishtar or Baal, The god of gold still holds his mystic thrall. Somehow, somewhere, the good and true will win, This is God's world, it cannot end in sin. While all on earth must learn, heed first the Jew, "All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do." DENA WILANSKY Cincinnati Ohio May 1928. TABLE OF CONTENTS PART ONE INTRODUCTION: Isaac Mayer Wise Some Biography—A Few Excerpts from the Editorial Corres• pondence—Aphorisms—An Interesting Editorial on Germany 11 GENERAL REVIEW Chapter I BASIS OF DR. WISE'S BELIEFS Constitution of the United States: The Fulfillment of Mosaic Ethics—The Universal Republic Patterned after America—The Universal Religion—Reform Judaism—The Mission of Israel— The Fifty Year Fulfillment Prophecy—Messianic Era to Arrive by 1900 25 II ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY Dangers of Beliefs in Mysteries and Miracles—Born Christians Ruin Christianity—Original Purpose of the Christian Story— Origin of the Crucifixion Story—Assimilation and Conversion— Some Striking Statements on Christianity Versus Judaism—Sepa• ration of Church and State—Temperance 35 III RADICALISM Radical Reform Rabbis—Assimilatidnists:—Robert Ingersoll and Atheism—Felix Adler and Ethical Culture ., 55 IV ORTHODOX JUDAISM Vanishing Spanish—Portuguese Jewry Attributed to Orthodoxy —Dr. Wise Tries Reform to Save the German Immigration— His Love of the Hebrew Language—Opposition to a College Under Dr. Wise's Direction—Plans for a Jewish Women's College 59 V THE THIRD WAVE OF IMMIGRATION: Russian Dr. Wise Welcomes the Russian Jews—Believes America Will Go to War with Russia—Anti-Semitism and the Previous German Immigration—Anti-Semitism and the Russian Immigra• tion—Kosher and Trephah Arguments—Concerning Swine's Flesh—Dr. Wise Defends Reform 75 VI ZIONISM ' England and America to Lead the World—English Poets Were Hebrew Scholars—Near Arrival of Universal Republic and Re• ligion Make Zionism Unnecessary—Theodore Herzl and the Dreyfus Case—Faith in France—Germany's Jewish Converts— Political Zionism „ . 91 PART TWO Excerpts from the Writings of Isaac M. Wise Chapter Page I MOSES Moses and Biblical Criticism 115 II AMERICA Opinions on American Politics 123 III MONARCHIES Church and State .'. 129 IV THE MISSION OF ISRAEL , 132 V OBSTACLES TO THE MISSION OF ISRAEL: Radicalism Atheism—Infidels—Ethical Culture 138 VI OBSTACLES TO THE MISSION OF ISRAEL: Orthodox Christianity Origin of "The Origin of Christianity" (A book by Dr. Wise) —Christ in the Constitution—The Bible in the Public Schools— Prohibition—Temperance—War—Protestantism—Evangelists— Missionaries—Salvation Army—Theosophy—Christian Science— Spiritualism—Science and Religion—Evolution 142 VII DEFENSE OF JUDAISM AGAINST ORTHO• DOX CHRISTIANITY Views on: Jewish Education, Intermarriage, Blood Libel, Im• mortality, Circumcision, Shylock, Assimilation, Burial 155 VIII OBSTACLES TO THE MISSION OF ISRAEL: Orthodox Judaism Reform—Orthodox Controversies—Spanish—German—Russian.. 163 IX OBSTACLES TO THE MISSION OF ISRAEL: Zionism France—The Dreyfus Case—Palestine 185 PART' THREE. Lay Views on the Writngs of Isaac M. Wise I MOSES Dr. Wise's Battle-Cry: "Back to Mosaism"—Separates Israel's Body and Soul—Rationalism Not Enough 197 Chapter Page II AMERICA Universal Republic Not Solution—People Now Enslaved Indus• trially—America's New Problems Unknown Fifty Years Ago.... 203 III CHURCH AND STATE Mankind Tortured by Abuse of Power Rather than Religion— Church and State Represent Individuals—Development of Char• acter World's Greatest Need 209 IV ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY Dr. Wise Speaks of His Childhood—Paul and Dr. Wise—Dr. Adolph Moses of Louisville, Kentucky 215 V ORTHODOX JUDAISM Jewish Orthodoxy Accused of Conflict with Americanism—Re• form Rabbinate Rigid in Observance of Hundred Year Old Reforms—Reform Judaism Attributed to Laity 227 VI INCONSISTENCIES Concerning Oysters—Women in the Choir—To Wear or Not to Wear Head Covering—Dietary Laws—Passover Dishes— Methods of Animal Slaughter , 235 VII HOLIDAYS AND HOLY DAYS The Sabbath—Sunday Morning Services—Passover—Shavuoth— Succoth—New Year—Yom Kippur—Chanukah—Christmas— Purim—Ninth Day of Ab>—Destruction of the Temple 251 VIII "TO ERR IS HUMAN" Moses Mendelssohn and Reform—Moses Montefiore and the Hebrew Union College—Rothschild and English Orthodoxy— Use of the Terms: Jew, Hebrew, Israelite—Heine, Disraeli, Spinoza—Race, Blood and Religion Theories 269 IX DR. WISE'S PRIVATE LIFE Dr. Wise Plans to Leave His Cincinnati Pulpit—The Death of His First Wife—The Opening of the Hebrew Union College— Dr. Wise Remarries 279 X TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION Dr. Wise Outlives His Contemporaries by a Generation—Com• munism—How Jews Have Lost Caste with Each Other 289 .XI INTERMARRIAGE Intermarriage Adds to Life's Complexities—Harmonious Back• ground Factor in Happiness—Psychic Forces as Well as Physi• cal are Real 303 XII CHURCH PROPAGANDA Christianity Teaches Hatred—A Boomerang Against Christian Progress—How the Church Might Combat Hatred 307 Chapter Pa&e XIII LEO N. LEVI A Distinguished Layman's Views on Jewish Life and Learning 315 XIV ZIONISM The Bible Sanctions Zionism—The Romance of Israel—Anti- Zionists Unamerican 323 XV THE MISSION OF ISRAEL The Wonder of Human Life—Variety in Harmony is Nature's Key-Note—"Israel's Mission is Peace" '. 337 SINAI TO CINCINNATI Author s Note In beginning this work, the writer was actuated by two motives — 1. To show a side of Dr. Wise's activities which seemed not heretofore to have been emphasized, viz: his vigorous defense of Judaism in America opposite Christianity (or Christology). 2. To show the real reasons for his rejection of Zionism, which the writer believed, if better known, might remove the barriers raised against it, Zionism, and unite American Israel in the sacred work of upbuilding the Holy Land. It was then discovered that the reason for his defense of Judaism was the same as for his rejection of Zionism, strange as this may seem — also, that the reasons for all of Dr. Wise's activities, no matter how widely varied the subjects appeared to be, could be traced to the same source. Therefore a number of other subjects have been included to further illustrate his motivating idea. The writer also wishes it understood that the material herein presented has not been disclosed for the sake of sensationalism, but will be found to have a direct bearing on the subjects under consideration, in the attempt to clarify the life and writings of Isaac M. Wise, and his influ• ence upon Judaism in America. PART I INTRODUCTION ISAAC MAYER WISE Some Biography A Few Excerpts From the Editorial Correspondence Aphorisms An Interesting Editorial on Germany INTRODUCTION ISAAC MAYER WISE ISAAC M. WISE was a prolific writer, author, and poet. Be• sides personally conducting the editorial sheet of The American Israelite for a period of forty-six years (1854-1900), previous to which he had been a regular contributor to the Asmonean (1850¬ 1854) and the Occident (1847-1855), he also wrote articles in other publications, among which were The Hebrew Review American Jews' Annual, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis Year Book. He also contributed considerable material to the Deborah, the German weekly supplement to the American Israelite. His published books number eleven. He wrote eleven novels in English and sixteen in German, and most of these novels, appearing in chapter form in the American Israelite and the De• borah, assume book proportions. In addition, hundreds of un• signed poems in both papers, are no doubt his compositions. A number of prayer-books, also, in English and German are the work of his hands. In the year 1863 he was asked to accept the nomination of State Senator by the Democratic Convention of Ohio, which no• mination he refused. Years later, he explained that "the reason why the editor of this journal (The American Israelite) refused to be nominated as State Senator by the Democratic Convention, is simply the utter impossibility to devote any time to the study of political questions and the work required by a senator who has the ambition of filling his position well. If one has under his care a weekly paper, a large congregation and Sabbath-school, and the Hebrew Union College, he can hardly afford to enter upon new obligations. This is the sole reason for declining the honor." In Washington, D.C. in 1870, he opened in prayer the United States Senate. In 1887 he informed the public that at one time, (date not given) he had opened in prayer the New York State Senate. For eighteen years he was a Director and Trustee of the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Wise was rabbi of the Bene Yeshurun Temple of Cin• cinnati for forty-six years, president of and professor at the Hebrew Union College from its establishment in 1875 until his death in March of 1900. He claimed the title of 'champion marrying minister' of America, having united nearly 4000 couples. He officiated at a hundred or more conversions from Christianity to Judaism.
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