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Elm Street Synagogue, N. Y.
Sir,—It
affords me pleasure to be enabled to communicate to you, and to ask its
insertion in the Occident, that on Sunday, June 30th, a
general meeting was convened of the members of the Elm Street Synagogue,
and to their credit be it written, a resolution passed unanimously, that
from and after the 1st of September next, the מצות
which have hitherto been sold, shall thenceforward be distributed in
rotation amongst electors and seatholders. The advantage of this
alteration must be manifest at a glance, visited as our shrine is by
different denominations; it will remove that which ever evinced an
unhealthy appearance, whilst at the same time the poor man worshipping
will participate with the rich in the honours of the Synagogue. I cannot
speak too highly of the members in thus voluntarily relinquishing an
annual revenue of $600, in order to meet the exigencies of the times,
and in some measure to revert to our original simplicity.
This
may be considered reform, and to that extent I avow myself a reformer. I
would improve all the temporalities, but I would not touch our liturgy;
I would give less to man, more to God. Whilst it affords me pleasure to
impart this, it gives me pain that my communication to the Rev. Mr.
Poznanski should remain unanswered. As for the resolution of the
congregation, it is no answer, it is rather to be considered as a letter
of confidence in their minister. This is not in dispute, no one doubted
that. Yet for the information of the world they address, it should be
known that the unanimity of the resolution is a contradiction in spirit
; for whilst they approve of his resolution, in bearing with a forgiving
spirit the persecution (as controversy is called) of some of his
co-religionists, they or their friends have forwarded to my address
several effusions, neither couched in gentlemanly expressions,
nor in the spirit of meekness manifested by their pastor. I regret
making this allusion, but as the letters are anonymous, I of course
cannot address the authors. I shall ever be ready to answer Mr.
Poznanski; but as I do not understand the science of sciomachy, in
justice to the writers I beg to acknowledge the receipt of their
communications. I hope, sir, you will pardon my troubling you with the
closing paragraph; I cannot consistently at present address Mr.
Poznanski, lest I should be accused of persecuting him; I am
reluctantly, therefore, compelled to offer this passing notice.
Yours,
S.
M. Isaacs. |
