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Dear
Sir—
In
the Occident of the last month, there appeared an article purporting to
emanate from several members of the Elm Street Synagogue, reflecting on
my conduct in the late painful contest. I regret to state, that my fixed
determination to be silent under every provocation must now be revoked.
For the last twelve months have I patiently endured every insult,
submitted to every degradation, suffered my name to appear in the public
press in no enviable light, allowed my domestic peace to be disturbed,
and my health to be impaired; all this have I borne in silence, for the
peace of Israel, and in order to restore order and harmony, where
discord and disunion held such fearful sway. Fully relying on the purity
of my motives, and on my zeal for the public good, I continued silent
whilst others spoke; but there is a solstice beyond which even
forbearance ceases to be a virtue; and I cannot any longer permit my
name to be used, without placing on record in our Jewish organ (for the
press here requires no explanation from me) the part I have played in
this tragic drama, without demonstrating to those it may concern that,
placed in the most trying situation, I acted as a minister of religion,
“I gave my back to the smiters,” in order to serve my God, and
disregarded all my temporal affairs for the purpose of advancing
spiritual good.
When
first lawsuits were instituted against the corporation B’nai Jeshurun
respecting the election of trustees, all my energy was employed to stem
the evil at its first outbreak. I portrayed in glowing colours to both
sides the unexampled religious and temporal prosperity of the
congregation and its various institutions. By the present Elm Street
members I was met with the hardships of the seat-holders, who required
two-thirds of the meeting to elect them; and how difficult it was to
pass such an ordeal. I endeavoured to reason with them, demonstrating
that they enjoyed equal religious rights, and that those political
rights, for the attainment of which they were risking the prosperity of
the Synagogue, would best be obtained by patience and perseverance in
the congregation room. But my words fell silently on the ear. I then
exhorted the other side, soliciting them, as an especial personal
favour, to modify their by-laws. Here, too, I was unsuccessful, that
party urging that any alteration in the existing by-laws would be a
hazardous experiment; that it was not the seat-holders who complained,
but a portion of the electors who, desirous to obtain power for
themselves, adopted every means to increase the number of voters on
their side. They (the seceders) referred more especially to the conduct
of those who commenced law proceedings, as it applied to myself; that
they invariably left the Synagogue on my stated days of lecturing; that
I had been publicly interrupted in such addresses; that they (the now
Elm Street members) required at least a reduction in my exorbitant
salary, now twelve hundred dollars per annum. My answer was, that if it
could subserve the cause of peace, I was willing to resign my situation.
They, however, assured me that my resignation would be an injury to the
cause of religion, and that the general harmony would speedily be
restored, as they had made overtures to the opposite party to have a
friendly suit instituted, which would settle the points in dispute
without any great outlay of money or sacrifice of concord. Thus assured,
I determined, like a mariner in a storm, to steer clear of all the
dangers that surrounded me, and if the vessel was doomed to destruction,
I should have the inward satisfaction of knowing that I had done every
thing to prevent a wreck.
This
halcyon state was not suffered to continue any length of time. On
שבת בראשית, when
the Parnass elect was to commence his official career, and had just
taken his seat, its late occupant also arrived, and likewise took
possession. A number of police officers were in attendance to preserve
that peace which the building alone should secure to every descendant of
Israel. In fine, the banner of religion was removed, and a standard of
war erected; threats loud and deep were employed, Judaism was
endangered, and my condition rendered truly painful. The Sabbath
following things threatened to be worse, when I was called on during the
week (by several of the now Elm Street members) to solicit Mr. Micholl
to allow my acting as Parnass in the Synagogue on Sabbath. Anxious to
make every sacrifice for peace, I called on Mr. M. and begged him to
make the required concession. He did, not for any definite time, but as
an experiment, reserving to himself the right to act as Parnass on all
other times and occasions. This course was deemed satisfactory by both
parties, and concurred in by advice of counsel. Thus, unsought and
unsolicited for myself, I enjoyed the anomalous position of a Cromwell,
spiritual and temporal director.
Thus
we went on for some time, each party imagining that I favoured their
opponents, when a marriage was to be solemnized. The parties being in
arrears, the Synagogue laws providing that all arrearages should on such
occasions be discharged, an amicable arrangement was made by one of the
parties, through me, with Mr. Micholl; the honours of the Synagogue were
asked and duly given on the Sabbath previous to the wedding, as
the party stated they did not intend to visit the Synagogue the Sabbath
subsequent. On the Sabbath after, one of the relatives, heavily in
arrears and no seat-holder, requested the honours. I could not,
considering the delicate situation in which I was placed, destroy every
vestige of the congregation laws. I declined complying with so
unreasonable a request, although, for the sake of conciliation, I
allowed him to ascend the reading desk to make offerings, though it was
opposed to the laws. The next day I received a letter (from a committee
of the now Elm Street members) which was degrading to its authors,
charging me with insulting their party, and pouring forth threats of the
worst kind. That effusion, to prevent excitement, I kept secret, locking
it up in my desk, and keeping it there during the whole controversy. I
would now have forwarded it for publication, did I not “love Israel
for Israel’s sake.” Still I continued to steer a neutral course,
until my laxity of conduct in not requiring payments, when they should
have been legally demanded, and the refusal of the now Elm Street
members to pay a cent, threatened a collision. At this time the treasury
was exhausted, the money paid by the (now) seceders being insufficient
to pay the legitimate expenses of the Synagogue. The trustees, to whom I
was amenable, adopted a resolution prohibiting me from giving any
honours to those who had not conformed with the congregation’s laws.
In this painful exigency I could not “halt between two opinions;” I
had either to resign the temporal direction, or pursue the alternate
course, obey the trustees. Should I have adopted the former course, we
should have had a repetition of scenes at which the heart recoils. I
therefore chose the latter, although I was sacrificing myself at the
shrine of duty, conscious that I was the best friend of peace by being
prepared to make the greatest sacrifice in order to attain it. Several
circumstances now occurred to warn me that physical means were intended
by the now Elm Street members; (one of their trustees resigning because,
according to his published circular, he was not prepared to take by force
what the law would not give him peaceably, and other acts of a
concomitant nature;) when a boy of an elector was to be בר
מצוה and, as your correspondents state, they
were determined that the boy should and must read. Believe
me, this was no empty boast; for several days I tried every means to
dissuade them from so suicidal an experiment, offering even to pay the
bill of indebtedness for the father; but to no purpose. On the Sabbath
ensuing we had a crowded attendance; persons unconnected with our
Synagogue, and others who scarce ever darkened its doors, were there;
and solemnly I asseverate that, but for the discretion of the seceders
who were absent, a scene would have occurred at which the soul sickens.
At the moment the law was to be taken from the ark, the sexton’s key
was not required to open its portals; a key had been manufactured for
the occasion. The clerk was removed, his book taken from his hands,
another person substituted; the service proceeded, offerings were made;
even one of that party was so callous to the feelings of humanity, and
so dead to the sentiments which should characterize every man in a place
of worship, as to make an offering for my safe voyage across the
Atlantic! Thus things went on “well enough,” as your correspondents
assert. After the service I went to the father of the boy, at his
residence, congratulating him that his boy had been confirmed, and the
olive-branch was the object of our conversation. On my return to my
dwelling, I received a message from the Parnass, who was prevented by
sickness from attending the morning service, informing me that I was not
to attend Synagogue that afternoon, as, in consequence of a
representation made to him by the sexton that false keys were had for
the ark, and that property had been removed, he had ordered the
Synagogue to be closed until he could convene a board of trustees. At
four o’clock, I was informed that the building was surrounded, and
that a forcible entrance had been effected. This information had
scarcely reached me, when I received a summons to attend and read the
service. I certainly did refuse to come. “I never heard of such an
outrage an Israel.” I should have been unworthy of my sacred calling,
unfit to dwell in a civilized community, if I had read the service at
such a time, after the violations which they had just committed.
Information then reached me, that before they commenced prayers a motion
was made, and seconded then and there, that I should be
suspended from my functions, the mover and seconder having but an hour
before given me their hand of friendship, offering to serve me in every
exigency. I was farther informed that, at the close of the evening
service, the sacred laws, their robes, and all other valuables, were
removed from the Synagogue to private dwellings, and so on.
Sunday
was calm. On Monday morning, when I innocently supposed that the
passions had subsided, I attended Synagogue as usual. I had scarce
commenced the service, when two persons brought in one of the copies of
the sacred laws, and placed it in the ark. I continued reading; on
arriving at that portion when the law is to be taken out, I ascended the
ark to receive it. On my returning to the reading desk, I found a man on
it, for some purpose to me unknown. I was just unrolling the sacred law,
when the person assaulted me, tearing my flesh from my hand, whilst
another ascended and felled me to the earth. Your correspondents state
there were no physical means used. I agree with them: it is too mild a
term; it was sheer brute force. This closed the fatal scene; many who
had until then been neutral, now became warm partisans, offering to
serve me in person or purse. My fellow-citizens of the Christian
community offered to serve me in any way to punish the evil-doers: and
this I intended; but after the ebullition of feeling had subsided, I
looked at the matter through all its bearings, and found that the best
plan would be to act according to the wishes of those I felt to be
friends, and withdraw from my late congregation, for the purpose of
joining the seceders. I voluntarily surrendered my life contract with
the Elm Street congregation.
I
hope I have written sufficient to satisfy every rightly constituted mind
of my conduct; and right cheerfully do I leave that conduct to the
scrutinizing gaze of all Israelites. Respecting the flock I have left,
it would to me be a source of regret to say any thing about them; those
who have wronged me their conscience will be their censor. Regarding the
Synagogue from which I have withdrawn, in a national and religious point
of view, it is to be deplored; memory, with reverted eye, looks back at
what it was destined to be. During the six years that I ministered there
to the Lord, I had witnessed it increasing year after year; I had the
happiness to see a number of Christians attend there to inquire of the
Lord; it was there I uprooted that system which gratified the carnal
appetite at the expense of the soul; it was there I spent my energies to
improve the “spiritual;” I had seen its temporal condition improve
in an equal ratio; in a year or two its surplus capital would have been
sufficient to have afforded a permanent maintenance to its aged and
decrepit members. In fine; it was my pride by day, and my dreams by
night; and fondly I entertained the hope that it would be a nucleus for
the achievement of every good. But man endeavoured to counteract the
will of Providence, and with streaming eyes do I behold the result:
“what God makes, man destroys.”
And
now a word to yourself. In your introductory remarks to their letter,
you state that, placed in my situation, you “would have not assumed
the rights of the temporal director, deeming as you do that the minister
cannot do so without running the risk of making enemies.” In that
emergency I looked at the cause, without caring for the effect.
Respecting the creation of enemies, I do not think I have one in
addition to the former number. True, they appeared as friends; but the
mask has been removed, and, supposing that I can trace amongst the list
persons whom I have served in the hour of need, they have now discharged
that debt. What of that? Evil cometh that good may follow. If there are
some ungrateful persons, they are more than counterbalanced by those
godly beings, those noble spirits, disinterested friends, to them I can
speak of things divine, without tinging their countenance with a blush,
and to them I can look for consolation when the spirit looks at the
past. As to the encomiums you have been pleased to pass on my general
conduct, believe me, at a moment like this, approval from such a quarter
is truly gratifying. In return, permit me to assure you, that the few
years probably yet allotted me on earth shall be devoted, amongst my
friends at the Franklin Street Synagogue, or wheresoever called by duty,
to the promotion of Israel’s welfare and for posterity’s weal.
Yours,
sincerely,
S.
M. Isaacs.
94 Elm Street, Menachem 7th, 5605. |
