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by
Isaac Leeser
In acknowledging with gratitude the charitable
disposition and the benevolent acts of the American Israelites, we have
nevertheless to except against the apathy which has been shown in the
cause of education. We do not mean that general knowledge is not
sufficiently appreciated and sought after, but that the subject of
religion has not sufficiently attracted the attention of our
congregations. If we look abroad upon society around us, we cannot help
seeing the evidences of the spirit of propagation which is abroad in the
land; schools, seminaries, and colleges, are springing up almost daily;
and for what? only to teach the particular shades of Christianity which
are not taught in those already existing. Even the Friends, whose tenets
are to have no creed, have their schools, to impress upon the minds of
their children the religion without a profession of faith. Unitarians,
Universalists, Catholics, Protestants, have all their primary and high
schools, and there is no cause for complaint that each little section of
Trinitarian and liberal Christianity has not its schools, whence its
spirit cannot be diffused abroad. But Judaism seems to be neglected by its
friends; this is to increase and fortify itself by its own inherent
strength; this, one would be led to think, requires not the fostering care
of the teacher to impress it on the minds of the children. It is certainly
paying a high compliment to its excellence and strength, to ascribe to it
the power of maintaining and spreading itself without any human means to
aid it; it betrays a great deal of faith in the power of the good cause,
to suppose it independent of our labour; but it shows not much knowledge
of the course of human events to presume, that even the best and holiest
thing cannot be advanced by a due share of activity in its behalf, by
those who are interested in its success. Our neighbours certainly deem
their religion as sacred as we do ours; they profess to have the some
confidence in its stability as we have in the permanence of Judaism; yet
do they rest satisfied with this? do they send their children for
religious instruction to the school of dissentients? do they permit
persons of doubtful religious opinions to be elected as teachers? are not
even the free schools, professedly established without regard to sectarian
bias, always governed and presided over by persons belonging to the
dominant professions? We know
full well that no sectarian doctrines as such are taught; but the very
school-books bear the impress of partisanship, and the teachers, as just
said, are the expounders of the spirit of the books placed in the
scholars’ hands. Daily experience has also taught us, that the
sectarians who deem their interests overlooked in the arrangement of the
free schools, are dissatisfied with them, and labour hard to obtain such a
control in them as to make their views prominently brought forward. It is
not our intention to enter into the religious political discussions of the
day; for as Jews, we have no connexion with them, and as citizens, the
public schools, divested of all religious instruction, are good enough as
resorts for the obtainment of the common elements of education. But as
respects the higher interests of life, the acquisition of an ample
knowledge of the faith and practices inherited from our fathers, the
means at our command are extremely insufficient. We know we shall be met
by the assertion, that owing to the benevolent and pious efforts of the
ladies, schools for gratuitous instruction during one day every week have
of late years been established in most congregations; and it is also
probable that the commendations which we bestowed upon them, from time to
time, will be advanced against our present assertion. But we do not mean
to gainsay a single word of praise of all we have hitherto written or
spoken. We know indeed of no remedy more capable of arresting the
indifference of the age than instruction conveyed from woman’s lips,
when fired by a holy zeal for our blessed faith; and the noble readiness
with which so many came forward in many parts of the land, to follow the
example set them by an honoured sister, shows how readily a reformation
for a better observance of religion might be brought about, were the
subject but once properly appreciated, through the same wholesome
influence, which has been felt active enough to induce so many to take the
initiative in education. But nevertheless we maintain that what has been
done proves how much remains yet unaccomplished. We need not argue the
fact that, at best, one day’s instruction in the week is not sufficient
to produce a thorough acquaintance with the all-important subject of which
we are speaking, were it even that all the Jewish children in America
could readily participate in the instruction afforded. If, however, we
examine the circumstances in which we are placed, we must soon discover
that the Sunday school system cannot be made readily available for all.
Because, independently of the prejudices some people feel, against the day
selected, there are too many, who are not conversant with the English, who
cannot therefore participate with every advantage in the course of the
studies. True, they can be taught English, but the time required to effect
this is too long, at least if means could be brought into action which
would abridge the period for the acquisition of the vernacular language of
the land. But even irrespective of all this, it requires but little
reflection to convince any one that the amount which can be taught in one
year on but one day in the week, is very limited; so that however useful
the Sunday schools may become as an auxiliary measure, they cannot supply
the demand for a thorough religious training which is so very necessary.
There are besides too many interruptions, by absence of both teachers and
scholars on the regular meeting-days, and this from the very nature of
things unavoidable, that it could be averred that we could rely with any
degree of certainty upon the volunteer system of education.
We say, All honour to the pious women of Israel, who
have commenced and carried on so noble a work as that of education; where
many of them have had no other incentive, not having any relations among
the pupils, than the desire of being useful in the cause of religion.
Still we maintain also that it would be nothing but half-measures to stop
at the point already attained. Something has been accomplished, and hence
we have an earnest that more may also be done. Let us look at the case as
it really is, not as our fancy might be perhaps induced to represent it;
and what is the amount of our success? On one day of the week, in some
congregations, the ladies give instruction in Catechism, in Bible
Questions, and Scriptural recitations, to such as are willing to come;
they have no means of compelling a regular attendance, and several of the
teachers have generally to be absent also, from some cause or other.
Unfavourable weather, also, not rarely interrupts the exercises, and if
holydays beside intervene, there may be several weeks consecutively that
no instruction can be imparted. And then, above all, though it is so
extremely desirable that the Hebrew language shall be taught, there is no
time to teach it, should there be even a sufficient number of competent
instructors within reach; the two or three hours every week are barely
enough to impart the elementary rudiments of the principles of religion,
without which knowledge not the smallest child should be suffered to
remain; and how then shall the Hebrew be taught at the same time? It may
be said by some that they do not care for the Hebrew. But we imagine that
the number of those who thus think is deservedly small. We do not now wish
to go into a long argument to prove the necessity of the holy language;
but we wish to put it merely to all friends of the Scripture, whether they
do not believe with us, that it is of the highest importance to every
Israelite to attain, if possible, a correct knowledge of the language in
which our prayers and law are read, so that he may have a correct
appreciation of the beauty of the former, and the truth of the latter. A
translation, however well executed, is at best but an approximation to the
original; yet if it even were the same, there is a peculiar interest in
our ancient tongue to the Jew, that he ought to make himself familiar with
it, in order that he may be able to compare for himself what is given out
as the word of God in a foreign dress, with the original records
themselves. It is not safe to trust to human assertion; the word is
best explained by its context and the dress in which it is conveyed; and
let us then enable our children to have the same protection to their faith
which we have enjoyed ourselves. So much to those who may have some doubts
about the necessity of the Hebrew. Those, however, who with us deem it of
vital importance, what have they to allege at the apathy displayed about
obtaining competent Hebrew teachers? They have too often left it to mere
chance to find some one to teach their children at very irregular
intervals; and when he changes his place of abode, or when he gives up
teaching, they have to search for another one to commence anew, as the
little already acquired has probably been forgotten between the time of
stopping and recommencing; it is no wonder then that so little progress is
made in the acquisition of even a moderate amount of knowledge of the
Hebrew, and that it is very rare to find persons in this country
thoroughly familiar with this language. The only remedy for this evil, is
to select and appoint such as have received a thorough education, and who
are perfectly familiar with the language of the Scriptures and the Hebrew
sages, and whose sole business it is to be, to devote their time and
attention to give instruction in our ancient tongue and religion to all
the children of the congregation, without regard to their pecuniary means,
so that the rich and poor may have the opportunity of acquiring at least a
moderate share of a knowledge so necessary to them as Jews.
We
have hitherto spoken merely of Hebrew religious education, to be imparted
where the other elementary branches and sciences are acquired in public or
private schools, not under the charge of Jewish teachers and committees;
and we contend that the more our children are left to mingle with those of
other persuasions, the greater care should be taken to fortify their minds
with that kind of information which will enable them to resist
successfully the open or secret attacks against the religion of their
fathers, to which they will always be exposed during their journey through
life. The very sacredness of our belief, and the contrast it presents to
the opinions prevailing around us, must necessarily expose it and its
followers to the jealous watchfulness of the various sects who profess
Christianity in its different forms; for we deem it superfluous to use any
arguments other than the mere appeal to any one’s experience, to
establish the fact that all Christian sects, without exception, however
they differ among themselves, agree on this point, and co-operate with
each other by all the means which wealth and learning can produce, to
withdraw the Israelites from their religion, or, where this is
impracticable, to weaken their attachment to its behests. Where so much
zeal is displayed to destroy what is so holy to us,—where our opponents
are so active and so indefatigable to deprive us of what was ever dearer
to the Jews than life itself, can we, consistently with our duty to our
God and to ourselves,—consistently with our debt of gratitude to the
honoured dead, who transmitted to us, untouched, unchanged, the sacred
legacy confided to them from heaven,—consistently with our obligation to
posterity, to preserve inviolate the standard of truth, under which our
nation have marched joyously to victory, or cheerfully embraced death when
thus alone they could prove their consistency:—can we consistently, as
Israelites,—as descendants of Abraham,—as followers of the law of
Moses,—leave it to mere chance whether or not our children become
sufficiently imbued with the spirit of our faith to be and to remain
faithful servants of the God of Jacob; true believers and willing
witnesses to the existence, the truth, and the unity of the everlasting
God, the Creator of the universe?
Some
may allege that the apparent truth and the self-evident consistency of the
Jewish faith, enjoying as all do, some portion of instruction at home,
will enable all born of Jewish parentage to cope successfully with the
arguments and appeals addressed to them by those who deem their conversion
to other opinions a sacred duty. But agreeing as we do with those who
argue thus in their opinion of the superior reasonableness of our religion
above all others, still we cannot share their confidence, that but an
imperfect knowledge of its doctrines and duties can be sufficient to
render us consistent and pious Israelites; even assuming that the
advocates of antagonizing principles should fail to impress our minds with
the truth of their opinions. For in this manner we would be merely
theoretical Jews; still how can a religious conformity be produced, or
even expected, where theory only has been implanted, but where a knowledge of practices has been left to be
acquired as chance might dictate? Judaism is a system of duties,—of
obligations,—both moral and ceremonial, applicable to every stage of
life, many of them differing from the actions of other religious
persuasions, and which are rendered meritorious, solely because they are
commanded in Scripture, or sanctioned by ancestral customs; how, we ask,
can it be expected that all these should be observed, if the mind be not
early and thoroughly trained in the knowledge and appreciation of them?
Domestic education, powerful as it is, cannot alone have this effect; a
stimulant more energetic, that of constant precept from those who form the
mind abroad,—teachers and associates,—must combine with parental
authority to make religion sweet, and a practice of its duties agreeable
and necessary to tranquilize the spirit. In other words, our children
require teachers of their own persuasion to instil into their souls a
knowledge of the doctrines and practices of their faith, and
school-companions of their own persuasion, to urge on and to encourage by
example and conversation a conformity to the duties first implanted by the
watchful father and anxious mother, and enforced afterwards by the
teacher, who is animated by a sincere attachment to the law of God.
(To
be continued.)
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