|
Philadelphia.—Singular proceedings have of
late characterized the meetings of the oldest
congregation in Philadelphia, with respect chiefly
to the office of minister, held by the editor of
this magazine, for the last twenty-one years and six
weeks, without the least impeachment of his
character. It has been his misfortune to have among
his congregation a few persons who were opposed to
him at his first coming hither, (not by his becoming
a candidate for the office, but by the invitation of
a large portion of the people,) and who left then no
means untried to prevent his being elected, by a
motion of postponing the election on the 6th of
September, 1829, to such a period, that it would
have been impossible for him to consent to wait for
it. Now though this effort was unsuccessful, and Mr.
Leeser was elected by a vote almost unanimous (26 to
7), the persons in question did not cease their
efforts at annoyance and opposition, and at every
fitting opportunity they showed that their darling
scheme had not been abandoned, and that they were
resolved either to make him retire, or to render his
stay unpleasant and dishonourable. Still having been
chosen again for five years in 1831, the opposition
had to be satisfied with a tacit and an unseen,
although not unfelt, undercurrent. But when this
second term was about expire in 1836, an attempt was
made to elect him for one year with a reduced
salary; and though a motion to amend the original
resolution, substituting three years for one and one
thousand for eight hundred <<427>>dollars, was
carried, still the resolution as amended was lost;
by which means no minister was, actually speaking,
in office for the year 5597, Mr. Leeser having
consented to serve upon invitation of the then
Parnass, until such time that the congregation could
meet after the holydays, and make good the defects
of the annual meeting, which takes place according
to law, on the Sunday before the eve of Rosh
Hashanah.
Suspecting nothing wrong, and not dreaming that the
resolution originally offered by the late Zalegman
Phillips, Esq., was intended to keep the office
merely temporarily filled till a new candidate could
be brought forward in the course of twelve months,
Mr. Leeser performed the service as usual during the
festivals, and immediately thereafter went on a
visit to New York. He thinks that it was during his
absence of two weeks that a meeting was held, and he
was re-engaged for one year at one thousand dollars;
but the resolution adopted to this effect was never
communicated to him, and he merely acted, therefore,
under the invitation of the Parnass, as stated
above, though he would have refused accepting the
term of one year had an official communication been
made to him. Why it was not done he is unable to
say, as it would evidently have been indelicate in
him to make any inquiries on the subject. No one can
accuse him of wrong, if, in the simplicity of his
heart, he acted without reflecting on the
consequence necessarily resulting from his
compliance with the request of the Parnass; as he
deemed himself the choice of the congregation,
notwithstanding that, by a parliamentary blow, which
he was assured by one who helped to kill the
resolution as amended, was not understood by the
people, the resolution of election had been
negatived, when coming up for confirmation by the
meeting.
Mr. Leeser has no access to the minute-book of the
Kahal, and he writes merely from memory; but the
anonymous author of a scurrilous pamphlet, giving a
professed review of the difficulties of the
congregation with Mr. Leeser, can easily correct
this misstatement in these pages if any such should
occur; on one thing the reader may rely, that these
impressions were general at the time, and they are
unquestionably substantially correct.
Before the expiration of the ninth year of his
ministry, however, a new feature was witnessed for
the first time in the annals of the congregation, in
the presence of an opposition candidate in the
person of Mr. Jacques J. Lyons, now the reverend
Hazan of the Kahal Shearith Israel of New York. It
is not now intended to do more than give a rapid
sketch of passing events; wherefore all details must
be omitted.
Enough, that all that calumny and electioneering
from house to house <<428>>could effect was done to
insure Mr. Lyons’ success, whilst Mr. Leeser,
abiding true to his principle, that a clerical
office should not be sought but be bestowed on the
most deserving, remained perfectly quiescent,
notwithstanding which, and Mr. Lyons having six
family votes, Mr. Leeser was elected by 22 to 11 for
Mr. Lyons, and 3 blanks, the president not voting.
This was probably the largest meeting ever convened
in this body; and therefore gave a full expression
of the public sentiment. But as Mr. Lyons had
offered to serve for a lower salary than had been
allowed hitherto, advantage was taken to propose a
term of three years, and a salary of $800. When a
committee informed the Hazan of his re-election he
at once objected to the reduction, and accepted the
office merely provisionally, until such time that
the people might be summoned again together to
deliberate calmly on the difference of emolument,
the reduction not being excusable by any deficiency
in the treasury.
But this quiet settlement of the question was not
permitted to take place; but a by-law of the
congregation which, as far as is known to the
writer, had never been hitherto enforced, either in
his own case or that of others, was raked up from
its slumbers, to force him either to resign or to
accept the terms offered without the possibility of
a revision. This is the requirement of a contract
from the minister in which his duties are specified,
which he is to perform under a penalty.
The aim of the movement being perfectly evident, Mr.
Leeser refused to sign such a paper as was presented
to him. He declines now entering into a criticism of
the terms in which it is worded, as this would
require too much space; it is sufficient for a
general understanding of the question that he
regarded it, as it was, in the light of an act of
tyranny unworthy of the congregation and himself.
Being threatened that a meeting should be called
together to act on his recusancy, he was perfectly
willing that it should be done; as he had no
objection that Mr. Lyons should be elected in his
place, if the people desired him in preference.
Whilst, however, the matter was agitating the public
mind, the friends of the acting Hazan so wrought
upon his feelings, that he was induced to refer the
question for decision to his late venerable uncle,
Zalma Rehiné of Baltimore, who advised him to sign;
whereupon he yielded to the almost command of his
nearest relative, and the bond was signed. It was,
however, understood that efforts should be made to
restore his salary; his friends brought the
requisite motions forward, but they were severally
defeated through the parliamentary skill of Messrs.
Zalegman and Henry M. Phillips.
<<429>>
At the expiration of the term of three years Mr.
Leeser was re-elected for ten years at a salary of
$1250 per annum; and again the bond was forced
through after much contention, but only again in
obedience to the advice of Mr. Rehiné.
The influence which was brought to bear upon the
question was so evident to every one, that none
could doubt the impropriety of having such a law
upon the statute-book of the congregation; for
instead of the office of minister being one of
pleasant connexion between him and his flock, he is,
by signing a bond, degraded in his own estimation;
as he confesses that, were it not for this, he would
not perform the duties for which be is elected, and
would be, if he could, disobedient to the laws. In
consequence, therefore, when he thought that the
public mind was sufficiently calmed down, Mr. Leeser
wrote a letter to the congregation, calling their
attention to the propriety of repealing the by-law
which demands the enforcement of the bond. But a
committee appointed to take into consideration
various measures, reported on this branch that it
was inexpedient to repeal this questionable
provision of their statutes, and the congregation,
it is supposed, acquiesced in their judgment, as
nothing has been since heard of the subject.
The term of his service was, in the meanwhile,
drawing to a close; and as Mr. Leeser was perfectly
willing to stay in office provided it could be done
with honour, he prevailed upon a friend to offer a
by-law which should contain the duties incident to
the ministry, which would thus obviate any plea for
the necessity of a bond. The project is contained in
the
Occident, vol. vii., pp. 569-572, and we request
the attention of all candid men to decide whether,
had it passed, the congregation would not have had
full control over the minister, whilst he would have
been instructed at once, on his becoming a
candidate, of what was demanded of him, without
being informed, perhaps by an unfriendly board,
after his election of the duties he is to perform.
Of
course it is not for us to form any opinion why such
a reasonable proposition was not even taken into
consideration, and was rejected without debate or
inquiry. Enough, it was to us evident that the party
opposed to Mr. Leeser’s continuance in office had,
for the time, obtained the ascendency, or that, what
amounts to the same, those opposed to him had
obtained influence enough to make his stay in office
unpleasant. Believing this firmly, we wrote the
piece headed
Philadelphia in the October
Number of our seventh volume, in which we
foreshadowed that we might retire from office before
long, and only begged the public abroad not to blame
us for our opposition to an unjust law.
We
will not enter into a defence of our publication;
but we may <<430>>say that it was quite unexpected
that the Board of the congregation, on motion of J.
A. Phillips, Esq., should pass a vote of censure on
Mr. L. as editor of the Occident, in which capacity
he was not amenable to the Board by any law express
or implied. Mr. L. received the proceedings on the
23d of October last; but as he thought the Board had
transcended their power, he could not degrade
himself by either deprecating their wrath, or
offering any explanation or apology; as, if he had
done any wrong, he was amenable to his constituents,
those who had elected him no less than the Board.
Thus the matter stood till the spring meeting of the
congregation on the 24th of March, when Mr. J. A.
Phillips called up the resolutions of the Board, and
Mr. Henry M. Phillips (his brother) moved that the
congregation approve of them, which was done by a
vote (as we have learned from the scurrilous
pamphlet in question, and which evidently proceeds
from a member of the Board, and one who has a free
access to the minute-books of the Board and the
corporation) of 22 to 11; but it is curious to
observe that neither at the Board nor general
meeting was the Hazan or editor summoned to explain
himself, or to offer any defence, if be had such to
make.
Mr. L. was thus virtually disgraced in the eyes of
his constituents, as guilty of “misconduct deserving
the severest animadversion and reproof,” and a
letter of remonstrance which he sent to the Parnass
under date of April 11th, has to this day not been
officially laid before the general meeting, though
the congregation has been convened three times since
then. On referring to the Occident for May, an
advertisement will be found inviting candidates to
come forward for the office of Hazan, for an
election to be held on the 16th of June. It must be
observed, that when the series of resolutions, as we
presume they are, was offered for action, it was
stated by the Parnass, on authority, that Mr. Leeser
could not accept office under those terms, but that
in order to give the congregation time to elect a
proper successor he would be willing to stay six
months after the expiration of his time.
No
notice was taken of this statement; but the
resolutions were carried by a majority of votes, and
the vote of censure was confirmed as above. One
clause especially offensive was added, that the
them, in addition to the old bond, should sign “that
he would in all things be true to the Jewish laws.”
Is it possible that people would elect a minister
who has to be bound by rich a paltry promise? Is he
to be a Jew, only because he has given a bond to the
Kahal Mikve Israel of Philadelphia?
It is no use to enlarge; and surely, any one knowing
Mr. Leeser must have known beforehand that he could
never sign any contract with <<431>>such a clause,
and hence it was evident at the time that unless the
resolutions were repealed, his ministry would
terminate on Hoshaanah Rabbah 5611, the 27th of
September, 1850.
Another curious feature in the proceedings was, that
no one ever dreamt that Mr. L. could be induced to
accept the terms proffered, although they were
professedly intended for him; it was also certain
that no other person would be elected for the period
of ten years, although the resolutions declared
this to be the term agreed upon; nor that the
election would be held on the 16th of June, as then
announced. This anticipation has been confirmed by
the fact, as the election was postponed till the
meeting before Paysach 5611, that is, six months
after the termination of the time of the present
Hazan. It is said that if a vote had been taken,
there was a majority of persons present in favour of
Mr. Leeser, in consequence of which the office would
have been tendered him for acceptance, though he was
no candidate; as his friends could have voted for
him, there being no law which limits the vote to
candidates only. But the motion to postpone had some
advocates, for a private threat was held out,
“that if Mr. Leeser were elected it would lead to a
separation from the Kahal of several of those
opposed to him.”
We
make no comment, and leave the world at large to
think what they like of such a strange opposition.
On
the first of September, at length, after the annual
elections had been held, which resulted the same as
last year, Mr. Henry M. Phillips moved (so we learn)
a resolution that the Board be authorized to engage
a suitable person to act as Hazan during the
expected vacancy of the office. To this an amendment
was offered that Mr. Leeser be requested to act, at
a salary of 125 dollars per month, till next
meeting. To this Mr. H. M. Phillips offered an
amendment to substitute twenty-five dollars (twenty-five!)
for 125. Was this not a noble proposition, every way
worthy of the source whence it sprung! We think so
to a certainty; and we believe that it forms the
best defence why Mr. L. so strenuously objected to a
periodical election, and a bond drawn up by men who
can forget the dignity of the congregation, and
insult an absent person. Neither proposition was
carried, an adjournment having taken place, nothing
having been done.
We
deem the above simple account due to our character,
as it exhibits a brief statement of the cause for
our retirement from office, and will satisfy many
inquiries constantly made of us. We are ready to
publish any counter statement.
We
had written thus far on the 18th of September; but
having other <<432>>articles to insert, we let it
stand over; since then the congregation had another
meeting, when a resolution was adopted, as we learn,
to authorize the Board of Adjunta to engage a person
or persons to read the prayers during the
vacancy in the office of Hazan. Without referring to
the probable illegality of the proceeding, it sounds
strangely that so respectable a body should come to
a resolution to have two persons, at least, to read
the service. Comment is unnecessary.
Congregation Keneseth Israel Philadelphia.—We
learn that the Rev. Mr. Naumburg, lately from
Germany, has been elected minister of the new German
Synagogue. Report speaks favourably of him.
The Congregation Anshe Emeth In Albany, N. Y.—In
consequence of the ill and unjust treatment of the
Rev. Dr. Wise, by a party of the congregation
Beth-El, in Albany, fifty-six members of this
congregation, who were joined by twenty-one
Israelites who had not been members of a Synagogue
previous to this time, constituted a new
congregation, under the name of Anshe Emeth (men of
truth). This congregation is now actively employed
to build a Synagogue and a school-house, which will
be completed as soon as Shebuoth next. At a regular
meeting of this congregation (September 1) the
following officers were elected:—Mr. Joseph Sporberg,
Parnass; Mr. F. Schulz, Cashier; Mr. Maier Stern, A.
Westheimer, and T. Klugman, Trustees; D . T. Levy,
Shamesh. The Rev. Dr. Wise, who resigned his office
in the congregation Beth-El, was then unanimously
elected Rabbi of this congregation. The whole choir
went over to the new congregation, consequently the
divine service, held in a saloon furnished for that
purpose, is conducted in the same solemn manner as
formerly in the Synagogue Beth-El. The school of Dr.
continues to exist with nearly the same number of
pupils as before. All difficulties between the two
congregations were peaceably settled, and all
lawsuits dropped. Brotherly feelings will soon
return.
New Orleans.—“The high holydays are past. The
attendance at both Synagogues was large. Our
temporary place was full both on Rosh Hashanah and
Kippur, and order and decorum prevailed. Let us hope
that devotion, too, was not wanting. Our Synagogue
is now under roof, and the workmen are engaged in
constructing the ceiling. One hundred shares, at 850
each, proposed to be issued for the purpose of
raising the necessary funds, are all taken, so that
no pecuniary embarrassment need be feared.”—Extract
from a Letter. |
