Hawaii Holomua, Volume I, Number 22, 12 ʻOkakopa 1893 — THE JEWISH FAITH DEFENDED BY A CHRISTIAN. [ARTICLE]

THE JEWISH FAITH DEFENDED BY A CHRISTIAN.

ehioapo. St>ptember 24. L*»t night's session of tho Keligious Parliainent was devoled U» Jud*ism, Ral>bi Emil O. Hirsoh of this cīt>* presiding. His Gn». the Archbishop of Tante. presentevl tbe first paper, in the coun>e of whioh he said: “I am uot « Jew. I am a Christian. a profound believer of the trnth of the goepel. Iam bi>niui always todefend the truth. and for this reasou I prosent a paper here to-night. In the East the l>elief is cnrrent among the ignor;\nt massesof the popalaiion that the Jews nse fur the purjx»see of religious rites the hlooil of Christian children. an«l in order to procnre such bloo«l do not shrink fix>m committing mard«r “In conset|uence of t!»i» belief outbreaks against the Jews aro fre«]uent !ind inm»cent rictimsaro subjected to many indignities and expose«l to great danger. ln vie«- of the fact that soch erroneous i«leas are also current among the ignorant of other eountries, and that during the last «leeaile both Germany an«l Austria wore scenes of the trials of innocent Je>ni under tho accusation of having committed snch ritual murder, I,as a Christian mini?tcr, as this congress to reconl our eonviction thatJu«laism forbids mnnler of any kind aml none of its saored authoritios aiul books commnnd or permit raunler or the use of human blood for ritual praetices or religions ccremonies.

CALCX5T 0F THE JEWS. “Circalation of snch a slan<ler against tha ailherence of thc mohotheistic faith i» un-Christ-ian. The origin of the calumny must be traced to Koman conceit that earlv ChrLstian» usetl human hlooil in their religioua obs».'nrances. It is not consonant with Christian <luty to allow thi* horrible charge to go unrebuked, aml it is in the interest of Cbristianity’s good reputo that 1 ask thia parliament to declaro th«t J udaism and the Jew» are innocent of the impoted crime, as were the Christians of tbe first century. ,r Kabbi Joseph Silverman made a »pirited sbort a<hlre»s He pointed out some specific error» whieh eii*teil in tbe popolar mind c<»ncerning tbe Jew». He said tbey were accosed of exc!n»ivene>- and elioni'iinMH, whereaa they are mo»t greganoos and broadly «oeial. ihe only remrant of clann:sbne«vH being tbat whieh waa compelled by the conduct of tbo»e who either purposely or ignorantly persiste<l m thos miscnderstanding tbem. Rabbi 8iherman coac!uded bis paper a* fol!ows; the tutcrraio5 ooh>E3L\lo. • We deplore and condemn tbe crucifixioa of Je»u9 of Nazareth. He was without doabt one of nature s nooiemen, pore in seatiment and aeiion, a great le*d#r

aad reformer of mea. and a_s I sacb fel! a victiai to the fanaticLsm aad jealons power of Rome. He wss the execctioa of an innoo-n: aua." *’Weare worshiping the s»me God—the creator and preserrer of us aJJ. In the words of Malaehi, Have nnt all one father? Has not one God oreatcd os all' Why shall we deal unjustly one against tbe otber.’ May the trath prevaii and may love reign sapreme. May that brotherbood of man be sj>ee»hly reaiized in whieh there ahail be no distinctiou to the uationality or creeil.” Eabbi H. Berkewitz rf Phiiadelphia delivered a lengthv address on “The voice of the mother of religions on the $ociaI question.’ His speech was a spleudid plea for toleration in behalf of and for greater liberty for Jews in countries where thev are now oppressed, and showe<l up the sooial life of his people in the most onviable light. Spoaking of eilucation and libertv. he said.” BASIS 0F THE SOCIAL 8TBCCTCBE. ‘ Judaisiu sets educalion before all things else and knows but one word for ch«rity—zedakah, e. e, justice. She hus made home the basis of the sociat structnre, and has sought to aupph’ the want of home as a just »lne to every creature. guarding eaeh witb this motive from tbe cradle t«» tlie gra\v. “Grandly and majegli<w»Uy Moseic legislutat>*>'» swept aside all falla‘ v * ,j3 whieh had given i--ofs to the heart!ess degradation of man by his feilowmau. Slaverv stOo<i forever condemued wlien Israol went forth froiu tho bondage of Egypt. Labor then for the first time assei ted its froedom aud assnmed that dignity whieh, at last, the preseut era is vimiicating with such fervor aud power.

“Consider that tbe en - of woe whieh is riuging ia our years now wtts never beard in Judea. Note tliat ia all annals of Jewish history there are no recor.ls of revoits of slaves such as those whieh atHicte«l the wor!d’s greatest eoipire aml under Spartacus tbreatene«l national safetv. nor any uprisiug like those of the plebians of Konie, the demolition | of Athens or the revo!ts of Sparta; no will scenes like the Paris Comoiune; no prooessions of hungry men. women nnd children crving for bread, like those of Loudon. Chicago and Deuver. THE PAUIY DAYS OF JCDEA. *'Pa«i\;rism, that specter of our couutn-, never haanted ihe &ncient laud o£ Jndea. Traiap« were not known there. Because the worst evils whieh utHict the social bodv to-day were onkuown un«ler Jewish Iegisiatīon we may elaim that we have here a patteru of wbat was tbe raost successful social systera the world has ever kuown. Theref«ire does Jndasstn Iift op bervoiceand eall haek her spinta.il children. tbat in her bosom they ciiiv find eoinfort and rest.“ hen Mosic. beaveoty maid, was yoang, To lofty theiues aud air she elong; But now, that she is o!d and toogh. ”Ta-r»-r*' soajs seem good enoogh. —A'an«u Ciiy Joumal .