Orthodox Rabbis Reiterate Demand for Wise’s Resignation in Second, Milder Resolution

The demand that Dr. Stephen S. Wise resign from the chairmanship of the $5,000,000 United Palestine Funds Appeal and the threat that in case his resignation is not accepted Orthodox Jews will find themselves compelled to carry on the work for the Keren Hayesod, National Fund, Hadassah and Mizrachi outside of the United Palestine Funds Appeal, was made in a resolution adopted at a conference of rabbis, preachers (Rabanim U’matifim) and Mizrachi workers held Wednesday afternoon at the Broadway Central Hotel.

The meeting, which was called by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis, the first body to take steps against Dr. Stephen S. Wise following his sermon, and the Mizrachi Zionist group, lasted almost seven hours. The proceedings were conducted in a very tense atmosphere which at times recalled moments of Jewish martyrdom and at times, scenes of the dramatic events in Jewish history of the excommunication of Baruch Spinoza and Uriel Acosta. Nearly 200 rabbis, preachers and Mizrachi workers were present.

The meeting, which was termed a special conference, met for the purpose of considering the controversy over Dr. Wise’s sermon, although the two organizations which called the conference had already taken action on the matter separately. When the conference was called to order by Rabbi Eleazar Silver of Springfield, Pa., a member of the praesidium of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis, it was not clear whether the decision of the special conference would substitute the previous resolution of the Agudath Ha’rabanim or would merely complement it.

TERM “HERETIC AND BEGUILER” OMITTED

The fact that the resolution adopted by the special conference omitted the reference to Dr. Wise as a “Mcissitli U’madiach” (heretic and beguiler) as well as the previous declaration that it would be an “Issur Gamur” (religious transgression) to support the Palestine Appeal as long as Dr. Wise remains chairman, could be interpreted as a retraction of the previous stand of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis. However, no resolution to this effect was proposed to the conference.

The authority of Maimonides, the twelfth century Jewish scholar, author of the “Yadd Ha’chazakah,” a codification of Jewish Biblical and Talmudical law, was invoked by Rabbi Simon Bloch of Jersey City, N. J., a member of the Executive of the Union and one of the committee of three rabbis who proposed the resolution condemning Dr. Wise, to explain the action of the Orthodox rabbis in passing judgment on Dr. Wise without investigation.

Rabbi Bloch referred to Maimonides’ “Yadd Ha’chazakah,” Hilshoth Mamrib, Chapter 3, paragraphs 2 and 3, declaring that in cases of heresy, when the persons involved are well known and purport to be the founders of new sects, witnesses and investigation are not required, in view of the fact that in such cases the judgment is rendered by the people.

Paragraph 2:

“After it became known that he is an heretic to the oral law, he is in the same status as all heretics, those who deny the divine authority of the Bible, the denouncers and converts who are not within the community of Israel. In such cases no witnesses, warning or judges are necessary.”

Paragraph 3:

“All this applies to a man who has denied in his thought and in matters which appear to him, in the oral law, and he followed his lightmindedness and the desires of his heart, denying the oral law first, as was done by Zadok and Baituth and those who followed them.”

(Editor’s note–The last sentence in paragraph 2, quoted by Rabbi Bloch, is omitted in some editions, such as the Vilna edition of 1900, printed under the Russian Czaristic censorship.)

After a short debate concerning the procedure of the meeting, it was agreed that the debate be limited to a number of speakers in view of the delicacy of the subject.

RABBI BERLIN SPEAKS AGAINST WISE

Rabbi Meyer Berlin, president of the American branch of the Mizrachi, the Orthodox faction in the Zionist Organization, was the first speaker.

“I am speaking not only for myself, but as president of the Mizrachi,” Rabbi Berlin declared. “I want to correct impressions which seem to prevail in certain circles. Never in the existence of the Mizrachi movement has there been more complete harmony between the Mizrachi and the Zionist Organization. I wish to emphasize this in order to prevent any misinterpretation of the attitude which the Mizrachi has adopted in the controversy over Dr. Wise’s sermon.

“For the past two weeks Jesus has been a daily topic in all Jewish families. This fact alone tends to undermine the principles of our faith. Anyone who speaks in a soft, beguiling tone with regard to Christianity and its founder, harms the Jewish faith and the Jewish people. It is not important what the intention was. If one sets fire to a scrap of paper and the fire destroys a city, the destruction has been accomplished.

“Palestine must be built now. The work for Palestine must not suffer. The Jewish National Fund and the Keren Hayesod must have our full support. But this will be impossible if Dr. Wise remains at the head of the United Palestine Funds Appeal. The entire work will then be destroyed. The campaign cannot be headed by the one who has set fire to the House of Israel in America,” Rabbi Berlin declared.

INSISTS WISE MUST RESIGN

“It must be made clear that the man who introduces Christianity into the Jewish world is not the Jewish leader. You cannot work for the campaign and be against your leader.

“I am the president of the Mizrachi. I have worked for this movement for years and years. I am bound to this movement with every fibre of my being. Still, if the inevitable consequence of my attitude were that the Mizrachi would be destroyed, I would rather sit shivvah for the Mizrachi than see Judaism perish.

“The man who has made Christianity an issue in Jewish life must be removed from Jewish leadership. The resignation of Dr. Wise must be accepted as soon as possible,” he declared.

Rabbi Berlin who was often interrupted by enthusiastic ovations, was followed by Rabbi Simon Bloch, a patriarchal figure on the platform.

“If a man has a partner and he is very happy in the partnership and the business flourishes, but one day he discovers that his partner attempted to poison his wife or his children, the man will disrupt the partnership, although he is satisfied with the progress of the business. This is analagous to the situation in the Palestine Campaign. Dr. Wise may be a splendid chairman for the Campaign, but because he has attempted to poison the minds of our children, he must go,” Dr. Bloch declared.

“Many have asked, why we condemn Dr. Wise without hearing him or calling witnesses. They have questioned whether we are acting in accordance with Jewish law. Dr. Wise claims as his authority Dr. Joseph Klausner. I take the great teacher, Maimonides, as our authority.”

Joseph Barondess, who earned a reputation as peacemaker since the Philadelphia conference, came with the same mission to the conference of rabbis and preachers on behalf of a committee elected at a special conference called for the purpose of bringing about a reconciliation. He submitted the resolution adopted by this conference, urging reconciliation.

“I do not question your authority as rabbis and leaders of the Jewish people. It is not for me to give you counsel. Everybody agrees that the address of Dr. Stephen S. Wise was ill advised; everybody agrees that he has sinned. All are unanimous in expressing protest against such utterances. No one protests against your right to condemn such utterances. You have done your duty by demanding his resignation. If you had been silent you would have failed in your duty. I do not appeal to you to deviate one hair’s breadth from your attitude. However,” he appealed dramatically, “would you not give a sinning Jew the chance to repent?”

ASSERTS WISE LEADS TO CHRISTIANITY

Gedaliah Bublick, editor of the “Jewish Daily News,” declared: “Not only the rabbis, but also laymen are interested in this subject. I speak to you as a layman and father of American born children. America is a religious country. Daily life in America is permeated with religion. If our children will not retain their Jewish religion, it does not mean that they will become free thinkers. The vaccum will be filled with Christianity.

“Dr. Wise, with his sermon, has torn down the barrier between the Christian Church and our children. A fact related to me, to the truth of which I can testify, will prove my contention. A Jewish school teacher in Astoria, L. I., asked the superintendent not to have Christmas songs in a class where 30 per cent of the pupils are Jewish. The superintendent was about to grant the request of the Jewish teacher. On Monday, however, when the address of Dr. Wise was reported in the metropolitan press, the school teacher was reproached by the superintendent. ‘What do you want? Here is what your rabbi says about Christmas.’

“If you want to judge the reaction to Dr. Wise’s address, we must rely upon those who are well qualified to judge. They are the leaders of the Christian Church. They ought to know. They are the leaders of a religion which has been doing missionary work for the last two thousand years.” Mr. Bublick read two clippings from Boston papers, one in which Dr. S. Parkes Cadman was reported to have praised Rabbi Wise for his sermon, declaring that he was doing “excellent pioneer work” and the other relating that a Christian clergyman declared that the flower is an indication of the coming summer.

“When Dr. Wise declares the founder of Christianity to have been a radient Jewish teacher and Jewish children listen to what the rabbi says and come to their parents and say, ‘Here is a great rabbi who says that the founder of Christianity was a great Jew,’ what in your judgment will be the future of these children?

“We must declare we are against Baptism. Baptism must be banished from the ranks of Zionism. I feel like the Jews in Spain when they were asked to bow before the Christian church. One must not enfold the banner of Zion in the banner of the Christian church.

“Several years ago when Dr. Wise proved himself a heretic to the policy of Dr. Weizmann, he was thrown out of the Zionist Organization. Now that he has proven himself a heretic to the very principles of Judaism, they want to keep him. We cannot yield. We are bound by our oath at Mount Sinai. If Dr. Wise can yield, let him resign from his chairmanship. We Orthodox Jews are fighting for the souls of our children. I for one am ready to fight for these principles with the last drop of my blood,” he exclaimed.

Many rabbis rose when Dr. Wises’s name was mentioned and shouted, “Yimach Shemo V’zichro.”

Rabbi Jacob Levinson introduced the following resolution:

RESOLUTION REITERATES DEMAND FOR RESIGNATION

“Whereas addresses of Dr. Stephen S. Wise which find a particularly wide echo due to the fact of his chairmanship of the United Palestine Appeal Fund, concerning the teachings of the founder of Christianity undermine the very basis of Judaism and endanger the entire future of Judaism in America, and lead the younger generation on a way which leads to conversion and intermarriage and

“Whereas the address of Dr. Stephen S. Wise delivered recently at the Free Synagogue is being considered by the Christian World in America, both the clergymen and the literary leaders, as a step nearer for Judaism towards Christianity, so that he was even thanked by representatives of Christendom, and

“Whereas missionaries who are eager to convert Jews will no doubt take advantage of this address and probably already are for their purposes using Dr. Wise’s addresses as an acknowledged leader of Jews, and

“Whereas, in addition to the great moral danger to Judaism there is also danger that the reconstruction of Palestine will suffer due to the fact of Dr. Wise’s remaining as chairman of the United Palestine Appeal Fund, because the great orthodox masses who are the main contributors to Palestine work will not contribute to the appeal despite its importance and necessity.

“Therefore be it resolved, by the conference of rabbis and preachers assembled at Broadway Central Hotel on December 30 that

1. We urge with all our strength that the United Palestine Appeal Fund Committee accept the resignation of Dr. Wise immediately.

2. Be it further resolved that in the event that Dr. Wise remains president of the United Palestine Appeal Fund, it shall under no circumstances have our support, but the work for Palestine which is important and dear to all of us shall be further continued for the rehabilitation of Palestine, for the Keren Hayesod, for the National Fund, the Mizrachi and for Hadassah outside of the United Palestine Appeal Fund.”

Mr. E. Caplan and Mr. Jacob Fishman, managing editor of the “Jewish Morning Journal,” agreeing to the resolution asked for an amendment to the effect that the threat of separate work be eliminated. Mr. Fishman, who admitted that the resignation of Dr. Stephen S. Wise must be accepted, wept when he spoke. He declared that he had worked with Dr. Wise in the ranks of the Zionist Organization for nearly a quarter of a century. He asked what was the purpose of the present gathering. “If to render judgment, the Executive Committee of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis has already done so. I thought that the purpose of this gathering would be to find a way toward reconciliation.” Agreeing that the demand for Dr. Wise’s resignation is justified, he declared that the first resolution in which Dr. Wise was branded as a “Meissith U’madiach” and the threat to declare it a religious transgression to contribute to the Palestine Funds Appeal went too far. The organized Zionists throughout the country cannot agree with such a resolution, even if they should think that Dr. Wise’s resignation should be accepted, he said. Dr. Wise has supported Jewish causes for a quarter of a century. He was one of the founders of the Zionist Federation in America. “The Zionists will never accept a verdict in which Dr. Wise is branded as a beguiler. Such a resolution can bring about a split in American Jewry.”

Mr. Fishman expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the new resolution is much milder and expressed the hope that the first resolution would be withdrawn.

Rabbi B. L. Levinthal addressed the meeting after the resolution was adopted.

The members of the Executive Committee of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis are Rabbis I. Rosenberg, chairman; L. Silver, B. Revell, Joseph Konwetz, I. Segal, L. Seltzer, secretary; Simon Bloch, treasurer; J. Karlinsky, N. J. Margolis, honorary chairman; and B. L. Levinthal, honorary chairman. The Union has a membership of 268, according to an official report for 1925.

The Assembly of Hebrew Orthodox Rabbis, another organization of Orthodox Rabbis which has not taken any official steps in the Wise controversy, has a membershop of 189. Rabbi Gabriel Zev Margolis is president of this organization. The “Jewish Daily Bulletin” erroneously reported an announcement made by Rabbi Margolis in the “Jewish Morning Journal” as pertaining to the Zionist controversy.

The laying of the cornerstone of the Rodoph Sholom Temple, Tampa, Fla., took place in the presence of several hundred members of the congregation.

Mayor Perry G. Wall delivered an address.

Masonic ceremonies were conducted by the grand lodge of Florida, presided over by W. T. Williams, deputy district grand master.

The charter of the congregation together with other documents pertaining to the temple, and outline of the purposes and aims of the members and copies of Tampa newspapers were placed under the stone.

David Stein is president of the congregation.

The temple, which will be erected at a cost of $100,000 will be completed in three months.

Professor Edwin Kammerer of Princeton University called the “money doctor” arrived in Warsaw yesterday on the invitation of the Polish Government to conter on various banking, currency and financial matters.