2005-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2005
JULIUS ECKMAN; RABBI AND SCHOLAR (1805-1877). Leaving the pulpit of Mobile, Alabama, in 1846 he led the Richmond congregation during which time he delivered the prayers in the Virginia House of Delegates on ten different occasions in 1850 and on three occasions opened the Virginia legislature with prayer. In 1851 he became rabbi of Beth Elohim in Charleston, S.C., a rather disastrous move on his part. An extreme conservative, Eckman became enmeshed in an internecine squabble that eventually split the congregation. His views were disappointing and he frequently indulged in violent denunciation. He lasted but one year, moving on, to soon take over the congregation in San Francisco. He was a man of high principles and constant devotion to scholarship. This letter was written during that one year of agitation; Charleston, August 20, 5611 (1851) to Isaac Leeser. His disordered, if not turbulent emotional state of mind seems clearly evident on merely viewing his changing handwriting in this lengthy four page letter. First two pages in a slightly bolder hand and in darker pen and fully signed by him on second page. The last two pages, as well as top margin on first page are also written by him (almost as an afterthought), but in tinier (almost minuscule) erratic handwriting, and varying from and thought-to-thought. Thanks Leeser for his advice: "…My letter to P. [Poznanski, his predecessor] is written in such a careless manner as even you must have some proofs. I have not a copy of it. [He disputes a few words of that letter that were quoted to him evidently saying he did not think he said that]…the letter was written under the impression that the congregation are considered as no more being Jews for their synagogue [lashing out at the Reform movement and using some Hebrew words]…in my haste I [ ? ] myself as champion when I ought to have heard first. It serves me right. [He describes to whom and where he may protest and some actions he took which obviously infuriated some of the congregation]…Let the volcano first destroy itself. Strange that there are men who can condone that of opposed views…to his creed I never gave consent. I knew nothing of his charges…as little as anybody else. [Defending himself against Poznanski and various attacks, he asked] What induces you to advise me to go to England. I am justified and qualified to take any Orthodox congregation. This Reform Synag. is as Orthodox as any other. Reform has nothing to do with Orthodoxy. [He once again mentions Poznanski as well as Isaac Wise who he believes that on the grounds given 'even Wise would be elected']." Concluding those first 2 pages, he continues with a discussion on historic background for Orthodoxy, mentioning famous earlier European scholars and defending his actions taken with the Charleston congregation. "When you wrote so harshly against me… I could have easily come out and shown you that nothing that has been done in the synagogue is against our religion or against any din [sic] but I would have been obliged to show it to the world that I could do no better then search how [Hebrew word] might be produced…the great wickedness is not the reform synagogue [he then numerically itemizes each of the problems that have plagued him and other cause of friction amongst the congregation, including the rabbi's '…plan to subvert everything' as well as the unparalleled hypocrisy" and many other charges.] He laments: "what P. and his men wanted at all in a Jewish synagogue I do not know. But my heart intended no harm. Mayer Lazarus several times assured me that they intended nothing but to introduce order and decorum into the service to render it more attractive. …Should I survive to reform the congregation I shall not complain at all about the synagogue and I am by no means to be blamed to fill up the place…" Bottom half of last page is three paragraphs of Hebrew; also a number of Hebrew words interspersed throughout. Normal aging. Exc. +. Accompanied with photostats of bio sketches of Eckman plus pages from a work mentioning his problem with Charleston congregation as well as his opening the Virginia legislature with prayer. A most significant piece of Judaica by a respected Jewish leader.
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