The Jewish advance., October 14, 1881, Image 1

About The Jewish advance. (Chicago, Ill.) 1878-1881

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
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Entered »t the P. 0. at Chicago, as second-class matter.
Execute the Judgment of Truth and Peace within your (lutes.
A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO SOCIAL INTERESTS AND PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM.
VOL. VII.
CHICAGO, OCTOBER 14, 1881.
No. 175.
« Suspension.
On account of momentary financial
embarrassment we are compelled to sus
pend the publication of the Jewish
Advance for a term of three months.
If but the third part of the moneys due
to us from subscribers were collected,
we would be free from this embarrass
ment. With a heart almost bleeding
we have resolved upon suspending pub
lication. It was not for our personal in
terests that we grieved, for in whatever
employment we will work as assiduously
as we have worked on the Jewish Ad
vance we will do much better materially
than we did by the journal. But we are
grieved that the suspension of the Jew
ish Advance may reflect discredit
ably on the taste and spiritual aspira
tions of our brethren; it will be said
that a journal which publishes no “per
sonal items” about balls, parties, dresses
and songs enjoyed by the Jewish youth;
a journal which honestly and fearlessly
states rational truths and opposes error
without .bias; a journal which has no
personal considerations in matters of
principles — such a journal, it will be
said, can not exist among Jews; they
will not support it.
Since June 14th 1878, when the first
issue of the Jewish Advance ap
peared, up to the present time we ho
nestly and devotedly pursued our labors.
We shunned no work and no personal
discomfiture for the sake of that work.
It would be a mistake if one were to
imagine that we ever expected to earn
financially by the Jewish Advance
more than we needed for a bare liveli
hood; it would be erroneous to believe that
we expected honor or favorable renown
among the masses. We knew very well
that the work of radicalism in religion
can give neither the one, nor the other
among our brethren. But we knew just
as well, that such work is needed if
Judaism is to be preserved, and to gain
the recognition in the world to which
it is entitled. It is therefore that we
would fain give our life to this work. We
knew, moreover, that capital and labor
would be required for such work, and be
lieved that the means we had at our com
mand would suffice for the purpose. But
at the time we began to see some
success in our work, the tendencies of
the journal beginning to be appreciated
by the cultured classes of our brethren,
we learned the sad truth that our calcu
lations had fallen short of the time and
means required to penetrate the masses.
The causes by which we were driven
into our present difficulties are obvious
and we will not tire our readers with an
elaborate account thereof. We will on
ly state that the deliquency of our sub
scribers although it is directly the cause
of our suspending publication, is in it
self the effect of other causes. It is,
for instance, contrary to the material
interests ol1 ou ra'jbis that a Jewish
Journal should ex st whieh will not
yield to their influence, which is able to
meet them on their wn grounds in a
conflict of opinions which would not
make “stars” of such men as are any
thing but shim ■’i the pulpit.
Some of our hi s ause to be
afraid of hone t a ■ ; and boldly
expressed truths, ot rers again are faint
hearted and stand h friendly relation to
their unworthy colleagues. The former
therefore, must undermine the interests
of every independent publication; the
latter must deny it their countenance
and support. Our ngregations, too,
inasmuch as they ate composed of men
who live on and by old impressions in
matters of religion and who have no
time to think for themselves, must na
turally rely on the thinking and actions
of the rabbis, right »• wrong. Thus it
comes to pass that vhatever is contrary
to the interests o. rabbinism (which
is in every respee; synonymous with
priestcraft) is mali/^ed and held low.
And the conscience f the fraternity of
the cloth is p . an:, u d ii cans can easily
be found to impose (n the people.
The constantly itcreasing circulation
of the Jewish Advance has been
watched with auxhty by the rabbis;
the confiding nature
ness” of the editor
tage of; the willing
those who are slow
knd impractical
taken advan-'
umuence of
ite any j
truly ideal pursuit, were prejudiced;
the ready tools of scheming individuals
were -set to work in the press, in the
pulpit and in meaner ways to prejudice
the minds of the people against the
Jewish Advance — delinquency of
subscribers in paying their bills was the
immediate cause, the suspension of pub
lication ensued.
There is perhaps a tone in the last sen
tences which we should not have given to
them. But who will judge us harshly
at this moment and in the position we
are now! For nearly four years we have
toiled hard, literally by day and by
night, our eye-sight became impairedi
our health almost ruined. We have
worked to gain the ear of our brethren
for the cause of “Truth and Justice.”
And after we had gained an audience
(our subscription list can compare favor
ably with that of any Jewish Publication
in this country) we see our work turned
.almost into nought, by dishonest schem
ing. This makes the heart bleed and
bitter expressions escape the pen.
The columns of the Jewish Advance
were always open to fair and honest
reason; the editor never crowded out ar
ticles which contained even severe cen
sure on him, if there was only some
reason and common-sense in them.
We only rejected reports of hops and
dances and surprise parties, and brith'
milalis; we were never interested to
hear about Miss X’s dress, Master
Y’s songs and Mr. Z’s dances. We
thought it was below the dignity of a
serious publication to fill its columns
with such matter. We crowded out
course jokes, tasteless witticism, and
obscene advertisements, because we
would not send into the houses i ur
subscribers that which might be un
wholesome for their children to read.
Peruse the columns of other Jewish
publications in this country and see
whether their publishers can eonscivi
ciously say the same.
In the consciousness that we have
done our duty as best we could we find
some consolation.
In the hope that we will soon be abb;
to take up our work of love again, we
lay down our pen for the present.
Now a few words on business:
The few subscribers who have paid
for some time in advance, will have
the equivalent of their money sent
them as soon as we again resume pub
licatlon.
We will send bills to our subscri
bers who are in arears and urgently re
quest them to remit what they owe us.
All receipts will be signed by the edi
tor; no person is authorized to sign a
bill for us.
All communications concerning the
Jewish Advance should be addressed :
No. 1500 Wabash A venue,
Chicago, 111.
HENRY OERSONI.