Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. THE FIRST MOVEMENT FOR A UNION OF THE JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF THE UNITED. STATES. The importance of the matter to be set forth in this chapter is so great that it has been thought advisable to treat it by itself, even though it interrupt the chronological continuity of the narrative. Ever since he had studied the conditions of Jewish life in the United States, Dr. Wise had been impressed by the fact that the great desideratum was a union of the congregations of the country. He recognized that if Judaism was to become a force, united action on the part of the organizations that represented the faith was a prime necessity. With characteristic energy, he proceeded to carry this idea into realization. In the fall of 1848 he conducted a correspondence with Isaac Leeser in reference to the subject. The orthodox leader entered heartily into the plan and advocated it in many an article in his magazine. It was agreed that Dr. Wise should issue a call for a meeting of ministers and laymen to form a union of the congregations of the country. This document, the first appeal for united action on the part of the Jews of the country, is historical, and is therefore reproduced here. It appeared in the December number of the Occidentof the year 1848, and was headed '' To the Ministers and Other Israelites." It is as follows : '' To my brother Israelites in North America, I call in the name of my God, IJCj? TJ?2 pTHTJI pm, ' Be firm, and let us strengthen each other in behalf of our people.' The Rev. Editor of this periodical has granted me the favor to give publicity to my views about the association of Israelitish congregations in North America, to produce one grand and sublime end—to defend and maintain our sacred faith, to the glory of God and for the benefit of Israel... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.