A week after this funeral ceremony, at which the representatives of all the recognized churches in Poland, with the exception of the Greek-Catholic (the Russian), had helped to sink religious prejudice—it was hoped forever—into the graves of these heroes, the customary memorial services were held in the churches and synagogues in Warsaw, and to a great extent throughout the country. It was again on a Sabbath. Unarmed citizens were appointed to keep the seething masses in front of the places of worship in order. Many a church was guarded by Jews, and the synagogues by Christians.
Only two of the hundreds of synagogues boasted preachers able to interpret in the vernacular the glad tidings of these memorial services. It was on this occasion that I undertook to speak in Polish for the first time. It was a rare triumph that we—not the two preachers, but the whole Jewry—celebrated on that day. While but a short time before the bursting forth of this national springtime, the favorite theme of Catholic and Protestant preachers had been the Jew, and teaching hatred of him as an easy way of winning popularity, (*) now, under the influence of the changed state of affairs, the praises
(*) An incident which sounds apocryphal, but the truth of which is vouched for, may not be out of place here. A young Catholic priest, too ignorant or perhaps too lazy to prepare his first sermon himself, relegated this task to a talented but frivolous Jew. The priest glanced through this product of Jewish eloquence for the first time in the vestry room of his church, just as the service was about
of the “Old Testament brethren” had to be proclaimed from these same pulpits; and this unwonted task was performed in the most awkward fashion in many cases. “It is true,” it was said, “the Jews were condemned to trials and persecution on account of the crucifixion of Jesus, but now they have suffered enough, the full measure of their punishment has been meted out to them.” And the people believed because they wanted to believe. How different the attitude of the Jewish preachers! They could look the new born era in the face unabashed. They could preach the common brotherhood of man without casting a reflection upon their past, without blushing for any other causes than that of joy at being able, at last, to interpret the teachings of Jewism to blinded and prejudiced hearers of another faith. My sermon consisted of extracts from former sermons (in German), which had treated of love, at a time when we were still surrounded by hatred. I dare not mention the names of the two brothers, for fear that in the present state of things in Poland, it may injure them, but I wish to express my gratitude to them from these distant shores, for their assistance in clothing my words in Polish dress, which, under the stress to begin. It was too late to discard it. He was compelled to present it to his waiting congregation. After the service was over, the young preacher rushed breathlessly to his friend, exclaiming, “What have you done, Walenburg? You have ruined me.”—“How so?”—“Why, the sermon which you prepared for me contained no Jews!”
(Continued.)