THE JEWISH CONGREGATION.

Evening Star, Issue 3680, 8 December 1874, Page 3

THE JEWISH CONGREGATION.

qo t/pe Editor. £ir,— Mr IsaaC’sTet'er in your issue of the 4th, 1 as to my conduct as Rabbi, is incorrect in nearly every particular, and 1 am therefore sorry that, for the sake of truth, it is necessary I should reply to it. I unwilling that any notice should have been taken of my intention to leave Dunedin, or the reasons which have rendered this absolutely necessary, but I may shortly allude to them now, with your permission. When I was employed by the congregation seven years ago to come here from Melbourne, I was informed that my salary as Rabbi, and emoluments from other sources, should not be less than L3OO a-year. and that a suitable bouse should be erected or provided for me. Instead of this, up to the end of the third year my whole income did not exceed! L 150,' from which I had to fay rent 1/2. Had it not been that we occa&i pally aocomipodated p few boarders, And'that my d’aug b rs worked almost day and night at n«2 llework, our position would have been lor able. This was well known to every mem tier of our community, who however turned a deaf ear to my repeated entreaties to provide me with the means of supporting my family and the position I had undertaken. During the fourth year an addition of L 25, making L 175, was made by the congregation, which, up to that time, had expressed full satisfaction with my whole services and conduct. During the fifth year I received a salary of L2OO ; and in September 1873, it was further resolved to increase my salary to L2OO, and to erect a suitable residence for myself and family. Mr Ross was employed for this purpose, but to this day I am kept in ignorance of the reasons why their engagement in this respect has never been fulfilled. I leave to your readers to judge whether I have been fairly or even honestly dealt with, or whether it ja likely I would have broken up my establishment jn Melbourne, and given up my prospects there fqr suqh a result as this. Unfortunately, having fpith in the men who dea ! t with rnc, 1 made no written engagement with them, and thus they have, iu the cruelesb manner, taken advantage of. The sole reason why the president and committee have made up their minds to force me out is, I do believe, because I objected to allow one of their number to act in the face of the congregation as an assistant to me in my religious duties, and for this I had no alternative, consideringthatnoman should undertake any public ministerial duty unless a consistent and worthy member of it. 1 had, and have no desire t« T say’aj word against any member of my late congregation, pr of the Jewish (community here, Ifiave

never done so, and can only hope that the spontaneous and most liberal manner in which my Christian friends in Dunedin several of whom have known mo for nearlv twenty years, are bestirring themselves to relieve me from my embarrassments, and enable myself and family to proceed to Melbourne. will be a sufficient answer to any statement or inuendo they may put forth as to my character and conduct. To these gentlemen, and to those who have so kindly interested themselves in my welfare, I tender my heartfelt thanks, and can only say that I have never to them, or to anyone else, made any with the present letter.

It is not true that the congregation discharged me. My resignation was sent in by myself, and accepted by the committee. I am perfectly prepared, and what is more determined, to adopt proceedings against any man, be he Jew or hristian, who shall attempt for the vilest purpose to slander me, or to throw out any insinuations ns to myself or my character. The testimonials I hold for my past life will be quite sufficient for that,—l am, &c., Jacob Lew. Dunedin, December 7.