Jews and (US) Slavery

If you're anything like me (and this has little, if anything, to do with personal politics), you will probably have assumed that most US Jews, like their European counterparts, are largely liberal, whatever political party they vote for. Given that all survey findings show that the higher the level of formal education, the greater the degree of "liberalness", this is a no brainer.

However, are you in for a surprise. According to The Tablet, the Rabbi of what is now one of the most (socially and politically) liberal congregations in both New York ad the US was, back in the 1850s and 60s, a strident proponent of slavery.

The Congregation ("shul", for the European Ashkenazim among us) is B'nai Jeshurun, on 88th Street (of course, those of us who regularly visit NY would wish to know whether that's 88th St East or West, but you can't have everything, even from know-it-all New Yorkers), and the Rabbi in question is Morris Raphall. In early 1861 (after Lincoln was elected, but before he took office), Raphall justified slavery with reference to biblical statements concerning slavery and Talmudic disquisitions on the subject. He also opined on the probable mental abilities of African Americans, when compared with White Americans, and not to the advantage of the former. After the Civil War broke out, he condemned the Southern break-away. Too little, too late, I'd say, for the liberal reputation of 19th Century New York Jews.

All, of course, a million miles away from what the current congregation would be likely to say or do.