“More Affidavits by Jews.” New York Times, May 5, 1893, p. 9.

MORE AFFIDAVITS BY JEWS

MR. BENJAMIN OFFERS TWO NEW ONES FROM “CONVERTS.”

Isaac Hertzfeld and David Josephthal Depose that They were Christians for Revenue Only — They Now Renounce Christianity — The Latter, However, Says He Got a Suit of Clothes Before Doing So — Mr. Benjamin Makes a Proposition — Miss Atwater's Work Among Jews.

The proselyting of Jews by the Christian denominations in this city continues to be a live subject of discussion in religious circles, particularly because of the allegation that the converts from Judaism are influenced by the Christian missionaries by the promise that their material needs shall be supplied if they renounce their ancient faith.

THE NEW-YORK TIMES has given full attention to those who have spoken on both sides of the question. Ministers and laymen have crossed swords. A. Benjamin, an agent of the United Hebrew Charities, has been one of the most aggressive among those who have accused the Christian missionaries among the Jews working on a mercenary basis. He has secured and given out for publication affidavits from Jews supposed to have been converted to Christianity, in which they have declared that their professions were made entirely for what they could get out of the missionaries.

He now offers two new affidavits to support his assertions. One of these is from Isaac Hertzfeld, thirty-three years old, who says that after considerable travel as a sailor he came to this city in 1884. He settled here with a view to “work less and earn much.”

“Accordingly,” he says, “in May, 1890 [date hard to read—JMH ed.], I went to Mr. Warsarviak. [Mr. Warsarviak is the head of the Home for Persecuted and Inquiring Christian Jews, at 65 Avenue D, and leads in the mission work done among the Jews at the De Witt Memorial Church on Rivington Street.] He received me with open arms and promised to provide me with everything if I would submit to baptism.

“After being two months at his home, 65 Avenue D, and three months at the A. B. Simpson College, [an institution where converted Jews are trained for missionary work,] I was baptized Oct. 24, 1892, at the Tabernacle, Eighth Avenue and Forty-fourth Street.

“But, with all my previous rough and irreligious associations, I could not bear the hypocrisy practiced by my religious teachers. I was taught to say that through the influence of Warsarviak I had been made to feel that I was inspired by Christ himself to preach the gospel to the lost Jews.

“I now renounce Christianity publicly. It is true that I never believed in Christianity, even when I delivered the most stirring testimonies, but I renounce it as publicly as I received it. Should my word be taken by the Christians under oath, I declare that none of the converts made by Warsarviak or Freshman ever believed or ever can believe in the Christian dogma. Should it be possible for any pious Christian to hear the fun and ridicule indulged in by Warsarviak's and Freshman's converts while assembled at the cafes playing cards, the Christians would certainly become more economic in lavishing their good money upon bad converts.”

This affidavit was made on May 2, as was another by David Josephthal, who lived with Hertzfeld at 93 Sheriff [?—JMH ed.] Street. Josephthal is twenty-four years old, and he says in part:

“I arrived here eight months ago and went to Missionary Warsarviak, who promised me a comfortable home and remuneration if I only became converted to Christianity. Being at the verge of starvation, I promised to comply with his wishes.

“He took me to his home, 65 Avenue D. I made myself useful during the daytime carrying up coals, making the fires, and distributing Hebrew New Testaments.

“In the meantime I became familiarized with the huge inconsistency practiced by my teachers of morality. I have seen Miss Atwater pay 25 cents to each of the Jewish girls every Saturday for singing in the De Witt Memorial Church at Warsarviak's services. Only last Saturday, when Miss Atwater informed the singing children that 10 cents of the 25 cents would have to go toward the missionary work, the girls struck and went out on the street, crying for being cheated out of their well-earned money.

“Besides, I was burning with indignation when hearing the opinions of many converts expressed about Warsarviak's hypocrisy, how he pretended not to see his wife laugh while she was pretending to pray, and how her permitted his wife to carry on a strict orthodox Jewish kitchen, and also Sabbath candles every Friday evening, and at the same time bragged before his rich Christian friends of his wife's Christian piety.

“Finally I concluded to leave the whole conversion business, but knowing the prevailing custom that every convert prior to baptism receives a suit of clothes, I told Warsarviak of my readiness to submit to baptism on last Sunday. Accordingly, a suit was furnished me, but then I told Warsarviak of my real intention not to permit my Jewish soul to be polluted.

“A scene followed, but when he realized that I was resolute he showed me the door. Then I demanded pay for my seventeen weeks' service, and told him of many unchristian deeds which he did toward his pretended converts. He gave me $2. I now intend to sue him for money due me.”

With these two affidavits, Mr. Benjamin sends in a photographic group of the “singing girls,” who, according to the affidavit of Josephthal, get from Miss Atwater 25 cents a week. They are bright-looking little girls, and all wear dresses alike, blue gowns with white sleeves. In the photographic group with them are Miss Atwater, Warsarviak, and Simon Goodheart. The latter is a young Jew who was educated for a rabbi, but who embraced Christianity. He is is independent, so far as worldly needs are concerned, and is studying for the Christian ministry, but he gives all his spare time to the work of Christianizing the Jews as a laborer under Mr. Warsarviak.

Mr. Benjamin adds to the affidavits and the photograph which he sends to THE NEW-YORK TIMES a few comments of his own. He says that his antagonists are themselves substantiating his accusations, and points out where, to his mind, the Christian missionaries among the Jews have contradicted themselves. Then he says:

“Since I pay nothing toward the conversion of Jews, I leave it to those honest but foolish Christians who do pay their good money for bad Christians, (a phrase, it will be noted, which occurs in the affidavit of Hertzfeld,) to tell who of the Jewish missionaries tell the biggest fibs.

“As I expect soon to revolutionize the entire missionary scheme by living facts of an extraordinary nature, I will wind up with a plain proposition to the Jewish missionaries and their Christian backers.

“I am willing to embrace Christianity publicly and become a worker in the Lord's vineyard (gratis) if Warsarviak, Fleshman [sic—JMH ed.], or Rabbi Faust will answer me a single question in the New Testament correctly, and for each additional correct answer I will produce one scholarly Russian Jew to embrace Christianity publicly.”

At the home, 65 Avenue D., Miss Atwater was seen yesterday by a reporter of THE TIMES. She was just dismissing a class of little girls to whom she had been giving a lesson in sewing. Although young, she is an exceedingly motherly-looking woman, and every one of the little Jewish girls insisted on a caress from her.

From Simon Goodheart it was learned that Miss Atwater is the daughter of a wealthy retired business man, who lives near Springfield, Mass., during the Summer, and in this city during the Winter. She devotes her entire time, however, to the work of Christianizing Jewish women and girls, and makes her headquarters at the Avenue D home.

“So Mr. Benjamin says, through David Josephthal's affidavit, that I am drawing the little Jewish girls to the mission here and to the De Witt memorial services by paying them 25 cents a Saturday, does he?” Miss Atwater said with a smile. “Well, I cam not bothering much about Mr. Benjamin. I hear he is very fanatical. I do not believe, though, that he is foolish enough to believe that I can make Christians out of these little Jewish girls, most of them under ten years old, by paying them to profess Christianity.

“In fact, I am not so much concerned about whether my little girls are Christians or Jews. They do not profess to be either. All I want them to be is good little girls, and I try to help them to be so by teaching them those things which will make them useful women, and to bring them up with a love for what is good and a respect for the Church by showing them that the Church is their friend. If I do that, they will be Christians surely when their judgments shall have matured and they feel called upon to profess a religion.

“This statement that I win the affections of my little girls by giving them 25 cents a week is absurd. The girls in the picture Mr. Benjamin has sent you are the best singers among those whom I have been able to interest in the mission work, and I myself bought them the little gowns they wear when they sing at the services in the De Witt Memorial Church.

“Every few weeks, perhaps once in six weeks, I give all my little girls a few pennies or maybe even 25 cents. In other Sunday schools they give entertainments to the children, but we think it better not to do that. So I distribute a few dollars of my own every now and then among the girls that they may buy candy and other things that little girls love. Mr. Warsarviak does not give his classes of little boys anything at all, for they boys are, as a rule, older than the little girls, and usually earn a little money for themselves.

“The idea of making the fact that I give my little girls a few pennies the basis of a charge that we are proselyting the Jewish children by mercenary means! Why, you will not find a mission work in this city where less is given to the children in the shape of presents and of entertainments than is given here; but we try to make up for that by giving them all the kind words and all the good instruction that they need and will appreciate.”

Mr. Warsarviak was not at the home, but out of the city. Mr. Simon Goodheart spoke for him, however, regarding the affidavits made by Hertzfeld and Josephthal.

“How far will Mr. Benjamin's fanaticism carry him?” said Mr. Goodheart, to whom the affidavits seemed to be a good deal of a surprise. “These affidavits are ridiculous. I am not surprised particularly that he was able to get the one from Hertzfeld, but that Josephthal should make such a statement astonishes me. He was such a faithful fellow. It must have been the offer of a few dollars that won him.

“First, let me say that you see that these affidavits were both made on Tuesday. On Monday only, these two men left this home. They declared that they wanted to go to Ocean Grove and work as waiters for the Summer. They said they preferred to go there because of the big catup [sic?—hard to read—JMH ed.] meetings.

“Hertzfeld said he wanted to go away so that he could save enough money to come back here next Winter and continue his studies for the missionary work among the Jews without being dependent on others. He wanted to be able to pay the board of $4 a week at the college himself. Josephthal said he wanted to save enough money to marry a girl with whom he had fallen in love.

“So Mr. Warsarviak bade them godspeed and gave them a little money to go away with. They expressed the greatest gratitude to Mr. Warsarviak and myself. Here they next day they make these affidavits.

“As for Hertzfeld, he came to Mr. Warsarviak a year ago and was given a little work to do, enough to keep him from want. He professed Christianity, went to the Missionary College, which he left for some reason which I am not familiar with, and came back here to work distributing New Testaments. He has been doing that ever since. He was baptized five months after he professed Christianity, but he asked to be, as must all those who are baptized from here, after long confession of faith. I am not much surprised at what he has done, though, for I have heard that a Jewish Christian Mission in Philadelphia had a similar experience with him.

“As for Josephthal, I am not sure but that Mr. Warsarviak was abroad when he came here, but we took him in and cared for him and gave him odd work to do. He appeared to embrace Christianity and has for a long time back been pleading with us for baptism. He seemed to be so sincere that I wanted to have him baptized, but Mr. Warsarviak and the Rev. Dr. Leonard, who is the German Minister at the De Witt Memorial Church, said he had better wait a little longer.

“So far as what they say of Mrs. Warsarviak not being a Christian goes, she has never professed that she was, neither has her husband, though she is in full sympathy with the mission work.

“If Mr. Benjamin is going to rest his case on affidavits to prove that in order to make Christians of Jews we have to purchase them, and if he wants to carry out the claim that his affidavit makers set up—that our converts are not Christians, except for what they can make out of it, let him go to any of the hundreds of families around this neighborhood which entirely or in part are interested in our work here and in the services at the De Witt Memorial Church and get statements from them.”