How LIFE Began
Sholom Aleichem’s beloved character Tevye the Milkman is brought to life in the wonderful musical Fiddler on the Roof.[1] Toward the end of the story, Tevye is bidding goodbye to the town’s butcher, Lazar Wolf. Tevye, who is moving to “New York, America,” is delighted to learn that Lazar is moving to “Chicago, America.” “Good! We’ll be neighbors!”
America had provided safe haven for Jewish people fleeing persecution for centuries.[2] But the violent pogroms (state-endorsed persecutions) in eastern Europe in the latter decades of the 19th century spurred a mass Jewish exodus. From 1880 until quotas restricted immigration in 1924, more than two million Jewish immigrants came to the goldene medina (golden country) of America from Russia, Romania, and the Austro-Hungarian empire.[3] Many settled in tenements on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
Chicago had Jewish residents from the time of incorporation in 1833; Yom Kippur 1845 saw the first religious observance. In 1847, Kehilath Anshe Mayriv synagogue (aka Congregation KAM) was founded. By 1870 the mass exodus of eastern European Jewry was underway. Most who moved to Chicago lived on the near west side where the famed Maxwell Street Market[4] sprang up. Many were self-employed as peddlers. Successful entrepreneurs would go on to found companies like Inland Steel; Hart, Shaffner & Marx clothiers; Florsheim shoes;[5] Spiegel;[6] and Brunswick.[7]
On November 4, 1887, a small band of believers gathered in the offices of Mr. Benjamin Douglass at 167 LaSalle Street in Chicago. The resolution passed that day reflected their intent:
Whereas we recognize the obligation and duty resting upon us Gentile Christians to give the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to God's ancient people Israel, and
Whereas there are said to be 40,000 Hebrews in Chicago, and
Whereas we hail with gratitude the effort of the Rev. Jacob Freshman, pastor of the First Hebrew Christian Church in New York City, to establish a branch of his work in this city,
Therefore, we the undersigned agree to act as an advisory committee to him in establishing such work here.
Signed,
William E. Blackstone Benj. Douglass
Edward P. Goodwin John H. Barrows
Cha's Edw'd Cheney C. E. Mandeville
Samuel Ives Curtis H. M. Scott
These men – of no small influence and representing different denominational churches in Chicago – were united in their desire to see the message of Messiah brought to the Jewish people of their city. Though the goal of establishing a branch of Freshman's work never materialized, through their continuing efforts a thriving independent ministry was founded.
Also in attendance at that organizational meeting was Bernhard Angel, a young Jewish believer who shared the story of his journey to faith in Messiah Jesus. Raised Orthodox in Bucharest, he had moved to New York City where he met and married a Catholic girl. His wife began attending the Protestant Olivet Mission and soon a number of believers (including Jacob Freshman) began witnessing to Mr. Angel. Sometime later, he placed his faith in the Lord Jesus and was baptized at the Olivet Mission. He had now come to Chicago to study at the Chicago Theological Seminary and was the prime candidate to serve as the first field staff of the fledgling organization.
A second meeting was conducted the following day, November 5. In short order, it was determined to 1) organize as the Chicago Committee for Hebrew-Christian Work; 2) rent two furnished rooms for $12.00 per month; and 3) empower the chairman and secretary to ''solicit funds, furniture, etc.," arrange to open a Reading Room, and employ a staff member to serve in outreach.
Further, there was an expression of appreciation for the work of the Lutheran Mission in Jewish work in Chicago which had recently closed. Rev. S. D. Berger, a Jewish believer and Lutheran pastor who had served that work for two years, read Psalm 30 in Hebrew, and a prayer of dedication for the rented rooms was offered. In addition to Berger and Angel, a third Jewish follower of Jesus was also in attendance at this meeting, Rev. J. W. Marcussen.[8]
The third meeting, conducted December 5, 1887, initiated the search for workers. Mrs. E. C. Rice agreed to assist Mrs. Angel in opening a work for Jewish girls and children. The first treasurer's report reflected the state of affairs for many faith missions over the years: Receipts - $50.00; Disbursements - $49.50; Liabilities - $30.00. On December 29, Mr. Angel would draw $15 for 3 weeks' labor.[9]
By March 5, 1888, Angel was able to report on the progress of the work, including the desire of four persons to be baptized. The secretary noted Angel's remarks on the Friday evening Bible studies were "especially interesting."
Motions prevailed to establish a committee to examine applicants for baptism, and to investigate property for a "permanent location" of the work. (Given the number of moves in the more than 130 years of history following, the idea of "permanent" quarters is somewhat quixotic.)
Secretary William Eugene Blackstone was appointed to represent the work at the London general missionary conference to be held that June. Mrs. T. C. Rounds was appointed secretary pro tem in his absence. (This pattern was repeated when she replaced then-superintendent Blackstone as "superintendent pro tem" in 1897, a position which she more than ably filled until 1919!)
William Blackstone’s influence extends well beyond his role in founding the Chicago Hebrew Mission.[10] Outside Jewish ministry circles he is known primarily for authoring Jesus is Coming (which in humility he published only under his initials, W.E.B.), the first popular book espousing a premillennial theology. Blackstone proved in his actions to be a true friend of Israel; as such, he is honored in the Encyclopedia Judaica as a “Chicago businessman who became an evangelist, missionary, and ardent supporter of the return of the Jews to Palestine.”[11]
“The First Annual Report of the Hebrew Christian Mission” was released in November 1888. At the committee's twelfth meeting, held September 10, 1889, the decision was made to reorganize and the name Chicago Hebrew Mission solidified. A new constitution was adopted at the Second Annual Meeting on December 9, 1889. By January 1892 The Jewish Era: A Christian Quarterly[12] established the format for the publication which would be followed for decades.
The fledgling work of the United States’ first non-denominational ministry[13] to the Jewish people was underway. How grateful we are today for the efforts of our visionary founders – and for the faithful followers of Messiah Jesus who have sustained this work through their prayers, gifts, and volunteer efforts ever since.
Written by Wes, Life in Messiah Global Ambassador
Are you more interested in reading history, keeping up with world events in the present, or discerning what the future may hold? What role does the Bible play in your analysis?
The businessmen who met in 1887 moved to meet the immediate practical needs of the Jewish immigrants to Chicago but did so “in Jesus’ name.” How can you demonstrate Yeshua’s (Jesus’) love to the Jewish people in your sphere of influence?
Looking for a way to bless those suffering in the Jewish homeland? Consider donating to Life in Messiah’s “Israel Relief Fund.” And check out www.insearchofshalom.com for resources for sharing Messiah’s best-ever news.
Endnotes:
[1] First released in 1964, Fiddler on the Roof is the compelling saga of a Jewish community in the mythical eastern European shtetl of Anatevka in the late 1880s. Tevye and his wife Golde are raising daughters amidst the challenges of daily life, including internal cultural changes and increasing oppression from without. The clever, emotive lyrics by Sheldon Harnick set to Jerry Bock’s soaring musical score add to the winsome humor and heart-stirring pathos of the script.
[2] In 1654, fleeing the invading Portuguese, the Dutch Jews of Recife, Brazil, set sail for Holland. Waylaid by pirates on the high seas and stripped of provisions, they headed for the nearest Dutch colony, New Netherland. The 23 Jewish immigrants were met at the docks by Peter Stuyvesant in New Amsterdam (today’s New York City). Correspondence from the Dutch West India Company overruled Stuyvesant’s resistance to allow the refugees to remain in the colony. Thus began Jewish settlement in America.
[3] See https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jewish-immigration-to-america-three-waves/.
[4] See https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/maxwellstreetmarket0.html.
[5] See http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/671.html.
[6] Previous generations will remember Spiegel mail order catalogs, which competed with Sears and Roebuck (a Chicago company co-owned by Julius Rosenwald); http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2857.html.
[7] JM Brunswick’s early billiard table manufacturing company expanded into bowling, boating, and beyond; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunswick_Corporation.
[8] Bearing the intriguing appellation "Father Marcusson," he would serve as the third superintendent of the work eight years later.
[9] Five dollars per week would be the equivalent of $165 today – but a pound of flour sold for a nickel and a pound of sugar or coffee cost ten cents: http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/prices-for-1860-1872-1878-and-1882-groceries-provisions-dry-goods-more/. And no one worried about the cost of gasoline because Karl Benz had just been issued a patent for the first gas-fueled car in 1886: https://www.thoughtco.com/karl-benz-and-automobile-4077066.
[10] Blackstone’s contributions to the cause of global evangelization are too many to detail here. More on WEB’s life will be chronicled in a future article.
[11] Encyclopedia Judaica, Volume 4, Keter Publishing House Ltd., Jerusalem, Israel, 1971, page 1070.
[12] The Jewish Era covered a wide scope of interests from its earliest issues: testimonies of Jewish believers; current news affecting Palestine or the Diaspora; biblical exposition; exposure of antisemitic activity in the world; Jewish holiday explanations; prophecy; and what might be described as "historical tidbits" (e.g., "The First Jewish Christian in North America. Judah Monis." series beginning April 15, 1901). Articles by influential Jewish believers such as David Baron and Alfred Edersheim also were published.
[13] History buffs will appreciate the connections between the Chicago Hebrew Mission and people such as Jane Addams (a member of CHM's executive committee who allowed the utilization of her Hull House property for a time). D. L. Moody, R. A. Torrey, and James M. Gray were counted as friends by those in leadership of the mission. Charles Blanchard, then president of Wheaton College, served as CHM's third president.