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[On this page a picture of Pastor Russell addressing a Jewish audience at the Hippodrome consumes over three-quarters of the page. The following is the caption below the picture:]

Pastor Russell, of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, Addressing an Enthusiastic Audience at the Jewish Mass Meeting at the Hippodrome.

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(From New York American, October 2.)

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PASTOR RUSSELL TO ADDRESS HEBREWS

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Remarkable Gathering to Take Place in Hippodrome Next Sunday.

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Pastor Russell, of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, is to address a giant mass meeting of the Jews of New York on Sunday, October 9, at 3 o’clock, in the Hippodrome. He is considered one of the most eloquent Protestant preachers, and has gained a wide audience among the Hebrews by his sympathetic treatment of Jewish questions.

Pastor Russell’s sermon will be on “Zionism in Prophecy.” His appearance before a representative mass meeting of Jews will be the first time that a well-known Protestant minister has been asked to deliver an address to such an assembly.

Prominent Jewish citizens are arranging to make the meeting one of

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the largest gatherings ever held in this city. The Yiddish newspapers and Jewish societies are represented on the committees in charge of arrangements.

HE IS HIGHLY ENDORSED

Counselor Leo Wolfson, president of the Federated Roumanian Jews of America and Vice Grand Master of the I.W.S.O., when seen at his office, said:

“As one who is interested in the Jewish question and an old worker for the Zionistic movement, my attention was called to Pastor Russell’s interest in the Jews.

“I feel that an address by him on Zionism and Jewish prophets will present the question from a new point of view, and a point of view that I will be very willing to learn.

“I am sure that Pastor Russell’s treatment of the question will be sympathetic, and will doubtless create widespread discussion of Zionism, its aims and ideals.”

In speaking of the coming meeting and Pastor Russell’s address, J. Pfeffer, of No. 139 Delancey street, said last night:

“Many of Pastor Russell’s sermons have been printed in Jewish papers, and in these sermons he has preached sympathetically upon Jewish questions. This is primarily the reason why the Jews are anxious to hear him speak of the future of the Jew.

UNUSUAL COURSE FOR GENTILE

“Pastor Russell has been and is agitating Zionism. From a religious point of view he seems to believe in Judaism. It is a new occurrence for the Jews to have a Gentile take so much interest in problems and topics that are of special interest to them.

“Judging from the preparations and the interest already manifested in the announcement of the meeting I am of the opinion that it will be a very large gathering.”

Pastor Russell, it is reported, will leave after next Sunday’s meeting for London. While he is in England he will address many gatherings. One of these meetings will be a Jewish mass meeting. The London mass meeting will be held in Albert Hall, the largest auditorium in Great Britain.

The committee in charge of next Sunday’s meeting in the Hippodrome includes: A. B. Landau, editor of The Warheit; Louis Lipsky, editor of the Maccabean; J. Pfeffer, editor of the Jewish Weekly; Abraham Goldberg, editor of the Yiddish Volk, and Leo Wolfson, editor of the Yiddish Spirit.

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(From New York American, Oct. 9.)

PASTOR RUSSELL CHEERED BY AN AUDIENCE OF HEBREWS

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4,000 in Hippodrome Applaud When Venerable Brooklyn Clergyman Advocates Establishment of a Jewish Nation

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Hearers Who Came to Question Gentile’s Views on Their Religion Find He Agrees in Their Most Important Beliefs

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The unusual spectacle of 4,000 Hebrews enthusiastically applauding a Gentile preacher, after having listened to a sermon he addressed to them concerning their own religion, was presented at the Hippodrome yesterday afternoon, where Pastor Russell, the famous head of the

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Brooklyn Tabernacle, conducted a most unusual service.

In his time the venerable pastor has done many unconventional things. His religion is bounded by no particular denomination, and encompasses, as he says, all mankind. His ways of teaching it are his own. But he never did a more unconventional thing than this—nor a more successful one.

He won over an audience that had come—some of it, at least—prepared to debate with him, to resent, perhaps, what might have appeared like a possible intrusion. “Pastor Russell is going to try to convert the Jews to Christianity,” was the word that many had received before the meeting. “He wants to proselyte us.”

RECEIVED AT FIRST IN SILENCE

In the crowd which filled the big showhouse were scores of rabbis and teachers, who had come to speak out in case the Christian attacked their religion or sought to win them from it. They had questions and criticisms ready for him. He was received at first in a dead silence.

But the pastor did not seek to convert the Jews. To their unbounded delight, he pointed out the good things of their religion, agreed with them in their most important beliefs as to their salvation, and finally, after a warm advocacy of the plan of the Jews establishing a nation of their own, brought about a tumult of applause by leading a choir in the Zionist anthem: “Hatikva—Our Hope.”

A more interesting audience the Hippodrome never held, perhaps. From all parts of the city came serious-minded Hebrews to hear what it was an alien, a Gentile, might have to say to them at a service, held during their week of feasting, Rosh Hoshana. They were quiet, well-dressed, thinking men and women.

Among them were many prominent figures of the Hebrew literary world. Some of these escorted Pastor Russell to the Hippodrome in a motor car and then took places in the auditorium. The literary men recognized the pastor as a writer and investigator of international fame on the subject of Judaism and Zionism. Some of those present were Dr. Jacobs, editor of the American Hebrew; W. J. Solomon, of the Hebrew Standard; J. Brosky, associate editor of the same; Louis Lipsky, editor of the Maccabean; A. B. Landau, of the Warheit; Leo Wolfson, president of the Federation of Roumanian Societies; J. Pfeffer, of the Jewish Weekly; S. Diamont, editor of the Jewish Spirit; S. Goldberg, editor of the American Hebrew; J. Barrondess, of the Jewish Big Stick, and Goldman, editor of H’Yom, the only Jewish daily.

NO RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS THERE

No symbol of any religion at all greeted them when they gazed at the Hippodrome stage. It was entirely empty save for a small lectern and three peace flags hanging from silken cords above. One was the familiar white silk banner with the Stars and Stripes in its center, together with the words “Peace Among Nations” in letters of gold. Another bore a rainbow and the word “Pax.” The third was a silken strip bearing miniature representations of all the nations’ flags.

There were no preliminaries. Pastor Russell, tall, erect and white-bearded, walked across the stage without introduction, raised his hand, and his double quartette from the Brooklyn Tabernacle sang the hymn, “Zion’s Glad Day.” The members of this organization are Mrs. E. W. Brenneisen, Mrs. E. N. Detweiler, Miss Blanche Raymond and Mrs. Raymond, Emil Hirscher, C. Myers, J. P. MacPherson and J. Mockridge. Their voices blended perfectly, and the hymn, without any instrumental accompaniment, was impressive.

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But still there seemed an air of aloofness about the audience. They did not applaud, but sat silently watching the stalwart figure of the pastor. When he began to talk, however, they gave him respectful attention.

With a powerful, yet charming voice, that filled the great playhouse, the unconventional clergyman made his every word audible to every hearer. His tones pleased their ears, his graceful gestures soon captivated their eyes, and in a few moments his apparently thorough knowledge of his subject appealed to their minds. Though still silent, the 4,000 were “warming up” to him.

RESERVE AND DOUBT VANISH

It was not long before all reserve, and all possible doubt of Pastor Russell’s entire sincerity and friendliness were worn away. Then the mention of the name of a great Jewish leader—who, the speaker declared, had been raised by God for the cause—brought a burst of applause.

From that moment on the audience was his. The Jews became as enthusiastic over him as though he had been a great rabbi or famous orator of their own religion. He hailed them as one of the bravest races of the earth—having kept their faith through the persecutions and cruelties of all other people for thousands of years. And he predicted that before very long they would be the greatest of the earth—not merely a people, any longer, but a nation. By a system of deductions based upon the prophecies of old, the pastor declared that the return of the kingdom of the Jews might occur at so near a period as the year 1914. Persecution would be over and peace and universal happiness would triumph.

As he brought his address to a conclusion the pastor raised his hand again to his choir. This time they raised the quaint, foreign-sounding strains of the Zion hymn, “Our Hope,” one of the masterpieces of the eccentric East Side poet, Imber.

The unprecedented incident of Christian voices singing the Jewish anthem came as a tremendous surprise. For a moment the Hebrew auditors could scarcely believe their ears. Then, making sure it was their own hymn, they first cheered and clapped with such ardor that the music was drowned out, and then, with the second verse, joined in by hundreds.

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The discourse has already been reported in the newspapers which publish the sermons weekly.

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— October 15, 1910 —