The deepening poverty confronting the Jewish People inevitably leads to a weakening of religious observance
At the end of the meeting, Rav David Friedman (Karliner) read a declaration to the assembled, which was unanimously accepted to present to the government:
“This rabbinical gathering discussed the general causes of the decreasing religious observance among Russian Jewry. We have come to the conclusion that the primary factor is their dire financial circumstances. The restrictions of the Pale of Settlement and limited economic opportunity and gainful employment cause extreme poverty, and poverty leads the Jewish People to despair and to abandonment of traditional observance. This rabbinical gathering therefore wishes to express its heartbreak regarding the material welfare of our people, and appeal to the members of the upcoming rabbinical commission to clarify this point to the government. The deepening poverty confronting the Jewish People inevitably leads to a weakening of religious observance. Given that our current rabbinical conference is only authorized to deal with matters of religious nature, we must with great consternation suffice with this brief mention [of the desperate economic situation], despite our strong desire to speak about this topic in depth.”
—12th session of the Rabbinical Conference of Vilna, 20 Iyar 1909; as reported in the Vilna newspaper Hed Hazman
When Russia’s czarist government announced that a rabbinical conference would be held in St. Petersburg in 1910, rabbanim wanted to convene a preparatory conference in Vilna. Through the efforts of the Fifth Rebbe of Lubavitch, Rav Sholom Dovber Schneersohn (the Rashab), and his loyal follower in St. Petersburg, Shmuel Michel Trainin, a license was obtained for a group of Torah leaders to gather in Vilna for a preliminary meeting to prepare for the St. Petersburg conference.
Create a free account to keep reading.
