to interpret Talmud for non-Jews. A more powerful tool was needed, however, and along with Wise, his teacher, he foresaw the benefit that could be derived from an authoritative translation of the Talmud accessible to all English readers.
Wise, who later edited an English-language Talmud commentary written by Michael L Rodkinson, introduced Browne to the idea of writing one much earlier when Browne was his student. While present during a discussion between Wise and his Cincinnati colleagues Rabbi Max Lilienthal and Unitarian Reverend Thomas Vickers, Browne responded happily to Wise’s suggestion that he undertake writing such a volume. As Wise later noted in the American Israelite, “we advised Dr. Browne to go to that piece of work which would be appreciated very highly by English readers, especially preachers, writers and students of history...We receive numerous letters of persons who want the Talmud translated; they would be much pleased...with a good English compilation of its numerous gems, stories, parables, sayings and maxims.”24
Browne accepted the challenge. When he completed it, in 1872, E. Claxton and Company of Philadelphia asked to publish it but required that it be submitted on stereotyped plates. These cost some $4000, which delayed publication for several years while Browne sold subscriptions to pay for it. Despite the fact that he received orders from nearly 250 people, including Horace Greeley, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and President James A. Garfield, for reasons that will be discussed in a subsequent chapter, Claxton canceled the work and it was never published. Although Browne’s work did not survive as a book, he used much of it in lectures and later published portions of it in popular form, entitled The Encyclopedia of Talmudic Beauties. Unfortunately, no copies of this volume have been found.25
With Protestant revivalism and missionary zeal spurring interest in the Old Testament, a growing number of American Christians became sufficiently curious about the current descendants of its people to seek knowledge of Jews and Judaism. Rabbi Isidor Kalisch, forced to leave Germany in 1849 because of his liberal views, while serving congregations in several mid-western American cities including Milwaukee, had spoken to Christian audiences on “Ancient and Modern Judaism.” Like him, Browne became known as one of the relatively few Jewish scholars in America with sufficient fluency in English to appear before non-Jewish audiences, and sufficiently conversant with early Christianity to effectively present the Jewish point of view.26
It is likely that Browne’s expertise became known through social as well as academic involvement during his year in Madison. Although known to avoid parties while a student in Europe and avowedly doing so in later life, the young rabbi apparently diverged from this practice in his years before settling down as a married man. In the Wisconsin capital he reportedly danced with the daughter of Chief Justice Salmon Chase and met other notables, probably including some of the state’s politicians. They learned of his oratorical ability and invited him to address the Wisconsin State Senate as well as to serve as its chaplain. This launched him on a series of public lectures that soon developed into a successful second career.27
The neophyte was not discouraged from continuing in his profession when, soon after receiving his law degree, he was hit by one of the mud-slinging anonymous writers who habitually hounded American rabbis. Someone purporting to be “M.F., a true friend of Judaism,” had written to officers of the Montgomery congregation claiming that Browne had been jailed in Hungary for stealing money and other valuables, and escaped to America leaving his destitute wife and two children in Europe. The same person also wrote to the congregation in Milwaukee before Browne arrived there, not only repeating the libel but also alleging that the rabbi had eloped with a senator’s daughter after stealing $500 from Wise’s safe with which to finance his honeymoon. Browne believed that the slanderer was a contender for his job in each of those cities. Hoping to identify his accuser, he responded in the American Israelite, “It is below the dignity of anybody to attempt an excuse emanating from such a ‘friend of Judaism.’”28
Wise disagreed with Browne’s theory as to the reason for the libel. He was convinced that the culprit was “no disappointed candidate, [but] a Hungarian peddler whom we have met somewhere... and who is as malicious and unscrupulous a friend as we have met one in human shape.” He not only published that opinion in his newspaper, but reaffirmed his confidence in Browne by inviting him to preach from the master’s own pulpit in Cincinnati’s magnificent B’nai Jeshurun, Plum Street Temple.29
Preaching a regular weekly sermon was a Protestant innovation adopted into Judaism by Reform that became an increasingly popular addition to Jewish services in America. This was especially true when delivered in English rather than German, the language then used in most American synagogues. Not only did it attract the younger members who spoke English and wanted to improve their fluency, but it also drew non-Jews to the synagogue since lectures were a popular form of entertainment and synagogues did not charge admission fees. Thus did the sermon grow in importance and become significant both as a factor in the process of Americanization as well as in the all-important function of combating antisemitism. As a result the role of the rabbi, which in Europe had been that of scholar and teacher with rarely any synagogue-related responsibility, changed in late nineteenth century American congregations to that of pastor, teacher, leader of the worship service, and public advocate for the Jewish community. In the words of historian Jacob Rader Marcus, the modern rabbi was expected to be “a lodestar for the youth and an ambassador to the admiring Gentiles,” an image which Wise and his immediate followers as president of the Hebrew Union College assiduously cultivated.30
Browne, well qualified in respect to pleasing non-Jews, had no trouble finding another pulpit after failing in his first two. He received a call from Charleston’s historic Congregation Beth Elohim to be its English reader alongside the Dutch-born, German-speaking Rabbi Joseph H. M. Chumaceiro. While traveling to that Deep South post, however, he made what he thought would be a temporary stop to speak for the Evansville, Indiana, lodge of B’nai B’rith, the international Jewish service organization founded in 1843. There he encountered a combination of circumstances that changed his life.31
Evansville, 1871
Jewish communities up and down the Ohio River from Cincinnati knew Isaac Mayer Wise and frequently sent him news to be published in the American Israelite. In September, 1871, he received a report from Samuel Meyer, a furniture manufacturer in Evansville, who wrote:
It is with feelings of greatest pleasure that I write to inform you that we have selected the Rev. Dr. Browne as Rabbi of our congregation, and I congratulate myself on the fact that our society is indebted to me for that piece of good fortune. While on a visit to Cincinnati, I had the pleasure of making Dr. Browne’s acquaintance, and I requested him to visit Evansville, feeling that he was just the man of whom we stood in need.... Dr. Browne declined my proposal... being about to start for Charleston, S.C., where he had been called to a position as rabbi, of which any minister might be proud. I thereupon entreated him to take the route to Charleston via Evansville & Nashville, the distance being about the same as via Louisville. Dr. Browne agreed... and on the evening of his arrival, the B’nai B’rith invited him to address them.... The Doctor spoke extempore for over an hour, and the congregation were quite charmed... Many present declared that no foreigner could acquire greater proficiency in the English tongue.... We offered Doctor Browne every inducement in our power to accept the position... but he replied that he felt himself called to Charleston. We found, however that he was favorably impressed with our temple and congregation, and we contrived to detain him among us a little longer. He subsequently delivered his lecture on the Talmud before the largest and most intelligent audience in Evansville, and our Gentile brethren were loud in his praises, while the city press spoke in very high terms of his discourse. But just when it seemed that we were about to lose Dr. Browne, news suddenly reached him that the yellow fever had broken out in Charleston, and this intelligence caused him to accept our invitation....
It may have been more than the news of yellow fever that persuaded Browne to remain in Evansville. In addition to mentioning that the congregation had previously considered five other candidates, each old enough to have been Browne’s father, Meyer also wrote that Wise might be called upon
