Wise, Isaac Mayer (1819-1900). Autograph Letter Signed written in German to Rabbi Max Landsberg (1845-1927) on letterhead of The Israelite & Die Deborah. <<* On verso:>> Autograph response from Landsberg back to Wise. Written in pencil.

Wise convened a rabbinical synod in Cincinnati June 5-12, 1871, where he sought to establish a national Jewish agenda to address communal issues. The conference was overshadowed however when Wise denied the notion of a personal God. This was to the consternation of many of the conference participants, who were especially appalled considering one of their present missions was to compile a joint prayer-book. The protesters argued that if a personal God does not exist, then praying to God would be considered absurd. Rabbi Max Landsberg, who had just arrived in America from Berlin a month earlier to became rabbi of Congregation Berith Kodesh in Rochester, NY, was one of the signers of this petition. Wise hints in his letter that he believes the true reason of the dispute was due to underlying personal rivalries. However Landsberg categorically denies this, insisting that he signed the protest petition as he saw his duty to publicly protest the notion of a non-personal God as declared by Wise.