Frdm3: “the blinded and fanatical Jews” (Friedmann, Part 3)

      This continues from Part 2 (Table of Contents in Part 1) presenting Pastor Nathaniel Friedmann's 1898 Der Lutheraner report of his mission work for the NYC Jewish population. — After painting a bleak picture of mission work among the Jews of NYC, he, a former rabbi, now teaches these German Lutherans (and me) the scriptural mandate for this mission work. Along the way he presents a characterization of the Jews that is likely not used today. But why? — From Der Lutheraner, vol. 54 (1898), pp. 206 [EN]:

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Of our Mission to the Jews.

[by Pastor Nathaniel Friedmann, Part 3]

But should <column 2> interest in this mission wane, or perhaps even go dormant? Not so, dear Christians! The conversion of the Jews is not our work, but God's, as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Himself answered the Jews when asked what they had to do in order to do God's work: "This is God's work, that you believe in Him whom He has sent," John 6:29. Our work in the Jewish mission, on the other hand, is to preach the saving Gospel to the Jews according to the command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The venerable Jewish Mission Commission has appointed the undersigned to do this on behalf of the Synod. The chairman of the above-mentioned commission has recently reported that the seed of the Gospel is being scattered among the Jews according to the ability that the Lord God gives to the missionary. 

70 Pitt Street, NYC:
mission location

Every Saturday afternoon a public sermon is held in the mission locale at 70 Pitt Street in a language understood by the Jews [probably Yiddish, “a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews”]. To the glory of God, it can be reported that Jews of both sexes, young and old, attend the sermon in large numbers and listen attentively and thoughtfully. You can see how the power of the Gospel is working on many of them. Even before Easter of this year, the Commission recognized the need to enlarge the missionary local. A wall was removed at the expense of the mission, so that we now have a large hall for preaching. Our Evangelical-Lutheran Jewish mission, which is the only one in this great cosmopolitan city, is also becoming more and more well-known among the Jews from day to day, and it has recently become clear to the undersigned that Jews also notice the difference between a Lutheran and a fanatical sermon and give preference to the former. For after several Jews had gone from our mission to another for lack of space, they finally came back to our services, and preferred to stand in our cramped local hall than to have a comfortable seat in other missions. 

It is clear from all this that it is not outward appearances, but the power of God alone, which lies in the pure, clear preaching of the saving Gospel, that attracts also the Jews, the blinded and fanatical Jews, to the missionary services. For often Jews come to the services who are still such zealots that they do not want to sit in the mission without a head covering and therefore keep a small cap on [Kippah]. 

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      While Friedmann’s mentor Landsmann did not become a pastor but only worked as an “evangelist”, Friedmann became a Lutheran pastor. He specifically highlights above that the Lutheran Church’s doctrines were fully rooted in God’s Word, and so lets God do the work in the hearers. — 

      Those that watch American TV and movies find themselves immersed in the programming of Jewish screenwriters and producers. These are among those persecuting the Jewish converts to Christianity. — In the concluding Part 4…