THE SABBATARIAN PRAYER-BOOK OF SIMON PECHI By Rabbi Samuel Rosinger, Beaumont, Texas
Jewish history covers such a vast domain, and is so closely interwoven with general history, that it is only the specialist who is in a position to master it in all its branches and ramifications. The average student can scarcely gain a clear view of its bare outlines, and some of its most interesting and instructive incidents remain hidden to him.
Jewish history records a number of instances of voluntary mass-conversion to Judaism; the most noted of which is that of the Chazars. There are, however, other instances, which, because embracing smaller numbers and being of a less spectacular character, are not mentioned even in works which deal more exhaustively with Jewish history. Yet these spontaneous spiritual conquests of Judaism, without the stimulation of professional missionaries, aye, in face of bitter persecution, and not infrequently martyrdom, are of tremendous importance, as they represent the highest triumph of the truths and the ideals underlying Judaism.
Such a little known instance of mass conversion to Judaism is that of a Hungarian sect of Unitarian Christians, living on the southestern slopes of the Carpahtian Mountains in Transylvania, and numbering about 20,000 souls, who in the year 1618 embraced Judaism. They
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