On November 13, 1844, Nicholas signed two enactments, the one a public ukase relating to “the Education of the Jewish Youth.” the other a confidential rescript addressed to the Minister of Public Instruction.  The public enactment called for the establishment of Jewish schools of two grades, corresponding to the courses of instruction in the parochial and county schools, and ordered the opening of two rabbinical institutes for the training of rabbis and teachers.  The teaching staff in the Jewish Crown schools was to consist both of Jews and Christians.  The graduates of these schools were granted a reduction in the term of military service.  The execution of the school reforms in the respective localities was placed in the hands of “School Boards,” composed of Jews and Christians, which were to be appointed provisionally for that purpose.

In the secret rescript the tone was altogether different.  There it was stated that “the aim pursued, in the training of the Jews is that of bringing them nearer to the Christian population and eradicating the prejudices fostered in them by the study of the Talmud”; that with the opening of the new schools the old ones were to be gradually closed or reorganized, and that as soon as the Crown schools have been established in sufficient numbers, attendance at them would become obligatory; that the superintendents of the new schools should only be chosen from among Christians; that every possible effort should be made “to put obstacles in the way of granting teaching licenses” to the melammeds who lacked a secular education; that after the lapse of twenty years no one should hold the position of teacher or rabbi without having obtained his degree from one of the official rabbinical schools.

It was not long, however, before the secret came out.  The Russian Jews were terror-stricken at the thought of being robbed of their ancient school autonomy, and decided to adopt the well-tried tactics of passive resistance to all Government measures.  The school-reform was making slow progress.  The opening of the elementary schools and of the two rabbinical institutes in Vilna and Zhitomir did not begin until 1847, and for the first few years they dragged on a miserable existence.  Lilienthal himself disappeared from the scene, without waiting for the consummation of the reform plan.  In 1845 he suddenly abandoned his post at the Ministry of Public Instruction, and left Russia for ever.  A more intimate acquaintance with the intentions of the leading Government circles had made Lilienthal realize that the apprehensions voiced in his presence by the old men of the Vilna community were well-founded, and he thought it his duty to fulfill the pledge given by him publicly.  From the land of serfdom, where, to use Lilienthal’s own words, the only way for the Jew to make peace with the Government was “by bowing down before the Greek cross,” he went to the land of freedom, the United States of America.  There he occupied important pulpits in New York and Cincinnati where he died in 1882.