and non-Jewish communities. Krauskopf's congregation was almost entirely made up of Jews from Germany and other parts of central Europe. From the beginning of KI (in 1847) services and board meetings had always been conducted in German. Krauskopf was from Germany and spoke fluent German. Nevertheless, he transformed KI into an English speaking and thoroughly Americanized house of worship. For example, while continuing to hold religious services on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, Krauskopf also established a Sunday service which followed the traditions of American Protestantism. These Sunday services were more educational than religious, with Krauskopf giving sermons or lectures that lasted more than an hour. He spoke on theology, religion, ethics, social science, natural science and current events. A talented and popular speaker, he drew as many as 1,000 listeners to his Sunday services, including non-members and non-Jews who came to hear him speak. Krauskopf published these sermons and lectures as pamphlets which sold briskly. Under Krauskopf, KI flourished and became the largest reform Jewish congregation in the United States. Following the intellectual lead of his teacher, Isaac Mayer Wise, he was committed to the study of Jewish-Christian relations and even attempted to reclaim the apostle Paul as a model for Judaism. He worked closely with Catholic and Protestant leaders in Philadelphia, and was a force for ethnic and religious pluralism. On a national level, he helped organize the Jewish Publication Society of America, in 1888. Krauskopf's congregation was almost entirely made up of German Jews. However, at this time, the American Jewish world was being transformed by massive immigration from Russia, Poland, and other parts of Eastern Europe. In 1894 Krauskopf visited Russia to investigate the condition of Jews in that notoriously anti-Semitic nation. Initially the Russian government refused to give him a visa, simply because he was Jewish. This led to a resolution in Congress, proposed by Representative Isidor Rayner of Maryland, urging the United States to abrogate the existing treaty with Russia. Congressman Rayner argued that if an American citizen could not freely travel in a country (Russia), then the United States should not maintain a treaty of friendship with that country. Krauskopf was uncomfortable with this publicity, but later admitted it probably led to Russia finally granting him a visa. While in Russia, Krauskopf gained a first hand look at the condition of the Jews within the Pale of Settlement. Krauskopf met with American diplomats, Russian