The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-03-05
CHE Albang geoister.
Reformed Judaism.

says:
DIR. NJ. Ellinger, editor of the Je,oiA
Times, delivered very interesting lee
ture, last evening, before the Longfellow
Literary Association, in the hall of the
Young Mems Christian Association, cor
ner OF Fourth avenue and Twenty third
street, on the conclusion arrived at in the
late 'Rabbinical Conference" at Phila-
delphia. Movements have been hereto
fore inaugurated by the more liberal and
enlightened Jews, with view of bring
ing the observances and avowed doctrines
of their religioa more into harmony with
the spirit of the present age. Conven-
tions for this purpose have been held in
Berlin, Frankfort and other German cit
les, and many advanced ideas on the sub
ject put forth, but it has been found
almost impossible to overcome the OBJ
stinate prejudices and superstitions of
the people sufficiently to bring the re-
forms into practice in the synasosues
The late conference in America went be-
yond its predecessors in the thorough
ness of the reforms proposed, and the lib
eral basis which it set forth as the toun-
dation of reformed Judaism. The reso-
lutious of of this body formed the text
of DIR. Ellinger's remarks.
The old orthodoxy OF the Jews he
characterized as mummy OF the past
which must be discarded for a llberal and
enlightened religion which IS in full ac-
cord with the civilization of the day. 1t
enjeins belief in the inspiration OF the
Scriptures, and strict observance OF ali
the requirements of the ancient law, but
the reformers deny all supernatural reve-
lation, and incalculate belief in the God
of nature and the God of humanity.
They regard the whole past history OF the
race as revelation of God, and the
events of the present as tue best book III
which to study his attributes The whole
history of the Jewish relisi n proves
that circumstances are continually doing
away with old laws, and making new, and
what was orthodoxy in ancient days or IN
the Middle Ages may be absurdity now.
The first declaration of the Rabbi II the
late conference was that the object Of
their religion was not the restoration OF
the Hebrew nation under the kings Of
the House of David, as had been taught
for SO many ages, but the extension OF
the belief in one God, the Supreme
Ruler among all the nations of the earth.
They no longer regard the destruction of
this nation and the dispersion OF its peo-
pie as Divine dispensation for the pun
ishment of their sius, but as imposing on
them the grand mission of spreading the
religion of the only true food over the
face of the whole earth.
Formerly they clung to the idea of ma
tionality, and final restoration to the
heritage of Israel in Palestine, and thus
preserved their individuality and their
religion in spite of prosecutions and all
the convulsions and changes which had
disturbed the established nations Now
they have come to be recognized as CO.
lAborers with others, and it is time to
discard their ancient notions and work in
harmony with the times, and so exert
their full share of influence in the re-
forms and improvements of the day. The
old prophets, In their predictions of Mes
siah, alluded to the mission of the Jews
as nation among the people of the earth.
The Hebrew race is the true Messiah.
In matters of worship, the reformers pro-
pose to discard all prayers and ceremo-
MES founded on the idea of animal sacri-
fees, and to introduce the vernacular
language of the people in all the exer-
cises of the synagogue. They also rec
ognize the equal position of women, and
the validity and Importance of the mod
ern enactments on the subject Of mar
riage and divorce. In fact, nearly all
the declarations of the reformers are fully
IN harmony with the most enlightened
thought of the age, and deserving the
attention of rejecting men