The New York herald., 1871-02-12


and the organ Is regarded as an tdOlatr0us abomi.
nation. The most noteworthy changes introduced
congregaiion may bel ana the insertion OF prayer
IN the English language for the governments
striking exception TO the rest Of the prayers-which
Is intended to show THAI that particular part OF the
service Is national tAmerican), not Jewish. The
conservatives stlll adhere, however, TO the
OLD FORM OF RECKONING
the proper time during which the celebration OF the
festivals should last. When the Jewish people were
scattered all over the world 1t was determined, In
order 10 insure the unfo observance OF the great
religious days by the whole people, wherever they
might be resident, at the same time, that IN futMe
gathered together again within the borders OF the
Holy Land, an extra dav should be added to each
solar time. This Is OF course somewhat irksome
practice IN an age so busy cur own, and all the
reiormers curtai the period to the Old Mosaic
limits. And the good sense OF this pro-
posed change may be readily seen by applying
the same principle to Christian holidays
Suppose christmas or Good Friday or Easter sun
day were kept for TWO days. instead OF one, SO 10
insure the celebrations OF them In all parts OF the
world agreeing IN time within at any rate certain
But in their social ana worldly iiie even the con-
servatiyes have Introduced the broadeit and most
sweeping changes-changes too, OF which the out
side world has generally very little conception For
instance, the traditional jew, wherever he may be.
has one special and universal characteristc-that
lie won't eat pork. This distinction Is now by no
means certain test Probably majority, even
objection taking brolled ham roast pork though
as matter OF taste there are perhaps few lsraelites
And SO with the whole mass OF dietary ana sanitary
laws enacted by the Mosaic code and vigorously OBJ
served until very recent date. Now that inter-
course between jew aud Gentle has been free and
unrestricted, II has been that these provisions
were purely OF local and temporary character
and that wise and necessary and useful as they may
have been IN the East they are altogether tnappl!.
cable 70 Western life and civilization. According TO
the Mosaic law II all It's provisions were to be con-
sldered eternally binding, the life OF an American
lsraelite would be hampered at every turn by the
certainty OF shining against the law He could not
travel unless he TOOK care TO stay always at
the houses or his corellglonists, the same
as was the custom in the middle ages; and
even II he stayed always IN one city. he must have
separate butchers ana slaughter houses, which, in
these days OF monster abatt0rs outside municipal
limits, would or course be expensive and trouble
some Half the produce of the marketS-any thing
Killed In u violent manner, such as deer or wild
BIRDS as well as oysters and that whole species OF
fish would be unciean sustenance. And not alone
IN the matter OF lood. but a hundred other re-
spects, the laws OF the Pentateuch still in
iorce an American Jew could not possibly live
Committing SIN Necessity. therefore. s as si we'll
as perception OF the temporary charac.
ter OF much OF the legislation or Moses In
regard 10 what may be termed 'superncial" life,
have induced the greater part even or conservative
Jews 10 discard this portion OF the Mosaic code. Not
all, no ever. have as yet reached the same degree
of freedom Ihls man, perhaps, still abjures pork,
but eats oysters; while another delights IN ham, but
Will not stain hls soul by Indulgence clans. So
with all the thousand and one other provisions Of
the law. Some still held by certain lsraeliteS
Dut IL is clear tnat they lose importance ana weight
every year. and all alike doomed to desuetude.
The principal conservative synagogues are those IN
Forty fourth, TEirtyourh ana twenty ynInth streets.
There is also another important congregation
THE SHEARITH ISRAEL,
in Nineteenth street, which ought to be included IN
this Category though IL differs from all the in
certain essential features 1t Is the oldest congrega
tlon III New York, ana was founded couple Oh cell
turies ago by colony of Portuguese Jews. who had
been driven TO America by the prosecutions OF the
lnquistion. In this synagogue the ritual used Is
the same AZ that used III SPAN and Portugal since
the time of the MOors, and perhaps even further
back than that. II contains several hymns ana
prayers peculiar to itself, and different pronunca-
tion OF Hebrew from that accepted IN the other
synaeogues has obtained. AS an indiyiduaI congre
CATION this Is perhaps the most influential, socially,
in the city, as many Of It's members belong TO iami
lies that have lived on Manhattan Island since the
days Of Peter Stuyyesant
MODERATE REFoRMERs
The moderate relormers mold all The heterodoX
and new doctrines about the obSoescence OF the
Mosaic provisions in regard to food and social life
wnn greater earnestness than the conservatives,
and, indeed, make no secret OF the lact that they
live exactly the same as Christians far as their
external lie is concerned Perhaps, here aud there,
moderate refOrmer, from the force OF habit, pre-
serves some ancient CUSTOM but at least he ack know
edges, without hesitation that all that part OF the
Mosaic law which mas vital relation To spiritual
life ougn: TO be ruthlessiy swept away.
But the moderate reiormer has gone further than
thls ana has carried the same spirit OF innovation
INTO the synagogue ITSELF with small regard indeed
10 the preludices of his more timld brethren the
established usage of twenty centuries. First OF
all he hds broken down. with bold and unsparing
hand thar Illuminating relic OF oriental barbarlsm,
the separation of the sexes during religious wor-
silip He taxes ms VIE ana daughter INTO his own
pew, exactly the same as is the custom In western
Christian churches, with the exception OF few
Pusey1te congregations. Then, the period during
winch the commemoration Of the festivals lasts has
been curtaiied To Inc old Biblical length. The
liturgy has been still further revised and English Tor
German, according TO the congregatlon) Is the
language almost exclusively employed throughout
The entire service Organs too, nave been, in some
cases, Introduced.
rhe Temple Emanuel on Fifth avenue, ana the
synagogues in Tnlrty-nin Fourth and Rlvlngton
streets are among the principal congregations OF
THE EXTREME REFoRMERs
can scarcely he said 10 have any corporate exist
thinkers, VINO carry the principles Of change Set IN
motion in every Jewish congregation to greater or
less extent to their legitimate consequences. The
most advanced and certainly the most eloquent OF
tins class Is the Rev. Raphael D. O. Levin, VINO pub
lisned little work last year, entitled ''What is
Judaism ~ which deserves more attention than 1t
has received from the religious world. 1t begins
with the somewhat strange proposition to
rally follows the corollary announcement that
Judaism Is derived from three sOurces-reason, ma
ture ana revelation. Dr. Levin goes on to say that
Judaism exists in two Dnases-frst, as an eternal
form of pure religion, ana, secondly, as a
temporary religion for Jews alone. In its first
phase it is no religion OF a mere race, though "the
grossest fcIiies and superstitl0ns even put
forth by school Of bigots, who wear the sanctimo.
NOUS mien OF religion to the defects OF their
private lives, as the religion Of our race, the
religion which. Is destined by God 10 become
the religion Of the world" In regard to the
second phase Of Judaism DR.. Levin Is equally out
spoken, the following extract shows:-'Sacrlfce
is dead. The Jewish nationality as separate politi-
cal organization, is oveIthrown. The belief In the
restoration OF Israel to the land Of their fathers
that the Redeemer Will come TO Zion, is an exploded
theory, and God be praised for all His mercies. II
such class also belong the Dietary laws, which, III
deed were very valuable for the people to WHOM
they were given III the age in which they existed
and for the countries for which they were intended
As sanitary laws they are even now OF Importance
at certain seasons OF the year and in certain eli
mates; but that they are religious laws or that they
were ever intended as such the very spirit OF re.
gion denies.n
Then, again, ABOUT the Bible, DR.. Levin holds very
advanced views. "Ihere is nothing supernatural
about the Bible, IL IL q book, aud only
book-a book written by mortal handS-a bOOR
containing ideas, sentiments and doctrines emanat
ing from the brain OF man There are
many chapters which are positively unfit TO be read
aloud In pubic assemblage, and which would not
be tolerated Ia decent society Ii read aloud In Eng
liSh.h
And lastly in regard to circumcision ''Ths ordi.
nance does not properly come under the category OF
ordinances gwen 10 Moses, since 1t dates back to the
days OF Abraham, who first conceived the idea OF