The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-16
fisher puts his hand On the heed Of each and ut

fisher puts his hand on the head OF each and ut
6 ont ne aass y pe Ms Il
says: Blessed art thou, Lord, our Cod King Z q
the Universe. who hast created the fruit o. the
snad AZ presenh fl wa9 Beasea a
thou. Lord our God, King Of the, Universe who
hast hallowed the Sabbath day. He then put puts
| ed art thou. Lord our God. King Of the Universe.
who bringeth forth bread from the earth; !.
breaks piece of ono of them and distributes II
This simple domestic ceremony, which is still
observed by many reformed as well as al 2rtho 2,
doT Hebrew families il cherished tradition Of
jewish homo life that has been handed down
from generation to generation for. At least two
rahsr ba n ha homs sn the
which TACT moro than any other VIII account Ior
its surprising vitality under centuries OF N. ne
most rigorous repression. The temples might
be destroyed, the synagogues closed. but the
germ Of Judaism was in the home. where it
could not be .eradcated. Hvery synagogue OBJ
servanee has its domestic counterpart. 49,
The hottest day In tho Jewish calendar rom
Kippur," or Day OF Atonemelt, Is ushered IN
by the assembly Of the family st home before
entering upon a season OF rigorous last ana
prayer, lasting from sunset to sunset and tho
exchange ofewpressions Of regret for any wrong
done tbo other during the year ana mutual do dat
givenes5. In the same way. there IS domestc
counterpart of tho service in the synagogue Tor
the, festivals Of Purim. Pentacost New Year. and
TabarnacleS The observance Of the Passover,
when oil trace Of leaven is excluded from the
home for seven days is essentially OF domestic
importance
THE MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
The Jewish reform movement began in the
United States about the same time rs II did in
England but while the British Jews. with char,
aatsristic e9nseryatlon nave remained satlsl?a
tho ritual, the advanced Jews OF this country
imbued with the teachings Of the moro radical
Characteristics Of old synagogue worship. SUCH
as the covering Of the head. tho wearing OF the
tnlWt. and the separation Of the sexes. The
opened In Charleston, $. c., whore the changes
consisted mainly in tho introduction OF an organ,
the q hs gay Hsbra me
Tho germ OF the present Temple Emmanuel
congregation was band OF thirty three per-
sons who in i345 hired q room, which was eonss-
Grated as q synagogue. and Or. Ludwig Merz-
bacher was engaged as minister. In lSt7 they
bought a church and changed it into temple.
introduced an organ and confirmation, for both
boys and girls and organized sabbath school. |
In 1864 they occupied larger temple, the
women's, gallery Tan oriental institution was
abolished, and men and women sat together Tor |
the first time In an American synagogue; the
talth was disca' ded. the second day festivals
b. ". Merzbaeher. all references to an actual
re,drn 10 Jerusalem being expugned IN 1864
the Eastern habit Of covering the head while at
prayer was done away with the marriage and |
funeral ceremonies we're modified in accordance
with the code adopted by a conclave OF German |
rabbns in 1916. and in 1868 the congregation
took possession OF their handsome temple in
Fifth avenue.
NEW YORK PRESENTS EVERY PHASE OF BELIEF.
Probably in no other city in the world are the
various phases Of Jewish ritualistic revolution |
SO fully illustrated as in the synagogues OF New |!
York.
In Allen and Ludlow streets we find the ultra
rabbinsts. the Russo Poles, who begia their
Sabbath services soon after sunrise. chanting
them alond. without any musical acconpani- |
ment, who mourn and beat their breasts on ae-
count OF their cruel persecution, and pray Tor |
the speedy restoration of the kingdom Of David I
Just az their ancestors did two thousand years
ago They would think it impious to change or
omit single word of tho services. no matter how
unsuited it may he to their present condition.
2. In Forty fourth street is the congregation
wsb TSp e Rs1 e ind ehsf
A large proportion q the members are native
Americans or Of English descent. While ortho
dox in all the essentials Of medieval Judaism.
the Sabbath seryi es do not begin unril nine
o'clock there is sermon in English, and there
is choir II male voices. On fom kippur. q
which is observed by all Jews but the rational
lists. many Of the Ashkena i'm. to remind them
more wildly q TIE great and t awful Day t,, p
grave clothes in the synagogue and recite the
serv, GO for the dying
In Wet Nineteenth street is tho S'phnrdnn
,ong egation Shearith Israel Of which the Rev.
Mr.. Lyons is chief minister. The S'plnrdtm do
not wear the shroud on fnn ktppW but In all
traditions as their brethren in Forty fourth
street. In Mr.. Lyons congregation there Is
probably larger proportion OF native Aneri- |
ANS and Englishmen than in any synagogue In
his city.
The next representative congregation IN the
,cale is B'nai Jeshurun. in West Thirty fourth
street which il in a state Of transition between
he orthodoxy Of Shaara Tephila and the ad
ranced reform Of Temple Emmanuel It's min
ster Ia the Rev. Henry Jacobs. late preacher
n the Nineteenth street synagogue. The tnbhh,
,r reading desk. which in all orthodox syna
,ogues faces the hngchol or ark. containing the
scrolls of the law. has been removed to make
-oom for pews. in which mon and women sit to-
,ether There are an organ and females in the
shoir but the men wear their hats during ser
ice and many wear the tniith. The prayer book
lsed il modification Of the old German and
Polish ritual
The extreme Of reform is represented by Tom
1Ie Emmanuel. the ritual of which has been
llready described.
In ali Of the synagoxues the services are more
,r less in Hebrew-in the orthodox congrega-
ions entirely SO.
IT will be seen that much diversity OF opinion
PREVAILS among the Jews on matters relating 70
.itual practice. But Judaism. it Is claimed, is
religion OF action rather than OF faith and is
lot dependent on mere forms and ceremonies.
is vital principles are the unity and perfection
# the Godhead and the binding force Of the
moral law of Moses. On these points OF belief
which from time immemorial. have constituted
he Israeltes simple declaration OF faith Jews {
# all denominations are in perfect accord.