The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-06-30
liaritics which have marked them as

original in their character, hnt were
the fruits Of centuries of oppression
and degradation : and that they i,eel-
dcd only a few years of existence in
fee country, where equal rights
would he accorded to them, and where
they might In peace and secnr'ty
manifest TIE virtues which were in
them. in order to win for themselves
not only the federation but the active
esteem and respect of their fellow
citizens. The truth of this remark
has been amply snhstantiatpd hv
what has occurred in England, France
Germany, and other portions Of Eu.
rope while in this country the Jews
have s,1cceelel in Americanizing
themselves to very great extent,
and IN obliterating in a marked de
gree the pecularities which, formerly
served to point them out as a wholly
separate and foreign people That
this process has been accompanied by
the partial loss of their religious faith
is unqucsti'nably true, but it is not
clear whether they have become
Americannized because they have to
this extent lost their faith, or whrth-
err they have lost their faith, lc-
cause they havebecome American
lied.
The Jews in America at the present
moment are divided into five classes
the Radical Orthodox,' the "Or-
th"dox," the "Conscrvative Reform
cd,' the "Reformed' and the "Rad-
ical Reformed" There is a wide
gulf between the first and the last of
these classes, but the shades Of diff
ference between radical Orthodox
Jew and an Orthodox jew, or be-
tween Conservative Reformed Jew
and Reformed, Jew. are somewhat
difficult to define. The Radical Or.
thollox Jews are few IN number, and
are said hv their cortllgionist to be
daily craving less. They are chiefly of
Polish, Austrian or Hungarian birth ;
they for the most part, are in humble
and obscure walks of life they form
no associations with Gentiles; they
accept as the rule of their life the
Mosaic law interpreted by the "Tal-
mud' and the "Cabala i they do not
welcome Gentiles, or even Jews of
later views, to their synagogues. We
believe there is but one synagogue in
New York belonging to this school
of Jews, and in which one may wit
ness Jewish worship as it was per
formed a thousand years ago. The
children of the Radical Orthodox
Jrws-especially the male children :
do not adhere clnsely to the faith and
ritual or their fathers ; and some of
thmEat htlf IN tnis whrrd's goods, man.
fest disposition to affiliate them
selves with one or other Of the less
rigorous sects. Some OF them are
content to Join the ranks OF the Or
tlodox Jews, WHO hold most firmly
to all the essential rules of life laid
down by the law Of Moses; but who ut
the same time dispense themselves
from the strict observance of a Ger.
tain number of the more Onerous OBJ.
servances and regulations enjolned
by the rabinical writer's.
The line of demarkatior between
the Orthodox Jews and the Conser
vative Reformed Jews is vague ant
undermined ; but the Reformed Jew:
are very much advanced. They hole
themselves bound no longer to ODE,
the ceremonial and dietary laws la1(
down by Moses and his successor
and their faith ia the predictions 0
the prophets has almost wholly fade'
away. The higher class of the TIC
brew community for the most par
belong to the Reformed sect bu
these congregations are ais
largely composed Of the well to-do
middle class Jews. Nearly all of til
Jews of sect, and very many of tn
German and English Jews resideu
here are also members of the Reform
ed synagogues. They openly avo'
their desire and ambition to becom
thoroughly Ame'icanized, aud
cease in all respects to be regarde
as an alien and foreign people.