The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-06-17

A JEWISH REV or MoDrRv JrDuv,

with the recent h story AMI actual cond .i..,
his rae. H. statements merit gcnornl IA ~
ton. for they st forth clearly the pr,t.o,I
| changes which clos comin>urc with .r.s
| clements Of society in " storm Eur1p. anil
America has wrought in the spirit and nina
| religious system OF tho Isra'litr people.
| Tho capital fact IL first to be- noted Tim, &,
some countries partial fusion of ras.. t,,
taken place. that. in other words, what ra,..iI
prosecutions and centuries of prceariou- ro.i.
| dcnrc could not effect in tie jewish nat. i,
| been tn u large extent brought about D., t,,
decades " con ord and amity. We nepd On ,
| told that jews had no country: but now Iev
born in Berlin Is n German. the jew Ut Paris.
! Frenchman. and If this country should r...rr,
the cooperation OF all it, citizens it wou.dha
found that the jew is first an American ,,J
only afterwnrd nm Israclte. In the w. .0sh
soial order, however. according TO the 81 -itor
whom We have mentioned some of the OLD lar.
riers are still standing. their mainirnau. Poo.
ing partly due 10 the cons ryatiye temper ma
Hebrews and partly to stubborn roll ous
prejudice on the part Of their Christian low
sublets.
The modern Tsroolc in fact as we mo linn
In daily life among Occidental nations pr, sDns
! nm interesting compound of conseryHiNr IN.
stinrts and liberal tendencies. While. on Nh onr
hand the traditions Of his race and the s0orid
ritual. closely interviewer with the dogn If
his religion. urge him TO hold fast his am fen,
customs. on the other hand his solf-lovc. loal
interests. ambition. and thirst II progress raw
him almost rrcsistibly into the whirlpool Z ro.
form. Those who have only II superficial ne.
quaintance with Judaism dwell with surprise
on the extreme length Of the prayers and tho
intense intolerance which pcrvndcs them. NJ
we'll as the redundant ima.sry with which their
| stvlp ia clnthod Hnt the I pyva thomsplXte ara
! quite alive to these Characteristic marks. and /.
| appears that some distinguished members a
! the English synagogue have Contemplated
change in their ritual. which seems no longer
appropriate to the civilization OF the epoch II
u.s. in truth "A grave mistake to ascribo 'l tho
Isracli,cs as racc an inexorahle spirit Of on
scrvatism and 1t is probable that any ro.0rm
sanctioned 10y competent ecclesiastical auii ory
would be welcomed in many quarters y Of
course. that n considerable fraction would sup,
port extravagant radical Innovations such
as should lop Off the main brauchs Of
the tree and so endnnger the roots az n,
Jewish faith, but the English writor think tha,
any julicious adjustment TO the now social on-
vironment. il approved by the Grand ltihbi.
would encounter little serious opposition Nor
is there anything unreasonable in Thu Wow
when we reflect that the greater part Of th' ex.
listing ceremonies and litanios are due non
who had no mission to regulate the futui. hut
only TO provide for the needs of their own times
The fact is that almost all of the practices pre-.
seribed by the rahbi- date from an epoch when
tine Hebrews groanod under the most gr ,ous
oppression. when for them there was no mercy
and no pity Outlawcd from Christian society
and reegated TO filthy Ghettos. they assembled
daily in their synagogues to invoke vens ance
and chastisement ON the heads Of their enemies,
md In rpnHar thupks n God for aanh mia
from persecution. Under these circum-t mes
1t is no wonder that their prayers should nave
been heightened and multiplied. and 0ul
come down TO Us as sombrc testimonies -ul.
fcring and hate.
Naturally in those communities which hays
heretofore lived outside Of the genial pressure
Of the modern sprit-among Slavonic Il, ous
for instan - and we must add one rD.intry
peopled by Latin race. Enumana- ie-e
elaborate and bitter formulas have bee pre-
served with peculiar tonacity and fcryor. For
this reason Russian and Polish Jews. Wi ron-
situto about two-tAirls Of the Hebrew ple,
are. at home. con-ummate types Of or Idox
Judai~n They dosIis- their German re-
lgioni-ts As upo-tatos, they are bigoiel and
ntolcrant; their minds are ironclad Ia prog.
ross. and even 10 common SENSE. Tho fast
twice or thrice week. walk about the str. e. in
long gowns dcrkod with cahalislie ornan MIS-
and scout as gross impropri Is any con. r.a.
ton which doc, not deal exclusively w.fI tAa
Talmud But let u Polish jew cmigra 10
England or the Omitted States for eXampl -anl
straightway h" uud-rgoc- a change. II Ions
his phyla t-rics. and substitutes an a, cunt
book for the Talmud until at last this a. rlic
fnnatical fellow transformed into an active
member Of society. grows somewhat indn rcl:
To- his religion. although he contracts Ne can
ins toward any other.
The lsraclitrs in general agree that the re-.
ligion l. elastic mp to "a certain point. AMI the
naked fact that there exists in London power.
iul congregation Of reformed Jews. prove that
It's sis OF seven hundred members at all vents
b'lry" tn" Judaism of the rabbs suscelti lie q!
moderation. These London refurmcrs I AXE
small account of most of the rnObnioal pr rip
tons. but accept the Prutatruoh as the ar.
bitter of their r ii-,ious ohscrNanr,s. IT, "a.
~ CATION. w. age told. has TWO or three .Aa.
EoSuc- ia England. and their ritual IL s. .l0
huv' ben adopted hy many others in Ger ANY
amt America. \ .;iuuc'. inlrrd. at the M, eo.
liico au English JrN sunirrs To m"asu. the
cnange Wrougu; IN the prartiros of his re- :'Dn,
Alloush every species Of work is rig. asg
iut"riirtrd ou the sabbath. u large prov. non
ol th' ir'. urui.rS of tn" synagogue RS 500
part of tho day i.r lu-iu'-- while. ou tho lex
hand, leading memh - of the consr"l ~,
cited a@ ~, ui,u 90. pl"y, VIII not 'rll. 20
iuduh,- jon r..r atom. Tucy may beseDa ma
saturday dr, u- no fhHparn, visiting the 49,
or d'uln, az Ui~hiuuA,lo restaurants wh.r me
n"N- are hy 90 means prepared nc'ori ,s 20
ri'h'nral rules. Again, take the siila' 30 %!
opulent Hebrew families MS regards tho .AeI
En-. ,sh clurAt.on. The UNIVERSITIES Ar .uog
TO tAo sous ul i9raelil,s ami. 10 orIertu. .0N
the arstoctatir current. uir}oun- men ar mi
ia 4 n f,trtl fa l.Hf fIItHk