Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-12-18
1S, 1888.
SUNDAY OR SABBATH.
A Pertinent and Timely Discussion of
n Very Serious Subject by Young
Hebrews.

A very pleasant entertainment, musical
and literary, was enjoyed Sunday night at
the meeting of the Young Mems Hebrew
Association at the Knights of Innisfail
Hall, corner Jefferson and Second streets,
at which there was a full attendance of the
membership and their friends. The Rev.
DR.. Samfield, president of the association,
conducted the proceedings, and compli-
mented the association for the large at
tendance on an occasion when dane
ing was not the incentive. The feature
OF the evening was a debate between
Mr.. Marx Boshwitz, for the affirmative,
and Mr.. Hardwig Peres, for the negative,
on the subject embodied in the following
resolution:
Resolged, That beneficial results would accrue
to the Jewish race from a change of their Sabbath
to the Christian Sunday.
The speakers were allowed forty min
utes, with ten minutes rejoinder, each, all
of which time was fully taken up by both
speakers. A bench of three judges were
appointed, who gave a decision in favor OF
Mr.. Boshwitz as presenting the best argu-
ment, but c~omplimenting Mr. Peres for eff
fective delivery.
Mr.. Boshwitz evidently had the adj.
vantage of presenting his honest convic-
tons on the subject, while it is understood
that Mr.. Peres labored under the disad:
vantage of ~antagonizing his. The main
point urged by Mr.. Boshwitz favoring the
change was the manifest apathy on the
part of the Jewish people in attending
church duties on Saturday, and devotine
the seventh day to business to the sacrifice
of their religious obligations. He urged
the change a necessity, because the laws Of
the country compelled the observance Of
the Christian Sunday, necessitating the
devout Jew to lose two days in the week,
which was disastrous from a business
standpoint-putting the question senten.
tiously, that it was ''the Jewish Sabbath
and the ditch, or the Christian Sunday and
rich" The tenor of Mr.. Boshwitz's dis.
course indicated that he had exhausted al
the known authorities as to the origin Of
the Jewish Sabbath and Christian Sunday
in which he discovered nothing sacraligi
Gus in either creed making a change de
manded by circumstances.
Mr.. Peres's reply was devoted mainly to
assaults upon the most salient points oil
the affirmative argument, but clearly indi
eating that he had underestimated his adj
versary's ability in not preparing himsel
from the abundance of existing evidence
of the ~sanctity of the Seventh day as the
Jewish Sabbath, from which the Jew can
not consistently with his religious VOW:
depart.
The applause with which the result was
received showed clearly to the writer tina
there is a strong feeling among the Jews
of this city favoring the change.
The remainder of the evening was de
voted to vocal and instrumental music
the gems of which were two selections by
Arnold's orchestra, an overture (pianC
duet by Messrs. Henry Loeb and Veto
Sugarman; vocal solos, Romance" b,
Miss Ida Froelich, and two in character
with dance, by Miss Alice Greenwood;
piano duet by Misses Jennie Baum an,
Mollie Sternberg; and a vocal duet, 18th
Two Sisters" by Mrs. Theodore Foltz an
Miss Pauline Levy.
Mr.. Victor Sugarman was the musics
director, and Messrs. Emanuel L. Gutl
man, Henry Becker and S. A. Harpman
were the reception committee. The II
porter was particularly impressed with tn
good order and decorum of the audience