The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-05-25
The Jewish Sab bath.

It seems that Rabbi GOrTHEIL Of the lem.
pie Emanuel proposes to his congregation to
change their day OF worship from Saturday
to Sunday.
The reasons for the change are obvious,
but that 1t should be suggested shows that
Jews as we'll as Christians are feeling the In
Huences Of this period OF religious revolution.
Tho liberal Jews are becoming more and
more emancipated from the ancient social
aud religious prejudices of their race Many
OF them have totally abandoned the faith OF
their fathers. not to take on that Of Chris
tians, but to Join the rapidly increasing
ranks OF tho skeptics and unbelievers. Like
DR.. CURRY OF the Methodist Church, they
look on their Scriptures as containing tho
records Of a superstitious age; and 1t seems
to them childish for enlightened men of this
time to separate themselves from the rest Of
mankind because Of traditions which have
only fabulous foundation.
Even among the Jews who have not sunk
into the materialism against which the Pope
80 bitterly inveighs, there are many who no
longer see any merit In stubbornly sdhering
to ancient religious customs which are not
In harmony with the life around them. They
do not deem them Of essential Importance,
and think that the hardships their OBJ
servance imposes on Jews are altogether
unnecessary.
Very likely, too. the preservation Of those
customs and tho rigid enforcement Of them
by the synagogues may tend rather to create
unbelief than to preserve tho old faith. Jews
who are annoyed by them may DO altogether
driven away from religion. They may rebel
against such Interference with their in
dividual liberty OF action, and so gradually
lose the religious spirit and prejudices OF
their race.
The keeping Of Saturday as . holy day
must be especially inconvenient for vast
numbers Of Jews, for whether they will or
no they must also refrain from work on
the business exchanges are closed. With
many Of them 1t Ia hardly practicable to
observe the Jewish Sabbath. Take the Jew
brokers In Wall street, for instance; how can
they now DO away from it's excitement on the
last day Of tho week? For them to abandon
business on Saturday may be to imperil their
whole property; and even II they are found
at the synagogue. will not their h.grls be
where their earthly treasure Isl
But this effort to change the Jern,a G;-y OF
worship from Saturday to Sunday o. purse
provokes violent opposltion anon conser-
vative and orthodox Jews. Such change,
they reasonably say, would be first step
toward the abandonment Of all the distinc-
tive customs and observances Of the race.
They do not want the barrier between Jew
and Christian to he broken down, but would
keep tho chosen people forever separate from
the rest of mankind They bcmoan the In
creasing tendency Of their young men to es-
cape from the traditions OF their fathers. and
their growing desire to be as other men are.
Yet 1t seems to be inevitable that In this
age Of prevalent religious skepticism the
liberalism against which the orthodox Jews
contend should extend further and further
among their people, and one by one sweep
away the prejudices and customs which
have 90 long kept them apart from other
races and men Of other religious traditions.