Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-31
RABBIS IN FOR REFORM.
SECOND DAYS SESSION OF THE
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE.

The Principles Enunciated by the Pitts
burg Conference Declared Not Antago-
nistic to the Spirit of Progressive Ju-
daism-The Abrahamic Kite aud the
Observance of the DecalOgue Sabbath
Upheld.
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 30.-This was the
second day of the Rabbinical Conference,
Rev. j. X. Gutheim presiding. The day
was opened with prayer by Rev. M
Berkowitz.
The committee on the Presidents mes
sage reported the following resolutions,
which were adopted:
That committee be appointed
!. To secure uniformity OF text and prayer
books.
?, 10 formulate rituals on the ceremony of
marriage. on the rite of confirmation, ana on
the burial of The dead.
3. To present to the sabbath school union at
its organization a course OF normal lnstruc-
ton adapted TO the needs OF teachers IN our
relig Gus schools and putting the same IN &C
tual fulfllment.
Resolutions were also adopted favoring
the organization OF branches of the A. +.
Il. Society, pledging full measure or
support to the Hebrew Union College,
aud advising the holding of cOmmemora-
tive services in honor Ofthe one hundredth
anniversary of the birth OF Moses Mendels-
sohn on Jan. s.
THE PITTsBURG PLATFORM.
The following report of the committee
on the platform OF the Pittsburg confer
ence was adopted after debates:
This conference hss subjected the principles
enunciated by the Pittsburg conference to an
anxious and rigorous examination. The duty
was imposed upon 1t by many false impress
eious prevailing among the people as to the
If l.
therefore deem II our duty TO declaie thaJ we
find IN them nothing antagonistic 70 the spirit
OF progressive JUDAISM and regard Iheln as
an inference made by the jews from the OLDEST
principles OF Judaism. Yet we ind tldualiy
and collectively reserve unto ourselves the
right to dissent from any practical deductions
that mas be drawn from them.
THE TWO GREAT ISSUES.
Referring to the report of the President,
we, rabbis of the Southern conference, do
hereby declare that Observance of the sab
. bath. Of the decalogue. and the practice of the
AbTahamic rte are just as binding to-day IN
Israel as they ever were.
After considerable discussion, the first
part OF this resolution was UNANIMOUSLY
adopted. Rev. Mr.. Samfield voted mega.
lively on the second part, while the vote
on the third part resulted in 10 yeas TO
nays, Rev. Messrs. Samtield and Bien
voting nay.
A letter of the Shreveport congregation,
protesting against the action taken by
the Pittsburg conference, was returned
as belonging to the Pittsbnrg conference
instead of to this conference.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
The following resolutions were adopted:
ResoIned, That the conference meet an
hually in December the place to be decided
on by the conference.
Res ,l0ed. That the gathering of historical
matter relating to Southern congregation.
ehou d be done in order to assist IN the prep
aration of history of the Jews IN the United
States.
Rev. MIR. BurkOwitz's paper en- the
course of study for normal classes was
read and referred.
The reading of a congratulatory tele-
gram from the Northern Jewish Confer
eDce Of New York was greeted with en-
thusiastic applause.
The conference adjourned till to-mor-
row.