Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-15
THE JEWISH SABBATH.
The Movement In Favor OF Sunday
Services In the Synagogues.


STERN AND sxRSsrKIs AND Mr. WOLF.
The meeting here during the past week Of
the American Sabbath union and the hearing
before Senator Blair's committee on the Sum
day-rest bill has attracted attention TO the
movement advocated by some journals and
leaders among the Hebrews to have services in
the Hebrew synagogues on Sunday for the
benefit of business men Of the Jewish faith,
who are prevented from attending to their re-
ligious duties on Saturday the Jewish Sabbath.
a TALK WITH RABBI STERN.
Rev. Louis Stern, rabbi Of the sth street syna-
gogue, in conversation with STAR reporter on
this subject said There is no Jew. as far as
am aware, who advocates the giving up of the
observance Of the Sabbath ON the seventh
day of the week and adopting the sunday
OF the Christian on the first day Of the
week. The Sabbath Of the Jews is the historic
Sabbath. We are enjoined by the fourth COM
mandment to keep the seventh day holy. and
the observance Of that day is a fundamental
part OF our faith. II has been proposed that
service should be held on Sunday, but not with
tne intention OF abandoning the sabbath. Ii q
lact much 70 be lamented that many OF our
people do not observe the Sabbath sacredly.
on that day their places OF business are open,
and they attend to their secular affairs Owing
70 the peculiar conditions of life. oven In this
freedom.
the power OF the law is brought to bear 10 en-
iorce the claims of Sunday, il is difficult for Jew
dependent upon his own efforts for his hveli-
hood to observe the Sabbath. The seventh
Gay OF the week Is usually the busiest day Of
the entire week in mercantile circles The
Jews are virtually compelled to abandon the
observance OF their Sabbath and to observe
the Christian Sunday. l say this not in the
way OF excuse, but explanation IL the
spirit OF religious liberty was maintained
Uor1d he o1ln L.
the Sabbath according to the dictates Of his
own conscience"
WHAT THE IDEA Is.
However" he went on, ''all this does not
AFFECT the main issue that the Jews are kept
away from religious privileges, although in
cases where Jews keep their stores open Sab
bath, the day is observed in the family and
as many as possible attend the synagogues
But the idea OF the Sunday services is 10 enable
the jews who are unable to attend the Sabbath
services to enjoy some religious privileges.
such services are now held in two synagogues
IN New York city, In one synagogue in Phila-
delphia, one in Baltimore. one in Chicago and
perhaps two or three places throughout the
west Those who advocate such services do so
on the ground OF reaching the non-church GO
ers, while those who oppose them regard the
movement as having dangerous tendency II
10 argued by the latter that il may lead to the
entire neglect OF our Sabbath. 1 take this
vices on Sunday. / have never regarded il
as question involving the maintenance
OF the Sabbath, except indirectly This mat
ter has been widely discussed in the Jewish
papers, and is yet being debated. But in no
case has any one seriously advocated the aban-
donment of the Sabbath. The Jews are not
alone In regarding the seventh day as the Sab
bath Many Christians hold the same belief.
as IN the case OF the Seventh DAY Adventists
and the Seventh Day Baptists In Germany.
Il he Gbris ala 49,
Sunday and at the same time keep the stores
open and even the places of amusement II is
not regarded as a dissertation of the day. But
In this country We have the American SUNDAY.
which has the sanction of law. and those whose
religious belief compel them to observe some
other day are placed at a disadvantage The
jews, as people, have been called upon to en-
dure many such trials in the course of their
long and eventful history. and they have
emerged from the contest with their indiyid-
uality as a people intact and the faith of their
fathers unharmed. Such. no doubt will be
the outcome OF the present condition of affairs
We are known as peculiar people. but we are
only such IN our religion. In ali other respects
we are citizens, and We wish to be so regarded"
FRIDAY EVENING SERVICES.
"As far as the Jews in nv congregation are
concerned" Mr.. Stern added, 1.-The Friday
evening service, which is held after the close
of business, enables all who wish to do SO 10
the Sunday services such are held in other
cities. Everyone born a Jew is a member of
the church, and think there are but few Jews
in this city who do not attend the synagogue
at some time during the year. There are some
fifteen hundred or two thousand Jews in this
city and there are two synagogues Our peo-
pie here are not rich bat they earn a comfort
able living and are able to care for those of
the same faith who are not fortunate in worldly
affairs"
RABBI BERNsrErN's VIEWS.
I'VE cannot make any change in the Hebrew
Sabbath" said the Rabbi Bernstein. of the
Orthodox Jewish church, in conversation with
a STAR reporter last night. There is but one
day in the week, he continued, which the
religious Jew can call the Sabbath, aud that
day is Saturday. A Jew may worship on Sum
day II he pleases, or any other day. but that
does not change the fact-the uualterable
fact-that Saturday is the sacred day. Sup
pose every jew were to insist that he would
worship on Sunday and would not recognize
Saturday, that would not, could not, upset the
Jewish calendar"
why is there such a movement toward
Sunday?' asked the reporter.
Because" responded the rabbi. some men
think more of the almighty dollar than they do |
of the Almighty God The men who are at |
tempting to push the Jews over on 10 the Christ
ian Sunday are not those who attend the svna-
gogue. They do not attend now; they keep |
should be at prayers. Would il be better If we |
held services on Sunday? No; certainly not. |
Those same people would stay at home aud |
play cards and amuse themselves. am told |
that there are 800 Jews in this city. Where |
are they? have nearly a hundred members
in my congregation and about thirty or thirty |
five of them attend our Sabbath service. AZ |
the Eighth-street synagogue their membership /
Is nearly three times as great as ours and the /
congregations are correspondipgly larger. On /
big occasions-some great fast day-the two
synagogues here will have in them 500 people
Where is the remainder? We live in an ire
ligious age. The freedom of this land HIS |
been misapplied and the people are careless Of |
their souls.
"A number Of prominent Jews support this
movement toward changer" suggested the re-
porter.
They are prominent, but they are not true
Jews" replied the rabbi. They are mostly in |
charge Of reformed churches in New York.
Philadelphia and other large cities. Thew get /
enormous salaries. and realize that they do not /
earn them by preaching TO the mere handful of /
people that worship on Saturday. They think
Sunday would bring out more people, They
are mistaken. If, however, they were not
mistaken II would make no difference. The
Jewish Sabbath Is not Q matter of policy IL h
matter OF principle. It 10 the foundation on
which rests all our faith. The day cannot be
changed unless you blot out memory and ira
dition, and utterly destroy from Oh the face of
the earth the Eve books OF Moses"
WHAT MR. sIHoN WOLF sAYs
II