Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-26
A Managing Editor Falls in Love
With His Typewriter.
She is a Beautiful, Orthodox Jewess,
and Would Not Think of Marrying
Man Not of Her Faith.
The Editor, Not to be Declared by Religion
Embraces Judaism and 10 Admitted
Into the Fold of Israel.
Almost without Precedent.


arrow, when obstacles impede its flight,
always proves itself powerful.
Bernard Gelatt and Miss Ada Refer
were united in marriage by Rabbi Bers :
owitz last evening at the home of
the BRIDES parents, 2060 Holmes
street. The marriage is the termlna-
tion of 9 love affair, in which love CON-
quered i'll as hard fight as he ever drew
his bow in. 1t is also an historical event,
and perhaps the
BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA
in the history of Judaism
Mr.. Gelatt is a well-known newspaper
man. He has filled with credit TO him.
self responsible positions on different
Western newspapers, and, although q
young man, has earned q reputation in
his profession.
The bride is dark-haired, black eyed
Jewess, with much of the beauty of her
race. More than two years ago, while
Mr.. Gelatt was managing editor of
Kansas City morning paper. he met and
fell in love with Miss Refer, who was
his typewriter. How much in love
events have shown. His love was
returned. Miss Refer is
4 JEMESS
who has been reared and always lived in
the orthodoxy of her peoples faith. Mr..
Gelatt was not Jew, and all
thoughts of marriage was put aside
by the woman, who is now
to marry a man not of her faith. Had
her people and crepe would have hung
upon her fathers door. To Gelatt's
mind there appeared but one thing to
do. He
MUST BECOME JEW,
and this he determined to do. He con-
suited Rabbi Burkowitz about the matter
arc made his plea SO strong that
tho rabbi, who is one of
the leaders in the progressive
movement in Judaism determined to aid
him. Gelatt explained that the reli-
gious belief which he had always held
was almost identical with that
of the church of Israel, SO
that with sincerity he could enter
into the fold OF the synagogue. Being
unwilling to act IN the matter himself,
Rabbi Burkowitz put Gelatt on eighteen
month s probation, and he devoted him
self very assidiously to an exhaustive
study of all the laws,
TRADITIONS AND PRECEDENTs
governing the admission of a male adult
into the Jewish church. He issued a cir
cular letter to the leading rabbis all over
the country, asking their opinions and
received many favorable responses to
support his course in admitting into his
church proselyte without having COM
piled with all the rites of the church,
which, however, Gelatt was willing
TO do. Having received the desired sup
port in his course the rabbi decided to
make Jew of Gelatt. In the presence
of quorum of the congregation of the
Bnai Jhudah synagogue Gelatt
MADE CONFESSION OF HIS FAITH
in Judaism and signed paper binding
himself to live the remainder of his life
under the laws of Moses and the guidance
of the synagogue and to raise any children
he might have as Jews. His name was
then changed to Benjamin, and was
given papers from Rabbi Burkowitz that
will admit him to the membership of any
congregation of the reformed Jewish
church.
The acceptance of Mr.. Gelatt into the
fold of Israel under the circumstances Is
almost without precedent in the history
of the church, and the matter is one that
II
ohurchmen all over the world and In the
Jewish press.
THE PROCEDURE FINDS BITTER oPPo-
NENTS
among the members of the old orthodox
church, and will be perhaps the chief
subject of discussion at the rabblmical
conference at Boston next November.
Rabbi Burkowitz is preparing pamphlet
that will be an exhaustive discussion of
the whole question.
'sThe Jews as a church, said Rabbi
Burkowitz, "look with adherence upon
proselYting. They have a saying that
the faithful of all faiths are
saved, and discourage rather
than favor any conversions. There
are, however, more conversions to
the Jewish faith than the public sup
poses. Rabbi Wise of Cincinnati writes
me that In the range of his experience
he has known of 100 cases. In the
half dozen years of my ministry
have known of six cases, but these have
been
THOSE OF WOMEN.
There have been since there has been a
jewish church very few admissions of
male adults to Judaism. In this
case 1 could not bring myself to
believe otherwise than did in this mat
ter. man comes to me, big, brutal
looking. He says: am q Jew; want
you to marry me. The match seems i'll
advised. but I am not to throw
obstacles In his way. perform
the cere nony. Then this man, inteili-
gent, educated, loving so that he intends
to marry any way some way, and believ-
ing in Our faith, comes to me and am
70 throw obstacles in the way OF
A HAPPY UNION.
The real object in this matter Is to keep
the children In this faith. believe that
M. Geiatt Is sincere. would rather
trust his word as gentleman than to
trust rites and customs.
The marriage last evening was ut
tended by the families of both bride and
groom. After the ceremony bridal
supper was served. Mr.. and Mrs.
Gelatt left last evening for Bay City,
Mich. where the groom IL now engaged