The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-11
AS TO JEWISH ooNVaRTs.
Shall the Abrahamic Rite be Aool
ished in Such Gases.


From the NelC York Herald, July5.
At the second days session Of the third
annual central conference of American
rabbis, held in Temple BETHEL, Seventy
sixth street and Fifth avenue, yesterday,
the report of the committee on Judaism and
proselytes was discussed, particularly as to
the initiation Of prosslytes without the
Abrahamic rite
Rabbi Wise of Cincinnati presided, and
read the report of the committee, which
| was appointed at the Baltimore conference
last year. This report embodied the opiu-
ions of. DIR. Henry Berkowitz of Kansas
City, tie Rev. Mr.. Bun of Vick,burg, the
Rev. DR.. Felsenthal of Chicago, Prof Mel
ziner of Cincinnati. the Rev. Mr.. Some
schein of ST. Louis, Rabbi Gottheil of this
city; Rabbi Moses of Louisville, Rabbi
Schrieber of Little Rock, Rabbi Landsberg
of Rochester, and Rabbi Hecht of MIL
waukee.
That part of the report touching upon the
question of the Abrahamic rite IN the case
| OF proselytes was mo 1ted in ths Philadel-
phia and Pittsburg rabbinical conferences
some years ago, and no little feeling was
displayed by radicals and conservatives.
The matter was precipitated two years
ago, when Roland Bernard Gelatt, then
managing editor of the Kansas City NeiUs,
was admitted into the Jewish church with
out the initlatory rite. Tine story, which is
romantic ope, was told fully at the time
in the Herald.
MR.. GELATT's CONVERSION.
Mr.. Gelatt met in Kaneas City Miss Ada
Refer, the belle of the Hebrew section. He
proposed marriage, but the religious faith
of Miss Refer and her family interfered
with any matrimonial intentions. There
upon Mr.. Gelatt applied FOR admission to
the Jewish church. When Rev. DR.. Ber-
kowitz told him he must submit to the
Abrahamic rite Mr. Gefart demurred. DR..
Berkowitz, not desiring to act upon bis own
authority, wrote a letter to the Jewish
clergy of America. The matter created
some discussion aud finally DR.. Berkowitz,
on the strength of the letters received, de-
cided to dispense with the rite. Mr.. Gelatt
made a confession Of his faith in Judaism,
his name was changed to Benjamin and on
Aug. 4. 1900, he was married to Miss Refer,
with whom he is now living In Detroit.
The substance of the committees report,
as read yesterday, was that there is nothing
in the canons of the church or in the rab-
binicai law making the iuitiatory rites
necessary to proselytes. A resolution was
offered to the effect that it be lawful and
proper for a rabbi to accept any honorable
and intelligent gentle without the formal
ity of these rites, provided he believed in
God, obeyed his laws and believed In the
mission of the Jewish race; also, that
proselyte shall be accepted by the rabbi in
the presence OF two associate rabbis. Prof.
Mielziner and Rabbi Schwab filed a minor
ity report, the former treating the matter
from a biblical, the latter from rabbiEical
standpoint
The matter was discussed in private Sos
sion and Dr. MielziDer, Rabbis Kohler,
Hecht and Moses took part. Rabbi Kohler
said that the liberal Hebrews were no longer
guided by the letter Of the Mosaic law. An
amendment to the resolution was offered,
providing that the acceptance OF a prose-
lyte should take place In the presence Of the
president and Woe president Of the congre-
cation and ten Hebrews. This was voted
down and no vote ON the resolution was
taken, the argument not being concluded at
taken this morning.
paper, bearing somewhat on the ques-
tion. was read in the afternoon by Rabbi
Kohler. The title wss ais Reform Juda-
ism Constructive or DesUructiveY
II feel called upon" began Rabbi Kohler,
''to refute the charges again and again made
against reform ideas and reform CONFER
ences, that they cause breaks and schisms
where there shonld be uuity and union in
the Jewish camp, and to emphatioally de-
clare that whatsoever single attempt may.
have given cause to fear and alarm as
threatening separation and secession, the
banner of reform at all times does stand
and shall stand for Judaism, one and insep-
arabic"
Rabbi Kohler maintained that 1t was in
evitable there should be division OF opinion
among them, but this not mar the perfect
unity in front Of the common goal After
deprecating all arbitrary acts as impeding
rather than helping reform, he said:
The great question at issue between re-
form and orthodoxy 10 not whether the law