Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-21
STATISTICS OF CHURCHES.

STATISTICS OF CHURCHES.
| What the Census Publications State Abou
Various Denominations.
/ THE JEWISH CONGREGATIONS IN AMERICA-THI
/ FIRST COMPANY CAME FROM BRAzIL-rHI
| QUAKERs AND THEIR VARIOUS SUBDIVISIONS
THE sPIRIrUALIsrs. THEIR HISTORY AND rHEII
DISTRIBUTION.
| valuable feature Of the bulletins issued BY
the census Office, containing the statistics Of
churches. is the condensed history which il
given Of each denomination and the statement
Of the peculiar religious belief held. The last
| bulietin issued contains the statistics OF the
Reformed church in America, Reformed church
in the United States, Christian Reformed church,
Orthodox Jewish congregations, Reformed
Jewish congregations, four bodies of Friends,
six bodies of Reformed and Associate Reformed
Presbyterians and the Spiritualists
| THE REFORMED CHURCHES.
| There are three Reformed churches in the
United States. the chief of which are the Re-
| formed church in America and the Reformed
| church in the United States. The Reformed
churches belong to the Presbyterian family in
polity and doctrine. though their standards are
cal terms differ somewhat from those generally
used by the Presbyterian churches. They have
consstories instead of sessions, classes instead
OF presbyteries and general synods instead of
general assemblies The origin of the Reformed
church in America is traced to the Reformed
church of Holland; that of the Reformed
church in the United States to the Reformed
church in Germany. For the sake of distinc-
ton the former is popularity called the Re
formed Dutch and the latter the Reformed
German church. These two bodies, both of
which looked for aid and direction to the
classes of Amsterdam until late III the eigh-
teenth century. agreed in 1891, through their
general synods. upon plan of federal union,
by which. if it is ratified by these classes while
each retains Its autonomy, a community of i'll
terest will be established respecting missionary
and educational matters ami federal synod
representing both churches and having advi-
sorry powers, will be held annually.
THE JEWISH CONGREGATIONS.
The first company Of Jews in this country.
according to this bulletin, came from Brazil in
l6oA. The first synagogue was established in
Mill street, New York city, now known as Broad
street. 1t was called the Shearith Israel Rem
nant OF Israe), and the society is still in active
existence, occupying building on West 10Th
street. As according to custom ten males
above the age of thirteen can form Jewish
congregation, it is quite probable that there
was Jewish worship before the first synagogue
was opened, although it was doubtless con-
Quoted with some secrecy, as a petition to the
authorities OF New Amsterdam in 1855 for the
privilege of exercising the rites of the Jewish
religion was denied. mo public worship so
ran the reply, lis tolerated by act of assembly
but to those that profess faith in Christ"
Later some of the Jews in New FORK removed
to Newport, L. l., and there held regular
services, securing In 1853 a synagogue to which
the chief contributors were Sons of the minister
OF the congregation, the Rev. Isaac Touro.
One Of these sons. Abraham Touro, gave
sl0,OOO for the completion of the Bunker Hill
monument. Jewish congregations were organ
lzed In Savannah Ga, In 1888: In Lancaster,
Pa, in l776: in Philadelphia in 1850 and 1892.
and in Charleston, S. C., in 1891. Or these
congregations those in the south and one Of
those IN Philadelphia used the ritual of the
Portuguese Jews. the others that of the Ger
man Jews.
The Jews of America have no religious head
Each congregation Is autonomous and respon-
slble to Its members only. 1t is said that an
effort in New York to bring the orthodox con-
gregations under the care of a chief rabbi is
not wholly satisfactory. The statistics of jew
ish congre legations are not frequently or period
Ically gathered, as Is the custom of most re-
hgious denominations; but twice at least in the
last forty years efforts have been made to as
certain the number OF Jewish congregations in
the United States, once i'll 1854 and again in
1880. According to the earlier report there
were In 1884 ninety-seven regularly organized
congregations, of which thirty in the state of
New York. The latter count was made under the
auspices of the board of delegates of American
lsraelites and the union of Hebrew congreca-
tons, and 1t required several years to complete
the compilation. The results, which have been re-
garded as quite accurate, indicated the xistence
OF 2IO congregations, with II. SAG members or
about 5V,OOO communicates. The value OF the
real estate held by tine congregations was re-
turned at "a, 7O6 100 with,,other property aggre-
eating II. 497, S7o, or total of Sc, 2O4 SIS ex-
elusive Of burying grounds.
The work OF gathering the statistics of the
Jewish congregations for the eleventh census
was committed to Mr.. Philip Cowen of the
american He6retc, who spared no pains
to secure full and accurate returns. The
tables presented herewith show that there are
now 533 congregations of Orthodox and Re-
formed Jews. with 1870, 496 communicates. 1t
should be noted that In Jewish CONGREGATIONS
tine head of a family only is counted The
members of the family are represented nv one
PRISON. The number given as COMMITMENTS
therefore, does not indicate the number OF
members of a synagogue. Members of families
may. on attaining their majority, rent a pew
and be counted as member of a synagogue or
temple, but they seldom do SO until thew have
a household OF their own. The two branches
or schools have together 30l edifices with n
seating capacity of l39. 234. Besides these eti-
hces, 81 halls, &c, are occupied by congrega-
tons These halls have a seating capacity of
perry Is s9,Id,275, indicating an increase in
ten years of S3.549,697. In the same period
the number OF COMMITMENTS advanced from
$4,000 TO 100. 496. Much of this extraordinary
increase Is due. of course, to . large immigra-
ton.
There are two branches or schools of Thought
in the Jewish religion, commonly designated
the orthodox and the reformed The attemnt
Is here made to tabulate the statistics In ac-
eordance with this classification Ii is difficult
however, In some cases to know how to draw
the lines. Under the above heading those con-
gregations are embraced which adhere to the
ancient rites and ceremonies, observing the
Bible as expounded and expanded by the
prophets and rabbis. The orthodox Jews ac-
cept the Schulchan Aruch as authoritative in
all its requirements. 1t il a codification. made
by Rabbi Joseph karo in the middle OF the
sixteenth century. of the laws and ceremonies
expounded by the rabbis of the Talmud and
handed down from generation to generation by
tradition IL provides tor the m,nut,s st details
of Jewish life, and those who accept 1t con-
slider It AS binding as the law OF Moses itself
Under this classification are included all
Jewish congregations which do not recognize as
absolute the authority OF the Schulchan Arucn
In some cares the departure from orthodoxy is
slight. as In worshIping with the hat Off the
mingling of the sexes III the synagogue or tenn
pie and the introduction of the organ and
female choir.
THE FRIENDS
The Friends. or QuaAers, as they are often