Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-11-18
JEWISH WOMEN.

An Interesting SESSION u IA6 OOu1Vll
Held Yesterday---A Number Of
Wdghty Matters Under Considora-
ton.
New York November 17.-Promptly
at the appointed hour, the third session
of the first annual convention of the
National Council of Jewish Women
opened to-day, with Mrs. Hannah G.
Solomon in the chair, and a goodly at
tendance of delegates and visitors. The
session was given over to three OF the
most important standing committees
reports from which were read by their
chairmen. The first was the report Oh
Miss Julia Felsenthal, OF chicago
chairman of the committee on religion.
One purpose of the council, the report
said was TO arouse the interest OF
American Jewesses in Judaism us III
erature, history and Bible o,.
I'VE have lost" it continued, the
reverential spirit that peryaded the eN-
erv action of our ancestors. That splr-
il cannot be restored but It may be SUD
stituted by a nobler pride.
I'VE believe especially that the CEN
trail plan of our work must be to stFeg-
then the pivotal point of our religious
actively and to help TO energize the
waning interest in divine worship.
we are endeavoring to change
dormant spirit of apathy into a desire
for knowledge"
The national committee on religion
school work, Miss Julia Richman' Oh
New York. chairman, was the second
to submit it's report.
81 claim for our committee, SAID
Miss Richman. mot only the key to the
nermanent usefulness Of the Nauonal
Council of Jewish Women but the key
to the permanence OF all true earnest
spiritual Judaism.
Chief among the defects OF the peTes-
ent Sunday school sytem, according 10
Miss Richman. are the Improperly
trained teachers, a complicated plan
of work. lack of cooperation between
narents and the school, and the an
sence of spiritual aims at home. ohe
recommended. among other things, tue
formation of infant and post-conhrH-
alton classes. the establishment OF nor
NAL classes for the training OF teach-
ers and the introduction OF a more
sniritual tone in the Sabbath schools.
After Miss Felsenthal had finished
reading the report OF the commute Ul
religion. Mrs Sarah P. Lyons OF Ills
city. asked the privilege OF the looi,
IT understand" said the chairman
that Mrs. Lyons has minority report
to offer. ~, NJ,
Il beg your pardon" replied Mrs.
Lyons. 1T is a majority report.
Thereupon Mrs. Lyons proceeded 10 |
utter her protest against that portion
of Miss Flesenthars report which !
makes r. ference to Miss Claude Month |
flores criticism of the Bible.
Or. Morals. of Philadelphia, has de-
clare1 that the MOntitiOre criticism is |
detrimental to Judaism declared Mrs. |
Lyons.
Here Miss Bessie Myers. Of Albany, |
asked DR.. BerkowitZ, Of Philadelphia, !
TO give his opinion of the question at !
issue
He expressed himself as loath to dis
cuss the matter and doubted the WIS !
dom of the councils taking up the dis |
cussion of theological themes. Il will |
say. however" he added, that the |
Jewish Chautauqua Society did recon- |
mend the Montifore critique with GER
tain reservations. This is all care TO !
say on the subject at this time
The report of the national commit |
tee on religion as submitted by Miss
Felsenthal. was then adopted, Mrs.
Lyons alone dissenting.
Mrs. Hanna Marks, of Cincinnati,
moved a resolution that the members
of the council use their influence to
stop the desecration of the Jewish Sab
bath by shopping, social gatherings and
visiting. The resolution was unani-
mOusly adopted.
Reports of the work performed by
the industrial and Sunday schools in
the various sections were then submit
ted and adopted.