The times., 1901-04-07


OF nearly all the work done after him.
but which was evidently written to give
the history of preaching in the synagogue
in order to Justify the shortening OF the
ritual and the Introduction of the Ger
man sermon.
The second attempt was TO found or
create some central body which would re-
move the purely personal element cut OF
the Reform movement. In 1881 Geiger-
had called his friends 10 a conference at
Wiesbaden for the purpose of fctnulat-
ing what they considered TO be the es-
sence OF Judaism. In 1914 second such
rabbinical conference was held in Bruns-
wick. largely at the suggestion OF l.
Philippson. Similar conferences were held
at Frankfort in 1915. and at Breslau in
1886; for in the meantime the Reform
Genossenschaft had been created at Ber-
lin. which went beyond all previous at
tempts and demanded some positive
statement of the theological POSITION
which il and It's friends occupied
The Frankfort assembly not proving sat
isfactory. the RerIia society went ahead
to establish It's own synagoS aided
Sunday service (which in a short while
became the only service) aud under the
guidance of s. Holdhein definitely broke
with traditional Judaism. removing near
ly all the Hebrew from it's service.
abbreviatiug the prayerbook still fur
ther. and diminishing the number Of
observanees. In Europe this Reform
synagogue in Berlin has gone to
the furthest extreme; and though 1t
has in a measure kept its members
vrsfff ha rN.Io Of T.t2a fac h
er been great power nor has 1t found
imitators. The hope was generally ex-
pressed that a more general synod wculd
be held, to which the previous confer
ences were looked upon as simply pre-
paratory. The year 1913, however, put
a stop to all normal development; and il
was only after number of years that
the question was again taken up. In 1883
a synod was, indeed. held at LeIpsic, at
tended by eighty-One members; and in 1871
at Augsburg. attended by ifty-two. both
under the presidency of Prof NJ. Lazarus.
These synods dealt. in a spirit Of moder-
ate reform, with questions relating to the
ritual, synagogue observance, the adniis-
sion of proselytes. etc. The general stand
there taken would today be looked upon
as conservative: dogmatic questions were
hardly touched upon excepting so far as
they recognized the principle OF develop
ment in Judaism both as a religious be-
lief and as a form OF religious exercise.
1t was fondly hoped that these synOds
would become. a court. which would de-
fine and regulate whatever questions
might arise. But il was not to be. The
synod represented only a part Of the Jew
ism world even in Germany. Not only
did the large body of the Orthodox stand
aside, but even the so-called Conserva-
tives left the conferences. as they could
not agree with some of the resolutions
accepted there. In addition TO this. the
Franco-P -Prussian war diverted the atten-
ton Of all German citizens: and ten years
later the anti-Senitic movement succeed
ed in driving the jew back into himself.
Jewish religious life in Germany has
therefore remained stationary since that
time the Orthodox and Conservative par
ties being largely in the ascendant, Ieav-
ing to another land-America-the task of
carrying further the work which IL had
commenced. Yet. in spite Of this arrested
development. the Reform movement has
had a great influence also upon Orthodox
Jews in Germany. IL produced the so
called historical school, which has the
BresIau Theological Seminary for its cen
tire: and il called forth by way Of OppO-
sition the neo-OrthodOxy of s r. Hirsch.
of Frankfort. which seeks rather TO un-
derstand the depths of the law than sim
ply to follow it in compliant obedience
The aesthetic movement of the earlier
period has also left it's traces. and espe-
ciaIIy in the Conservative congregation
has succeeded in introducing service
more in consOnance with our modern
ideas of worship.
In 1870 under the influence of the move
ment in Germany, the attempt was made
to introduce a certain reform in the ser
vice of some of the London synagOgues
The measure demanded was exceedingly
smaIl-the shortening of a few prayers
and the omission of others, which were
not supposed TO be in consonance with
present ideas. The Orthodox party did
not. however, see it's way to grant these
requests; and when the Reformers pro-
tested, established their own synagogue,
and issued their own prayer-bOok, they
were Immediately placed under the ban
both by the Sefardim and the Ashkena-
zim This congregation has not been OF
much Importance and since its inception
has made no further changes. Compared
with the reform in America, the English
movement would still be cIassed as thor
oughIy conservative.
1t was in the United States that the
Reform movement developed its fun ca
pacity and bore its most perfect fruit In
a new land. which was untrammeled by
traditions of the past. and where the
tional system became the basis
of Jewish communal life. the ideas which
the German RefOrmers had sOwn had a
most fruitful ground in which TO grow.
1t cannot be said that the Reform move
ment here was actually started by the
Germans. for already, in 1925. one of the
in Charleston. s c.. made
up almost entirely of Sefardic Jews. had
developed The Reformed Society of Is
raeiites;' and the formation Of the so
ciety seems to have been due. not only to
the demand for an aesthetic service. but
to an attempt to formulate a creed which
should omit all reference to the coming
Of the Messiah. the return to Palestine,
and the bodily resurrection. This attempt
at formulating a Theistic Church. how
ever, was unsuccessful; and it was not
until the advent from Germany in the
50s and Sos of rabbis who had been in
duenced by the movement in Germany
that reform commenced to make itself
felt here. Merzbacher in New York. Isaac
NJ Wise in Albany and Cincinnati. 5.
IIirsch in Philadelphia. David Einhorn in
Baltimore, are only few of the names
Df those who fought in the thick of the
fight About the year 1873 the first real
Reform congregations were established