The times., 1901-04-07


! munity, but in no way further regulating
the communal life. When the Reform
tendencies commenced TO make them
selves felt in the larger Jewish communi-
ties, the Orthodox members safeguarded
their own interests by making use OF the
! law passed in 1873, mainly through the
efforts of the Jew Lasker, which enabled
the people to declare themselves con
| fessionslos" and form their own syna-
gogues. thus nearing in a measure the
system followed in English speaking
countries In England and America no
| such organization was effected, as the
state does not there take cognizance of
| the religious belief of the people. In both
| these countries attempts have been made
by the Jews themselves to organize under
! one head upon a purely religious basis,
! but without much success. In France
there is a Chief Rabbi of the Jews who is
| recognize by the State as their rabbi
| and head. But the Chief Rabbi of the
Jews in the British Empire, though ne is
| nominally the head of the Jews in the
/ kingdom, has no actual position as such.
and is even not recognized by certain
schools of Jews themselves. The Sefar-
dim, or descendants Of Spanish and Portu-
/ guese Jews, have always kept themselves
distinct, and have their own Chief Rabbi,
or Haham. In the year 1910, the more
| liberal-minded element among the Lon
don Jews cut themselves loose from the
| United Synagogue and formed Reform
party, their example being followed in
| Manchester and Bradford. Neither they
/ nor the recent immigrants from Russia,
who have formed their own Federation
! of Synagogues recognize the authority
| of the Chief Rabbi. This more congrega-
| tional system has been carried to its ut
most limits in the United States, where
| each congregation is a law unto itself
and absolutely rejects any interference
/ on the part of any larger body. From
! time to time a desire has been manifest
ed to supersede this purely congregation
al system by some form of union. The
late DR. Isaac NJ Wise. of Cincinnati,
had at various times attempted to bring
| the Jews of the United States together
with an authoritative synod at their
| head Out of this and other attempts have
! come the Central Conference of Ameri-
| can Rabbis and the Union of American
| Congregations 6ounded in 1879, which
| now comprises about ninety-one congre-
cations These organizations, however.
| do not by any means represent either all
| of the Jewish ministers or all OF the Jew
| ish congregations, and the Union itself is
merely a deliberative body having no
power to do anything in the internal af-
fairs of one of it's constituent synagogues
Since the union of American Jewish con-
gregations comprises only such as stand
upon Reform platform, a union of Or
thodox congregations was formed in New
York two or three years ago. and it is
| hoped that this organization will do much
toward binding together the very many
congregations of those who adhere strict
ly to traditional Judaism.
But the organization of Jews as a
Church has not been found sufficient
Spread over so large a portion of the
earth and coming under such varying in
fuences, it was inevitable that the theo-
logical differences which already existed
should grow apace, and great cleavage
be made between the Orthodox and the
Reform wing of the synagogue. 1t was
early felt that some more secular bond
must he found which should unite the
Jews of various persuasions for common
and concerted action. The first attempt
in this direction was nobly made by Mar
cisse Leven Eugene Emanuel Charles
Meter. and a few others, in founding
0SS0) the alliance Israelite Universelle
in Paris whose object 1t was TO aid in
removing Jewish disabilities wherever
they might exist. and to raise the spiritual
condition OF their coreigionists in North
ern Africa, Eastern Europe, and Western
Asia by the founding Of schools. From
these small beginnings the Alliance has
grown to be an important factor in the
conservation of Jewish interests. Faith
full TO it's programme. il has established
a large number Of elementary and techni-
cal schools. and has interviewed actively
in Algeria Morocco. the Turkish Empire
and Persia whenever Jews or Jewish in
terests were in any way threatened. It's
attempt, however, to represent the whole
Jewish people has not been successful: for
the reason that il has been allied too
closely with French national interests and
side by side with the Alliance Fran
caise" ii has been an active propagandist
of the French language and of French
culture in the East. This one-sidedness Of
its work is best seen in the fact that by
its side similar organizations have been
created In other countries. "the Board of
United States, the Anglo-Jewish Associ-
alton" in England, the Israentisch Ali
ance" in Austria, and the "Deutsche Ge-
melndebund' in Germany. At one time 1t
was hoped that the. B'nai Birth. estab-
lished in this country in 1913. by Isidor
Busch, julius Bien, and others would
form such union of Jews where the
theological differences would be elimi-
mated. But though this order. which has
3l5 lodges In the United States and Cam
ada has established itself I'm such coun-
tries as Germany, Roumania, Austria, AL
geria, Bulgaria and Egypt, and despite
the good work 1t has so far done, the mere
fact that 1t is a secret Organiza ton pre-
vents It from standing forth as the repre-
sentative of international Jewry. Where,
then, and in what manner is such a body
to be found?
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.
The economic condition of the Jews in
the large Eastern European Ghettos is,
naturally, extremely bad. Huddled to-
gether, either in certain districts OF large
towns or in villages where they form the
greater part Of the population, they are
compelled to live off and on each other
Crowded into certain walks of life by
anti-Jewlsh legislation or anti-Jewish
sentiment. few of them can gain more
than sufficient to keep body and soul to-
gether In Galicia it has been estimated
that five thousand Jews perish every year
from typhus-fever. The Jewish wax-min-
ers in BoTysaN, to take but one instance
were forced out of the mines and reduced
TO utter starvation for no other reason