The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-07

"Gottesdienstiiche vortraege." the basis
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.
"'he second attempt was to found or
create some central body which would re-
move the purely personal element out of
the Reform movement In 1851 Geiger-
had called his friends to a conference at
Wiesbaden for the purpose of fcimulat-
ing what they considered to be the es-
sence OF Judaism. In 1874 a second such
rabbinical conference was held in Bruins
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 it and its friends occupied.
The Frankfort assembly not proving sat
isfactory. the Rerlin society went ahead
to establish it's own synagogue; added a
Sunday service (which in short while
became the only service). and under the
guidance of S. Holdheim definitely broke
with traditional Judaism, removing near
~ all the Hebrew from its service.
abbreviating the prayerbook still fur
Their. and diminishing the number OF
observances. In Europe this Reform
synagogue in Berlin has gone to
the furthest extreme; and though 1t
has in n measure kept its members
within the pale of Judaism. IT has Meth
er been great power nor has 1t found
imitators. The hope was generally ex-
pressed that a more general synod would
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 1t
was only after number of years that
the question was again taken up. In 1859
synod was, indeed. held at Leipsic, at
tended by eighty-one members: and in 1871
at Augsburg. attended by fifty-two. both
under the presidency of Prof. NJ. Lazarus.
These synods dealt. In 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 d 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 1t was not to be. The
synod represented only part of the Jew
ish 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
-Prussian war diverted the atten-
ton of all German citizens; and ten years
later the anti-Semitic 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, leav-
ing to another Iand-America-the task of
carrying further the work which it had
Yet, in spite of this arrested
development, the Reform movement has
had 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 it called forth by way OF oppo-
sition the neo-orthodoxy of s. r. Hirsch.
of Frankfort. which seeks rather to I'M
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 its traces. and espe-
cialIy in the Conservative congregation
has succeeded in introducing a service
more in consonance with our modern
ideas of worship.
In 1910, 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
small-the shortening of 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,
ana 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 classed as thor
oughly conservative.
1t was in the United States that the
Reform movement developed its full ca
pacity and bore its most perfect fruit. In
a new land. which was untrammeled by
of the past, and where the
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
and the formation of the So
ciety seems to have been due. not only to
the demand for an aesthetic service, but
10 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
intii the advent from Germany in the
50s and COS of rabbits who had been in
iuenced by the movement in Germany
that reform commenced to make itself
felt here Merzbacher in New York Isaac
NJ Wise in Albany and Cincinnati. s.
Ifirsch in Philadelphia. David Einhorn in
are only few of the names
IF those who fought in the thick of the
light About the year 1913 the first real
Reform CONGREGATIONS were established