The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-16
Jewish and Christian Missionary
Movements.

The religious indifference, or at least
the indifference to institutional religion,
of which Christian preachers are now
complaining, il also cause of much
discussion among the Jews Frequent
reference was made TO it in papers read
at the late Council Of Jewish Women at
Baltimore a. one of the most serious OBJ
stacles in the way of the new move
ments recently organized for a revival Of
Judaism
Among Jews no less than among
Christians it il women especially who are
most active in keeping the lamp Of re-
ligion burning; but. as the Jerish Com
ment remarks, the religious activity OF
the women only brings out the indiffer-
ence of the men in stronger light" Syna-
gogue attendance continues IA unsatis-
factory as ever, and even the women
themselves are accused Of neglectng
that duty 10 an ominous extent In dis
cussing the causes Of this indifference,
Mrs MELIpA PApPE said at Baltimore
that chief among them is a general
lethargy Of mind when II comes to any,
thing beyond material cares and amuse-
ment, and these particular evidences Of
that condition presented by her might
be applied to Christians also:
The men are too much absorbed in business.
they are too glad TO rest whenever absence from
the club or card table Is permitted. to take much
interest In snythlng else. Nos, OF them hs rdy
conscious that they have any other lie than the
ply steal. With the women II Is exactly the same
care for the physical oniy-snd amusement"
Miss SADIE AMERICAN, the corre-
spending secretary of the council, also
spoke Of "a very general Indifference
to matters of religion on the part Of
the average jew and Jewess, even of
those who yield it, more or less, per-
functory adherence, and especially Of
the younger generation. Fear of the
LORD and the Law. which drove many to
observe rite and follow ritual has dis
appeared, and reverence is not taking
its place. Emphasis is laid on the
identity Of Righteousness and religion
until there seems no need, if one is right
eous, for any other manifestation of
religion Here, too, the application to
Christians likewise is not less apparent.
The most passionate contemporary
Jewish movement for the revival of the
old religious faith is inquest ionably the
Zionite movement to make Jerusalem
the capital of distinctively Jewish State
and the centre from which shall proceed
the spirit which will put new life into
Judaism. Accordingly. Rabbi SILVER
MANS recent sermons in opposition to
Zionism are vigorously and even vio-
lently resented as treacherous to his
race and its religion. and the Federation
of American Iionists has arranged to
have reply made to his arguments at
the Temple Emanuel next Thursday
evening
The great increase of the Jews in this
country has induced these movements to
restrain any tendencies there may be
among them to disintegration as a race
and 10 fall away from their religion, and
We are likely to hear very much Of these
agencies in the years to come. They
missionary movements. Why is it,"
asked Mrs. PAPPE at Baltimore, that
Jews shrink so from the word mission
AIRY OF course, she said, we are
not PROSECUTING people, neither have
we any one TO save from hell or from the
wrath Of an angry GOD, but we have
many who need salvation, that is, mental
and moral well-being
Meantime organized efforts to arouse
missionary enthusiasm in great Christian
Churches are proceeding on an extraor-
dinarly large and wide scale,