The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-14
THE JEWISH SABBATH.
Will Remain as for Centuries
Past.

Mobile Register.
The conference of American Rabbits de-
cided. after due consideration, not to
merge the Jewish Sabbath into the Chris
tian Sunday. the argument being that,
although the Sabbath Is not and cannot be
fifty observed In this country. where Jews
are not segregated but from an indistin-
guishable part Of every community, there
are traditions and sentiments clustered
about the day that make 1t inadvisable to
recommend any change.
Judaism Is essentially conservative 1t
owes its existence to the tenacity with
which 1t held to the old forms in the
old times, and 1t holds now to these
forms, even when the belief in the efficacy
of the old forms is relaxed. We know
that the idea that Judaism Is racial In
character is combatted by some Of the
brightest minds in the congregation, and
the claim Is made that the religion Is the
cement of the racef and not the race
the fosterer' of the religion. but the
fact that the race has outgrown its forms
of religion is presumptive Of the depen-
dency of the religion upon the race and
not the race upon the religion. Said
Rabbi Leon Harrison of st. Louis.
cat present the first day of the week,
or Sunday. is established as the day of
of the land and universal custom compel
us to desist from labor on Sunday. Can
Jews abstain from labor also on the
seventh day or the Jewish Sabbath? Can
we consecrate the day as of old by rest
and worship? While inhabiting compul-
sorry or voluntary ghettoes the Jews could
observe and hallow their own day of rest.
Today they are part of the busy world.
They must struggle with their fellows tor
a livelihood. They cannot do six days
work in five days time. They cannot
rest on the legal day and on their own
Sabbath. too The literal might quote
from the fourth commandment not only
the words, Remember the Sabbath day to
keep 1t holy but also six days shai'
thou labor
Thus II Is evident that the Jews could
only preserve their own Sabbath inviolate
by establishing distinct community mere
like the Seventh-Day Christians or by
again reviving Jewish state. So the
Jewish Sabbath has waned. the eXigen-
cies of life have bereaved it Of its sanctl-
ty and beauty. The ancient benediction
of the Jewish father, the tender chants
the Sabbath lights, the tireside liturgy
the oasis of domestic peace ana love on
the Sabbath eve. have well-nish vanished
in the Jewish home And Herewith the
tanning the hollow form, without SINGER
nv or truth. The synagogue on the Jew
Ish sabbath is wcll-nigh empty, the men
are away and at work, the women ana
children even largely absent. Because OF
these deplorable facts we have Instituted
services on Sunday as well as on the Jew
| ish Sabbath We began with rehsiouS
| Iectures We have added services OF
sunday to the lectures. 1t Is thorough!
| Jewish and even orthodox to nave publ'
religious services on any and every DAY
| Of the week. We wish men ana womc'
not to believe that Judaism means
lecture bureau. We wish men anu "o
men not to believe that Judaism mchn'
a lecture bureau. We wish to encourage
and elicit worship. the religious sonu
n,ent and above all, active participation
| IN da,otion and in deed. Is this service
then an institution Of convenience! NO
it is begotten of necessity.
| We have deliberately changed our STAND
point. We are not Orientals uproote'
| and cxiled and yearnine for restoration
we are not a peculiar people believing II
separatism, desiring isolation even In
multitude and dividing ourselves iron
mankind by peculiar garments. stranS
diet. foreign language OF devotion. ou
reform movement has largely originated
| from this change OF StdHui'ii', q" Wv -
not now a foreign colony, but cltlzens ant
men among men,"
| This ia a confession that the form re
mains after its usefulness is impaire'
and this fact is a tribute to the immobtli
ty of the race. No sudden change Is I
be expected. BY this We mean no chang
lin fifty or one hundred years--a moment
time when compared to the history OF thu
people: but it would be a denial of IN
force Of intellectual evolution to say tina
the change will not come, or that Judal
will not recognize that the Sabbath wa
made for man, not man for the Sabbath