Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-28
FLOCK TO HEAR PLAN
Hebrews Interested in Dr..
Wise's Synagogue Scheme.
FOR FREE INSTITUTION
Purpose is to Have a Temple for Jews
and Non-Jews.
AID FREEDOM AND HOSPITALITY
New Institution Will Also Stand for
Universal Brotherhood,
He Declares.
AID FREEDOM AND HOSPITALITY


NEW YORK, January 2S.-Hebrews all
| over the world are deeply interested in the
movement of the Rev. DIR. Stephen s. Wise
for the founding Of a free synagogue
The first OF series Of meetings looking
| TO the completion of the plans was held
| In the Hudson Theater in West 44th street.
yesterday morning, and was attended by
an audience that filled the theater. DIR.
Wise's address was followed with the clos
est attention, and when he finished there
was slight ripple of applause, which he
promptly silenced
Dr. Wise was the rabbi in Portland, Ore,
VINO was invited by the trustees Of the
Temple Emanuel of this city to consider
call to that synagogue. After a con-
versation with the trustees DR.. Wise re-
FUSED to consider the call. In his address
yesterday on What is a Free Synagogue?''
pr. Wise referred to this incident. He said
| synagogue in this city passed a resolution
| IN which they declared that the rabbi
should be under the direction of the trus-
| tees on the congregation. His address, in
| part was as follows:
Free Synagogue Purpose.
The free synagogue is not to be So
ciety lot the gradual conversion Of Jewish
| men and women to any form of Chris
tianity We mean to be vitality, intensely,
| unequivocally Jewish. Jews who would
not be Jews will find no place in the free
be not less Jewish but more Jewish in the
highest sense Of the term
me me. free synagogue will not knowingly
or "illngly antagonize any section or fac
tion IN Jewry. Its office will be not to OBJ
pcse, put 10 cooperate; not to antagonize
put TO reinforce; not to deny, but to affirm;
not to destroy and overthrow hut TO nIant
and upbuild. The appeal Of the free svna
gcgue Is designed primarily to reach those
WITHOUT synagogue anchorage, and there
are are tens OF thousands of such persons in
tnls section of our great CITY, in proof of
Which note the trebling Of the Jewish pop,,-
| laton IN twenty years and the standstill
ana ana worse of Jewish congregational life.
Inc appeal OF the free synagogue is how
| ever, to all Jews who will in good time no
reached. as the synagogues of the civ
state and nation come to be influenced Nv
me persuasiveness Of the ideals of the free
synagogue.
To Bring Message.
'one feature Of the larger program of
tne Tree synagogue is to interpret the Jew
10 hfmseit and to bring the message of Jew
ism life and letters to the world: to helm the
Jew rightly to prize his ancient heritage
ana the non-Jew to understand the sufficino
reason for 1sraels fealty The wav to do
TINS Will be to establish lecture courses and
ciass room instruction in Hebrew and cog
RaeE tongues, BIBLICAL literature and post
6fnhcal studies, medieval and modern
| rms instruction will be free to Jews and
| non-Jews. to men and women alike
| to-, 1iuahsm. elaborate, ornate, cathedral
Ecu, Is not OF the essence of the free syna-
gogue Prayer and aspiration are. but not
| prayer petrified into soulless ritualism.
which. think you. is further removed from
| na W. 'swlsh ideals. the coming together
NJ tba
| jewish wing, with endless song and liturgy
| ana genuf1ection and with barely a word
touching the things-the vital things for
| which the synagogue stands: and that word
| mlnlmized in every way-or an assemble of
| jewish men and women, meeting together
| on the one day in the week on which men
anu anu women can meet together, to renew
their ioyaity TO the Jewish bond, to reassert
| their resolution to carry out the obliga-
| tons of the Jewish mission.
Gave Sabbath to World.
We have not merely given the Sab
bath to the world. but we seem to have
given 1t away SO generously that we have
little or none of 1t left for ourselves Re-
cause we cannot have the seventh-day Sab
path, shall We have no Sabbath? Even
| though the earliest observance of the first
| day Sabbath was anti-Jewish in character
shall We forever refrain from meeting for
worship on that day, which in this land
and In all European lands is the legal dav
OF rest! II the Jews could and would
quite generally, and they neither can nor
Will, observe the Sabbath, it would still he,
the duty OF the synagogue to proclaim the
message of the Jew to men on the one
| gay t IN me the week in which it is possible to
reach them II we must sacrifice the form
or the Sabbath, We will conserve its SUBJ
stance; II we must surrender the letter of
the sabbath observance, we will retain and
magnify the spirit of Sabbath aspiration
and Sabbath conservation.
Inc rree synagogue will be free from
peWs, and the new system, supported not
by fixed dues and assessments but solely
by voluntary contributions, with member.
ship free and open to the smallest con-
tr1butors upon equal terms with the largest
| with membership and Office holding free.
and open to women equally with and on the
same terms as men, The free and pewless
synagogue will stand for freedom, hospital-
tty, inclustveness, brotherhood and will
thereby seek to reasSert the demorratIc
ideal of Israel.
A Real Peril.
"a real peril to the fast-waning influence
of church and synagogue alike inheres in
the present system of church membership.
This gives countenance to the widespread
notion that the churches are dominated by
the rich. that the church has no MESA ge
or apostleshfp to the poor, that ministers
are among the paid lackeys of the powerful
rich, and that the churches are the strong
hold and support of plutocracy
1.-The idea has gone forth that there are
congregations kept solely together by
graveyards. On the outer door of the free
synagogue there shall not be emilia zoned
the name of a sexton, but within there shall
| be blazoned the words, Love thy neighbor
as thyseh
"As for the pulpit of the free synagogue
and the man who is to stand therein,
preaching to my people in Portland for the
| first time seven years ago, I SAID Ny pull
| pit must be Free and it was free. One
year ago, preferring hard liberty to the
easy woke of servile pomp. said to
group Of men proffering ne the pulpit of
the congregation they represented, If
accept call to your pulpit, 1t must be free
and unmuzzled.' What followed is known
to you This day it is not needful to saw
that the pulpit of the synagogue we are to
found shall be free, for my co-founders