Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-01-29

of the London Society for Promoting
Christianity Among Jews, it is stated
that so far from, the problem of the
effective evangelization of these Jewish
millions having been solved. 1t is to be
feared that the magnitude of the under
taking has not ever yet been realized
"As to the Jewish problem in New
ark, statistics say hat We have but
twelve congregations with a member
ship of LOSE, while ] have found here
twenty congregations with a m
ship of more than 1900 persons.
Il know that this number is moi large
enough to cover the many smaller con-
gregations, which flourish in the vari-
Gus Talmud Torah halls, in private
houses and in lodges.
Assuming that this condition is
duplicated In the country at large, at
tachment of u people to the syna-
gogue is by far more extensive and in
tensive han WI had imagined.
1T is well-nigh impossible at the
present time to give an ~accurate num-
Der of synagogues and the membership
in the United States. They are scat
tered over such a vast territory with
out any central body, which has under
taken more than a desultory census of
them.
I'm a recent report issued by the gov
eminent 1t was stated hat the total
number of synagogues in the country,
in 1906, was 1859, with a membership of
101 ,457 heads of families. But this fig
ure is too small, according to the rec
ords of the Jewish Publication Society,
which had enumerated up to that time
nearly 100 more synagogues.
II have counted from reports as
many as Ella In the United States, and
1 1853 of them consisting of large and
small congregations in the great as
well as In the small towns. give a mem
| bership of over 100, $40, or an average
of eighty-six members to a congrega-
ton. At his rate some 945 congrega-
tions would aggregate a membership
of 81. go, or a grand total of 1871 $40.
"If it be considered hat every mem
Der on the average is the head of a
family, representing at least three per-
sons, them We have a population oil
545, $50, which is under the guidance OF
the synagogue. With a Jewish popula
ton of 1.777,1S5 in this country, as it is
estimated, by whom 2,114 synagogues
are supported. we find that there is on
the average n temple for every SAC
Jews.
This does not include the many
thai are not recorded. but
of whose existence there is little doubt.
1.-THE utilization of Jews with their
houses OF worship, in the country at
large, is on the whole not unsatisfac-
tory, and by far not SO bad as our
friends as we'll as Dur foes would have
us believe.
Even In New York city conditions
are not and cannot be as bad as pic
tured. Reports, show something like
56S ~synagogues in that city, and 25s
of them reported a membership of &c,
So4 persons, or 1903 to a church.
ESTIMATING he Jewish population
of New York at $50. 900 persons. we have
600 percentage of Jews belonging tc
congregations.
"Dr. Walter A. Laidlaw, in his Study
of the Jews of New York as Observed
in Ten Years Investigation made this
statement himself in 1905:
"'In that whole section of Manhattan
south of Fourteenth street. east Of
broadway. there are more synagogues
than there are Protestant churches ir
the whole island
"That is a startling statement. but
I believe it to be true, for there are tc
my knowledge less thar $50 Protestant
churches on Manhattan Island.
Therefore 7 would assure you tha'
we cannot analvze the full extent Of
the devotion OF the working people a
large to the synagogue and Judaism"