The evening world., 1911-01-16
JEWS Of NATION
HERE TO PLAN
Church REFORM
Convention of Union of Amer
ican Congregations VIII
Open at Hotel AStor.
PLEA FOR
leader of Theological School
Tells of Emancipation From
Ghetto Bondage.
PLEA FOR MODERNISM.

The majority Of the three hundred
delegates who are coming from all parts
OF the United States to attend the
twenty-second annual council Of tho
Union OF American Congregations the
reform wing of the Jewish church, ar
4, rived early to-day at the Hotel Aston.
where the sessions will begin tomorrow
morning. Delegates from Oregon, Cali
; f%ornla, Texas and other distant points
; arrived later In the day.
. The convention will last until Thurs
DAY and Is expected to be the largest
as well as the most important ever held
: BY the Union OF American Congrega-
toTs. One OF the questions which will
cone up for most serious discussion will
bs that OF immigration and the posi-
+ J iity of the enactment of restrictive
y fsisiation by Congress in line with the
Recommendations contained In the re-
cent report OF the Congressional Com
mlttee which has been investigating
lis question for the past two years.
'-morrow's SESSION will be devoted
TO 'anization. and in the afternoon
Dr. mann Kohler, President OF the
HEIR, Mon College. where rabbls
for the reform temples # America re-
ceive their theological training. will
read a paper entitled. American Juda-
ism as Represented by tho Union OF
: american Hebrew Congregations and
the Hebrew Union College" This paper
will contain a federation of the prin-
ciples of reform.
To-day the Rev. DR.. David Philipson.
a membe of the faculty of the college
. aud nt.thAr - III. n .g--.
in Judaism" which is the authorl-
tatlve work on the reform movement,
said:
judaism must express itself ac-
cord!ng TO the changed conditions and
outlook of the world. Reform arose
in Judaism in the nineteenth century
est development and exposition in this
country. II has definitely discarded
the natiohalistic hopes of Judaism OF
n return to Palestine. and has laid en-
hRs,s on the universaIlstic interpreta-
Ion of Judaism.
The reform movement in.erprets
" udaism as a developing rel.-ion. At
rdiferent periods in It's existence II has
assumed expression In c~onsonance with
the life of the jew. and therefore in this
fnodern era, when the jew has become,
If may use the term. emancipated and
has stepped out Of the Ghetto with all
of it's civil and economic disabilities
and has become a free citizen in the
FREQ countries of the world, his religion
also has thrown Off the hampering. par
ticularistic features OF Ghetto days. In
n word, the reform movement Is the
expression OF what Is known in the
world as modernism.
a recent meeting held by the
.Zionists in this city, The Evening
World reporter said. DIR. Magnes. who
was one OF the speakers. emphasized
the importance OF Palestine as a haven
for the Jews of the lands of persecu-
ton in the event that the restrictions
proposed by the Congressional COM
mittee on immigration should become
law. What would be the attitude of
\ the reform wing of Judaism toward
Palestine and the Zionist movement in
that event?'
\ Il cannot conceive the possibility of
y law being enacted by America
Nnich would shut its doors against a
people fleeing from persecution" said
DIR. Phillipson. 1T would be contrary
TO American principles. and l doubt
whether the American people Is pre-
pared to abandon its basic principles"
Tonight the delegates will attend the
performance OF Vanity FAIR at the
New Theatre, as guests of the local COM
mittee OF entertainment; tomorrow
night there will be public exercises and
a concert at Temple Emanuel. on
Wednesday night there will be a ban
ouet which will be az dressed by Theo-
dore Roosevelt. Mayor Gaynor, oscar
Straus, Judge Josiah Cohen OF Pitts
burg, and DR.. Phllipson. The toast
master will be Jacob II. Schinf.