The Denver Jewish news., 1919-07-23
Jewish Reconstruction.
By DIR. JOSEPH sILvERSl.AN Of
Temple Emanuel, New York.

(Contiuua tion.)
To outline definitely the possibilities
Of Jewish reconstruction as far as
congregational activities are concern
ed. would say that they may be
considered under the following five
headings:
"a Religious Services.
(2) Religious School.
/ (3) Charitable and Educational En-
deavOrs.
II t4) Social and Ethical Development.
1 CO.. Relation to Communal and Eth
ical Affairs.
~ Religious Services
These must be modern. but based on
historical or traditional lines. There
must be no abrupt break with the past
whilst serving the present and main
tanning an outlook into the future. The
religious services should be invested
with spontaneity, with newness, with a
certain freshness and zest that lift the
mind and heart of the worshipers out
of the rut into which fixed ritual
has thrown them for. many years Col,-
sregational participate In the service
is one method OF acquiring spontane-
ity. Its introduction is imperative, if
interest is to be aroused and held. In
other words; congregation at services
4 must not be an audience, but body
Of active worshipers.
IIpOrder to attain the best results at
religious services the men and women
who attend must not only be worship
! ers. but students. They must attend
with the intention of w0rshiping God,
attuning their souls to the highest ac-
cents OF prayer and inspiration, and
in addition must be in a receptive
state Of mind SC that they can receive
the message that comes FROM prayer,
song, Bible and sermon The usual
critical attitude of modern congrega-
tions is highly detrimental to worship
and to the spiritual benefit that should
result from. attending divine services.
Instead trip hammer for carping
criticism, the worshiper' should hold
himself ready for the expression Of
sympathetic appreciation. Then and
only then can he leave the synagog
feeling both edited and strengthened
for the duties Of life.
(2) The Religious School
The Religious School means some
thing higher and more Important to
congregations in these dnys of recon-
s,ruction 'han it has ever meant he
fore. Many have looked gpon the Re-
ligious School as secondary to every
other form of education. These have
failed to recognize the place that the
Religious School necessarily must hold
In the character of their children. Our
ancient sages have said there is no
education worthy of the name that Is
not in the first instance moral All
mental acquisition or accomplishment
all study Of sciences and arts, of his
tory and literature. pale into insigni-
ficance unless the child hasa fOunda-
tion Of pure faith, a reverence for
things sacred. aud an appreciation of
the ethical content of life.
The secular school, whether Of a
public or private character, has never
been able to give children the peces-
sary moral and spiritual stimulus that
they require for perfect development
aud the home, especially the irrelig-
ious home, in these latter days, not
. withstanding many evidences of cul-
tnre, also fails in laying the proper
spiritual foundation for the child. In
view of that fact, parents should rea-
lize that the synagogue. thru Its re-
ligious school, furnishes them with a
means Of conserving the best spiritual
and ethical interests of their children.
And this fact should appeal even with
greater force to parents in these days,
/ (S) Charitable and Educational En-
lleayOrs. IN
| In his direction. an important field
is opened up for the modern congrega-
tion. 1t is deplorable that many CHAR
liable and educational activities have
been divorced from the synagog. for
not only has the synagos' suffered by
| this separation. but the institutions
themselves have also impaired their
usefulness by the loss OF direct CON
nection with the synsGos, which they
had in former years. 1t is the duty
of the congregation to do its share for
the rehabilitation of those who thru
/. ignorance or other defects have not
had the proper opportunities for gain
/ L. =, e. Ii llnfnrtIlnN ltA