JEWISH SYVAGOGUE, THE MODERN.
The history of Judaism in America is a record of growth and development, of successive changes in custom and ritual, of large advance in educa tional and benevolent activity, as the Jewish set tlers, chiefly of Spanish origin, coming in scattered numbers previous to the War of Independence, were strengthened by immigration from Ger many, Poland, Roumania, and 'Russia, until at tl e end of 1896 the Jewish population of the United State reached fully a million.
(1) Doctrine. The customs and doctrines of Judaism which have never been reduced to iron clad dogmas for all Israel, despite occasional cod ification, have always admitted of greater or less variation in different lands, according to clime and circumstance. The same conditions were to he experienced in America with similar results. The earlier immigrants of Sephardic stock who settled in the North American colonies, after harsh treatment in South America and varying fortunes in tbe West Indies, were conservative after the fashion of their fathers. all the mem ory of martyrdom giving halo and beauty to olden traditions. Many of their descendants two centu ries later are no less strict observants of the Spanish and Portug-uese ritual and practice. The English and earlier Polish settlers of a subse quent generation have hardly as yet lost their British and Polish conservative associations. The German immigrants of the decade of 1848 who were reared in the school of German liberation were inclimed to be less scrupulous of old fash ions. and adapted forms and customs to the new er-day environment. Their children have nat urally developed along the same progressive lines. The still more recent Jewish landslide from Eu rope is Russian and Galician in its conception of Jewish doctrine and rite, including a contingent of pronounced radical views.
While, therefore. American Judaism suffers from this stratification, due to successive immi grations of different nationalities. it has never had its authoritative council or synod to promul gate opinion, to ratify or to abolish. There have been associations among rabbis and laymen, but these have not been ecclesiastical in character.
Their views have been simply individual, of in terest, of course, as evidencing the trend of thought, but of no binding force. While Jewish congregations may unite and cooperate for educa tion and charity, the autonomy of each is strictly maintained, and every pulpit is purely its own spokesman. Hence there are all shades of senti ment in American Israel, all varieties of inter pretations, the two forces of stability and move ment being steadily at work and developing phases of conservatism and progress. Consider ing, however, the essential principles of repre sentative Jewish leaders in pulpit and press, which are practically the same, even if they differ as to observances and the authority of the rab binical ceremonial code, these may broadly be stated as embracing the unity of God and the unity of mankind. The religious ceremonials in home and synagogue, held more or less strictly, the righteous life impelling to breadth of view, brotherly love to all, and the realization of the highest ideals of American citizenship7-such are the corollaries of American Jewish principles.
(2) The Future. The heterogeneous nature of the American Jew and the lack as yet of a dis tinctly homogeneous class, due to his composite character, in which trait he resembles the Amer ican in general, makes it difficult to realize Jew ish ideals. The great mass are still foreign, with the atmosphere of Europe and Ghetto conditions; and their Americanization is a slow process, for the parents perhaps impossible. On the other hand, there is a large bodY of American-born Is raelites, apathetic and without sympathy for the synagogue. Yet there are hopeful signs, partic ularly in educational movements, a more conserv ative tendency among our representative men, and the awakening of the American Jewess to her duty and opportunity. With co-operation, unself ish effort, and intelligent direction, American Judaism can expect to attain a high degree of usefulness and to realize under providence some of its ideals that will bless and elevate humanity.
(3) Relation to Christianity. As to the question of federal union with other churches, that is impossible so long as church remains church and synagogue, synagogue. The Jew is no propagandist and has no desire to Judaize. He rejoices that the best elements in the church aim ,to translate into life the ideals of the Jewish prophet. While religious federation is wholly im practicable, church and synagogue do unite for civic purposes, for general educational and char itable progress. In many cities Jew and non Jew unite on Thanksgiving Day. The Jewish pulpit is freely open to the non-Jewish preacher. Young Men's Hebrew Associations have often called Christian clergymen to their platform. Synagogues have been freely placed at the dis posal of Christian congregations whose churches were destroyed by fire, and the courtesy has been reciprocated. These indications of mutual esteem and good will cannot but spread more and more, particularly as national movements for education, charity, civic reform, and congresses of religion increase and rally the broad and thoughtful of all creeds on the same platform. But the most advanced and liberal Jew will not consent to fed eration, if it means extinction and absorption, and. surely the more conservative will be least inclined for such a step. The mission and mes sage of Judaism are not superfluous even in our era. So long as swords are not turned to plough shares. and idolatries are still practiced, while the nations and creeds are competitors, not part ners. the Jew must still he sentinel on the watch tower, however lonely the post, and wait for the dawn. He has survived two thousand 3,ears of crucifixion. The Arch of Titus preserves the story of what is termed his nation's fall. But Judaism awolce when the temple vanished; and the Jew, in losing Palestine, has secured the world for the law and the prophet. A. S. I.