JEWS. 



511 



occupation ; the immigration of 8,000 labor- 

 ers to Hawaii ; the conclusion of a money- 

 order convention with the United States ; the 

 purchase of three ironclads in Europe, and the 

 reception of the new United States Minister. 

 An unusual fall of rain, with heavy typhoons, 

 wrought much temporary distress, but the 

 general crop was abundant. Cholera also rav- 

 aged the southern provinces, the fatal cases 

 numbering 50 per cent, of all attacked. Earth- 

 quakes were frequent, but not unusually de- 

 structive. Five hundred and fifty - three of 

 these seismic disturbances have been noted 

 and recorded in nine years. The Seismologi- 

 cal Society in Tokio is doing a good work in 

 hope of being able to predict the throes of 

 earthquake in Japan as a part of ordinary 

 meteorology. 



JEWS. Jewish Ministers' Conference. A confer- 

 ence of Jewish ministers of New York and ad- 

 jacent States among whom were representa- 

 tives of the most diverse schools of thought 

 within the church met in New York, Jan. 

 19, 20, 1885, to consult concerning action on 

 grounds where combined efforts could be 

 made without sacrificing doctrinal principles. 

 The Rev. H. S. Jacobs was chosen president. 

 Papers upon "Sunday Schools," by the Rev. 

 Dr. Kohler and the Rev. A. 0. Mendes, were 

 followed by remarks by other ministers, and 

 a committee was appointed to consider what 

 steps should be taken for the systematization 

 of Sunday-school work. The subject of text- 

 books, the study of Hebrew, biblical and post- 

 biblical history, and the study of Jewish ethics, 

 ceremonies and duties, political and social, were 

 referred to in the discussions. A prize of $200 

 for an essay on some Jewish subject was an- 

 nounced. Papers were read or addresses de- 

 livered on "The Jewish Pulpit" (Rev. Dr. 

 Jastrow), "The Higher Charity" (Rev. F. De 

 Sola Mendes), the " Hebrew Union College " 

 (Rev. Dr. Philipson), and u The Drift of Mod- 

 ern Christian Thought " (Rev. Dr. G-ottheil). 

 A second meeting of the association was held 

 in Philadelphia, April 13 and 14, when the 

 Rev. Dr. Gottheil was chosen president, and 

 papers were read by the Rev. Drs. Wintner, 

 Szold, Kleeber, Kohler, and Schlesinger. 



Convention of Reformed Jews. A convention of 

 thirty-five rabbis, representing the "progres- 

 sive " tendencies of American Judaism, met in 

 Pittsburg, Pa., in November. The object of 

 the meeting was said by the Rev. Dr. Kohler, 

 who originated it, to be to drop some of the 

 traditional features of Judaism, particularly 

 its national or Oriental character, and make it 

 more conformable to the conditions of its life 

 in America. A declaration of principles was 

 adopted, consisting of eight articles, as fol- 

 lows: r 



In view of the wide divergence of opinion, of con- 

 flicting ideas, in Judaism to-day, we, as representa- 

 tives of reform Judaism in America, in continuation 

 of the work begun at Philadelphia in 1869, unite upon 

 the following principles : 



1. We recognize in every religion an attempt to 



grasp the infinite, and in every mode, source, or book 

 of revelation held sacred in any religious system the 

 consciousness of the indwelling of God in man. Wo 

 hold that Judaism presents the highest conception ot 

 the God-idea, as taught in our Ifoly Scriptures and 

 developed and spiritualized by the Jewish teachers 

 in accordance with the moral and philosophical prog- 

 ress of their respective ages. We maintain that Ju- 

 daism preserved and defended, amid continual strug- 

 gles and trials, and under enforced isolation, this 

 God-idea as the central religious truth for the human 

 race. 



2. We recognize in the Bible the record of the con- 

 secration of the Jewish people to its mission as priest 

 of the one God, and value it as the most potent in- 

 strument of religious and moral instruction. We 

 hold that^ the modern discoveries of scientific re- 

 searches, in the domains of Nature and history, are 

 not antagonistic to the doctrines of Judaism, the Bible 

 reflecting the primitive ideas of its own age, and at 

 times clothing its conception of Divine Providence 

 and justice dealing with, man in miraculous narra- 

 tives. 



3. We recognize in the Mosaic legislation a system 

 of training the Jewish people for its mission during 

 its national life in Palestine ; and to-day we accept as 

 binding only the moral laws, and maintain only such 

 ceremonies as elevate and sanctify our lives ; but re- 

 ject all such as are not adapted to the views and habits 

 of modern civilization. 



4. We hold that all such* Mosaic and rabbinical 

 laws as regulate diet, priestly purity, and dress, origi- 

 nated in ages and under the influence of ideas alto- 

 gether foreign to our present mental and spiritual 

 state. They fail to impress the modern Jew with a 

 spirit of priestly holiness ; their observance in our 

 days is apt rather to obstruct than to further modern 

 spiritual elevation. 



5. We recognize in the modern era of universal 

 culture of heart and intellect the approaching of the 

 realization of Israel's great Messianic hope for the 

 establishment of the kingdom of truth, justice, and 

 peace among all men. We consider ourselves no 

 longer a nation, but a religious community, and 

 therefore expect neither a return to Palestine nor a 

 sacrificial worship under the sons of Aaron, nor the 

 restoration of any of the laws concerning the Jewish 

 state. 



6. We recognize in Judaism a progressive religion, 

 ever striving "to be in accord with the postulates of 

 reason. ^ We are^ convinced of^the utmost necessity of 

 preserving the historical identity with our great past. 

 Christianity and Islam being daughter religions of 

 Judaism, we appreciate their providential mission to 

 aid in the spreading of monotheistic and moral truth. 

 We acknowledge that the spirit of broad humanity of 

 our age is our ally in the fulfillment of our mission ; 

 and, therefore, we extend the hand of fellowship to 

 all who operate with us in the establishment of the 

 reign of truth and righteousness among men. 



7. We reassert the doctrine of Judaism that the 

 soul of man is immortal, grounding this belief on the 

 divine nature of the human spirit, which forever 

 finds bliss in righteousness ana misery in wicked- 

 ness. We reject as ideas not rooted in Judaism the 

 beliefs both in bodily resurrection and in Gehenna and 

 Eden (hell and paradise) as abodes for everlasting 

 punishment or reward. 



8. In full accordance with the spirit of Mosaic legis- 

 lation, which strives to regulate the relations between 

 rich and poor, we deem it our duty to participate in 

 the great task of modern times, to solve, on the basis 

 of justice and righteousness, the problems presented 

 by the contrasts and evils of the present organization 

 of society. 



The convention decided that the Sabbath 

 ought to be preserved, as a bond with the past, 

 and as a symbol of the unity of Judaism, but 

 declared that there is nothing in the spirit of 



