368 



JEWS. 



Michael Erlanger, at Paris ; Leon J. Gordon, 

 Hebrew poet and journalist ; Senior Sachs, He- 

 braist, at Paris ; Hon. Michael Solomon, of Ja- 

 maica. New chief rabbis were elected in Den- 

 mark (David Simonsen), Belgium (Hermann 

 Bloch), Milan (Alessandro da Fano), Cairo (Aaron 

 ben Simeon). 



In the United States the charitable activity 

 can best be exhibited by a glance at the year's 

 workings of the United Hebrew Charities of 

 New York city. During the year ending Oct. 1, 

 1892, 8,295 new applications, representing a total 

 of 31,978 persons, were received and acted upon, 

 and 4,284 cases were investigated more than 

 once. In addition, there were 1,368 persons who 

 received help at the office who were homeless or 

 wayfarers. Supplies were given to 4,900 cases, 

 5,047 persons were supplied with transportation, 

 and 5,385 found employment, making a total of 

 48,678 persons assisted. Of those who found 

 work, 80 per cent, were Russians, in 130 different 

 branches of industry. 



In the special employment bureau for Russian 

 immigrants, for whose aid about $100,000 was 

 raised by a general appeal, there were registered 

 as seeking employment 3,237 workers, represent- 

 ing 5,831 persons to be supported. Employ- 

 ment was found in the various States for 2,733 

 persons, 218 were recommended to relief agen- 

 cies in other cities, and 2,803 declined or were 

 averse to accepting the places that were offered by 

 reason of their unwillingness to leave New York. 



The Central Conference of American Rabbis 

 held two sessions, one in New York and one in 

 Washington. In the former, special interest at- 

 tached to the report of the Committee on Prose- 

 lytes, which presented the following abstract of 

 its report : 



The committee maintains : 1. That there are known 

 in history 3 initiatory rites for the proselyte to Juda- 

 ism the sacrificial, the ritual bath, and circumcision. 

 '2. Neither of these rites is ordained or otherwise sug- 

 gested in the Torah, Prophets, and Hagiographa. 3. 

 They appear not in history and literature prior to the 

 conquest of Judea by John llyrcan, who decreed cir- 

 cumcision on the Eclomites contrary to law and cus- 

 tom. 4. From that time initiatory rites became cus- 

 tomary, but never became canon law, nor ever rab- 

 binical law proper. 5. In the time of the Amoraim, 

 without any lawful enactment, two rites the sacrifice 

 having been abolished were considered necessary, 

 but this never did and never could become canon law. 



To this was joined a resolution that " a prose- 

 lyte shall be lawfully accepted by any officiating 

 rabbi and two associates upon signing a docu- 

 ment containing a confession of faith and with- 

 out any initiatory rites." After a heated debate, 

 the following resolution was adopted by a vote 

 of 21 to 6 : 



That the Central Conference of American Eabbis, 

 assembled this day in this city of New York, con- 

 siders it lawful and proper for any officiating rabbi, 

 assisted by two or more associates, in the name and 

 with the consent of the representatives of his congre- 

 gation, to accept into the sacred covenant of Israel 

 and declare fully affiliated any honorable and intelli- 

 gent person who desires such affiliation, without any 

 initiatory rite, ceremony, or observance whatever. 



Further work done was in reference to a new 

 prayer book and hymnal. At the Washington 

 session both subjects 'were discussed, and ad- 

 dresses were given or papers read by Rev. A. 

 Kaiser, Baltimore ; Rev. Dr. I. M. Wise, Cin- 

 cinnati ; Rev. Dr. J. Silverman, New York ; Rev. 

 I. S. Moses, Chicago. At the thirteenth council 

 of the Union of American Hebrew Congrega- 

 tions, held in Washington, action was taken in 

 reference to participating in the religious con- 

 gress at the World's Fair. During the session 

 the senate and house were opened with prayer 

 by Rev. Drs. Wise and Silverman. 



The American Jewish Publication Society is- 

 sued I. Zangwill's "Children of the Ghetto" 

 and Dr. H. Zirndorf s " Some Jewish Women." 

 No special part was taken in the Columbian an- 

 niversary save as American citizens, but the op- 

 portunity was utilized for forming an American 

 Jewish Historical Society, with the Hon. Oscar 

 S. Straus as president. At its first session, held 

 in Philadelphia on Dec. 16, the following papers 

 were presented: Dr. Cyrus Adler, "Jews "in the 

 American Plantations between 1600 and 1700," 

 "Americana at the Anglo-Jewish Exhibition," 

 "A Political Document of the Year 1800"; 

 Rev. Henry Cohen, " Historical Notes on the 

 Jews of Jamaica " ; Dr. S. Solis-Cohen, " Note 

 on David Hays, a Patriot of the Revolution"; 

 Moses A. Dropsie. " Reminiscences concerning 

 the Jews of Philadelphia"; Herbert Frieden- 

 wald, " Notes on Jews mentioned in the Jour- 

 nals of the Continental Congress": J. H. Hol- 

 lander, "Dr. Jacob Lumbrozo. of Maryland"; 

 Prof. Morris Jastrow. Jr., "Notes on Jews of 

 Philadelphia, from Published Annals"; Col. 

 Charles C. Jones, Jr., "Settlement of the Jews 

 in Georgia"; Max J. Kohler, "Beginnings of 

 New York Jewish History " ; Prof. J. B. McMas- 

 ter, " On Methods of Historical Research " ; 

 Rev. Dr. S. Morais, " The First Jewish Congre- 

 gation in Philadelphia"; Lucien Moss, "John 

 Moss"; Barnet Phillips, "Note on Jews in the 

 United States Navy " ; N. Taylor Phillips, " A 

 Landmark"; Hon. Simon W. Rosendale, "A 

 Pennsylvania Document concerning the Franks 

 Family " ; David Sulzberger, " Notes on the 

 Jewish Burial Grounds of Philadelphia." 



A new hospital was dedicated in Denver, Col., 

 and new orphan asylnms in Philadelphia and 

 Brooklyn, N. Y. Synagogues were dedicated in 

 Chesterfield, Conn., Seattle, Wash., Fort Smith, 

 Texas, New York city, Philadelphia, Kingston, 

 N. Y., and Montreal. 



Among the deaths were those of Rev. Lieb- 

 man Adler. Chicago; David Hoffman, Mason 

 Hirsch, Miss S. C. Peixotto, Philadelphia: Se- 

 ligman Adler, J. Judelsohn, Miss Sophia Tobias, 

 New York. 



Rev. Dr. Kohnt completed his new edition of 

 a dictionary of the Talmud. Congregations in 

 New York, Baltimoi-e, Chicago, and Easton, Pa., 

 celebrated their fiftieth anniversaries. The Dis- 

 trict Grand Lodge No. 3 of the B'nai B'rith or- 

 der began a movement to establish a technical 

 school. 



