Development of Reform Judaism in Sweden and India is Described

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)

The development of Liberal Judaism was reported on at the Internal Conference of Liberal Jews.

Henrik Wolff, President of the Jewish Community of Stockholm, said that it was only 150 years since Jews had been allowed to settle in Sweden. “The first Jew who received this right was Aron Isak of Mecklenburg, who received permission to settle in Stockholm in May 1775. Until far into the nineteenth century, the Swedish Jewish communities were in large measure Orthodox but from about the middle of that century Liberal tendencies obtained supremacy,” he said. “In later years certain Orthodox voices made themselves heard in the Stockholm community, chiefly influenced by nationalist tendencies on the Continent, and especially by the entry of Jews from Eastern Europe and Germany during and after the war.

“Such ideas are alien to the older members of their community who, while safeguarding their Judaism, are imbued with Swedish culture and tradition,” said Mr. Wolff.

Mr. Wolff spoke of the cooperation of the Swedish Jews in the Palestine upbuilding. For this purpose they collected a sum of about £ 6,000.

“Swedish Jewry is firmly rooted in the land of its birth and its population, and has made valuable contributions to Swedish culture, science and art, without swerving from its Jewish origin or its connection with Israel of old,” he declared.

Miss Leah Jhirad, representing the Jewish Religious Union of Bombay, said that the movement in India was only of recent origin. The idea of establishing the Jewish Religious Union had come only in 1925. The first service was held in July 1925. The divine services were conducted in English and Hebrew. Their numbers have grown from 19 to 40, comprising 17 families.