French Rabbis Discuss Making Change in Jewish Marriage Ceremonial

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)

A change in the Jewish religious marriage ceremonial and the question of the attitude of the rabbis of the Jewish communities in France toward the immigrant Jews resident in this country were the two chief problems considered by the Association of French Rabbis which held its conference here.

The question of the foreign Jews was discussed in two reports presented by M. Ernst Ginsburger, Chief Rabbi of Brussels and M. Isaie Schwartz, Chief Rabbi of Strasburg. The President, Chief Rabbi Israel Levi, reported to the conference the views on this question which had been communicated to him by Chief Rabbi Hertz of Great Britain and Rabbi Baeck of Berlin.

The conference expressed its desire to provide philanthropic and moral assistance for the immigrant Jews, and in general to take up a sympathetic attitude towards their religious and social needs. The conference resolved unanimously that it was the duty of the Jewish community and in its own interest to extend a welcome to foreign co-religionists and to satisfy their religious needs. These co-religionists ought to be admitted as members of the communities and should also be allowed to participate under certain senditions in the administration of the Jewish communities.

The changes in the marriage ceremonial without affecting the traditional rules, propose to add at the end of the ceremony the benediction of the Rabbi, to re-word the French formula used in Paris and to recite it after the seven benedictions, to demand that the Rabbi should repeat the benedictions in French and to adapt the Ketubah to the spirit of the French dowry customs. The view was further expressed that the reading of the Ketubah should not be obligatory.