That Judaism needs more reform is advocated in the West London Synagogue Magazine. The paper writes:
Fifty years ago is as dead as 500 years ago and a religion that is progressive up to fifty years ago is as inadequate as one that has not developed for fifty generations. Religion is useless if it is not alive and nothing can be alive and not be growing continuously.
Jews now-a-days want to run away from the responsibility of making changes. They say we must conserve Judaism as it is; therefore, let us do nothing about it. The truth is that we cannot conserve Judaism—or any other living thing—as it is. We can only tend it and develop it and make it what it will be! So it ever was. The differences today are only that the process is conscious in a sense not formerly appreciated and the tempo of life today is greatly accelerated. Therefore, the strain of the process is increased.
Josef Bercowicz served under General Rozycky as chief of a squadron in the Polish revolt of 1830 and afterward settled in France.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
