The Congregations of Charleston.

(Continued from Vol. 1, issue 12.)

The Sabbath morning service is commenced and continued according to the Minhag Sephardim. The congregation make the responses as usual. Previous to returning the Sepher, a prayer for the government is said in English. After the Yimloch is said audibly and repeated, the reader pronounces "Mizmor le David," the choir then sing the Psalm accompanied with the organ, during which the congregation occasionally join. After the law is put up, and the reader resumes his station at the desk, he reads a selected hymn, or psalm, from a collection composed by talented ladies and gentlemen of the congregation in some instances paraphrased from those of David, &c. Then follows the delivery (when there is no discourse) of an appropriate prayer. The service as usual is then continued to the Ayn Kaylohenoo and Adon Olam, which are sung by the choir with the organ. The benediction is pronounced by the reader as at the conclusion of the evening service, and the congregation dismissed with a voluntary on the organ. The above constitutes the present form adopted by the Organ Congregation, as it is designated.

We shall now revert to our special notice of the disputing portion of the congregation styled "Remnants," who were seceders from Both Elohim when the organ question was agitated and adopted, and who being in the minority at that period, abandoned all their rights as members. They are now united to a minority or dissenting party of the original organ advocates; are more numerous than the organ party, and worship on every alternate Sabbath in the new Synagogue where the organ is erected; an arrangement made between the parties until the right of exclusive possession shall be decided. Each party during  the intermediate Sabbath assemble in separate rooms fitted up for public service. The Remnants, as they are significantly denominated, are advocates for old forms, and ostensibly opposed to the organ accompaniment during divine service, and are uncompromising in all attempts to improve or abridge, particularly the abandonment of the observance of the second of holy days. They are remarkable in their regular attendance at Synagogue.

The present or temporary reader is the Rev. Mr. Rosenfeldt. He is admitted to be a gentleman of competency in Hebrew, biblical, and rabbinical learning, and gives the promise of great proficiency at no distant period. He pursues somewhat the forms and manner of the Rev. Mr. Poznanski, and may be said very properly to be no inferior prototype. The service in Synagogue is performed according to the Minhag Sephardim. In contradistinction with the organ party, the Bamay Mawdlikin is not omitted. The responses are made by the whole congregation audibly. The tunes to the psalms are the same as with the other congregations, and conducted by a well-instructed choir of gentlemen, the ladies chiming in good harmony and with the members generally, producing a regular and pleasing effect, far different to what it was formerly. The deportment of both congregations is attentive and respectful, thereby maintaining just claims to the consideration of the community in general.

In addition to the service, the Rev. Mr. Rosenfeldt reads a prayer in English for the government, and has recently commenced, what we understand he contemplates continuing with, on every Sabbath, a discourse or sermon also in the English language. His compositions, as far as he has progressed, are considered plain and instructive. His gratuitous services as reader to his congregation entitle him to commendation, and doubtless from his present developments will at no distant day obtain the preference.

A consentient and correlative disposition prevails among this party to further and respect the laws of Moses and the rabbinical institutions, and they seem desirous to emulate the good cause of having their children instructed in all that pertains to our sacred faith. They are opposed to the use an organ during our service, but in other respects they accord to their brethren in the opposition all that is calculated to inspire and promote proper devotion. They are warm advocates for regularity and moderation in offering up their prayers to God, are as sincere as their co-religionists in the cause of enlightenment, and are as anxious to sustain ancient institutions. Many are particularly tenacious of their religious rights, and are as scrupulous in observing certain ceremonials as their brethren elsewhere. The zeal now manifested by both parties in the cause of our holy faith, contrasted with what it was a few years since, bespeaks the highest commendation, and we hazard nothing in adhering to our first position, that there is manifest change and improvement in the religious observances of the Jews of this place since the spirit of reformation has spread among them. May the Almighty, whose matchless wisdom alone guides the destiny of our nation, look graciously on the individual exertions of each party in the endeavour to sustain his glory and establish his supremacy.

Observer.

Note.—The above article came to us anonymously; but we think that we may freely ascribe it to Dr. Jacob De La Motta, formerly President of the "Remnant" congregation.—Ed. Oc.