Improvement in Religious Worship.

Elm Street Synagogue, N. Y.

Sir,—It affords me pleasure to be enabled to communicate to you, and to ask its insertion in the Occident, that on Sunday, June 30^th, a general meeting was convened of the members of the Elm Street Synagogue, and to their credit be it written, a resolution passed unanimously, that from and after the 1st of September next, the מצות which have hitherto been sold, shall thenceforward be distributed in rotation amongst electors and seat­holders. The advantage of this alteration must be manifest at a glance, visited as our shrine is by different denominations; it will remove that which ever evinced an unhealthy appearance, whilst at the same time the poor man worshipping will participate with the rich in the honours of the Synagogue. I cannot speak too highly of the members in thus voluntarily relinquishing an annual revenue of $600, in order to meet the exigencies of the times, and in some measure to revert to our original simplicity.

This may be considered reform, and to that extent I avow myself a reformer. I would improve all the temporalities, but I would not touch our liturgy; I would give less to man, more to God. Whilst it affords me pleasure to impart this, it gives me pain that my communication to the Rev. Mr. Poznanski should remain unanswered. As for the resolution of the congregation, it is no answer, it is rather to be considered as a letter of confidence in their minister. This is not in dispute, no one doubted that. Yet for the information of the world they address, it should be known that the unanimity of the resolution is a contradiction in spirit ; for whilst they approve of his resolution, in bearing with a forgiving spirit the persecution (as controversy is called) of some of his co-religionists, they or their friends have forwarded to my address several effusions, neither couched in gentlemanly expressions, nor in the spirit of meekness manifested by their pastor. I regret making this allusion, but as the letters are anonymous, I of course cannot address the authors. I shall ever be ready to answer Mr. Poznanski; but as I do not understand the science of sciomachy, in justice to the writers I beg to acknowledge the receipt of their communications. I hope, sir, you will pardon my troubling you with the closing paragraph; I cannot consistently at present address Mr. Poznanski, lest I should be accused of persecuting him; I am reluctantly, therefore, compelled to offer this passing notice.

Yours,

S. M. Isaacs.