357,135 Jewish Families Have Religious Affiliations in the U.S., Census Shows

The number of Jews in the United States affiliated with Jewish congregations, synagogues and temples is 357,135, according to the figures obtained by the “Christian Herald” in its annual census of religious affiliations in the United States. Of the 110,000,000 population of the United States, 47,000,000 are affiliated with the respective denominational organizations. The figures for the Jewish population indicate, according to the census, the heads of families, not the number of individuals.

According to the census, the Catholics in this country number 16,047,914, the Methodist Episcopal is the next largest denomination, with 4,516,806 members. The Catholics are credited with a gain of 203,990 during the year. The Methodists, including the South and North divisions and other variations, have a total membership of 8,920,190, and their gains of 220,183 were the largest recorded for any family group of denominations.

The churches gained more than 800,000 members in 1925, the largest gain in many years, according to the census. This is considered as indicating a religious revival, in spite of the bitter religious contoversies of the last year.

Irving H. Hellman, vice-president of the Hellman Commercial Trust & Savings Bank of Los Angeles, Cal., has been appointed a lieutenant-colonel, Ninth Corps Area, to be ready for active service on call. Mr. Hellman is accredited to the Financial Section, the duties of which he is well acquainted with, having served in the Financial Section attached to the Red Cross through the World War.

That the Ku Klux Klan is disintegrating into political factions is the view of members of Congress who have been watching recent events in California, Colorado, Indiana, Massachusetts and Southern States, a despatch from Washington to the New York “World” states. The present situation in Indiana was preceded by a similar break in Colorado, where bolting Klansmen organized the minute men, under leadership of a former Klan official.

The South lost interest in the Klan when Imperial Wizard Evans and his retinue quit Atlanta and Dallas and came to Washington to reside, and when the policy to discard the mask was agreed upon, the despatch reports.

William F. Montavon, representing the National Catholic Welfare Conference, declared before the House Immigration Committee that in the administration of the immigration laws the Government should subordinate the question of deportation to the work of assimilating aliens.

Dr. George M. Kline, Commissioner of the Department of Mental Diseases of Massachusetts, who also appeared before the Committee, said the burden of caring for defectives should fall on the Federal instead of the State Governments. He approved the provision removing the five-year limitation in the deportation of defectives. Dr. Kline insisted that in cases where aliens were sent to State institutions the Federal Government should contribute to their support.

Milton Hopfenmaier, 41 years old, prominent banker and manufacturer, died in Washington, D. C. at his home.

Mr. Hopfenmaier was a director of the Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Board of Trade and a member of clubs. He had been active for many years in civic enerprises as a member of the Georgetown Citizens’ Association. He also served as a member of the District of Columbia charity committee of the Washington Chamber of Commerce, a director of the Washington Hebrew Congregation, the Foster Home for Children, the Georgetown University Hospital and the Georgetown University building committee.