Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-09-24
Conservation of a Hebrew Synagogue.

We gladly accepted an invitation from the
Committee of Arrangements, TO witness, on
Friday, the conservation Of a new and elegant
Synagogue, recently built in Wooster-st to
the worship ofthe God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. The Jewish ritual of conservation is
the Oldest Of any-the Roman Catholic, Pro-
testant Episcopal, and other Churches, ap-
pear to have copied from the "Ancient peo-
pie of God" much of their ceremonial of
conservation; but here was an opportunity TO
witness ii in the Capital of The New World,
in the primeval language in which the Ten
Commandments were written on Mount ST.
mai by the finger of God-in which the pure,
spotless, and affectionate Joseph, forpave and
welcomed the ingrates who had sold their
brother into slavery-in which the gentle
Ruth said TO Naomi, Whittier thou goest |
will go-thy people shall be my people, and
thy God my God and in which the Old
Testament was first penned, and the gospel
of Christ first preached. The history of the
faith in which Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Solo
mon and lsaih lived and died, possesses the
deepest interest to a Christian community
Here were the lineal descendants of the BIZ
BILE Hebrews, the ancient possessors of .Jeru-
salem, the conquerors of Canaan, the cap
lives In Babylon. the scattered remnant vet
to be re-unlted-here they were about to con-
secrate a holy temple 10 the wofship-to which
King Solomon had dedicated the most mag
%niiicent fame ever devoted 10 the worship of
the true God.
We were not disappointed. Yesterday
being Tamuz the Ilth, 56O7, at three in the
afternoon, the service began with an intro
ductory symphony by the orchestra, which
consisted of the members of the Philharmo-
mic Society, and an opening chorus by the
Choir-delightful, holy music-the airs that
David played-the songs that David sung
the galleries filled with lovely, happy look
ing women, the daughters of Israel, many of
them worthy to be the Rebecca of another
l%vanhoe, whenever America can find a Wal
ter Scott, or TO exhibit the hercism of an
Esther, should a Haman find his way to pow
er in the land Of Washington. We are glad
that the Hebrews have equal rights here, and
still more pleased that they appear worthy
the high honor such rights confer.
Throughout the service, the whole con-
gregation, ministers and people, kept their
HATS on-Rev. Mr.. lsaacs, pastor of the new
congregation, preached a very good discourse,
and with sufficient earnestness and energy
too; part Of it was in Hebrew, and part in
good vernacular English-but he kept his
hat on, and so did his hearers theirs. When
the sacred laws Were taken by the ministers
and trustees, and horne from the vestry to the
vestlbule, and thence under a canopy, into
the Synagogue, and toward the Ark of the
Covenant, a sacred receptacle, at the upper
end of The ediiice, with doors and curtains,
all who took part in the ceremonial kept their
hats on. The ladies' have the galleries to
themselves-the orchestra had a Temporary
gallery-and the gentlemen occupy the body
of the Synagogue. The SEATS indicate a
high sense of equality before the God of Is
rael they have no doors, locks, nor latches,
but like those of the continental Catholic
churches, seem to be equally at the service
OF poor and rich.
A procession, its members in suitable cos
tunes, and bearing the sacred symbols OF
their faith, walked slowly round the Syna-
gogue seven times, and the choir and minis
iers chaunted the Both Tooth, 29th, and
l50th Psalms in Hebrew, beautifully-the
sun lighting up the congregation on the one
hand with lively tinls OF the colors of the
stained glass, aud the Manhattan company
with their gas, shedding a lesser lustre a
the same time, probably in illustration of III,
littleness Of mems inventions when compar
ed with the works Of the great Creator.
Their preacher took high ground for his
countrymen, declaring that ''no double d cal
ing, no over-reaching, no discrimination sho'd
ever taTnish their fair fame :" aud when the
: exercises were suspended, 10 enable the more
/; wealthy Hebrews to subscribe toward the
: handsome edifce we sat in, never did we
= witness more cheerful givers-sums of 800,
3 $50, and so on down TO So and SO were sub.
/. scribed SO fast, by both sexes, that it took
= about an hour to note them down. The tex
was quite appropriate, from verses 6, Z and
of the goth Psalm, and but for the hat on
, head, had little in it that differed from a sen.
!. sible moral discourse from some worthy Pro
testant. The prayer was in English, anC
, the minister did not forget " his excellency'
Mr.. Polk, "his excelleney" Mr.. Dallas, ant
''his exeellency" up at Albany, in his suppl
cations, nor the Congress, State Legislature
and our City Fathers. He asked the bles