San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-01-16

transgressiOn could have entaIled upon
him heavens wrath, he inquiries, "Haye
| eaten a mOrsel by myself alone, and
the fatherless hath not eaten thereof :
for from my youth he WAS brought up
with me. Have lifted up my hand
against the fatherless when | saw my
help in the gate friends and supporters
who would uphold me in the court of
justice ?)''
These injunctions and such examples
made deep impression on Judaism, so
that loving regard for those who have
lost their natural protectors has ever
been prominent trait In the Jewish
character. | need not refer AT length 70
a fact which is well-knOwn TO the most
of you. For 81 years has the jew
ish Widows and Orphans HOm3
in the City of New Orleans.
youth have been deprived Of their
natural protectors. At present l4G
children are housed, fed, clothed an /
educated in the institution, and trained
to earn hereafter their subsistence
This institution has but a few days ago
held its anniversary festival; the Board
of Directors have issued their appeal
and await its result with much anxiety.
Although this orphan asylum Is ad-
ministered with the greatest possible
economy, all the officers serving with
out compensation, yet the expenditures
last year reached the sum of SlJ 1922.
and for the purpose of maintaining the
institution an annual appeal is made
and the Israelites of New Orleans gem
orally contribute more than half fer the
maintenance of the institution.
| doubt not that those among us who
have always contributed to its maiE-
tenance in former years, and who have
but lately literally subscribed for the
erection of a new building (the present
building being entirely too small will
again do so with an unstinted hand
The amounts | ask for are small and
within the reach o. every one.
When the sanctuary stood in Jerusu-
lem, the eInOssaries were sent on the first
day of Adar to all the towns III Judeu,
10 remind and to eXhOrt every lsraeliIe
to contribute his half Shekel 10 the SER
vice of the Temple. And from the
money thus raised the sacrifices were
brought from the first of the succeeding
Nissan. just so with the Jewish Widows
and Orphans Home In the city of New
Orleans. On the Sth day of January Of
each year the institution holds its ami
versary celebration, and contributors
for its maintenance tor the ensuing year
are solicited.
In behalf of these orphans do / appeal
to you. These children turn their innO-
cent appealing faces, their eyes full of
tears unto us, saying: "Since God has
taken father and mother from Us,
will you not be unto us even
as fathers and mothers? And the Lord
seconds their appeal. He says unto
those who are Childless: ''lf you will
rear, or help TO rear, an orphan boy or
an orphan girl, it will be accounted unto
you even as though you have been the
parent of that child" Think what
pOtentiality of goodness there may be in
one infant. How great the blessing
which one child can bring unto the
world. unto Judaism. Esther was an
orphan. She had neither father nor
mother: and when her father and
mother were dead, her cousin, MOrdeCai,
took her for his own daughter. What
would have become of Israel in the dark
season of persecution had not MUTdeCai
lovingly brought ner up and kiGGiCd in
her heart burning love for her people {?
My dear friends, ii il pleased the Lord
to call you away from earth, and you
would be obliged to leave your children
unprOYided for, and your kinsmen and
kinswOmcn would take your desOlatc,
orphaned little ones into their house and
shelter them, and train them and Undue
them with love of their ancestral faith,
would not then your purified soul pray
TO God in heaven to bless and to protect
those that had not left of their
kindness to the living and to the dead {?
Can you not believe that the departed
parents of these faIherless boys and girls
pray to God for those who are the bene-
factors of the desolate? Will you refuse
to believe that God in his mercy will
hearken to these prayers. lie hath said:
"Ie shall not aillict the fatherless child
He has vouchsafed his promise. Take
these children and nurse them for me,
and ! will give thee thy wages