Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-02
THE WANDERINGJEW
REV. Mr.. cALslH COMPARES THE CHA
RAcTER IN FICTION AND HISTORY.
a Splendid Discourse by Young Minister
on the Pastg Present, and Future of
the Chosen People.

Rev. Edward NJ. Calish, of Peoria, H.,
conducted the services at the Beth Ahaba
Synagogue last evening.
Inc congregation was a very large one,
being several times the size Of that which
usually attends Friday night.
Since the sudden death of Rev. DR..
Harris In January last, while conducting
services, the pulpit of this synagogue has
been vacant. The announcement that his
probable successor was TO oficiate did not
fail to bring out the congregation in large
numbers.
A few minutes before o'clock the
reverend gentleman began to read
the regular Friday-evening service in
Hebrew. The choir sang occasionally. and
the only deviation was very short prayer
in English.
TRIBUTE TO DE. HARRIS.
Before beginning his sermon proper Mr.
Cellsh referred teelIngly to the death Of
Rev. Dr. Harris. He said: Kind friends,
i arise before you this evening with
trembling and trepidation when re-
member that this place is hallowed by one
who was dear TO all, and whose life was
given up at this desk. The kindness and
on every hand have restored me and given
me courage. i am sure you will not judge
me by my merits. but by the light OF your
Kindness and indulgence"
THE WANDERING JEW.
Mr.. Calish then proceeded with his dis
course, which was d comparison of the
Wandering Jew of fiction, az drawn by
Eugene Sue, and the Wandering Jew of
history. The former was a creation of the
authors brain, and was hardened with a
curse that allowed him TO rest nowhere and
made his life uncomfortable.
The Wandering Jew of history, go where
he might, possessed blessing which ena-
bled him to brave all climes and Injured
him TO all danger. That blessing was his
faith in God. which the hand of man could
not take from him. Nothing could divest
him OF his reverence for God and His law.
OPPRESSION OF THE RACE.
A sketch of the oppression of the Jews
from 5s6 b. c.. when they were eIiled from
| Persia by Cyrus the Great. down to the
present time was given briefly.
The Roman conquest of the Holy Land,
in 10 B. G; was graphically described.
| Long, bravely, and yaliantly fought the
| Jews, but in vain. Weakened by famine
they fell and the walls of the Golden City
fell with them. Their funeral Dyre was
| such as the world never saw before or
| since, and then all was over.
Then turned the Jews TO the world and
| it scorned them. No nation would receive
them and then they became the wanderers
| of history.
This persecution and suffering continued
| for eighteen centuries without one lull,
when the Moors were in possession OF
| Spain. The opportunity was seized and
| they became good citizens. But the
| Moors were driven out. the Ahambra was a
mass Of ruins, and the different States of
| Spain which hated one another so cordi-
ally united IN prosecuting the jews. Then
| came Ferdinand and Isabella with the al
ternative of expulsion or conversion, fol
lowed by the horrors of the Inquisition.
| To the ever believing Jew the expulsion
! from Spain and the discovery of America
! occurring in the same year-li92-waS not
a simple coincidence. II was strength
ening of his faith in God, and in the limit
| less continent of America he saw refuge
intended for him by his Father.
HAPPY AND ENvIABLE.
| The condition of the Jew to-day is happy
| and envieble TO what it has been. With
| the exception Of Russia and Roumanla
| and the anta-Semitic feeling in Germany
| and Austria, the Wandering Jew has come
| to the end Of his journey. He is now 9
| man among men and can pursue all that
makes life worth living. He proves him
self worthy Of his position, and is aiding
in building mp the country, and is pro
noting and sustaining its institutions. In
every position he is present-foremOst II
pesCe, hero In war, a prince in com
| merce, and prominent in all that is good
| Mr.. Calh5h then related a conversation
| he had once with an intelligent minister
who was surprised to learn tina. there were
anv native American Jews. His idea wa!
that they were all born in either Jerusalem
or Palestine and expected TO go back there
at any moment.
NO MORE A NATION.
They are, he continued. not nation, but
a creed. The average Jew no longer hopes
| for national restoration. He has become {
| loyal citizen in whatever country he has
sworn allegiance. In England he is AZ
| Englishman; in Germany a German; in
| France n Frenchman, and in America al
| American. He is citizen of the world.
There, said the reverend gentleman. is
| legend that man is made OF earth taken
| from all the continents combined, to en-
| able him TO live in any cline. Reasoning
| from this standpoint that from which the
| jew was created must be of very superior
| quality. for he not only exists but thrive'
| in every cline.
The jew of to-day does not wish TO be
part of q weak, puny, and unintuentia
nation, cooped up in the narrow conhne'
| of Palestine.
There may have been q time when they
all hoped TO return TO the Holy Land
Now, however. the prophecy OF Isaiah l:
no longer regarded az a living promise
After eighteen centuries of patient waiting
| its literal fulflment is no longer looked
for. They realize that it means something
| deeper and grander and more spiritual.
FOR ALL NATIONS.
He understands that the law which
came from Sinai was not intended for bin
alone. and that the nation was not
scattered for no purpose. without God'
law, Israel is nothing; with It, II Is every
| thing IL is not the property OF one tribe
| but of all, and will leaven the whole. He
| begins TO realize that the prophesy wa:
spiritually intended. Their hope for the
| future is to fulfil this mission.
For this new purpose the jew now goes
| forth. and in time 10 come all nations VIII
come together.
MIR. Calish illustrated this idea beauti
fully from philosophy. OF course, he be,
gan, all the congregation understood tnat
white was not one color, but combinatloL
ofseyen. To prove this a ball or top, painted
| in different hues, when rapidly revol lyed al
| a sufficient sphere becomes dazzling
| white. -,
In his application of the illustration Mr..
Calish was especially happy. his WORDS
| were: 49,, 49,,
This giant ball is the earth. The diff
| ferent religions represent the various
| colors. The faster it turns the less visible
| becomes the line of demarcation. Inc
| eventual dazzling, which IS the one granee
religion-the Word of God as 1t came forth
| from Zion"
The day will come when all the nations
will become one nation; all people Will bt
one people, all kneeling at the shrine ol
God.
Then will Israels hope be fulfilled, anc
the Wandering Jew will be at rest. Amen
YOUNG MINISTER.
Mr.. Calish is very young man, appa-
rently of about twenty-seven or elght. ht
| is Of medium height. rather inclined TO-
wards stoutness A smiling face, clean,
| shaven, gives him an appearance when ou'
| for his calling might be said to be akin te
| jollity.
HIS delivery, which is good, was height
ened by appropriate but not excessive
| gestures. He has a rich, deep, baritone
voice. well modulated. which he mas per
| feet control of and uses with good eneet
| HIS sentences are forcible. with good
| vigorous English, clearly enumerated. AZ
a Hebrew scholar he is exceedingly fluent
! At the services last night Mr.. Cailsh dio
not wear the robe and cap usual 70 tns va,