The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-19


half century ago, today q modern Hebrew
temple stands and rears aloft Its shapely spires
to heaven. If all these things do not prove
what alleged at the outset, then am indeed
no logician.
The Western world for many decades has &C
corded liberal, nay just treatment to the Jew.
He is grateful because of the contrast to the past
but no special gratitude is due. This 10 his
right In common with all other men. Nation
ality, previous conditions, religions are not sup
| pose TO exercise any influence with us in mans
estimate of man Therefore the Jew kisses no
| hand for the according TO him of that which 10
his right both By natural Law and BY the consti-
| tuition of the country. He has made good citi-
| zen. He has proved loyal in the states. On ac-
| count of his patience and forbearance for years
| he had been accounted u coward, had been
| charged with lack of patriotism l heard the
| cry. at school and got soundiy thrashed ON
numerous occasions in the attempt to correct and
eradicate the impression But the Thousands of
Jewish soldiers who fought and died on both
| sides during the war of the Rebellion gave the
| lie to the charge. In churchyards now aud upon
countless batteields ths bones OF the sons of
Abraham mingle with the dust of others who
gave up their lives for the principles which
they deemed right / believe that there were
more Jews in the Northern than in the Southern
armies because the Hebrew is the last man on
| earth who should sympathize with the perpetu-
alton of any system that tended to enslave por-
| ton OF the human family. Too well remembers
he his own past history.
Ishould be lacking ia moral courage If left
this platform without calling your attention to
athree-foid danger which confronts the Ameri-
can Jew: Indifference to Judaism, neglect OF .
distinctive Jewish training to the young and
| the mad pursuit of the material to the neglect
| of spiritual achievements.
| In times of danger, when huddled together in
the Ghetto by the pressure of persecution, none
90 faithful to God a. he. Religion was his con-
| ISOLATION The prayers in tho synagogue ritual
reflect this. But the pressure removed, the sun
| light of freedom upon him, the longed-ior lib
erty his. he has forgotten God: the temple
knows him more He il dazzled by the
brilliancy of the fulllment OF Dreams forgetting
that the finger which wrought the transforms
ton may set to work the unseen forces that
might cover again the eyes Of men with dark
ness Brethren, will you tempt the future to re-
| peat the past? Must there come some terrible
calamity to open your eyes? Almighty God for
bid! There il not Jew within the sound of
my voice who does not aspire to the honor of
| good citizenship Is there anything in Judaism
incompatible with this? For my own part,
rather despise him who feels that he must les
sen his distinctive Judac qualities in order to
| curry favor with the powers that be- /, more
| than most men, know that there can be an hon.
est change of faith, but the renegade or such an
one as pretends to yield up faith in order sup
| posedly to stand we'll in the community can well
| be spared from the fold.
regret that among my people there appears
to be q tendency to neglect the training of the
young toward q true Jewish sentiment This
does not mean an extensive education in He
brew, but rather the cultivation of love OF the
grand and inspiring in the history Of our race.
A moral and philosophical respect for our an
cestors being one of the nobiest of human emo
tons can not but improve the mind and elevate
the heart If this feeling not fostered our
children, who, after ALL will control the future,
will grow to feel that they deserve the re-.
p.osches which the ignorant heap upon them,
and will learn to despise and deny that which
should move them to the Hottest aspirations.
Filled with an intelligent knowledge of the
past, the ding of scorn can not penetrate the
armor of racial pride, aud the scoffers and
Knockers will be lowered with the contempt
which they SO well merit and deserve.
The third danger, though less important, has
its hard clutch on our Threats. 1t is the mad,
ungovernable pursuit Of material ends. This
rapacious grasp at the coin bag can make no
man great, no race patriotic or noble. Ages
have petrifed this instinct into a national
characteristic. 1t is a pernicious fault, and it
must be undone. This contamination SO de-
voutly to be wished can not be effected in gen.
Grafton. Centuries have beat it into the Jew,
and men must not wonder if the faint clings to
him for several generations yet to come.
Fellow Jews, you dedicate today temple
modelled after the style of the edifce which SO
long echoed to the prayers of our fathers in the
Holy City. If you stop when that is done and
imagine every duty to have been performed; II
you desert its sacred precincts and leave to the
women and children the performance OF each
religious duty. better were it indeed that upon
the instant you ordered the masons and car
penters to tear down these foundations, these
rafters and these spacious wallis and level the
structure to the ground; better give the money
to the poor who cry for bread, TO the millions
who weep and suffer Ii you intend simply
that this building shall stand as monument
to Jewish pride and conceit. plead with You,
nay. command you to stop here, for your ef-
forts will be wasted. Let there be no added
mockery. The God OF our fathers cannot be
fooled or deceived.
If. however, you have determined to make
this the corner stone OF education, liberty of
thought and intelligence, ali element in the
true elevation OF man. court wherein all men
may come irrespective of creed aud drink at the
fouutainhead of knowledge, where the children
may grathsr and imbibe patriotism, racial and
domestic virtue, then all the world will say God
be with you. Let the structure stand eternally
cousecrated to the service of humankind. and
may heaven, nature and universal human sym.
pathy be ever with you.
As for US as Jews, we know and feel that the
avenues are open. Let US grid mp our loins and
send forth an army of scholars, teachers and
thinkers, who hall lead the world to know the
truth, to respect the Jew and yield to him his
proper position among the peoples OF the earth.
Mr.. Winstock was in excellent voice. and
his delivery was marked by a nervous
energy which at times became impas-
stoned oratory. His theme was a novel
one. and the grafton was listened to with
close attention by the audience, and was
warmly applauded at its conclusion.
After violin solo by Mr.. Frederick. Fred
Kierski, on behalf of Mr.. and Mrs. d.
Kaufman, presented to the president the
hog scrolls. After a preface compliment
ing the donors, he read the following letter
of presentation:
To the Hon q. Wuehill President Of tie Conore-
ed'jon Ohdueth Sioiom: In days gone by the one
thing that kept our people together was the
Torah, the law, the sacred scrolls of those divine
pEecepts which came from the Almighty The
Jew Was willing to give up his life, but not his
scrolls of the law. What WAS true in ancient
days is also true today Even in this small
community this scroll of the Law has kept our
people together, and we herewith present il To
the congregation, with the hope that il NAV
serve our people in the future IS it has in the
past can point with pardonabie pride to the
fact that the Ssfar Torah which today present
TO the congregation Is one that has been mo-
nounced accurate and well done by one of the
most learned rabbis of the old world Both nv
wife and myself join in the hope that the Jew
ish community of Seattle will grow and expand
until il stands second to none in the world, and
| that the congregation Ohaveth Sholom will be
| come. Respectfully,
NJ Mnc =.