The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-22
THE NEW YEAR.
The Hebrew People of the City Holt Interest
ing Services at Council Hall

u
|
The people of Hebrew faith living i,
| Wichita held interesting services at Coun
Gil hall on South Water street last nigh
in celebration of the Jewish New Year
Rosh-Ha- Shona. The hall was brillian;l,
lighted aud handsomely decorated will
flowers of various kinds The attendance
was good and included visitors from othe,
cities. The services were interesting anG
; solemn; particularly that portion of them
when the dead were remembered The of
hcia.ing clergyman was Rev. VI, G.
Solomon of CINCINNATI, a remarkably
bright young gentleman who is not only
well versed in theology, but is exceeding
ly well posted or all subjects
including politics, particularly European
politics. The singing of the choir was ex-
ceedingly good. The Misses Goldb berg, the
Misses Hays and other young ladies Of
the congregation or society constituted the
choir Services will be held this morning
and this evening at 9 and respectively IN
the same place Mr. Solomon will remain
in the city till the tenth day, which is the
day of atouement Very few people in
Wichita have ever seen the ceremonies of
the Hebrew church and very few are con-
yersant with its teachings. To give them
an opportunity to know something about
the teachings of this ancient faith the SER
mon of Mr.. Solomon is given in full and
will be found to be profitable reading, as
many fine ideas are contained in it. 1t is
as follows:
Ny FriendA
Nothing is more perpetual than change.
| SAYS well known German author.
| What a truth what great and universal tal
| truth in those words. Is not everything
subject to change? Change, this main
and ever turning wheel. as it We're of the
worlds mechanism, sets everything in
motion From the infinlteslmal grain OF
sand no to the highest mountain, from the
| smallest and tenderest blades of grass up
! to che sturdiest heaven-aspiring oak. from
the meanest worm that eats the dust, up
| to the crown of creation. Man, from the
! intangible MOLECULES up TO the vastest
body on the surface of the globe or IN the
| heavenly sphere. Change, this almighty
| and all-ruling sovereign, holds his sway
| Everything changes its form and
shifts its position IN space and
in time Always accompanied
by change, moment follows upon moment
minute upon minute hour upon hour, day
| upon day, week upon week, month upon
month, season upon season, and year upon
year.
Listen how the old year rolls roaring in-
to the abyss eternity! Behold how rap
idly the new year pushes forth from the
ever flowing fountain of time. And TO
usher it in we are all assembled here on
this solemn eve, which is the beginning of
the coming year. our civil new year.
That we are congregated at this hour, that
we celebrate the new year at this season,
is in accordance with the scriptural COM
mand:
Al.
of the month, shall We have Sabbath, a
memorial OF blowing trumpets, a
holy convocation." But what is
the significance o. this our
festival and in what does it differ from
the New Year OF other creeds and
nations?
From the dawn of history, indeed, up to
the present, the beginning of the Year was
celebrated-also, outside OF Israe's COM
munity-at some season or other by some |
religious observance or other; but never |
did it assume that sacred and solemn char I
acter of the Israelites. The nations of an
tiquity always on that occasion gave them |
selves up to rotous excess aud various /
kinds of superstition, which, to some eX- |
tent, has continued TO be practiced yet |
among the CentIlrs on their New Year. !
Our New Year however, bears none of |
the features of Il heather festival. 1t |
always WAS day of solemnity. and pot of /
festivity; a day devoted entirely TO holy |
meditations, anj not to exhlierations.
II was Il memorial of blowing of trum-
pets-a Specification. indeed; not only |
the Oldest but the one most |
significant of the characteristics of this |
festival 1t was a memorial OF blowing of |
trumpets; for by blowing the trumpets on
that day our ancestors were reminded that !
everything is transitory in this world;
that everything vanishes away as the
sound OF the trumpet dies away in the air.
Being au agricultural people they were on
that day the more susceptible to the I'M
preston that everything is chanSeable,
nothing permanent. And this impression
did not render them melancholy; 1t rather
stirred them up from the lrthargy in
which they had remained during the
whole year Instead of disquieting them
this impIe ssion exercised very great
moral influence upon them. They had
seen winter spring, summer, autumn Ioi-
low each other in succession. But did
they lot also enjoy the fruits there
of? Was not the produce of their
fields gathered III? Were not their
and store houses over-laden with
all the plenty, all the abundance, this
blessed soil had yielded to them? Their
hearts would then but feel thankful to-
ward the All-Benevoent for the blessings
so abundantly received from His hand.
Aud filed with this awe and gratitude to-
Israelite to cast retrospect upon his life,
to examine his conscience; TO see whether
he had not deviated from the right path
hat leads to heaven: and. If so, to change
his conduct toward the Lord; to change
his ways and modes OF living; 70 change
them for the better; to MAKE prepare
ions for the return 20 Father Aiml2 bty,
TO do penance for all the shortcomings, !
transgressions and sins committed during
the year-was now his resoiutiol-to begin
his life over again; to begin new life; !
"A life OF integrity and moral
rectitude in order 70 hnd forgiveness for
his sins before the AlI-Merciful Oh the day
of atonement.
OF this significance, my friends, the new
year was TO our ancestors: of the same sig |
nificance TO our foretathers, aye TO our
fathers, and OF such, and no other, II
ought 10 be TO u.s. memorial OF blowing
IF trumpeis, a reminder of how everything
S transietory. feeting as the peal of the
.rumD pet; II must DE unto Us AS IL has been {
% our predecessors. Aud why rot? Are
We not gifted with the same senses, s1s
,epthls TO the same mpressions OF change,
he change OF seasons, our ancestors OF {
I'D? Spring cometh and goetb; you see 1t
and feel il. summer begins and Ceases: !
7ou see 1t and feel il. Autumn approaches
md wltbdraweth; you see &c aad
eel IT, Winter sets IN and passes 4
oy; Won see it aud feel IL. But
emem ber that also you have no rea-
on to turn melancholy for all that Not
spring i gone, you have en-
Dyed It's beauty. II summer j. over IL 2
aaS rl0suPd yo-r cTnDS II autnnu An !