The Anaconda standard., 1895-12-16
FESTIVAL OF LIGHT
Nearly ALI the Jews of the City Turn
Out to Celebrate the Event 6
RABBI REUBENs' ADDRESS
Sunday School Has Been Estab-
IIshed. and Possibly a Syna-
gosue Will Be Erected Some
Time Next Summer.

The Festival OF Light" or Chaunka
was celebrated in this city for the first
I time yesterday afternoon by nearly all
the city's Jewish population. There are
about 100 Jewish families in Butte and
during the past few weeks they have
been brought together and strenuous ef-
forts are being made to establish the
1ong-desired Jewish congregation. By
the subscriptions of a number of leading
Jews Rabbi Reubens has been engaged
for six months. A Sunday school was es-
tablished three weeks ago and the inten-
tion Is II that the success which Is ex-
pected, of which there seems no longer
any chance for doubt. to have a congre-
cation with regular Sabbath services, and
1t Is not impossible
1t rs not improbable that a synagogue
| may be erected in Butte some time next
| year.
| About so children with about $50 of their
| parents and friends and others. were at
the Auditorium yesterday afternoon to
| celebrate the feast of light. Among those
present were Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Jonas.
Mrs. NJ. Silverman, Mrs Mayer. Sam
Mayer, Mrs. Rosenthal. Mr.. and Mrs.
Genzberger, Mr.. and Mrs. Gallick. Mrs.
| Streufels, Mrs. M. @. Cohn, Mrs. L. Cohn,
Mrs. Cohn, Mrs. Levy. Mrs. Jacobs. Mr..
and Mrs. Menard. Mrs. Pincus. Mr.. and
Mrs. Lachman. Mr. Galland. Miss Mar
ris. Mrs. Goldman, Mrs. Kahnweiler.
Mrs Ornstein, Mrs. N w. Bender, Mrs.
Schlesinger. Mrs. Wetzstein, Mrs.
Abrams, Mr.. and Mrs. strasburger. Miss
Strasburger, Mrs Goldwater, Mr.. and
Mrs. Rosenstein, Mrs. Schiller, Mrs. Pal
trovitch. Mrs. Reubens, Mr.. and Mrs.
Wertheimer and many others.
The exercises opened with prayer by
Rabbi Reubens, followed by solo by
Sam Mayer, Flee AS a Bird to the
Mountains" Then came the address by
the rabbi
This is the first time in Butte" said
the rabbi, that the feast of lights has
been celebrated. You have come in re-
sponse to my call to commemorate an an
cient historical event, which occurred
2,05s years ago. All over the world.
wherever there is Jewish family. this
feast Is celebrated by lighting candles
and exposing them to the view of the
passers-by. This feast does not signify
the completion of the temple, as some
have supposed. or the victories of the
Maccabees or Syrians, which are things
of the past entirely, and OF no present in
terest to us in this latter day. This fes-
tival and these candles are symbolic of
something not limited by time or space. 4
1t represents the victory of the Jews
over inidelity, of light over darkness of
the light of Gods salvation, which is
shining always and forever on Israel.
That light of our glorious religion has
never been and never can be extinguish-
ed. God is our Savior. our protector and
fights our battles always. God is the
heart of Israel. Israel can be proud TO
know that her redeemer is living A
thousand times the old prophecies have
been verified In the history of Israel As
syrians. Syrfans, Romans, Spanfards,
Germans, Russians, have in turn threat
ened Jews with utter annihilation, yet
Israel emerges from their prosecutions
stronger than ever. What is the secret |
of Israel's strength? Who can destroy |
what God has created and called his
own?
THE mountains of prejudice and ha- |
tired which have been heaped up all over |
the world against the Jews have availed |
not. The light of Israel continues TO |
shine because God is the rock which is I
more permanent than all. Israel as a ma
tion or political power never did and /
never will excel any other nation In J
dignity, grandeur and state policy She
must suffer vicissitudes like others She |
rs subject to disintegration and disper-
sion. She is subject to the laws which
govern families and tribes, nations and
peoples, and God showed His divine jus
tice to all the world in dispensing the
Jews. Israel is no more a nation. 1t Is
only religious confession. We have |
French Jews, German Jews, Russian /
Jews, etc, and all of different nationali-
ties. no longer considering themselves
unit. The German Jews view the Rus
sian Jews with such contempt as civil
lied man feels for the barbarians Why? /
Because they have adopted the customs /
and the opinions of the respective nations /
to which they now belong and have for
gotten their common religion. They have
forgotten that their fathers fought to-
gether for freedom and Independence,
that they mingled their tears and their
blood. But Israel as a religious confess
sion Is more than ever steadfast. Wit
ness the everlastingness Of Israel in out
living the infidels whose extinction we
are celebrating to-day. Their gods are
thrown down In the dust. their temples
are demolished.
They said they would cut us of
from being a nation and scatter us to
the four quarters of the globe. Still
we have outlived them all. But the Is
raelites were forced to become parts of
other nations. In Egypt and Palestine
lhey learned to read and write Greek.
strong Hellenistic party was formed
20 remove the contempt of the Greeks
Tor the Jews, who regarded them as
oarbarians. The Hellenists attempted
% educate the Jewish young men by
idopting Greek customs and Greek cul-
ure, gymnastic exercises and athletic
sports. and in the year ia B. c. a
gymnasium was opened in Jerusalem
n proximity to the temple. Menelans.
lDout this time, was in power. and was
lated by the people. For revenge he
)ecame relentless enemy of his ma
ion and his religion There resulted n
Iecree abolishing the religion of Israel
thousands preferred death to surren- |
lering their religion. Many suffered
nartyrdom. Many died on the cross.
&any fled from the cities and villages
o live in caves. But in those days as
n ali ages since. all efforts to root out
he religion of Israel were unavailing"
Rabbi Reubens' very eloquent address
vas listened to with close attention.
here followed the beautiful ceremony
Z the lighting of the candles on the
esk OF the platform. followed by the
inging OF the Channka hymn by a
horus OF the boys and girls of the
unday school A Wehl. one OF the
eaders of the school. said: This Is
he first time in the history OF Butte
hat the Jewish population has been
OF together. Those Of you who so