The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-20
cherished aim and a hope for long con-
tinuance of it's usefulness.

The Geary-street temple was so crowded
at Yesterdays service that to avoid dis
comfort to the worshipers it was found
necessary to lock the doors. The services
began at A. NJ. and closed at l P. NJ. DR..
NJ. S. Levy, the rabbi of the Congregation
Beth Israel, preached from the text found
in Psalm cXXXiX: 1924:
Search me- God, and know my heart. Try
me and know my thoughts, and see If any
wicked way be in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.
He opened his sermon with a quotation
from George D. Prentice's poem, 1.-The
Closing Year" Continuing, he said !:
The text l have selected is the essense OF
a very honest prayer. But all prayers are
not honest Some are merely formal and
mean nothing. Some are real as far as
they go, but do not go far.
"There is demand for practical preach
ing, by which do not mean the preaching
of morality as distinct from doctrine, but
such preaching as deals with the individ-
ual wants and difficulties and sorrows OF
the human heart, and which makes the
people feel that the eye of the word OF
God, like the eye of picture, turns upon
them whithersoever they go. Is the an
nual season of prayer and the filling OF the
house of God as we see it filled to-day,
ing, is this a hopeful sight?
as the. faith of Israel strengthened by
the religious tonic which is annually ad-
miniStered? | do not believe that the an
nual outp0uring is in itself sign of good
for IsraePs service. What we need is the
constant Sabbath service, to be sustained
by faith. 1t is to be regretted that the
modern synagogue worshiper who con-
descends to listen to his rabbi two or three
n
worldly matters that he judges even his
minister by the touchstone of business.
AS q matter of fact, the business feature of
the present synagogue is all absorbing. AS
long as there are houses of worship willing
to cater at so much per head and people
eager to barter for the privileges offered,
so long as Judaism is to be weighed in
the scale of dollars and cents, just so long
will men and women continue to believe
that ministers talk officially.
Tits unfortunately true that some leaders
tell us that there is no meaning in prayer
and scott at the doctrines and ordinances
of Israel and treat the antiquities of our
faith as fables, but | know from personal
experience the power of Gods grace and
its influence IN breathing sweet peace into
the family circle, and | have been spec
tator of its wondrous and potent force in
making others happy. The truth that re-
igion depends not so much upon the wor-
ship as with the worshiper is forcibly illus
trated by the varied characteristics of pub
lie devotions all over the land. To-day
with us, next year with our neighbor, this
year, according to one ritual, in the year
to come, as fancy or even fashion may die
tate, unstable as water, changeable as the
seasons. Not in earnestness, but to &C
cummodate ourselves to custom, not to
pray, but to listen to paid readers, not to
pour out our hearts In song and tune our
souls to the inspiring music of the psalm
ist, but to listen to singing"
AS is the custom in the orthodox Jewish
churches there will be a celebration of the
second day of the New Year by services
this morning at the Geary-street temple,
and DR.. Levy will discourse on the theme,
What is Judaism?'