The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-13
Rabbi David Levy read the first few

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be light and there was light" the whole
temple was filed with flood of bril-
liant light from the electric lights which
had up to that time not been used. The
effect was unique and beautiful.
The dedication and prayer We're made
by Rev. DR.. Joseph Silverman of New
York, Dr. Silverman said:
I'VE are making history to-day, we
are adding another epoch to the history
of this congregation We are seeing to-
day the fruition of years of labor and
sacrifice to the members of this con-
gregation.
II have become convinced that the
Jewish people of this city are deter
mined to hand down to posterity the
old permanent, beneficent Jewish relig-
ion.
1T is with no little pride that stand
before you to-day in this magnificent
structure, and | recall now how / stood
before you eight years ago, and at that
time | heard your pastor say, We are
few in number, but we are strong, and
we have high hopes for the future
II give my personal congratulations
to you and your pastor for the glorious
work you have accomplished. There
are several reasons why we dedicate
this temple to-day.
I'VE dedicate it first to God as a place
where, according to our ancient GUS
tom. the name of Jehovah shall be
taught, We are the eXponents of the
idea that there is but one God. 1t is
our duty to make the world believe in
I1,t ic.f In Al IN, N.rhp
our fathers believed, the God of Abra-
ham and Isaac and Jacob, He is the
God of the universe not the God of the
scientist. He is part and parcel of all
that we see in nature merely, but He
dwells in your minds and hearts. He
dwells not only in the high and holy
place, but also in the heart of the hum
bic and contrite.
I'VE dedicate this place again as a
place of prayer, where we can worship
that Coda place where we can find
comfort when sorrowful.
I'VE dedicate it as shrine of the
holy What our people have suffered
for the law you well know and that
/ law has come down through all the
ages as an heirloom and we shall hand
it down a sacred heritage to our pos
terity.
1T comes down from posterity as the
word of God We dedicate this pulpit
as a place where you shall be led in
prayer. 1t is the mouthpiece of God
and the mouthpiece of Israel
Combining this home of God, this
ark, this scroll, this pulpit in one SYM
Dol, we dedicate this temple as the tenn
pie of humanity
The address of the day was given by
the eloquent preacher, Rev. DR.. Emil
G. Hirsch of Chicago, and was one of
the finest pulpit addeesses ever made in
/ this city. The speaker said: My
friends, what motives stir your hearts
| in this hour, it is, of course, impossible
/ for me- a stranger to clothe in words.
Whatever feelings of gladness the hour
| may bring must be mingled with re-
gret for those who are not with you to
rejoice-those who have labored in
this congregation and are now gone.
Il have come to join you to-day in
this festive hour and dtf I have any task
it is certainly to voice the sentiment OF
every Jew of that larger community of
our race Every new temple which
rises from GODS earth to heaven is
witness once more of those words
which, according to tradition, Moses of
old put into form at Mount Sinai.
/ The covenant which God made with
his people at the foot Of the trembling
mountain he still maintains with you.
This temple is dedicated to promote
religion.
But there are many who aver that
religion has had its day; that our age
requires no further religious guidance.
| When our fathers stood at the foot of
Sinai such a religious as Moses pro-
! claimed had indeed value. But now
that the light of science has shed it's
rays over all the earth, when educa-
| tion has become common, intelligence
! widely diffused and superstition has
been dethroned, what can religion do
1 for us?
| Religion to-day has its uses if it
| ever had and even in this age of culture
and intelligence she wears the royal
diadem with q Iustre that shines un-
dimmed. With US as well as with our
| fathers of old God has entered into a
| holy covenant.
Religion may speak to each one in
| jargon which no one else can under
stand, for each one has his own re-
| ligion. r.
"Yet there is in every mans heart
something which can be epitomiZed in
| no other word than that Of religion.
| One man says I do not pray. I am
| not religious, but I believe in human
| ity' But prayer is but the shell of re-
| ligion; it is but the rhythmic move
ment of the religious heart The help
ing hand. the kindly heart is the prayer
| of utterance.
| Another says, I have no religion |
! do not believe in God. | have humani-
| ty. If you have humanity you have
| God. According to our religion true
man has always been in the image of
| God. The idea of God as the creator
| of the world, of plants below and the
| planets above amounts to but a nebu-
lous something if you lack humanity.
| Can you have humanity if it be
made up of beasts? If they are nothing
| less than a pack of wolves? God in ma
| ture is an incomprehensible something.
| God in man is an ever living force.
your science has never stayed the
| hand of the murderer 1t can only furn-
! ish the dynamite to break things asun-
| der. never the cement to bring them
i together.
s'Rut the inquiry is Why nor have q