The times., 1898-09-10

mentS as well as to individuals, to God
even as to man.
THE free thought Of this age has vindi-
Gated religion from thousand fallacies
born of the darkness of stupidity. 1t is
therefore an act of the highest intelligence
and the triumph of a reasoned faith by
which men recognize their dependence on
the power and beneficence of the ruling
God. and with due humility dedicate their
temples in His name.
There is also more wisdom today than
ever before in such an act as that which
we here perform. OF old It was said,
The mysteries belong to the Lord our
God, but the things revealed belong to
us and to our children forever Deut.
xxx, 2S) By some strange perversity
the world In all the past turned away
from the things revealed and brooded in
mournful self-surrender over the things
concealed. For ages the veil of mystery
hung utterly impenetrable over the face
OF nature. Shadows fitted around men's s
souls and filled them with weird super
stitions. maddening them with gross
idolatories Ignorance held the key to
the temple of worship; credulity was con-
secrated as its priest; mysticism preached
dark and absurd doctrines at it's shrine
TT is nobler act today than ever
hitherto to dedicate temple of religion.
OF old 1t was necessary to drive the re-
calcitrant to God. The curse of excom-
munication was hurled at the dissenter
Inc foul disease of heresy-hunting mot
yet exterminated) spread it's contagion
everywhere. Bulls and bans ostracism
and persecution were the lashes with
which men were driven to prayer.
'"Today worship is nobler because IL is
free. He who cherishes the highest in
life gladly comes to the sources of in
spiration which well forth from the foun-
tains of prayer.
I'VE are facing a new era as Israelites
We share in the changes which have
come over the religious world at large
although ! believe that we may truth
fully claim the foundations of our relig-
ion are less shaken by them than those
of any other denomination. Indeed we
find revealed most clearly the essential
unity of the new truth of today with
the old truth of our sires.
None the less these days have brought
us to new conditions and new problems
which are distinctively our own as Israel
ties. Twenty-Five years ago American
Jewry was hotly engaged in the contest
which sprang up in this soil between the
advocates of the various 'Minhagim
usages and customs OF the Jews of the
various European lands.
THE marvellous transforma tions Of life
through the discoveries of steam and
electricity which revolutionized the social
industrial and political conditions of Eu-
rope affected the Jews most IL broke up
the Ghettos and gave them emancipation.
The struggle which necessarily followed
between those who clung TO the old and
those who entered into the new life was
a most pathetic often bitter one. II
was tranSplanted to America and IN these
favored surroundings found its swiftest
solution.
We have learned TO adapt ourselves
TO the new conditions. We are no long
er children of the Ghetto. dreaming
dreams of a larger life in freer world.
while walking mechanically and phantom
like through the protracred and minute
iorfnularies and ceremouials that circum-
scribed the religious, social and intel
lectual horizon of our fathers
Nevertheless, as we look back now
and mark with what feverish naste our
fa;hers entered into the new and free
life OF America we cannot help confess
ing that there was a vast degrees of de-
moralization before the adjustment could
be made. The syna gogue is the only true
conservator OF the unity of Israel In the
synagogue every man. woman and child
OF the community must have a recog-
nized place of privilege and RESPONSE
characterized the past era we have set
other institutions higher than the syna-
gogue. Our charitable institutions, than
which no people can boast any more COM
pIete and effective, have absorbed the
highest interests. They are worthy of
all that can be done for them but II
is grievous mistake to lei them absorb
us at the expense of the synagogue.
We cannot pay all our moral and re-
hgious debts in aims. Some have set
the lodges or fraternal orders highest.
They have, their place and l should be
the last TO decry the glorious services
they render. But you cannot absoIve all
your religious obligations by sick benefits
and widows endowments. Social clubs.
no doubt, have useful function to per-
form, but when they displace the congre-
cation they become not the friend but
the foe of the best interests of the COM
I'VE of the generation born, or, al least,
reared in this land have a problem of our
own TO solve-it is that of the reconstruc-
tion of Jewish life under the free condi-
tions of America. We cannot do this
through any agency except the syna-
gogue. We must build up the Jewish
American congregation. Yeomans service
has already been done in this direction.
yet we are perhaps the least organized
of all religious denominations
"A union of American Hebrew congre-
cations exists. Unfortunately IL is not vet
a union of all congregations, and has
hardly entered upon the work of har-
monizing, unifying, and strengthening the
United Congregation of Israel The He
brew Union College for the training of
rabbis has commanded the favor of the
community by its inestimable service in
nl,-S., h.
neither the college nor its weaker sister.
the seminary. in New York, receive that
measure of support which they must re-
ceive if we are to fulfill our duty in the
new era.
Our task is pre-eminently an educa-
tional one. Our generation is largely ig-
norant of the great past which, with a
heroism of endurance preserv-
ed the great precepts and principles over
which we stand as the guardians How
shall we extend inspiration to others un-
less we have it within ourselves? You
cannot draw life-giving water from
empty cisterns. The world is full of Ill
will, bred of ignorance, and the Jew is
its chief victim.
Every agency must be earnestly and
zealously employed to enlighten our own
and to spread abroad the truth Knowl-
edge first. With that weapon we shall
vanquish the apathy, the cynicism, the
the shallowness of a genera
ton already sadly pampered by mate
rial prosperity. With the knowledge that
shall stream from synagogue and school,
Bible circles, and kindred societies will
come an awakening of the consciousness
of the Jew to his place in the present
When he comes to understand the rea-
sons of his providential preservation
through ages of obloquy and persecution
he will recognize that there has descend
ed to him glorious opportunity, SUBJ
lime privilege and responsibility to live