The evening times., 1898-09-10

| destined TO leave the scenes of their ac-
| tivity ere the work was completed. But
standing on the summit of the Nebo of
| their achievements, the vision OF
the land of promise filled their
| parting spirits with the sweet as
surance that their labors had. not been
in vain, that others would take them up
| and bring them to a successful compile
| tion. May their memory, rather than fill
our hearts with melancholy sadness on
1 this festive occasion, be to us an inspira-
! ton, an incentive to follow in their foot
| steps.
And you friends who through Gods
| mercy have been preserved to witness this
| glorious day, may indeed joyfully exclaim
| L was glad when they said into me, let
| us go into the house of the Lord
| 'As Jewish citizens of our Nations Capt.
tai, you have long felt the need of such a
| sanctuary. And il is doubly to your cred
| il that what perhaps ought to have been
| attained through the combined efforts of
| our co-religionists of the United States
| You have accomplished single handed
| despite seemingly insurmountable obsta-
cles confronting you; so that this beauti-
| full temple stands today a monument to
| your liberality, self sacrifice and harmo-
nious cooperation, and as by its ERECTION
you have enriched the architectural beau
/
| TO your public spiritedness and patriotism
But remember. our text does not speak
| of this house as a beautiful monument
| Ii reads L was glad when they said with
| me, let US go into the house of the Lord ;
Jacob said, upon awaking from his sleep:
| This stone which have set up for me-
| mortal shall become a house of God.
| Even so this imposing monumental struct-
ure wall become a house of God only ac.
cording 10 your willingness, now and in
future. to make it house of prayer and
| worship, a center of religious education
! for both young and old. Therefore, speak
| ing in the language of our text, 4 should
be glad if you would say unto me. we
| will go into the house of the Lord, we will
| endeayor to visit these sacred precincts
| regularly-even after the echoes of this
| inspiring celebration will have died away.
Furthermore, our gladness and gratifi-
| cation upon taking possession of this
| beautiful edif1ce should in no wise be
| lessened or disturbed by criticism-not
even by the contention that so handsome
! a structure should have been erected in
| "a more desirable locality
Without a thought of opening an I'M
timely and Improbable discussion of a
| settled question, l merely desire to empha-
size that if we regard this edifice as what
! in the light of our text 1t really is and
| stands for a house of God and center of
| religious education and instruction, then
| Its close proximity to your homes and
places of business does not only appear
practicable but peculiarly suggestive of
the necessity of n close relation between
| synagogue and home. and of the sancti-
flying ennobling influences the former
1 should exert upon the latter. AS thought
| full. conscientious Israelites you cannot
IA I,,g 1.
and business centers, nor confine ii with
in the narrow limits of the synagogue. Re
| ligion is not a luxury TO be enjoyed for an
| hour or two each week, in some fashiona-
BILE shrine i'm fashionable neighborhood
| by limited few, but rather a living force
, a moral discipline 10 influence, direct and
| shape our every thought, word and deed,
! at home and abroad, in public mart and
! private office.
Again, We are glad today TO go into
our new place of worship, as close neigh
| hors 10 our friends of Calvary Church.
| TO continue the pleasant relations that
have existed between us for thirty-six
! years.
I'VE recall with pleasure that their
worthy pastor at the cornerstone laying
of this temple invoked Gods blessings
upon us and our undertaking, and that
our congregation, while temporarily
without a place of worship, during our
great holidays q year ago. enjoyed the
hospitality of Congregational Church.
whose spiritual representative we are
glad to have with us to participate in the
exercises of this day.
Nor should these facts be regarded
as rare or unusual evidences of good will
| between Jew and Gentle. They have
occurred and are occurring frequently in
| all parts of our country. They prove
I u -
| and dogma the teachers and followers
of the various creeds understand more
| clearly from day TO day that in an age
! Of general enlightenment, in country
| that for more than one hundred years
has upheld the principle of liberty and
equality, religious sects can no longer
/ afford 10 be narrow or exclusive.
! May then. the tall, graceful spires of
the Church of Calvary and the great
white towers of this temple, dedicated to
the religion of Sinai, piercing. side by
side, the sun-kissed skies, proclaim to
coming generations the great truth of
the fatherhood of the God we all adore,
and the glorious message of human
| brotherhood and love, eXemplifying in
silent eloquence, the beautiful sentiment:
| Behold, how good and how pleasant it
| is for brethren to dwell together in
unity
| And, finally, we are glad to go into
the house of the Lord at this auspicious
period Of our nations history. We are
| glad that with the completion of our
| sanctuary peace has come to our nation,
| after months of bloody warfare. We are
| glad that with the building of this tenn
| pie will be associated forever the MEM
| oTy of events that have brought free
| dom to oppressed peoples, and honor.
| dignity and increased prosperity to our
| beloved country. We are glad that the
| joining together of the building stones of
this house has witnessed the cementing
of all the people of this land into one
| great, homogeneous body of patriots, a
union of hands and of hearts, more COM
plete and perfect than ever
May. then, this temple stand a proud
| monument to these achievements,
| throughout the generationsi May Its
completion inaugurate an era of increased
religious, moral and intellectual ad-
| vancement of prosperity and peace, so
that in it the prophetic word may be
happily realized, The glory of this latter
house shall be greater than that of the
former, saith the Lord. and in this place
will l give peace.
The anthem, Psalms cxXii:1-2-6-7-S-9
was then sung, when the Rev. DIR. Henry
Berkowitz, of Philadelphia, delivered the
following grafton:
Address of Rabbi Berkowitz.
Friends: No authority, civil or eccle-
siastical, has summoned this assemblage
or commanded the fulfllment of the
solemn and beautiful ceremonials of this
hour. You have come hither in answer
to divine call heard within your own
! hearts. BY ii you were prompted to the
spontaneous and noble sacrifices mani
fest In the erection of this temple