The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-26

forts and luxurles of life. That the lof
~ ideal OF seer and sage. of prophet an,
patriarch has been swamped by tn,
mad rush after the flesh pots of earth.
ly success. For whatever may be hi.
calling, however absorbed he may be in
his occupation, however he may be pur.
suing IL with tenacity: whether living
in prosperity's palace or i'm poverty's
hovel: whether basking in the sunrays
of refinement or dwelling in the shad
ows Of superstition and ignorance:
whether worshipping at the shrine of
enlightenment or weighed down by
forms and underlying customs. at this
sacred period, the jew hastens to align
himself on the side OF his religion and
instinctively feels that here and now is
the time when he must present himself.
and recognizes the guiding impulse of
his ancient belief. But. friends. is this
enough? a we. in one short hour, adj
just the thoughtless deeds of a whole
year? Can we. with one effort. so right
the tree OF Judaism that il shall ever
lastingly shelter a world OF faltering
and ~faint-hearted worshippers?
Not as a chronic fa~ult-hnder. but
recognizing the responsibility of my
position and the sa~credness of the hour.
/ am forced to speak in the plainest
possible terms. For while I see before
me the faces of those who are always
present when the Sabbath hour strikes,
while seeing those who are ever ready
by word and act to assist and cheer me
in my work, others again are here who
are almost strangers all the year
around i'm our religious meetings. And
while on Israel's most sacred day. when
the Jewish heart is attuned To higher
melodies Of life, no harsh. no d~issonant.
no discordant note should be uttered
that might mar the divine harmony,
yet this should not be a deterrent from
voicing the truth and sounding the
warning cry of Judaism. Not in the
role of Gods plenipotentiary. not as a
heavenly agent, but as a fellow Israel
lite. as a teacher in Judaism and as a
lover of my people. / address myself
to every one of you. members and non
members of congregation B'nai Israel.
To all of you 1 say, How long halt
We between two opinions" If Judaism
has yet a mission to fill, a work to ac-
complish, then why this Indifference,
why this neglect? And If, as claimed
by some. that I~srael's religion has out
LIVED its usefulness and no longer spells
any meaning to the modern generation.
they why not relegate il to the museum
Of anthropology? But your very pres
ence here is a strong demonstration
that the religion of our fathers is still
vibrant with love and replete with sig
niicance. Your presence IS a strong
testimonial that the ideal has not yet
departed in Israel, and notwithstand-
ing the accusations and declarations of
our enemies, the jew is not yet ready
to lower the flag so gloriously unfurled
by his sainted sires these thousands of
years ago.
But alas. take we the most hopeful
view. we dare not deny nat some Of
our brethren ave lost in "A great de-
gree this lofty purpose. When the sub
ject of Judaism and it's claims is
preached, dolefully they answer with
the generation Of Ezekiel our bones
are dried. our hope is lost; we are cut
on They see no Jewish future. Their
midnight is not relieved by any scin-
tillant star. Judaism to them simply
means legalism. a bundle of ~antiquated
rites and customs, Graded on the soil
Of Palestine. n since modern culture
and good taste claim no longer any
afiliation with them, they imagine that
Judaism is dead or i'm the process Of
di~sintegration. These fail to appreciate
that II is but the husk that has been
removed. that Judaism still stands as
the brightest eXemplar of the human
family. hat il still stands for truth.
for progress. constantly searching and
reaching after a higher and higher
ideal.
Il disclaim any chauvinistic tenden-
cies, nor do / arrogate all goodness or
perfection for Judaism. In carefully
reading the Bible, i'm deciphcrinC the
message of the prophets, | pray for the
time when sectarian distinction will
crumble away and the sun of triumph
will light with ever-increasinG radiance
upon a united humanity gathered to-
gether to celebrate the birth of univer-
sal religion. |, for one, stand ready to
sink my Judaism into the larger hui
manity-but not until from pole to pole.
from cline to cline. from land TO land
Justice will be victorious, and the bat
tie for RIGHT pilInnnhap f Not .anFfl l.,
the words of Amos, Justice floods the
earth like water, and righteousness like
q perennial stream So long as the
Jew is not recognized as a sterling fac
tor in civilization, so long as the de-
.scendants Of those brave heroes who
bequeathed often with their hearts
blood To the world, the holiest, the
and most precious i'm its pos
are made to feel that they are
abused and maltreated i'm
some countries. Ostracised and hardly
i'm others; SO long as the name
lsrael-champion of the Lord. a name
given to the jew by God himseIf-is
condemned and wilfully derlded by the
professed followers of Judaism's own
daughter. just so long mus. we hold
aloft our ancient flag, and instead of
surrendering our birthright. exclaim
from the very housetops with Jonah. I
am a Hebrew and worship the Lord,
who hath made the heavens. the sea
and also the dry land
In the solemn silence OF this hour
each one of us is brought face 10 face
TO commune with that great power that
has entrusted his word of truth into
our keeping and from its silent depth
comes to MS the laundering cry. How
long halt we between two opinions
1T is only when corporations deris-
lively laugh at the demands made by
the struggling n toiling masses: il is
these bodies chuCkIe to think
that, having no souls, they escape all !
responsibility for their work. it is then ,
the future OF the country is i'm
We may build schools and
colleges. bu. they have done these
things before; We may erect lofty mon ,
1ments, but these have been erected
We may multiply means OF
communication. but To 20 nXnr the