The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-17
HAPPY JEWISH NEW YEAR
The Festival of Rosh Hashaanah
Ushers in the Year $3.50.
Mr.. EISENBERG'S SERMON
"Time's Message" Is the Theme os the
Scholarly and Eloquent Rabbi-The ,
Nobility and Glory of the He
brew Race in History.

The celebration of the festival OF
fosh Hashaanah. the Jewish New Year
which. according TO the Hebrew calen-
dar. ushers in the year 5659. commenced
last evening at the Mountain View NJ,
+. church under the auspices of Con-
gregation B'Nai Israel. The services
began at 7:S0 and were conducted by
Rabbi Maurice Eisenberg. They were
largely attended by the Jews OF the
city, included a special ritual for the
occasion. a special musical programme
and an interesting lecture by Rabbi
Eisenberg, who took for his subject.
Times Message" Speaking from the
text: For thy salvation / hope, o
Lord" he said:
Again are we standing at the
threshold where the old and the new.
where the dying and the new born, the
known and the unknown, the tried and
the doubted meet. We are lace to face,
friends, with another milestone. We
have come to the parting of the ways
We are at the crossroads where one
year ends and another begins. We are
gathered To bid farewell to a trusty
friend-a friend who for twelve long
months has been the sharer of our sor-
rows and joys, our bright days and dis
NAL nights, and the evening shadows
ushering in u midst a stranger, who
Is to abide with us in veal and i'm woe
for three hundre and ~sixty-five days.
Another star has set in our armament!
Another twig lies broken from the tree
of our lives. Solemn indeed is this
hour: sacred the moment, for in Israel
this is a period for reflection, for in
trospection, for the making of new
promises and for recalling old ones.
while on life's ladder many are the
rungs denoting the inequality of man.
yet on one point all lines of demark-
alton are effaced. on one point all are
equal, the philosopher and the peasant.
the poet and the unlettered. the toiler
IN the valley as well as he who stands
on the hill-tops of society; the man
flushed with success and the man
broken by defeat and borne down by
sorrow, all are alike impotent to pierce
the veil that screens the future. Into
the misty haze that shrouds from us
the destiny of the morrow, no eye can
penetrate, no hand is outstretched to
beckon us on. Strongly are We con-
WINGED of the truth the mysterious
thing belong TO the Eternal our God
Should there be heard from the dis
tant future some friendly voice that We
could recognize; should there be seen
some guiding finger to point out the
untrodden path. how gladly, how re-
joicingly would we welcome 1t. But
there is none such heard, there Is no
such held. We can only judge the flu
ture by the past. Experience is the
only guide. In perpleXity, in our
dilemma, we turn to the treasure-house
of the accumulated wisdom of the
ages-Israels matchless gift to the
world. Here we find record of sage
and prophet, of warrior and hero, of
minstrel and poet; the long roll of
sages, the history of mighty deeds
wrought for Israels deliverance and
for humanity's salvation. In this book.
she most ancient. the most venerable;
this book which has ever stood in the
van of progress, welcoming the world
at each elevation To higher and higher
attitudes; in this good book we find
on its very threshold the story Of a
man on whose brow rests the benedic-
ton of the ages, whose voice attuned
with divine love utters words that at
once flood our soul with mellow light.
Becoming our guiding star for the fu-
ture. 1t is the patriarch Jacob. the
man on whose shoulders rests the flu
sure not only Of Israel but of the Whole
world. As we are introduced to him
tonight, We are conscious that we stand
in the presence OF one whose every
whispered sound, whose every uttered
word is fraught with mysterious, yet.
far-reaching significance. He is no
longer the Uimpetuous youth. his moth
er's darling: no longer the cunning and
thrifty s~peculator. but the man puri-
fed by suffering and gloriied by eNper-
fence. remorse and moral effort. The
sands of his life are running fast. The
last hour of his eventful career is
striking. His great soul is about TO
wing itself heavenward n his sons
and their families are gathered around
his couch eager TO catch every word.
every syllable. every sound and every
whisper escaping the sanity lips. for
are they not TO become the privileged
custodians of the Vin promise?
when suddenly, the veil is lifted and
the dying patriarch is permitted to
read in the spiritual ether enshrining
his soul, the future destiny of his chill
dren. In the vision before him. he is
made TO see the hardships, the dan
gers. the cruel torments. the anguish
ing despair and the crushing misfor-
tunes awaiting them. The roseate hue
of divine promise is sicklied DER with
the pale east Of gloom and sorrow.
His well beloved sons to become the
spoil, the sport OF heather and bar
barian! One by n clouds gather
around the stars of hope. oh, what a
distressing sight for his last hour!
What a narrowing n toTturous vision
ere his eyes are closed in eternal slum-
Der, When all at once the scene shifts.
the clouds are rifted and his own past
life slowly unrolls itself before him.
Every incident. every stage, every step
vividly passes before his vision. Now
he sees himself a wanderer and fugi-
tive, a lone pilgrim far away from his
fathers house. Now comes back his
trying experience on the way 10 Haran.
He finds himself with his shepherds
staf-then constituting his worldly all
-oVertaken by sombre night in a bar
rem n dreary desert. Weary, IA
tigued and famished he lies down 10
rest; pillowing his head on bare rocks.
he seeks refuge from the torments Of
his soul in welcome sleep. Thus he is
alone and forsaken' Alone? Forsaken?
Oh. no. For in his memorable dream
that night he is shown a composite
picture of his entire ladder. The ladder
of his life reaches heayenward. angels
Of love and mercy hover around him.
but above him. above all his aim n