Evening star., 1898-09-10

| and in this place will give peace"
Alter the choiI had rendered anthem
| psalm CNNII, l, > 8. I, s, O. DR. Berk oW-
itz delivered the following address:
Two New Eras.
| DIR. Berkowitz dwelt upon the fact that
| his hearers faced two new eras. one as
| Americans and the other as members of a
| religious faith THE fact he remarked,
| that this congregation, located in the capt.
tai city of the nation, opens wide the doors
| of a new synagogue today is a source of
| profound interest and deepfelt qualification
| to the whole Jewish community at large.
| The mere geographical fact creates a
| distinction. All the currents of American
| life center here. AS the heart is to the
| veins and arteries of the human frame,
| so is the national capital related to every
| member of our great body polite. Every
| pulsation of the public life here is felt
| for good or i'll In the remotest parts of
| the land. Whatever new factor is added
to the higher life of this community is an
| added impulse to the moral and religious
| life of the country.
You are called by these facts to posi-
| ton of vital Importance and delegated, in
| certain sense, the representative be-
| fore the nation Of all American Jewish con-
| gregations. To your temple is thus given
| an added conservation over any other, a
! conservation which imposes at once more
| solemn obligation and a more glorious priv
| iiege.
| "All American Israel rejoices with you
! in the fact that the task which you set
| for yourselves has been pushed forward
| to completion. 1t coEgrat tulates you an
| organization; it congratulateS your earnest
| and beloved minister and the Jealous Off
| cials who have so bravely and untiringly
| labored for the attainment of this tri-
| umph.
| As Americans.
"a new era" continued DR.. Berkowitz,
| "confronts US as Americans The progress
| Of events has just eliminated in issues
! which a few weeks or months ago no hu
| man foresight could have grasped The ar
| bitter of nations and the guide of human
| destinies has led the American people to
| the forefront of history. Within hundred
| days the call to arms was heard and
hushed.
| "OId anmosities were forever buried, the
clamor of party strife was hushed, the
| croakngs and murmurings of the social
! unrest received their quictus-when north
and south, black and white, millionaireS
| and pauGers, employers and employees
marched shoulder to shoulder, Jew and
| Gentle fired by the like fervor of death
| less patriotism.
| Those who had been derided as a ma
| ton of shopkeepers COVE to the world
brilliant demonstration of the truth that
| though a commercial people, We hold JUS
| tice and right higher than gold or glory.
! We have a dominion rivaling if not eN
ceeding in extent and in riches the mighty
monarchies of old.
| As IsraeIites.
| 1--WE are facing a new era as Israelites.
We share in the changes which have come
| over the religious world at large. although
I believe that we may truthfully claim
the foundations of our religion 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 distiCctively 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.
| ."rhe marvellous transforma tions of life
through the discoveries of steam and cleo
| tricity which revolutionized the social in
dustrial and political conditions of Europe,
affe ected the Jews most 1t broke up the
Ghettos and gave them emancipation. The
struggle which necessarily followed be-
tween those who chung to the old and those
who entered into the new life was most
pathetic, often a bitter one. 1t was trans
| planted to America and In these favored
surroundings found its swiftest solution.
I'VE have learned to adapt ourselves to
| the new conditions. We are no longer
| of larger life in a freer world, while
walking mechanically and phantom-like
! through the protracted and minute for
mularies and ceremonials that circumscrib-
ed the religious, social and intellectual
, horizon of our fathers
President McKinIey's Regrets.
An anthem, Exod. XIV, II, 1S. II. Is, was
sung by the choir, Mr.. Simon Wolf, after
| reading a letter of regret from the President,
briefly addressing the assemblage. The
Presidents letter, referred to, was as fol-
| lows:
My Dear Sir: The very kind invitation
to attend the dedicatory exercises of Tenn
| pie Beth Elohim on Friday afternoon has
been received, and beg to express to YOU
my deep regret that public duties and en-
ga gemeuts will not admit of an acceptance
II well remember the interesting cere-
monies incident to the laying of the corner
| stone of the temple, in which l had the
| pleasure of participating. Patriotic am
iovai in war and peace, its congregation
| Will. I am sure, continue to exert great in
| fuence for good in this community.
Assuring you of my appreciation of your
courtesy. and with best wishes for the sue
cess of the exercises, believe me,
VERY sincerely yours,
| "WILLIAM MCKINLEY"
| Mr.. Wolf followed in an address of con-
graduation, as follows:
| Mr.. VOLTS Address.
1.-THE eloquent and instructive orations
! z1..