Evening star., 1899-04-15
SPEAK WORDS OF PRAISE
Tribute to the Memory of the Late Baroness
de Hirsh.
Rabbi Stern and Mr.. Simon Wolf the
Orators-Benefactions Which Cow
cred Two Hemfspheres.

Rabbi Stern and Mr.. Simon Wolf were the
speakers last evening in the synagogue of
tfe Washington Hebrew Congregation, at
meeting held to pay tribute to the char
| acter of the late Baroness dc Hirsh, the
philanthropist, whose death occurred a few
weeks ago.
I'VE are assembled tonight said DR..
Stern, ''to honor the memory of one who was
not personally known to any of US. who
never trod on American soil, but who was
known throughout the world, and whose in
f1uence will last forever. Her benefactions
covered two hemispheres and. her loss is
universally felt. Her heart overfiowed with
sympathy. She belonged not only to Israel,
but to the world
by her death Israel lost one Of her
noblest daughters, one who devoted her
whole life to the alleviation of misery. Dur
ing her husbands life she aided him in
planning works of beneicence princely
scale, and the years of her widOWhOod were
spent in carrying out the work begun by
him. and in establishing other Institutions
a scale of princely nagniticence."
Dr. Stern referred to the expulsion of the
Jews from Russia by the czar, whom he
termed the modern Pharaoh, and said that
God raised up Moses to lead the children
of Israel in the time of the ancient Pha-
raoh, so He in the very year of the ex-
pulsion of their coreligionists from Russia
put it into the heart of the late Baron de
Hirsh to come to the relief of his oppressed
brethren.
Her Early Life.
The early life of the baroness was refer
red to. She was the daughter of q rich
banker, the speaker said, and as his private
secretary she learned the intricacies of
finance. which subsequently We're of so
much use to her.
Speaking of the domestic life of the
baron and baroness. DR.. Stern. after refer
ring to the death of their only child, said:
FROM the grave of her only son came the
call to go forth, to cease her weeping and
ind consolation and happiness in making
the world about her better and happier.
For forty years she was a typical wife, in
whom the heart of her husband implicitly
trusted.
Their charity was unlimited in scope
Who could measure the fabulous sums ex-
pended IN helping mankind during their
lives? In public and in private, for the up
building of institutions in every part of the
civilized world, their hearts and purse We're
always open"
Mr.. VOLTS Address,
Mr.. Wolf began his address by mention
ing the work performed by Clara Barton,
Helen NJ. Gould, the Sisters of Charity and
others, and said the good accomplished by
the Baroness de Hirsh was 10000 times as
great. Continuing, he said: Not a single
one of her beneficent schemes was a fail
taken until the matter had been thorough
ly canvassed. 1t was her aim not only to
benefit those for whom the gift was in
tended. but to do that which should be a
glory to Israel.
''On one occasion ! wrote to the baroness
and told her how kind the authorities Of
Garfield Hospital were to the Jews of this
city, and in reply she sent to him for the
hospital 5000, but required that the name
of the donor should not be divulged. An
other letter to the baroness in reference
to the Hebrew Orphan Home at Atlanta
brought a draft for $500, and a pledge
similar to the one regarding Garfield Hos
pital was exacted. She loved to give prince
ly. but modestly.'
Long after We shall sleep with our
fathers said Mr.. Wolf in conclusion, ''peo-
pie will look about them and wonder where
the money to build so many good institu-
tions came from, and when they are told
that it was furnished by Jew and
Jewess, they will shake their heads and
believe they are being told a story from
the Arabian Nights"