The San Francisco call., 1899-09-06

~ OSH HOSHONAH was celebrated
splendidly yesterday morning in
X the Jewish temples of the city.
Al we're crowded 5s5s,Sos1i to the ooa2'Ss doors
out their thanks to God for the
blessings and asking his forgiveness for
the errors of the past twelvemonth. The
sound of the shofar was the signal in
nearly every place Of worship for musi-
eal programme of unusual excellence.
At Temple Emanuel, the congregation
was distinctly fashionable and seemed TO
syince the most lively hopes for happi-
ness during the new year. The service
mad been planned on a grand scale and
The sermon was by no means the least
interesting feature. Rabbi Voorsanger
mad chosen for his subject THE Lion
and the Vine" taking his text from the
nineteenth chapter of Ezekiel, where that
prophet lillened the Princes of Israel OF
mis- time to lions whelps taken captive in
pit, and Judea to wasted vine. Under
that head DR.. Noorsanger took to task
those people of his religion who seemed
20 accept that religion merely from habit
and tradition, pointing out to them that
heir duty was to stand forth as the lions
whelps, and aid their aged mother in heI
aour of need. He said in part:
Ezekiel addresses himself to prince
who was too weak to hold the scepter,
and tells him: What a lioness was your
mother. Her ambition was that you should
become a lion, but the nations set up
against you, and they put a ring into your
nose ana led you captive into Egypt
1 say to you. this parable of Ezekiel is
perspective OF history. We OF the chill
dTen .C1 the lioness. The heavenly sign ut
Judea is the lion. rampant lion is
JUdea, not crouching and waiting for the
spoil. The heavenly sign OF the lion is one
@ strength power and ana d2iniop 9ndan a. which nIb
nations, who likewise strive for success
Is The sign of the lion. lioness is our
mother We belong TO her and she feeds
US she roams the earth TO seek, for sus-
lion and the lioness, OF .Tudea and Judaism
has produced power and dominion and
Morld-conquering ideas.
We are the children of the iioness, but
some Uf take her compiacently, a
matter Of course, OF tradition and train
ing. she is our mother, and, OF course, a
mother Although that mother may be
growing cider. some OF US do not see il.
This day comes to us as a day of glad
Make the best Of yourselves; be the
best you can De: contribute your best TO
society: contribute to the happiness Of
and study the conditions of the eternal
progress that is mans part through the
Snail 4 man love his faith merely be-
cause it was his fathers? Shall the eX-
istcnce Of Judaism be determined merely
b. the fact that are descended from
Jewish people? / am bound to tell you
tnat ASKING SQcn questions IS Paying into
the hands OF the anti-Semite. The anti
Semitic philosophy is that the Jew cannot
be anything else. They say that his relig-
ION is matter Of birth, habit and educa-
tion that he cannot change himself; that
nature has made him what he is. and.
therefore, he cannot be other than a jew
Shall I express my loyalty to my faith
merely because my mother did 1t, my
fsther did it? Is my religion merely a
force Of habit? Is my faith merely a ira
dition? Is il Il fact that l am merely con-
troled by circumstance-that I would have
no right TO choose2 Suppose that my rea-
cluslons, what am l TO do?
What is the answer to such questions?
The answer to them is THY mother was
a vine planted by many waters, her boughs
extending and her tendrils closing around
her trunk so high that they overtopped ali
other vines" There is within her every
source for satisfaction She is the source
net only Of the power Of her own children,
but OF the wisdom that runneth through
such questions proceed oftentimes from
people who are not quite willing to say
what their duty to their mother is-the
people who have forgotten that the vine OF
israel is still planted by many waters, and
that its rich clusters are still envied by
side CT the picture There are two pic
,ures of the vine. One is q vine rooted
deeply. extending It's fruity riches TO the
world The other picture is the vine OF
Israel planted in the desert. its fruit
wasted the simeon blowing upon it and
scourging il; it's trTInk withered, no longer
10 become the scepter OF nations. Ihere are
nlenty of people who fatter themselves
}bat that Is the fact We know them Lis
ten 10 these complacent gentlemen Wfo
geem to remember no more where thelc
mother is.
teeth: and you know that her eyes do not
rhine as brightly as of DID, and YOU know
that there are many people who look upon