Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-04-08

stated It to be his ufm cOnVlctlOn tudt
unless there was soon forthcoming 9
sum OF money sufficient to assure the
college of means wherewith to pay all
| it's running expenses, the college would
20 under and the work of lifetime
! come to naught. DR.. Wise was In gen.
eral one of the most optimistic men
ever knew. Nothing seemingly could
discourage him. There was in him a
perennial spring of courage and light
| heartedness that never permitted him
| to despair. For that very reason his
| sad complaint concerning the lack OF
consideration for his pet institution,
| the child he loved best, sounds pa
| thetic, yet true note. The college
was opened in 1875. In June us
| twenty-fifth anniversary is to be ceie-
brated. 1t is the only institution OF
its kind in the country. 1t has gradu-
ated more than sixty Rabbis, who oc-
cupy now the leading pulpits OF the
land, and who, arguments to the con-
| trary. notwithstanding, have done
more to give American Jews religion
| and make Judaism a thing or beauty
and joy forever, than all the otner
| institutions and organizations America
| has ever known. Yet in its twenty
| fifth year that college still begs lts
| annual allowance, and at one year s
! end knows not where its next year
| allowance is to come from. At the
! same time, for lack of funds, its Work
| is crippled and its efficiency interfered
| with. | venture to say that there was
nothing in all of DR.. Wise's long life
| that grieved him more than this. l
| make this statement advisedly. L
| know all he suffered and endured, or,
rather. | know of much. But from
what he said and what he wrote, 1t is
! evident that the one sorrow that grlev-
f, ed him most was the poverty or MS
| college. his college. Had he been
/ spared longer, there is no question put
what his last efforts would have been
devoted to gathering the funds neces-
sary to help that college do its WORK.
| But death cut him off, and his one
| hope remained unrealized.
That the graduates of the college
| felt deeply the grief of the master In
Israel goes without saying. His sor-
rows always have been their sorrows,
and his joys their joys. Yet in their
| present heart-breaking grief they nave
Dut Ou6 LuluS W SOiloOAN S-ASHN' 49,
! that is the consciousness that before
! he died they began movement CAL
! culated to still the sufferings dear OLD
| DR.. Wise endured because of.the con-
| ditions of the college. About Two
months ago arrangements were maze
whereby on ShabboS Hagodol, tnls
Sabbath plea was to be made from
every Jewish pulpit in the country for
funds for the college. The total sum
| it was then intended. to ask for was
| $3.50. 900, as a definite endowment
| fund, and in addition thereto annual
| contributions all told of SIS 900. HOW
| happy DR.. Wise was to know that
such a movement was contemplated,
| l need not tell you. A few weeks
ago, when Mr. Woolner, of Peoria, ILL.,,
/ knowing nothing of our contemplated
plans, began a movement LOOKING 10
| the same end and in few days mad
secured $4,000, $4,000 of which he and
one other gentleman subscribed. Or.
Wise, in one of his editorials, fairly
dances with joy, but his JOY was but
momentary, for few days later he
passed away. But that passing away,
instead of interrupting the movement
begun, has but served to stimulate it.
In cooperation not only with Peoria,
Ill.,, but with the whole union of Amer
lean Hebrew congregations, the Alum
nj of the Hebrew Union College have
set themselves the task of gathering
the sum of 100000 to be used as an
endowment fund for that college The
whole country is to be actively can
vassed and every city where Jews may
dwell is to be visited. To that fund
every Rabbi in the country asks his
congregation, or rather the individual
members of his congregation, to con-
tribute, and in pursuance of that plan
this evening address my plea to
you You all knew Dr. Wise, either
personally or otherwise. You all
know what he done for American Is
rael and American Judaism. You all,
l am sure, either loved him or ad-
mired him. You all, l know, grieve
for his passing away, and you know
now how best to show the sincerity
of that grief Give what you can to
carry out his last wish and hope. Give
what you can to swell the fund that
is to mean so much to reform Juda-
ism's only institution in this country,
the offspring of the grand old man OF
American Israel Give what you can
to show that your love and grief mean
something. The amount needed is
large one, and Wheeling's contribu-
ton must be one that will do 1t credit,
will do it justice. The Isaac M. Wise
memorial fund must become a fact.
and Wheeling that knew him and loved
him must help-must do its utmost
to make that fact an immediate, a
worthy one. During the coming few
weeks l expect to call in person on
as many of you as possible, and trust
that at such time as | may visit you,
you will make fitting, willing contri-
button to the fund. AS for those who
desire to suggest their names and the
sums they wish to contribute this
evening, let me say l shall remain
brief time in the temple after ser
vices, and shall be glad to meet them.
The Nestor of American Judaism is
gone. IT'S for you to say whether his
work shall go with him, or whether
with his name it shall not outlive
him and go down the centuries.
Shall Isaac NJ Wise be forgotten or
remembered? Men and women of Is
rael, your duty lies clear before you.
God grant you may rise to the oc
casion, make American Israel proud
of you, make me proud Of you, and
make you proud of yourselves.