Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-04-08
4 MEMORIAL SERMON
DIR. WISE WARMLY EULoGIzED.
An Eloquent Testimonial to one of
The Most Learned and Progressive
Teachers and Ministers of the He
brew Religion in the United
States-MusicaI Service.

evening. 10 listen TO the duIulTdDlc
eulogy upon the late DR.. I. M. Wise,
which was eloquently pronounced by
Rabbi Henry Levi His address was
followed throughout with the closest
attention. He spoke in substance as
follows:
That the news of the death of DR.. l.
M Wise came as a shock to each and
every one of you, as it did to every Jew
and Jewess in the country goes with
out saying. Twenty-Five years ago,
when, in the active days of middle age
he made one of his many trips east, he
stopped here in Wheeling and deliver
ed an address on '"The Wandering
Jew and by that visit, as had occa-
sion not long ago to tell him, he made
all of Wheeling's Jewish community,
his personal friends and admirers.
But year ago, he recalled to me all
the experience of that trip, when as
your representative, | presented him
with the loving cup you sent him, as
token of your affection and at that
time, when reference was made to the
anticipated semi-centennial celebration
of our congregations birth, he readily
consented to be present at that cele-
it a memorable affair.
No one thought when in his good
natured, interested and joVial way he
spoke of these matters, that ere an
other year had been added to the past,
those lips would have closed and that
tongue be silenced forever. OF course
he was then 80 years of age, 10 years
past the Psalmists limit of life, and
physically weak; and none that knew
him could help but feel that the end
had to come and at some not distant
day. Yet as is always the case Win
those we love. that end came sooner
than we expected it, sooner than we
would have wished. Suddenly strlck-
en-, while teaching one of the classes of
his boys at the college, on the after
noon of Saturday, March oath, all
knew that the fame of life was flick
ering; all save himself. Light hearted
and buoyant, he argued even jokingly
with his physician, to prove that ne
had done right in teaching on Shabbos.
But the call had come, and the answer
had to be given. AS the sun sank be-
hind the western hills Monday even
ing, March 18th, Israel's shining light
also went out and with a calm, peace
full smile upon his face, the Nestor OF
American Judaism fell asleep.
Thirty years ago Dr.. Wise choose as
his own funeral text the words from
the 25th Psalm: Who is the man
He feared God and pointed out the
chosen way. This soul dwelleth in
good and his seed will inherit the
land" and in quoting the words then
he said: whenever God should call
me and | must lay aside my work and
people will come and ask who is this
man? Then say that you know and
tell the truth and if you can, say He
feared God and led men up to him. y
We stand still too near the grand Old
man to be able to give complete an
swer to the Psalmists question. The
brilliancy of the light he shed, some
what blinds us and his true greatness
of soul and life and work cannot be
read Alright. 'The great man knew
not he was great says Emerson. 1t
took him two centuries to learn it. -
Greatness is never fully appreciated
until considerable time has elapsed and
men have been able to see in full per-
spective, the lives of the men who
who have moulded and shaped history
and given it to many. Centuries hence
men will know more and appreciate
better the work Isaac M. Wise did dur
ing his 81 years of life. Generations
to come will be better able even than
those who knew him best, to under
stand in all its fullness. The signifi-
cant part he played in life till death
called him hence.
We to whom he was dear aside from
his work, because we knew him with
his kindly glance and friendly smile
and tender ways; we who came into
direct contact with him and were so
fortunate as to be able to call him
friend, think you we, with all our
love for him and all our grief at his
passing away, living when his work is
but beginning to testify to his great
ness, think you we can fully and justly
answer the Psalmist's question? And
think you that even were the power
ours, broken hearts would give our
hating tongues adequate expression
wherewith to pay tribute to the life of
the seer of JeShurun? Thank you
that we and the world to-day really
know who this man was and what he
was? What he did, what influence he
exerted, and what his four-score years
meant and will mean for us, for Israel,
for Judaism, for humanity?
Isaac Mayer Wise was born March
20, 1919, at Steingrub, Bohemia. He
received his first instructions at the
hands of his father, who was a teacher
While still young he showed an eager
ness to study and as soon as he was
able, he entered the University of
Prague of which he was the oldest liv-
ing graduate In 1913, the year OF his
graduation, he was appointed Rabbi in
Radnitz, Bohemia, and remained here
until 1916.
However, his profession and his po-
sition did not gain for him im2r nifty
from the insults that in his native
land were continually heaped upon all
or his co-religionists To this day
Austria has much to learn in the di-
rections Of humanitarianism and toll
erance. In those days it had much
more to learn of the obligations OF
civilized governments; and Isaac NJ.
Wise no less than all Austrian Jews
felt the results of the narrowness. and
bigotry. In consequence thereof he
left Bohemia in 1916 and made his goal
America.
A few weeks after his arrival here he
was elected Rabbi of congregation
Bethel, of Albany, N. Y. His elo-
qEence and learning soon made a dis
tinct impression. and all would have
been well had he not sought to intro
duce certain reforms he thought neces-
sary To these reforms his conerepa-