The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-02
JEWISH NEW
YEARS EVE.
Hebrews Celebrate With Very
Holy Services.
RABBI MERRITTS SERMON
Grand Thoughts Expressed in
an Elegant Way.
RABBI MERRITT'S SERMON

As the sun set last evening, the Israel
ties of this city began a prayer service
which mark. the advent OF the New Year
according TO this peoples calendar. Rabbi
Merritt. senior student Of the Hebrew
Union college Of Cincinnati. conducted the
services, which were very impressive and
largely attended. The service was for a
good part musical. a gentle choir, as is
usual, furnishing some very fine compo-
sitions, many Of which were in Hebrew.
the composer being schlesslnger. A
prayer and sermon service will begin
this morning at 70 o'clock promptly. This
is a continuation OF the celebration which
lasts close onto ten days In announcing
this mornings services, AIr Merritt cor
daily invited the friends OF the congrega-
ton, who are OF other faith, to attend.
Last evenings program opened with re
sponsive reading and prayers from the
'Minhag. the Jewish prayer book The
prayers ana verses read by MI Merritt
who il styled Rabbi incorrectly, because
h is 4 student yet, were interspersed
with solos and selections by the choir,
composed Of Bion Hull, J. Shields, Mrs
III. ". Levy and Mrs. S. w. Shartuck jr.
Miss Daisy Woods played the accompani-
ment in . way that lent rounded COM
pleteness to the music
Mr.. Merritt preached a fine sermon.
He talked az one with a purpose. and
SPOKE with great forcefulness He is a
man of short stature and spare build
His features Sre very refined, his dark
Lair parted on one side, and with his
black, penetrating eyes he makes his
hearers feel every sentiment be utters
he delivered MS sermon from the raised
platform IN the south end OF Sedgwick
Music hail and spoke but twenty min
utes. Directly behind him candlestiek
OF a mans height and seven branches
cast a soft radiance over him This
7-branehed candlesdck is handed down
from tradition, being one of the utensils
OF the temple
As a text Mr.. Merritt took the answer
OF Jacob 10 Pharaoh. when the latter
questioned Jacob. on his arrival in Egypt.
as to his age Jacobs answer was: The /
days Of the years of my pilgrimage are
an hundred and thirty years: few and evil
rave the days of the years OF my life |
ten, and have not attained unto the /
days OF the years of the life Of my fathers |
in the days OF their pilgrimage" As /
Jacob stood there on summit of life
from which he could look back and see !
the long line Of noble achievements in his |
eventful career though he had come over !!
e rocky road with many rough places in |
It. yet it was grand that he in his great /
ness gave this very modest answer to the (
King of Egypt.
As he looked back from here" contin-
ued Mr. Merritt, he made u retrospect |
OF ali that had gone before him. He re-
called the many wayside halts, the cross
roads on which he had strayed from the
right path, the many times he struggled
with temptations. Tonight. let us stop on
the wayside here and look back Tonight
let Us strive for the magnificent success
that Jacob achieved"
The speaker declared that success was
used too glibly nowadays. The standard
are not stringent enough.
Some count it success TO attain high So
cial position Others count it success TO
be wealthy. Not a few believe that they
lave reached their goal il they can graf
ify every little whim of their desires.
This is not success in its higher mean
Ing. He is not successful who heaps I'D |
a great fortune. or piles the dollars one
uron the other. The success that is
gained I'm a moral intellectual or spiri-
IGal way. il the only success that really
exists. The speaker concluded his ser
mon with an eXhortation 10 his listener.
to reach out for this real success.
The memorial service for the dead
which followed the sermon was most
touching and impressive. This part of the
New Year celebration is greatly cherished
by the Hebrews. AS in all the rest Of the
prayer service. Mr.. Merritt read the
nemoriam partly in Hebrew and partly
In English. As he read. soft strains from
pa organ lent "a added solemnity to his
words.