The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-22
HEBREW NEW YEAR
UsHERED IN AT MICKvA ISRAEL
SYNAGOGUE.
RABBI GEORGE SoLoMoNS
DELIVERED HIS INAUGURAL AD-
DRESS.

Young People and FOrceful Trib-
ute TO Life of DIR. Mendes-Enters
Upon New Duties without shrink
inS-Music of the Choir "A Feature
of the New Year Service.
With beautiful music and the read
ing of the impressive ritual of the He
brew service, Rosh Hoshannah, the
Hebrew New Year, was ushered in
at the Temple Mickva Israel last
night.
The synagogue was filled to over
flowing and besides the numbers who
were seated on chairs that had been
placed in the aisles a great many
stood in the rear of the building. Aft
er the close of the ritual service the
inaugural address of Rabbi George
Solomons was delivered.
The New Year service opened with
the reading of the ritual. Following
this ceremony the choir. augmented es-
pecially for the occasion, rendered
several beautiful selections. The eff
feet of. the entire service was solemnly
beautiful and deeply impressive. The
soft reading of the ritual in the He
brew tongue; the rich, low cadences
of the organ; we'll rendered solos; all
combined to make the ceremony deep
ly impressive, and the ushering in of
the New Year very appropriate.
At the close of the ritualistic cere-
monies Rabbi George Solomons deliv-
cred his inaugural address. The adj
dress was one peculiarly appropriate
to the occasion, eloquently delivered,
and Astounding in rich and polished
metaphors. DR.. Solomons is an at
tractive speaker and though he spoke
in low voice, yet the softly subdued
tones reached every portion of the
synagogue and were easily heard by
those sitting in the rear and standing
about the doors. The text of the New
Years address was "At the time of
evening there shall be light"
Happiness with All.
I'VE have just closed another year..
said Rabbi Solomons, in opening his
sermon, and are entering upon a new
year, year filled with hope and cheer.
We have sailed one more knot across
the sea of life are one knot nearer to
the final port. AS we review the past
tonight and look forward over the I'M
known stretch of waters which we are
yet to sail, many of us are filled with
doubts and misgiVingS, with wonder
ingS for the outcome of the voyage. But
hope is ever with US and happiness
should prevail in the hearts of all.
I'VE are not hidden to rest idly on
our oars, to suspend all energy; the
hope which is within us is not that of
the poor weary Wanderer in the desert.
1t is not with such hope that we are
filled, but rather with the hope born
| of the evergreen tree of religion and
| plucked from it's branches a hope that
| is always fresh and green.
Let there be light, was the divine
command which inaugurated the be-
ginning of the work of creation, and
let that thought rule us tonight. Let
it sink into our souls and permeate all
parts of our being, and we shall find
| that just as the sun, shining upon the
black, damp earth, lying under stone
| which has not been moved in many
| years, turns the blackened earth back
| to brightness and freshness again, so,
| turning over our prejudices and old
opinions, the festerings and blackened
| places of, error will disappear, and In
| their place creep out the green, fresh
earth.
| There is no cause for pessimism and
| let us seek to avoid it. The sun shines
| on the pessimist, but he feels not its
warming rays; the sweet, pale goddess
| of the night casts her beams about
him, but he remains entirely oblivious;
to all the beauties and charms of ma
ture he pays no heed. But the world
is not and need not be a cold and
cherries abiding place. All is not as
we think it should be and there is
| much evil existent But the evil is
only relative and there is always
compensation. After the rain the sun
steals out again, and after the dark
night comes the morning. This law of
compensation is always with us. Like
a vast multiplication table is this
world, which. no matter which way
you turn it, always rights itself If
we do not always understand why we
| are forced to live in sorrow, we can
understand the greater blessing of the
| joy which comes after it.
when in the early part of the year
it was my privilege to spend a few
blessed days with you, 1 went out
| to that peaceful sleeping place of the
dead. Bonaventure, with all it's calm
ness. all it's Deacefulness, all its quiet
ness and 1 stood and looked down the
long vistas of the trees locking their
| arms together. My host lalnented the
work of the storm which had felled
several of the trees, but to me this was
| only one more chance given for the
sunlight to slip in.
so it is with lis as we stand to-
night on the broad avenue of time
and look down the vistas of the years.
Here and there we find spots of mis-
fortune, broken hopes perhaps. but
this does not mar the beauty of the
picture. Beyond the sunlight is fall
ing and lighting all the way. The good
lamp of religion is ever guiding us
from the mountain top of truth.
Appeals Particularly To Young.
"As l begin my duties with Mickva
Israel appeal particularly to the
young people of the congregation. To
the older ones 1 feel that l can saw
little while the honored colleague, DR..
Mendes, is still with us. You have
grown up with him, he has lead you
from early childhood to the present
day, and all his life has been among
you. have never had the privilege
of being in his congregation, but in the
| short time that / have been associated
with him 1 have learned to know the
universal love and reverence in which
he is held. His life has been one long
powerful, sermon: living sermon has
been his very presence; profuse, mag
nificent, practical in it's results.
My hope and prayer ever will be tina [
the young men and women of Mickva
Israel may become attached 10 me
that ! may create an interest IN them
for our work; that I may make IL pleas