Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-01

THE FEASTAM weeks.
The Most Joyous of the He
brew Holidays.
THE SERVICES TODAY
CONFIRMATION OF CLASS OF SIX
BY RABBI STERN.
Feast Commemorative Of Two Evenss
in Jewish History-The Ten
Commandments.

Commandments.
THE observance of Shabuoth the Festival
of the Weeks, which is counted one OF the
most JOYOUS of all the Hebrew holidays, was
begun in the Jewish synagogues OF wash
ington last evening. Services were also
held today by both the Reformed and the
Orthodox congregations, and the members
| of the Orthodox church will also hold serv-
| ices tomorrow similar to those Of today.
The Feast of the Shabuoth is In reality
! the celebration of two distinct events in
| Jewish history, the one the ripening of the
| barley crop in Palestine the other the CIV
| ing of the Ten Commandments on Mount
| Sinai. Today, as thousands OF years ago,
| the barley crop is ripening on the hills OF
| Palestine and the farmers are completing
| the gathering of their CROP but the world
| over the Jew, no longer an agriculturist, be-
| gins his celebration. and as his condition
| has changed SO he has come to emphasize
| the second occasion for the celebration.
! A service of particular interest was held
| this morning at the Hebrew Temple on oth
| street northwest. incidental to the observ-
| ance of Shabuoth, when class OF six can
| didates-four boys and two girls-were con-
| firmed by Rev. DR.. Louis Stern. rabbi of the
| congregation. The exercises of the morn
|
were witnessed by an immense audience,
! in which were many gent1les.
Confrmants Participate in Service.
| In the ceremonies of the morning an IN
| teresting feature was the participation by
| the confirmants Three of the candidates.
Lawrence Sondheimer, Stanley Fischer and
| David L. Stern. the latter a son of DR..
Stern, the rabbi, read the lesson from the
| Torah in Hebrew. The Scripture chosen
| was Exodus pills. The confirmants and
choir then sang blessed, o Blessed" after
| which Bella Schiffman one of the candi
| dates, offered the opening prayer
The members of the class were then ex-
| amined briefly in the principal doctrines of
Judaism, after which each candidate made
| a brief address on the subject designated
as follows: Our Name and Mission" Mel
vim King; .'Our Sacred Tongue David L.
Stern; "Our Festival and Confirmation"
! Maud Lchtenstein; "Our Duty After Con-
frma tion," Lawrence Sondheirner; Our At
| titude to Other Creeds," Bella Schiffman;
Our Country Stanley Fischer.
| Following the confirmation hymn DR..
| Stern delivered a brief address, and the
| confirmants received the blessing Of their
parents. after which the confession of faith
was repeated. The closing prayer was Of
| fered by Maud Lichtenstein, and after the
| newly admitted members had received the
| blessing of the minister hymns were sung
| and the benediction was pronounced.
DR.. Stern's Address.
At the services attending the celebration
of Shabuoth held in the Hebrew Temple
| last night Dr. Stern delivered an address
| in which he spoke of the significance of the
| festival, and in closing referred othe re-
| cent Jewish troubles in Russia. DR.. Stern
said in part: - 80 +ft - ma !
| HAS our festival outiived its usefulness?
| Is the ancient message voicing such plain
and simple, and we might say. self-evident,
frYlf he hn Tan, Cnrr1Yr nY16r 70 Cti
needed?
Thousands of years ago--some might
contend-the deca1ogue was indeed a reve
lation, effecting a revolution in heather
world that knew no God, no Sabbath; no
regard for the sacredness of the life, honor
and possessions of others. Today every
child knows that any infraction Of the
laws of the decalogue-murder, theft, incest
and perjury-is duly and promptly punished
| under the provision of our common law.
Why. then. it might be argued. lay further
stress upon the Importance of the Ten Com
| mandments, which are not only embodied.
| but vastly ampiified and enlarged upon in
modern Jurisprudence?
ITO argue thus would be poor reasoning.
The Ten Commandments are today as evcr
| the foundation and corner stone of society.
| They can never be replaced superseded
by human legislation The laws of our
| modern statute books are enforced by fear.
| the fear of penalties provided for criminal
| acts. But it would be a sorry state of
| affairs If society and the state for their
|
| ishment.
History and experience amply teach
| that the community Is safeguarded accord
ing to the degree of prevailing public
morals. Men to be trusted are those who
| shun evil because it is evil, not for fear of
| punishment 1t is religion which aims to
| inculcate this principle. 1t is religion that
J teaches us to love our fellow-men, to be
| righteous and just and merciful. because
| we children of one just righteous and
| merciful Father 1t Is for this reason that
| ~ yuyith hn nIor iny,.
| L am the Lord Thy God who has brought
| thee out of the house of slavery a God
who hates wrong, tyranny and oppression,
| who loves mercy and justice and equity.
| AS children of God you must honor and
| love your parents, Gods representatives on
! earth. AS children of God you dare not lie
| and swear falsely, nor injure your neigh
Dor in his rightful possessions. Not for
| fear of punishment. but because under the
| common fatherhood Of God thou shalt love
| brother man as myself! and where in all
| the law books of the universe is to be
| found inhibition not merely of the sin
| full act but OF the sinful desire that is the
| root of all evil like that of the tenth COM
| mandment-"Thou shalt not covet.
! 1.-The Ten Commandments have not been
| and never can be abrogated- Both in spirit
| and letter they are needed today as much
as ever before. They are needed for the
| proper solution of our perplexing econom-
| ical problems. They are needed for the
| satisfactory adjustment of our national and
| international affairs.
The Troubles in Russia.
| ALAS the utter absence of their spirit Is
| responsible for the bloody horrors perpetu-
| ated in benighted Russia. in the contem-
plation of which the civilized world stands
| aghast And the bitter iron! The VIC
| Tins of those fendish misdeeds are of the
race that gave to the world the very laws
| which In the name of their Divine Author
cry out against the outrage.
| But the civilized world. led by the peo-
| pie of this country. has taken up the cry in
| solemn protest From its high places out
| ragged humanity thunders forth In swelling
| accents the divine message of DID, Thou
| shalt not murder! Thou shalt not bear
| false witness to palliate foul crime! And
| even Russia must heed the warning voice:
| even Russia, sooner or later, will learn to
| understand that nations must be governed.
| not by cruel, arbitrary force. not by might
| and not by power, but by My spirit, saith
the Lord. the spirit Of Justice. equity and
| lover
Adath Israel Congregation.