The Washington times., 1905-12-29
FIFTY YEARS WORK
IN |SRAEL'S CAUSE
Washington Congregation
Celebrates Golden Jubilee.
HAS PROGRAM FOR TONIGHT
Prominent Speakers Will Address Mem
bers of the Congregation ia
Eighth Street Temple

bers OF the Congregation ia
Eighth Street Temple
Devotional services. followed by ad-
dresses by prominent men. will be- held
at the Eighth Street Temple tonight in
connection with the celebration of the
fiftieth anniversary Of the establishment
OF the Washington Hebrew Congrega- {
tiop.
Special services viii be held AT 7:S0
O'Clock. Rabbi Louis Stern and AGrsm
Simon viii officiste. T. l.. Blout. presI-
dent Of the congregation. VIII make the
address OF welcome 10 the members Of
The congregation and their families.
Rev DR.. Thomas - Easton Will Of
fer prayer. and after this addresses will
be made by Vice President Fairbanks
District Commissioned Henry l.. West,
Simon Wolf. Rev Louis Stern and Rabbi
Abram Simon.
Inaugurated Last Night
Last right the educational phase OF
the celebration was held Al the temple.
when tho Rev DR. Got;hard Deutsch. OF
the Hebrew Union College. at Cincinnati.
Ohio. described the horrors OF rs mas
sacre of the Jews of Odessa and kishe-
nef. and protested against the outrages
inflicted on the Jews in these TWO cities.
The social feature OF the celebration
will be a complimentary ball. given to
the members OF the congregation at
Rausscher's the evening of January 4.
This is a jubilee year. Not only is il
the fiftioth anniversary OF the establish
ment of the Washington congregat ton.
but It is the 250th anniversary OF the re-
dr,1fu OF
of his coming TO America.
Rabbi Abram Simon has added ma
terially TO the educational part of the
celebration by compiling a complete his
tory OF the Washington Hebrew Congre-
cation. from its founding IN 1850 up 10
the present time. The history ilEs lust
been published and depicts i'm a most
interesting manner the growth and de-
yelopment of the congregation.
Although IT was fifty years ago on
the Cd day of December that Congress
gave the congregation it's charter, the
exact date OF the arrival of the first Of
1srears children in the District is un-
known On April p. 1852, hardy band
the worlds goods. but rich in the pride
of their religious heritage and anxious 20
maintain the rights OF their faith ef-
fected an organization and elected Off
GERS.
Services in Homes.
the homes OF different members The
month OF December in the third year
marked the red-letter day in the history
of the congregation. for Congress grant
ed the charter that gave them the rights
privileges and immunties heretofore
granted by law to the Christian churches
in Washington.
Rabbi Simon. in outlining the history
of the congregation. says:
Nothing of special interest marks
the history of the little congregation
until a rupture occurred in 1883. We
need not hide the truth that decorum at
the meetings and at the service was n
great desideratum. and that the very
mjldest dfsa grcements became magnified
into opportunities for dissension.
/ have not yet been able to
discover the weighty causes or proba bic
occasions for such a breach. 1t is not
altogether a piece of spite work on the
part OF some dissatisfied members
against the Rev. NJ. Lansburgh. nor Is IL
probable that the latter tried TO impose
any reforms upon them
The Independent Synagogue.
Whatever was basic to this division.
II is clear that the leading spirits Of
the seeding Chebra. Ben Kaufman s.
Heller. ard Jonas Gluck formed an indie
pendent synagogue, held services at
Ninth street and the Market place. near
the commission stores: elected a Rev.
s. Well as their cantor and bought a
piece OF ground on Seventh street above
the boundary as burial spot.
After the lapse OF some months. each
congregation realized that separation
was suicidal and that It's strength. its
very life and future lay in cooperation.
A union was thus effected on condition
that the Withdrawing congregation
might bring Mr. We'll as reader of the
united congregation. Mr.. Lansburgh
yielded 10 the logic Of the situa tion most
gracefully. and shortly thereafter went
70 his eternal reward in Baltimore"
The history tells in detail how Rev.
Wells ministry showed many indications
OF congregational progress along all the
erical activit-
The civil war wrought havoc In the
cOnKTeSauOn- which was reduced TO a
membership of seventy-seven. Rev Dr..
We'll left and was succeeded by Rev. !.
s. Jacobson, and he in 1869 by DIR. Her
man Baar- Rabbi Baar became known
as the Father OF the Orphans" but ne
developed a severe throat affection and
returned shortly 10 his home I'm Eng
land. Rev. Isaac Stemple followed in
1870. and served gratis for some lime.
During this period. when the outlook
was Of the brightest. the congrega ton
became divided religious questions.
and In 1870 about thirty-five members
left the congregation.
The following year Rev. Michael Cold
berg led the congregation. The Rev.
Louis Stern was next called to the syn
agoRue. and the second period of the con
gregation's history IS marked and dom
mated entirely by the first Twenty-Five
years OF his ministry.
The advent OF the new leader I'm July
of 1872 found the congregation struggling
nightly under the burden of self-main-
tenance. Some OF the board thought
seriously of disbandnR. but brave hearts
rose 10 the emergency. and the queS-
tion Of meeting growing expense was
answered by the common-sense device
OF economy
Congregation Then Prospered.
The membership OF the congrega ton
grew rapidly. The temple was rebuilt
IN 1877 and again IN 1855
In concluding the history. Dr. Simon
says:
The jubilee thus finds the congrega-
tion IN mood for rejoicing Three hun