Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-05-06
STRAIGHTFORWARD
Bernat HoIczer Delivered the
 Address of Welcome.

day with appropriate ceremonies. The
 opening prayer in Yiddish was read
 by Rabbi Rosen, followed by Rabbi
 Elkin of Hartford, in English. Can
 tor A. Minkowsky of New York, as-
 sisted by the choir, rendered several
 psalms after which they keys of the
 building were presented to President
 Samuel A. Weinstein by Miss Martha
 Holczer. The sacred scrolls were then
 borne through the synagogue, the
 following acting as honorary bear
 CTS: Samuel A. Weinstein, Simon
 Friedman and Joseph Shapiro, the
 cantor and choir rendering suitable
 selections B. Holczer delivered the
 address of welcome which was follow
 ed by an eloquent sermon by Rabbi
 Elkin.
 He spoke as follows:
 Will man ever be able to build a
 house for God? Behold, heaven and
 the heaven of heavens cannot contain
 thee; how much less the house that 1
 have builded?" If King Solomon ill
 his dedicatory prayer over the large
 and gorgeous temple in Jerusalem had
 reason to despond of the possibility to
 build Il house for God, how much
 more reason have we. And yet has
 God Himself demanded of Moses i'll
 the wilderness: And they shall make
 me sanctuary that I may dwell
 among them." From this divine de-
 mand we learn that God, though
 heaven and the heaven of heavens
 cannot contain him, is yet willing to
 dwell among his children on earth.
 As for building mere house for
 would ever be an utter inpossibility.
 We could never build house large enough or precious enough for the Lord of heaven and earth. Nor did God demand of Moses that the chil- dren of Israel should build him
 house, in the ordinary sense of the word. What God demanded is fully expressed in the word "Mikdash"- sanctuary. A sanctuary reed not be of large dimensions, or of gorgeous style.
 The very altar on which the sacri- ficial services were to be performed, was to be of rough, unhewn stones. But of whatever dimensions or costli- ness the house be wherein we expect God to dwell the place itself must he devoted, or specially consecrated to the services of God. Nothing of a selfish, earthly character. nothing mean, nothing that has any tendency merely to swell mans pride. or az grandisement, or self-lnterest, should ever he mixed up with the services di- vine for which a house of God he erected Such house must. with the laying of the first stone, he set apart i as "Kodesh ladonoi'-holy unto the Lord.
 There is surely no holiness inherent [ in brick and mortar, in statues, paint I ings, or embellishments of any kind. The palmer our places of worship are | the better they answer the Jewish | idea of q house of God. Not the gor- | of the building nor the beauties of It's contents. not even the nature or manner of the services con ducted therein should be the main motive 10 bring us into the house we dedicate to God. but principally our own desire for meeting our heavenly f Father where we believe His divine | glory, the "She-ehinas Ell to be pres ent.
 And such house in and upen which we prayerfully hope the glory { of God to rest, have you, my friends. In this building of decent dimension md responsiveness erected. And here It stands as d witness of your faith In the God of your fathers. while you Ire imploring him that He graciously accept 1t as q place to dwell among Tou. Noble efforts have you indeed made in behalf of this house wherein ron plously expect to meet God in ,rayer and holy devotion: noble efforts indeed, for you are ns yet but a small ,eople. small in numbers--and small n means. In one thing only. you eem to be large-large in faith! Your efforts and hardships Il the erection of this sanctuary , greatly remind me of the self-sacri- icing efforts and hardshlps of our , athers at their return from the Bamy- , onian captivity in also building q Iouse of God. Also they were but mall in numbers. and weak in means. ,, ut, like you also strong in faith and n the spirit of devotion.
 Only in one thing you had the ad- antage over them, for while their eathen neighbors tried their hardest C Q hinder the erection of the house of ' iod. your Christian neighbors, l feel ure. could not but rejoice that one q iore house of God was going Gp in heir beloved city in honor of our Ommon Father in heaven. "For havee c re not all one Father! Has not one { Ilmighty Being created US all-" It c ] a glorious thought and a remarkable q ign of the times that Christians and o ews. tu their common progress are radually learning the truth that. V hat separated man from man on O arth, was mans and not Gods do- O lg. O. AS God Is but one and the Father v us all. He demanded but one house. v lat is. but one manner of worship of q ! his children on earth--for My 2 Duse shall bc called q house of pray [ for all peoples So this house. a -hich you have erected to le house c God you dare not make exclusive. q claim merely for yourselves. but a hosoever comes into it tO join you s, your divine services must find a u sarty welcome among you VI if this house is indeed t0 become a iI ue -Mikdash.- a sanctuary where si gon the glory of God might rest then ts must be devoteI not only to the scr V