The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-12-19
JEWISH WOMAN'S
FUTURE FUNCTION
So Far as Israel is Concerned
is Pointed Out by Rabbi
Silver in Sermon.

"The Jewish Woman and Her Func-
tion in Future Israel" was the subject
of Rabbi Maxwell Silver's address FRI
day evening at the sixth fortnightly
services of Temple Emanuel at the
Masonic temple.
Very few know, Rabbi Silver said,
that II we owe the beginning OF
1srael's religion, which In modified
form, in turn, became the religion Of
the civilized world to man-Moses,
We owe tho possibility Of its persist
ence to woman-Deborah, who lived
in the twelfth century, D. c., about
one hundred years after Moses.
One Of the modern historians. Rab-
bi Silver declared in enumerating the
famous battles Of the world, which
marked turning points In the history
OF civilization, counted as one Of them,
the battle OF Mount Tabor, in which
Deborah figured as the sole inspirer,
heroine and victor against the Canaan
itish heathens. The men In Israel.
then, seem to have lost their courage
and their loyalty to their new religion
of Moses, and 1t was left to q woman,
member Of the sex, which, especially
in the ancient Orient, counted as
naught, above Judaism to the world.
II 1t were not due to Deborah's victory
over the Canaanites and to the result
ing unification OF the Israolitish tribes
and through that. the consequent
Strengthening Of the new religion OF
Moses, the world would probably have
been now few thousand years behind
in religious development.
| A similar storm and stress period
for religion, Rabbi Silver said, occurred
In the middle Of the last century due
TO new scientific revelations, which so
foolishly upset the minds of the civil
liked world, as well as to the so-called
Industrial Revolution, which made
SO many human beings become wholly
submerged in the ceaseless chase after
wealth and in the consequent forget
fulness Of higher life. This wave OF
materialism unfortunately also swamp
ed a great part Of Israel. But, with
tho Reformation OF Judaism and its
religious emancipation OF the Jewish
woman-the elevating Of the Jewish
woman to the same religious import
ance as the man. which privilege she
up to that time and even to the pres
ent did not enjoy in Orthodox Judaism.
least unexpected factor, even as in
the time Of Deborah, appeared again
to save Judaism-the Jewish woman.
And the great religious work which in
the reform temples Is new being
done Rabbi Silver declared is mainly
due TO the noble and self-sacrificing
work Of the Jewish women. 1t is they,
through their sisterhoods, now count
ing two hundred strong. and already
federated into national federation OF
sisterhoods. that inspire the hope that
religion again will take the important
place In the mind of the Jewish child
and man and woman as 1t so uniquely
held up to the last century-when we
shall be able to say again that
Judaism was again saved by the self
sacrificing work of the Jewish woman
1t is enlightened religion we are
coming to see now. that will redeem
the world, and IL the Jewish woman
will aid in the furtherance of true re-
llgion by her noble work for the tenn
pie she will win the gratitude of DOS
terity, even as did Deborah.
Rabbi Silver appealed to the Jewish
women OF Clarksburg to initiate the
good work of their sisters all over tbs
United States, and especially urged
them to aid in Fastening the building
Of the proposed temple for Congrega.
ton Emanuel.