The Denver Jewish news., 1919-04-09
Address Deliuered At Grave
or /. M. Wise
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sacred nnd threatened with nnlifbhn-
tion he was among the first 10 call
the country to wake and 10 urge the
necessity for Immediate action. iits
voice was without doubt the mosf
powerful i'll America aud its ringing
tones in behalf of justice and right
eousncss and human brothelhood we're
silcnced only by the hand Of death
His modesty WIS as characteristics
us his gentleness. He never, called
attention to himself. He was lost il,
the great causes lie espoused There
were strong men who hotiestly diiier'
cd from him and endearcrrd TO IN
derlnine the foundstiOus lie was lay
Ing. He regarded them with profound
respect.
Small natures irritated by ill.dis-
suised envy would bclittie his great
ness and fill the air with poisonous
calumny. Tho often discouraged anu
dcspairing of the success of his work
his enemies could not disturb the
eycnness of his temper or eInb;:ter the
sweetness of his soul. He had ncith'
er time nor inclination fer personal
abuse The path of his lie was up
wurd nnd he could not be distracted
from his onward aspirations. He was
too big to nurse grudge. aud cvcnt'-
ally his unrelenting eneinics became
his dearest friends.
We call to miiri his mental endow-
mcnts. There may have been Ra'bis
more learned in this or that specially,
but none whose intellect included Il
wider realm of knowledge. There
seemed to bic no subject with which
lie did not enjoy familiar aclunint-
nncc. Preacher, professor. author. ana
editor a vast library of literature
testifics TO his mental mastery
His Industry was tirelcss: none ch-
celled him in the capacity for work
Nor did he coutent himself With being
d thinker and knowcr-he must
needs be doer. His thoughts must
crystullize i'll deeds. His dreams must
become o reality. He was the greut
practical idealist of Judaism in Amer
ics.
His grcntcst mental gift was his
genius for organization. When Isaac
". Wise came 30 this country more
,hnn three score years ago to escape
The hlmperins fctters of European
..rwrIcs. he founi that the same mcdi
oval supcrstitions and petty local Gus
toms which bad germinatc1 in the
dcrk confines of oppression. had been
imported into this land of liberty ana
opportunity. FHnnticism and apostasy
ignorance and indifference were sap
ping the vitnIity of Judaism aud cot
Ing out its life. lie determined t'
clear away the decay ond debris. Il
remove the ruius and rebuild tho vast
rluccs. But uprootcd only To plant
| anew: llc tore down only to build up
Isaac NJ. Wise destroyed nothing tha'
was not already dcid. He never casi
= stone into well which had qUcnch
I'd his thirst.
He substituted the living symbol fol
tj,c obsolete ceremony: suppIan.cd th'
oriental custom of excluding wonleI
from plncc and participation in TIM
Synugogui services by recognition u
| her rights and uutics. conferred upol
;iIis the privilege of confirmation
with boys. delivered sermons in Eng
!ish, and his many reforms have beer
adopted even by large numbers of 80
called orthodox congregations. liz
heightened the cords of Isracrs tent
hut he also strengthened its stakes
important as were his innovations
they were secondary TO Ills life's pur
pose. IL was the Jewish spirit that
lie revived that entities him TO u place
among the Jewish iInmortals.'
lie knew that Judaism in Amcri-
ca could not survive as slavish imi-
tation of the Judaism of autocratiC
;ussia of Anti-Semitic Germany and
Austria. or of the aristocratic ideas
then prevailing in England. but must
conform with the spirit of our own
democratic institutions. Nor did hc
Eelieve that the Jew should center his
hopes or waste his energy in pursuing
the phantom of q national restora-