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It is only a few years back, when there were but six Synagogues open
for worship in the United States, to wit: one in New York, two in
Philadelphia, one in Richmond, one in Charleston, and one in Savannah.
But now the name of the Lord is invoked in the tongue of the land of
Canaan in at least twenty places dedicated to the service of the Most
High. We lack the authentic materials to state particulars; but we are
certain that we have not overrated the number of Synagogues in the
Republic, and doubtlessly the number will be rapidly increased, if we
may take the history of the past few years as a criterion.
When the separation first took place in New York, the only house of
worship then in that city would have held with ease all the worshippers
that resorted thither; but now, after the lapse of sixteen years, the
increase of Israelites in this centre of commerce has been such that
every little while a new house of God becomes necessary for the
accommodation of the brethren.
Last Sabbath קרח (the 1st of July) was, as we learn,
celebrated as the Sixteenth Anniversary of the founding of the Elm
Street Synagogue, now under the pastoral charge of the Rev. S. M.
Isaacs, whose labours in the field of our faith have been blessed with
ample returns, since many have been brought, under the blessing of
Heaven, by the influence of his preaching, to an acknowledgement of the
sinfulness of their ways, and to a reformation of their misconduct.
Thus, for instance, several have lately again closed their places of
business on the Sabbath, which gratifying spectacle has also been
witnessed within the last few months, as we learn from private
communications, in Kingston, Jamaica, St. Thomas, and Charleston, S. C.
So that we may freely say, that though the agitation in our Synagogues
has had some unpleasant results, it has yet led to inquiry, and
consequently to much good; for the greatest enemy our faith can have is
lethargic indifference to the doctrines and duties which have been
handed down to us.
All these circumstances must naturally have been enough to cause the
surviving founders of the above synagogue to congratulate each other on
the good result which has sprung from its establishment, seeing that the
spiritual as well as the temporal condition of the community is visibly
improving every year, which is evidenced by the fact that new seats have
to be provided constantly to accommodate those who are anxious to
worship within the walls of their house of prayer. The distant reader
may form an idea of the prosperous state of the finances, when we state
that the income for this year, will be, as is supposed, near six
thousand dollars; and we mention this fact only as proving that the
members and worshippers in the Elm Street Synagogue understand fully
their duty of endowing properly the public worship which has been
instituted for the benefit of all.
We trust that the righteous spirit which we are told to prevail among
this congregation, may also spread and extend to the Israelitish
communities of other cities, and that they may all be provided with
proper pastors to guide them wisely and understandingly. |
