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What think our readers of the announcement, that even in the distant
isles of the Pacific, there are temples arising to the most holy name of
the God of Israel? That there, where not many years ago, the sea beat upon
a solitary shore, or where none but ignorant savages lay basking in the
sun, the Lord of heaven is invoked in the language of Heber? Yet, it is
even so; and year by year assemblies of Israelites are formed to testify
their steadfast adherence to their ancient laws; in New Holland, Van
Diemen's Land, and New Zealand; and ere long we may hear that in the
smaller islands also, the sons of Jacob will increase and flourish, and
live in unison, as brothers of one house, as adorers of one God. How sweet
are such tidings as these to those who expect anxiously the salvation of
their Father above? For, next to the possession of a central home, and an
independent state, where the divine laws alone are the chief rule of the
land, is it well for us to be scattered over every part of the earth, so
that the malevolence of our enemies may not be able to light, at any one
time, the fires of persecution, and to pronounce the doom of banishment
over all Israel, by the same decree. Look where we would have been, had we
all lived in Spain? What would have become of Israel, had we all dwelled
in France when the decree of our expulsion went forth? What would be our
deplorable fate now, were all descendants of Abraham now obeying the will
of the autocrat of Russia? Dreadful, indeed, would our lot have been,
would it be now, were such our lot! The lamp of Jacob would soon expire,
the few men of Israel would speedily disappear from the earth. But great
and merciful is the Lord; He has indeed banished us from our ancient
patrimony, still He has taken effectual means that all of us shall not
perish. It may be that in his unsearchable providence He may permit, that
we be compelled to drain deep the cup of confusion, which may again be
presented to our lips, by our adversaries; the sword may again be drawn,
and apostacy be offered as the only price of life; many may on that day of
trial tremble, because of the danger, swerve in their adherence to their
Father, and embrace the creed of the stranger; millions,—but the Merciful
avert especially this evil,—millions may leave our ranks and swear fealty
to a worship which they abhor, adopt a faith which they believe to be
false:—still, and for all that, we are safe from utter annihilation, a
remnant will escape, in some of the many places where we dwell; all will
not be lost, because nearly all has been destroyed. And who knows what may
be impending? Religion has become neglected in many places where formerly
piety dwelt; infidelity, we regret to record it, has awakened the spirit
of disunion, where before this brotherly love reigned paramount; the bonds
are loosened that ere our days bound together the souls of the believers;
and who then knows, who can tell, but that the distant isles may become
the seat of true godliness, whence again the spirit of truth is to be
rekindled once more, and for ever, to be burring with an unquenchable
flame on the altar of the heart, an acceptable, a worthy, a pure sacrifice
to the God of our forefathers? Dim shadows of sorrow and foreshadowings of
joys arise before the mind; on the one side, there are the evils of the
times, and their but too sure results; on the other the promises of the
Most High, which never deceive, founded besides, on the disposition of our
people, stiff-necked and unbending, for good as well as evil; and hence
results our fear for the present, but hence also springs our certain
conviction, that come the worst which can befall us, there is a future, a
redemption, which will purify us from the dross of iniquity, and establish
unshakingly the kingdom of the Lord, at that time and that hour when the
power of earthly tyrants shall be destroyed for ever.
It is therefore we rejoice, not when we hear that we have made numerous
proselytes from the gentiles, though the righteous strangers who seek the
Lord and his strength, shall be welcome as brothers and sisters in the
spirit of the law, but when we are informed that our own household have
bestirred themselves to be active in the cause which is theirs in good
truth, in which we all alike, the humblest and the greatest, are
interested; we rejoice when the evidence of this is brought to us, be the
place near or afar off, that houses of prayer have been made to arise,
where formerly the worship of the sole Eternal was unknown; for we are
sure then that there has been added another resting-place for the law of
truth, which the Lord has implanted in our hearts. And we can hail our
brothers from afar, with a sincere welcome; a welcome which we utter to
the end of the earth, which is returned back again from spirits which are
one with us in the adherence to the faith which had its birthplace at
Sinai. Yea, be we at the remotest north, or the farthest south, at the
confines of the Japan sea, or the shore of the southern Atlantic, every
where are we sons of Israel, one in faith, one in duties, one in hopes.
And the hymns of praise which are uttered where days and seasons are the
reverse to what they are in this land, are responded to by an Amen, which
angels might breathe in their purity, and the Hallelujahs of those distant
fields are reechoed in all assemblies where Israelites meet to bless their
God.
But we must pause; our feelings cannot be expressed by many words; we
are only conscious that we are of Israel, and we are interested in every
thing that belongs to Israel. We scan not the words with which we utter
our thoughts, whether they are the most fitting; we only utter the
enthusiasm which the contemplation of our destiny awakens in us, which
contemplation is called up whenever any thing calculated to affect us, for
good or for ill, is brought to our mind. And nothing scarcely, that
occurred for a long time, had so powerful an effect to call forth thought,
as the receipt a few days back of two local papers, transmitted to us by
some unknown friends, (to whom we herewith convey our thanks for their
kind attention,) containing the account of the consecration of the
Synagogue erected last year at Hobart Town in the far-off Van Diemen's
Land. We had before seen a short account of the same in the Voice of
Jacob; but the full particulars, which we extract below, were only
communicated to us through the columns of the Courier and Observer,
printed in the above place. Our readers will perhaps not discover any
thing very different from what they have themselves witnessed ; but still
they will feel gratified to observe that the same Judaism which they
practise, is observed in the country the farthest south where a Synagogue
has yet been erected; and we cannot be mistaken in supposing that they
will peruse with pleasure the very liberal remarks of Christian editors,
at witnessing the consecration of a place of worship for a remnant of
Israel. We have another reason, also, for copying the proceedings entire,
that our pages, in part, may serve as a record of the names of those
worthy sons of Israel who have so nobly striven to erect a dwelling for
the books of the Law, as evidence of the acknowledgement that our race is
to this day steadfast and true to the Law proclaimed from Horeb.
The following is the account from the Hobart Town Courier of July 9:
"Opening and Dedication of the Jews' Synagogue.—On Friday last,
the 4th instant, this elegant little building, which has recently been
built in Argyle Street, was opened to the public. Visitors were admitted
by tickets liberally furnished by the Committee. The ceremony of the
Dedication of the building commenced shortly after three o'clock, P. M.,
before which time the building was literally crowded.
"An introductory symphony of Haydn's having been played, the
officers of the congregation, consisting of the President, Louis Nathan,
Esq.; the Treasurer, Judah Solomon, Esq.; and Messrs. D. Moses, D.
Heckscher, R. Hart, J. Friedman, P. Levy, J. Solomon, and the Secretary,
Phineas Moss, Esq., brought the Rolls of Law from the Vestry to the door
of the Synagogue, where, three knocks having been given, they called—
"Open unto us the gates of righteousness; we will enter them and
praise the Lord.
"The doors were then opened, the procession of officers entered
standing beneath a canopy, while the Choir chaunted—
"How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! thy tabernacle, O Israel!
"O Lord! I have ever loved the habitation of thine house, and the
dwelling-place of thy glory.
"We will come unto thy tabernacles, and worship at thy footstool.
"The procession then advanced slowly towards the Ark, the Reader
chaunting—
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with
praise, give thanks unto him and bless his name.
"Come ye, we will worship and bow, we will bend the knee before
the Lord our Maker.
"Serve the Lord with gladness, come before him. with singing.
"Having arrived at the Ark, the Choir sung—
"O come let us sing unto the Lord; let us shout to the Rock of our
salvation. Let us approach his presence with thanksgiving, and joyfully
sing hymns unto him.
"Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord; we bless ye
from the house of the Lord.
"The procession then proceeded to circumambulate the Synagogue,
preceded by the Reader chaunting a psalm, the Officers carrying with them
the Rolls of the Law. This ceremony was performed seven times, the Reader,
each circuit, chaunting a psalm in Hebrew, and the Choir at the completion
of each circuit singing—
"Thanks to thee, O Lord! we render,
Let thy grace accept our lay;
Words are all we now can tender,
All the homage man can pay.
"At the conclusion of the seventh circuit, the reader to took a
Roll of the Law out of the Ark, read a prayer and the following
sentences:—
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.
"Sole is our God; great is our Lord, sacred is his name.
"Magnify the Lord with me, and let us all together extol his name.
"The Choir then sang a beautiful anthem, upon the conclusion of
which the Reader, bearing the Roll of the Law to the readingdesk, read a
prayer for the Royal Family. This prayer was followed by another anthem,
ably sung by the Choir. The Roll of the Law was again deposited in the
Ark, the Choir meanwhile chaunting the 29 Psalm. Upon the conclusion of
this chaunt, the Reader, read the following prayer:—
"Let our praise and thanksgiving which we have offered towards thy
chosen city ascend to heaven thy dwelling-place. Verily, O Lord, we have
great cause to be joyful in thy presence this day, for thou hast indeed
made the wilderness and the solitary place to be glad, and the desert to
rejoice and blossom as the rose. We thank thee, O Lord God of our fathers,
that thou hast brought us, in thy great goodness, to enjoy this season; O
renew a right spirit within us, that we may henceforth walk before thee
pure and undefiled: be our defence and our rock of refuge. Let thy
mercies, O Lord, dwell with us for ever, and thy faithfulness unto all
generations: make thy covenant to stand fast with us, and the whole house
of Israel; and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish
the work of our hands; yea, the work of our hands, establish thou it.
Amen.
"The interesting. ceremony of the Dedication concluded with the
Choir singing the following beautiful psalm:—
הללויה .
הללו-אל
בקדשו .
הללוהו
ברקיע עזו :
הללוהו
בגבורתיו .
הללוהו כרב
גדלו : הללוהו
בתקע שופר .
הללוהו בנבל
וכנור :
הללוהו
בצלצלי-שמע .
הללוהו
בצלצלי
תרועה : כל
הנשמה תהלל
יה . הללויה : כ"ה"ת"י"ה"
"Hallelujah! Praise God in his Sanctuary; praise
him for his extensive power; praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him
according to his great excellence; praise him with the sound of the
trumpet; praise him with the psaltery and harp; praise him with the
timbrel and flute; praise him with melodious instruments and organs;
praise him with harmonious cymbals. Every breathing creature will praise
the Lord. Hallelujah! Every breathing creature will praise the Lord.
HALLELUJAH!
"The ceremony of the Dedication of the building was followed by
the usual evening service, during which, we understand, the offerings
amounted to upwards of one hundred guineas.
"Having briefly described the ceremonial of opening the Synagogue,
we now proceed to the building.
"Synagogue, among the Jews, is a place where the people meet to
worship God. Authors are not agreed about the time when the Jews first
began to have Synagogues. Some imagine them to be as old as the Ceremonial
Law; others, again, fix their beginning to the times after the Babylonial
Captivity. Places of prayer, called Proseuchae, were probably the
more ancient. These places were usually on the bank of a river, and had no
covering, except, perhaps, the shade of trees, or a slightly covered
gallery. In a Proseuchae every one prayed apart for himself. The
Synagogues, on the other hand, were covered places, and originally built
in the cities. No Synagogue was built in a town, unless there were ten
persons of leisure in it; but there might be many in one town: Jerusalem
is said to have contained 480.
"The Synagogue in Hobart Town is built in the Egyptian style, and
much pains appears to have been bestowed by the architect, in sustaining
its details the peculiar character of this ancient and much-admired order.
The front is bold and massive, the entrance being decorated with two
carved pillars, supporting an architrave and cornice, upon which is the
following Hebrew inscription:
בכל
המקום אשר
אזכיר את שמי
אבוא אליך
וברכתיך
"In all places where I shall cause my name to be recorded I will
come unto thee and will bless thee."
"The space in front of the Synagogue is enclosed with a bronze
iron railing. The entrance of the building comprises a vestibule with four
doors, one on the right leading to the ladies' gallery, on the left to the
vestry and library, and two at the north and, south leading to the
Synagogue, which is fitted up with great attention to the comfort and
convenience of the congregation. The seats, instead of being placed
transversely with the building, as in our churches, are fixed
longitudinally, running parallel with the length of the building, and each
seat has a separate book-board and desk. On the centre of the floor is
placed the Reader's desk, raised on a dais, two steps from the floor. The
whole is enclosed with a light iron railing, bronzed and gilt. The desk is
formed of cedar, beautifully wrought and polished; it has a silken cover,
fastened at the corners with brass ornaments. The cover, we believe, is a
gift from one of the congregation; in front of the desk, and looking
towards the Ark, are the seats of the President, Treasurer, &c.
"The Ark, which is a semicircular groined recess at the east end,
is enclosed by a light and elegant bronzed railing, and is approached by
circular steps; on either side of the doors of the Ark, which are richly
carved and gilt, are placed two elaborately carved pillars, supporting an
entablature and cornice of cedar, and gilded; on the entablature the
following sentence is written in Hebrew:—
דע
לפני מי אתה
עומד
"Know in whose presence thou standest."
"In front of the Ark, in which is deposited the Rolls of the Law,
is a crimson Genoa velvet curtain, with hangings, the gift of Mrs. Nathan,
lady of the President; it is lined with white silk and beautifully
decorated; on it is embroidered a wreath of oak in gold, which encircles
the name and date of the present in Hebrew characters, worked in letters
of silver, the whole surmounted with an antique crown; the tout
ensemble is rich in the extreme, and it is altogether one of the most
elegant pieces of needlework in the colony. Over the Ark are placed the
Tables of the Law, likewise written in Hebrew. On the north wall of the
building a white marble tablet is placed, having engraven on it, in gold
letters, the following inscription:—'The ground on which is erected this
edifice was presented to the Hebrew congregation of Hobart Town by Judah
Solomon, Esq., who also handsomely contributed towards its erection. To
commemorate this event, and to inform posterity of his zeal and
liberality, this tablet is inscribed.' On the same side, enclosed in a
richly gilded frame, is another tablet, in black and gold, containing a
'Prayer for the Royal Family.' On the opposite side two similar tablets,
one containing the names of the Founders of the Synagogue and its
Officers, the other containing the following inscription:—'This House of
Assembly, the foundation stone of which was laid by Louis Nathan, Esq.,
President of the Congregation, on the 9th day of August, 5603-1843, was
completed and dedicated to the service of the Lord God of Israel on the
4th day of July, 5605-1845, in the eighth year of the reign of Queen
Victoria, and in the second of the administration of Sir J. E. Eardley
Wilmot, Bart., Lieutenant-Governor of this Colony. James A.Thomson,
Architect.' All these inscriptions are in English. The space at the west
end, under the gallery, is set apart as free sittings, the side
compartments of which were occupied by temporary raised seats, enclosed
and covered with maroon-coloured cloth, for the accommodation of the
ladies present at the dedication.
"The gallery for the Hebrew ladies is approached by an easy flight
of steps, and is fitted up with every attention to their comfort; a light
screen-work in front of the gallery adds much to the effect of this part
of the structure, while it increases the privacy of its occupants.
Adjoining the gallery is a spacious ante-room. The ceiling of the
Synagogue is enriched with an appropriate cornice, and five centre
ornaments composed of the leaves and flowers of the Palm, Lotus, and
Papyrus, (a style of ornament which pervades all the decorations.) Pendent
from those ornaments are five elegant chandeliers, containing eighty
candles, in addition to which branch lights are placed at convenient
distances round the walls. The floors are covered with rich carpets and
matting: in fact, no expense appears to have been spared in perfecting the
building.
"The ceremony, altogether, reflected the highest credit upon all
the parties concerned. Great praise is due to Mr. Thomson, the architect,
by whom not only the building was planned, but, who, also, provided the
designs for the chandeliers as well as the characteristic ornamental
portions of the Synagogue. The service of the Dedication was principally
arranged by Mr. Phineas Moss, who has acted throughout as honorary
Secretary, and two original prayers were composed by that gentleman; the
translation into Hebrew was done with the assistance of two members of the
committee. Mr. H. Jones officiated as reader; his chaunts were given with
admirable intonation. The orchestral department combined the talent of
Messrs. Gautrot, Curtis, Duly, and Singer, ably led by Mr. Reichenberg.
The choir was exceedingly effective, the principal parts being admirably
given by Mr. H. Simeon, who possesses a falsetto voice of good
quality and rarely met with. We must not omit to mention that the
chandeliers were executed by Mr. Smith, the engineer.
"The visitors departed highly gratified with the attention of the
officers of the Synagogue, and with the mode in which the whole ceremonial
was conducted. Most of the principal inhabitants of the town were present,
amongst whom we noticed Lady Pedder, Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Wilmot, the
Comptroller-General and Mrs. Forster, Mrs. and Miss Burgess, John Dunn,
jr., Esq., M. L. C., the Sheriff, Collector of Customs, and
Surveyor-General, Commissaries Heyward and Fletcher, &c."
Although the above contains all the material portions of the
consecration service, we cannot avoid giving also, a part of the account
in the Observer, for no other reason than to show our readers how liberal
Christians in that distant part of the world view our ceremonies,
presented for the first time to their observation and scrutiny. The
sentiments expressed are honourable both to the Israelites of that place
and to the editor, who speaks as follows:
"Opening of the Synagogue in Argyle Street.—The beautiful little
building in Argyle Street, devoted to religious service by the scattered
remnant of Israel in this town, was opened, according to announcement, on
Friday last. Every seat was occupied, and the doors closed punctually at
three o'clock. At first, the eye of the stranger was naturally drawn to
the crowded splendour of the internal arrangements. The elevated and
carpeted space railed in the centre, and allotted to the reading desk and
choir, the elegantly embroidered velvet certain covering the ark, the
pillars of carved work with their gilded capitals, corresponding with the
Egyptian style of the building, the gorgeous chandeliers (wholly of
colonial manufacture), the singular appearance of males only, with covered
heads in the area, while the ladies, occupying the gallery, were generally
without bonnets; these things for a moment or two divided the attention,
but thoughts and feelings of deeper interest soon crowded upon us.
"It seemed to us as if the philanthropist of the nineteenth
century could take a comprehensive view of the past, present, and future
history of the Israelitish nation. Standing on vantage ground, both for
retrospection and anticipation, the extreme distance presented to us the
Father of the Faithful quitting country and kindred—a wanderer upon the
earth—the chosen head of a separated and peculiar people, who were
thenceforth and for ever to be distinguished from the rest of mankind. The
architectural mementos of Egypt's bygone grandeur, by which we were
surrounded, forcibly reminded us of the long and afflictive sojourn of
Abraham's race in the land of the Pharaohs. Yet, fostered in that cradle
of deep adversity—growing, while groaning under their bondage, we see the
arm of Omnipotence bringing them out an exceeding great multitude. But,
the melodious notes of the introductory symphony, cut short our
reflections, and instead of following the tribes of Israel through
succeeding wandering and warfare, we were at once transported to days of
kingly and priestly glory—imagination presented to us the Temple's
surpassing magnificence, and the enchanting melodies of its trained
musicians. And us we turned to the richly embroidered veil covering the
ark, where the rolls of the law were to be deposited, we thought of the
sacred tables written amid the fiery terrors of Sinai, of the consecrated
ark with its mysterious mercy seat, and of the awful Shechinah between
the cherubim.
"We would have given much to be familiar with the venerable
language of the Hebrews, when the officers came in procession, demanding
'Open to us the gates of righteousness.' The whole service would have been
completely wrapped in the impenetrable mystery of an unknown tongue, but
for the kind liberality with which books of interpretation were
distributed. The service was entirely in Hebrew, with an exception which,
at least, does honour to the loyalty of British Jews—
"Our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria; Adelaide, the Queen Dowager;
Prince Albert; Albert, Prince of Wales, and all the Royal Family,'' which
could be distinctly heard in plain, honest English, in the body of a
Hebrew prayer for the Royal Family—but we are anticipating.
"The procession consisted of the president, treasurer, and other
officers, each with a white scarf over his shoulder, two of them bearing
the rolls of the law wrapped in embroidered silk, preceded by the reader,
whose hat and bands we could not but remark were singularly clerical. The
doors being opened to them, they took their stand beneath a temporary
canopy, while the choir, stationed round the reading desk, chaunted
appropriate sentences. The procession then advanced slowly towards the
ark, the reader saying, or rather chaunting other sentences. Arrived
within the rails which surround the curtained ark, the choir burst forth
in the very language of the sweet Psalmist of Israel a song of melodious
praise. Then followed a seven times circuit of the Synagogue, the rolls of
the law still being borne as before. At each circuit a psalm was slowly
chaunted by the reader, and at the end of each, as the procession
approached the ark, the monotony was broken by the cheerful notes of a
lively chorus, vocal and instrumental. Nothing can be more beautiful or
more impressive (we mean even in our English version of them) than the
psalms selected for the occasion, viz.: the 91st, 30th, 24th, 84th, 122d,
132d, and the 100th; but they belonged to the days when Israel's sons and
daughters could truly say—
"I rejoiced when they said unto me let us go into the house of the
Lord. Our feet stood within thy gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem is built as
a city of assemblage, whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, a
testimony unto Israel for them to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.
"The veil was now drawn aside, the doors which it concealed thrown
open, and the rolls deposited. The officers then took their seats, and the
reader his place at the desk to offer solemn prayer. Part of the prayer as
given in the translation, affectingly reminded us of Israel's real
condition in this our day; it is the humiliating acknowledgement—
"We have neither sanctuary nor priest to make atonement for us,
for our holy and our beautiful house, wherein our fathers praised thee, is
burned up with fire, and the sacrifice and the oblation have ceased.
Yes, the brightness of former glory is vanished. Without a
priesthood—without a sacrifice—without a temple—scattered to the four
winds of heaven—reproached—oppressed—persecuted—subjected to civil
disabilities even in Christian lands—we see in them a perpetual and
irrefragable testimony to the truth of the sacred records—and a memorial
both to Jew and Gentile of the faithfulness and severity of a righteous
God. Yet we know that very faithfulness is pledged to restore and heal. To
use the striking simile of Isaiah, the teil tree and the oak, whose
substance is in them when they cast their leaves, will hereafter
vigorously shoot forth. Israel shall return and shall be saved, even the
remnant whom the Lord their God shall call. Would that the spirit of
fervent supplication were largely poured upon the Gentile churches, to
join with the whole heart in the concluding petition of the prayer, which
has led us to this digression—
"O hasten the time, when every knee shall bow before thee, every
tongue praise and celebrate thy great and holy name, and when all nations
shall willingly submit to the power of thy dominion, as it is written. In
that day the Lord alone shall be acknowledged, and his name be One. Amen.
"The rest of the ceremony consisted in the reader bearing a roll
of the law and chaunting, the congregation at times murmuring a responsive
cadence; the choir in melodious strains ascribing glory to the Lord. Then
followed the payer for the Royal family above alluded to, succeeded by a
chaunt and chorus. Then the 29th psalm, during the singing of which the
roll of the law was deposited in the ark, and the curtain drawn over it.
And, finally, after a concluding prayer, the Hallelujahs of the 150th
psalm were sung in masterly style with almost overpowering effect.
"It was impossible to quit the deeply interesting scene without a
powerful conviction that every Israelite ought to be regarded with
affection.
"It is through them that God was pleased to give unto us the first
oracle of divine truth, and they and their destiny as a nation are
connected with all the awful and interesting events which yet await the
human race. May God reveal himself speedily unto them, as a God pardoning
sin and blotting out transgression, and may they soon be restored unto the
land which was promised unto them for an everlasting possession.
"In conclusion, we have to acknowledge for ourselves and for all
strangers who were present on Friday, that the polite attention of Mr.
Nathan, the President, and of all who had the arrangements in their charge
for the reception and accommodation of visitors, could not be
exceeded."
We have only to add, that we hope to hear for many years to come
favourable tidings from our distant brothers, and that there may be always
peace and harmony prevailing among themselves, as also between them and
their neighbours of other creeds; so that the glory of the Lord may be
established through them in those far-off countries where civilization has
but lately taken up her abode.
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