|
The
third examination of this institution took place on Sunday, the 5th of
April. Heretofore the examinations have been held at the Carolina Hall, a
building used for public lectures, &c., the use of which was kindly
granted until the building of the Hebrew Benevolent Society was completed,
the lower room of which is appropriated for the use of the above school;
and it being in readiness, the examination took place therein, much to the
gratification of the parents, relatives, and numerous friends of the
children present on the occasion. It was truly an interesting and imposing
exhibition, giving positive proofs—ocular demonstrations, that the
indefatigable labours and exertions of their teachers in their behalf, had
not been futile, but reflecting much credit on themselves and their
pupils; their unremitting attention and care are destined, like the dew of
heaven, to revive and invigorate all it falls upon, causing to be yielded
in return innumerable benefits and good.
The
following was the order of exercises of the day:
1.
Hymn by the children, “We are but Young.”
2. Prayer by the Directress, Miss B. E. Wolff.
3. Hymn, “Lord over all.”
4. Examination of the classes.
5. Hymn, “God Supreme.”
6. Address by L. T. Levin.
7. Hymn, “Ayn
ka-elo-hanoo.”
8. Prayer by the Directress.
9. Distribution of premiums.
Address
of Mr. L. T. Levin.
In
compliance with the urgent solicitations of the patrons of this
institution, though fully conscious of my inability to the task, I appear
before you on this pleasing and happy occasion, trusting to the lenity of
my auditors for indulgence towards my humble efforts, bearing in mind,
that each of us, according to his abilities, should exert himself in the
cause of Israel; knowing which, I crave you will lend an indulgent ear to
my discourse.
The
third anniversary of this institution has dawned upon us, for the
celebration of which, we have assembled here this day. We have had no
obstacles to contend with since our last. We still enjoy the freedom of
speech and of thought, the blessings of light and liberty, and it has
pleased Almighty God, whose unity and omnipotence we will never cease to
maintain and acknowledge, to permit us to erect this building to His holy
name, which we now consecrate to his service, and implore His divine
guidance and blessing on his favoured children.
Is
there one amongst this
assemblage of Israel—is there a father, mother, sister, or brother, who
does not feel within his breast a thrilling glow of joy, pleasure, and
pride, with the happy consciousness that through zeal and exertion, the
munificent offerings of those whom fortune has favoured with plenty, and
the united efforts of all our congregation according to their means,
combined with the liberal aid of our Christian friends who have stretched
forth the hand of assistance, and to whom our most sincere thanks are
due,—I ask of you again, is there one amongst you, who does not feel
vivid emotions of joy, pleasure, and pride, that another structure has
been added to the number, now existing, throughout this vast republic, for
the service of the all-wise, the eternal God of Israel?
Is
it not dedicating it to his service, when, within its walls, we design
instructing our children in the tenets of that holy, sacred religion,
which He, our divine Father, so wisely imparted to Moses on Mount Sinai,
through him transmitted to His chosen people, our revered forefathers?
Have we not, therefore, engaged in the fulfilment of a most sacred duty,
in having erected a suitable place in which can be taught, unimpaired, a
knowledge and understanding of that divine religion, the word of God
himself, to our children’s children? But before proceeding farther on
the subjects which now engross our attention on this occasion, I would ask
you to follow me to the early periods of the history of our nation, and to
bear with me in the hasty and brief glance I shall take of their
sufferings endured in the maintenance of their religion.
We
live, thank God! in a most enlightened age, and enjoy, from our very
birth, immunities and favours which our unhappy ancestors never knew,
“or even dreamt of in their philosophy;” we are but moderately, but
slightly acquainted with their oppression, their sufferings, and their
unwearied persecution, and are not fully able thereby to judge the
greatness of their sacrifices; let us return, then, to these early periods
when not one gleam of sunshine, not one ray of happiness, was shed upon
Israel; they were attacked on all sides by all nations, by each oppressed,
harassed, and persecuted; their temples, dedicated to the worship of the
Most High, demolished; their lands laid waste, their homes made desolate,
hundreds of thousands falling by the relentless sword, and thousands led
in contumely into captivity, there insulted, degraded, basely, inhumanly
treated by their captors; nought but wailing and wo, sorrow and suffering,
was in the land of Judea; but we find this insulted, degraded, vilely
persecuted people still clinging to their religion, and upholding with all
their might the majesty of their God—the God of Israel—declaring his
unity and omnipotence through all their sorrows, through all their trials.
With bleeding hearts must we indeed trace their history, too assuredly
written in blood, back to these days of gloom and darkness, when
desolation and wo o’erspread our nation, when the destroying sword of
our enemies was drawn, and it seemed as though it would never again be
sheathed.
Century
after century rolled away; still we remained a reviled and persecuted
race, the scorn and byword of nations; but our persecutions have now
ceased. Truth and Reason have dawned forth and hold supremacy over the
land; our persecutors are no more; our ancient enemies, as nations, have
ceased to exist; whereas, as an allpowerful evidence of divine favour,
the Israelites, though scattered and dispersed over the four quarters of
the inhabitable globe, are now more numerous than at the period of their
dispersion.. Their dispersion was a just retribution from above, a penalty
from Heaven for sins committed against his divine word, a neglect of his
laws, his commandments; but with his merciful providence, he has permitted
us still to remain a separate people, a distinct nation, clinging with
unwavering truth to our ancient faith, the religion of our ancestors; and,
whilst other religions have changed and multiplied, fallen and decayed,
ours has remained pure and unsullied, unimpaired by the withering hand of
time, and in this blessed land of freedom and religious toleration, we
enjoy equal rights, and equal privileges as citizens; as such, then, let
us do our duty to our God and to our country, a prominent feature in which
is, to bestow on our children the light, the blessings of education, to
lead their minds “from nature up to nature’s God.”
Knowledge
is all-powerful, and when combined with virtue, will prove the safeguard
of a nation.
On
you, parents, much depends; an important trust is yours. On you depends
whether your child shall be a blessing or a curse, a useful or useless
member to the community. The mind of a child should be prepared early with
instruction, and tempered with the maxims of wisdom; the bent of its
inclinations should be carefully watched and placed right in youth, so
that no evil habit gain strength with years.
Training
up children in the way they should be guided through life, does not
consist altogether in pointing out and directing the way, but also, and in
fact, chiefly, in accustoming them to walk therein. As the tree grows up
straight, or crooked and shapeless, according to the direction given it
when a plant, so in a great measure is it with animal nature. Of these
truths we are fully, perfectly sensible, because experience teaches and
proves to us, that if the faults of children are permitted to grow up with
them, they will become firmly, indelibly fixed. How much care and
attention then should be paid to the fostering and rearing of the human
offspring; not that we are sparing of pains and expense for the purpose of
imbuing the young mind with the rudiments of learning, but having done
this, we often unscrupulously leave undone a still more important part,
namely, the care to settle those habits, without which, the mere
possessing of learning can turn to no good account.
You
cannot expect that children, accustomed to do evil, will, in afterlife,
learn to do well; you might
as well look for the growth of a fair and beauteous flower in the spot
where you have planted only the seed of a common and worthless weed; for
the generality of human beings are throughout life such, or nearly such,
as early custom has formed and fashioned them; and that which early habit
forms, becomes cemented and riveted into second nature. Pause, consider
then, ye who are parents of young children! it is not, nay cannot, be your
desire that they should be idle men and women; then rear them not up in
idleness; you do not wish to render them destitute of the power or means
to assist themselves, compel them, then, to rely on their own exertions;
you do not admire a violent or revengeful spirit, then allow not their
little tongues to lisp out rage and violence; you would not rear them up
to dishonesty, then laugh not at their shrewd and cunning tricks, their
artful falsehoods and equivocations, and when you check or reprove them,
let them see that you are more displeased with their wit and artifice,
than pleased at the inceptive mark of their depravity. The soil is your
own, let it not want proper cultivation; teach your child obedience; and
he will bless you for it; teach him gratitude, justice, diligence,
temperance, so that his life may be happy and useful here, and
teach him religion that he may be happy hereafter.
The
attainment of virtue is the highest learning, and the path or road to
happiness should be the aim of life. The noblest employment of the works
of man, is the study of the works of his Creator; in the contemplation of
nature, all things prove the infinite goodness of God, and every thing
that proves his goodness, causes our adoration. When we raise our eyes
above, are we not filled with the majesty of God? does not the sun,
shedding light and heat, vivifying all creation, but remaining still; the
moon lavishly throwing her silvery light o’er the face of nature; the
planets performing their courses; the comets wandering through liquid air,
but returning to their destined road again, cause us to know and feel that
nought but infinite Wisdom, could have appointed unto them their places?
and when we look down upon the earth, do we not see Power and Mercy there
displayed in the provision made for all its creatures? do we not there
trace our Creator’s greatness? In all things, justice and goodness shine
forth, imbuing us with wonder, love, adoration, and gratitude towards our
Father, the Creator, the Giver of all good.
Piety
to God, and benevolence to our fellow-creatures, then, are our great
duties; and do we not now behold woman, lovely woman, the best, the
fairest boon of Heaven, engaged in this hallowed task? to her, are we
indebted for the origin of this institution for the religious instruction
of the youthful mind. Female excellence has been acknowledged in all ages,
in all climes, and what Cato observed of his countrywomen, is in one
respect true of every nation under the sun: “The Romans,” said he,
“govern the world, but it is the women that govern the Romans.” The
most attractive grace of the female character, is a beneficent
disposition, guided by moral principles, which has ever contributed to the
happiness of mankind; her sphere of action, though apparently limited, has
a wide, extended range; as mother, wife, and friend, her power is equally
felt; by her the infant tongue is first taught to lisp its Maker’s name;
it is through her proper direction that good is early instilled into the
mind of man; to her the formation of his first ideas is owing; yes, “to
her is committed the immortal treasure of the infant mind;” to her right
guidance and culture in childhood, man owes all, all through life; she is
also the soother of his cares, in after-life, the partner of his joy; in
adversity, she is the ministering angel, and cheers the drooping heart of
man; when on the couch of sickness, the smile of a wife alleviates all
pain and anguish; the sound of her voice is music to the soul; on her
bosom you can pour out in safety and confidence the pangs of
disappointment; she sympathizes with you in the midst of your misfortunes
and distresses, and rejoices with you in the day of prosperity; when all
the world have thrown you off, you have an asylum left you in her
embraces. Thou art to man his solace, his guide, the cheerer of each
anguish of the heart; to life thou givest its charms, its zest; thy power
is like the pale moonbeam that renders more interesting every beauty it
softens, and gives mild grandeur to the whole horizon.
“Woman!
where thy meek melting eye,
Sheds not its beacon light,
O who would live, who would not die,
Where freedom makes it bright?
Can fairest landscape charm the while,
If, woman, thou’rt not there?
And if thy cheek but wear a smile,
Is not the desert fair?
Yes, loveliest gem that morning’s rays
Gild on Creation’s field:
’Tis thine to sparkle, not to blaze—
Persuasive bid man yield!
He set thee high on Nature’s crown,
One diamond mildly bright,
To melt its wearer’s gathering,
To give the ruby light!
To soothe his woes—to bless each scene,
To make this earth a heaven.”
To
you, respected directress, and teachers of this institution, much praise
is due; we have this day witnessed proofs of your zeal and efforts; you
now yourselves behold the pleasing fruits of your own exertions; what a
feeling of conscious happiness mast dwell within your hearts in
consequence thereof, and bid you continue on in your good work! You do not
desire that the present generation should be bound in ignorance, as the
mass of mankind were in times past. I do not wish to be understood to say
that there were of halls of learning, no temples of art, no forums of
eloquence; there were all these, knowledge reached its highest point; but
it was among the few, the masses were kept in ignorance in order that they
might be more easily controlled; ignorance threw her dark and gloomy
mantle over the classic climes of Greece and Rome, which were once the
most powerful, the mightiest lands of knowledge; and why the cause of this
sudden overthrow, need I ask you? as long as intelligence and virtue
reigned or distinguished the leading clauses of society, so long did they
sustain their true nobleness of character, their free and exalted
institutions; but, alas! they permitted immorality, vice in its most
hideous forms, luxury, pride, and extravagance, to gain access; and from
that moment, the last hope of freedom, knowledge, and religion expired,
their splendour and brightness had for ever departed, and the enemy
conquered. Let me implore you, them, to persevere on; allow no obstacles
to impede, no difficulties to obstruct your progress; in the name of
heaven let your watchword be “onward;” do by those under your care, as
justice to yourselves, justice to them, justice to your own religion, and
justice to your God demands, and they will yet have reason to give you
thanks; yes! posterity will bless you; you will reap your reward not only
here, but hereafter; they will yet sing your praise in strains of
gratitude and love. With all my heart, I fervently utter, “God speed you
in your good and holy work for Israel his chosen people.”
Now,
to you, my young friends, I will address a few admonitions. Ever bear in
mind, that for your good and happiness this institution was established;
it is intended solely for your benefit, to instruct you in a knowledge of
your religion, the duties you owe to your God, a strict performance of
which will tend to make you
good and happy. Respect and obedience to your teachers, and attention to
your lessons are your chief duties; to little effect would moral
instruction be conveyed to you, if you did not listen to, nor observe the
precepts taught you; pay respectful attention then, and act with docility
and obedience to your preceptors; for illy would you repay the gratitude
you owe them for the care and pains they bestow on you, by acting with
disrespect to their commands and disobedience to their wishes. Should you
at any time receive reproof, though at the time you may think yourselves
aggrieved, remember, when you are more capable of judging from what motive
and for what purpose this reproof was given, you will be affected by very
different emotions, and be most thankful for it. Attention to your lessons
is very necessary, and of great importance; without this, the most useful
instruction will have but little effect on your minds; you must not only
learn your lessons to repeat them, but must endeavour to understand them
at the same time, so that you will retain them in your memory, that they
may prove a benefit to you afterwards; the impression made on the mind will be soon effaced unless you reflect on what
you have been taught; and though some things at first may seem difficult
to understand, by making them frequently the subjects of your thoughts
they will be clearly comprehended; without application no proficiency can
be made in any course of study or learning, and when you are employed on
serious subjects, on the knowledge of your Creator and the duties you owe
to Him, let not your thoughts be diverted, nor stray away from the object
of your pursuit, but pay strict attention thereto; to this injunction you
will attend and conform, if you desire or have an inclination to be
improved, and to be loved by your Father in heaven, your parents,
teachers, and friends on earth.
It
is by a proper knowledge of the goodness and greatness of the Divine
Governor of the universe, from whose munificence all good flows, that the dignity of human nature is raised; without this, we would be no
better than the untutored savage. There can be no greater disgrace to a
rational being than to be ignorant of His divine precepts, the moral
obligations He has imposed on us. Embrace, then, actively, my young
friends, the present opportunity afforded you for moral and religious
instruction—for the inculcation of those principles which will prove of
the utmost benefit to you, and which will hold their protecting influence
over you through life. Need I then say to you, my young friends, in the
words of Solomon, “Take fast hold of instruction—let her not go—keep
her—for she is thy life?”
You
cannot prove the sincerity of your gratitude towards your parents and
teachers more forcibly than by proper attention to your lessons, and,
being convinced how much pleasure they feel on seeing your improvement, I
trust you will ever afford them this pleasing, happy gratification.
And
now, let me entreat, nay, earnestly implore you, parents, as you love the
land of your birth and its government—as you estimate the intellectual,
moral, and religious interests of society, to promote by every laudable
means in your power, the diffusion of knowledge—to cherish and sustain
this institution; it is by this means that another link may be added to
the already endless chain of Israel, which will last till Time itself
shall be no more.
And
here allow me to express the fond hope, that the day will come, and that
at no very distant period, when this building will resound with the voices
of Israel, raised in prayer each Sabbath day to the Lord of Hosts; and that that holy day, the Sabbath, given unto us as a day of rest
and cessation from all toil, labour, and manner of work, may be observed
as such by the members of this congregation, thereby not only teaching our
children by precept, the commandments of the Lord our God, but by example
also showing unto them to practise them.
“Remember
the Sabbath day to keep it holy; six days shalt thou labour and do all thy
work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it, thou shall not do any work; thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy
manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that
is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the
sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the
Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”
Now,
of what avail is it to teach this fourth commandment of the Lord to our
children, when by practice we openly violate this divine precept weekly?
and when the dawning minds and ripening intellects of our children begin
to distinguish right from wrong, will they not clearly perceive the
futility of our teaching them that which we so openly disregard ourselves,
and will they not, like us, fall into the habit of doing evil, and
neglecting the commandment of the Lord our God, “to remember the Sabbath
day to keep it holy?” The good work has been happily commended amongst
us by closing places of business on this holy day; and to Almighty God let
us trust this good example will be followed, and that we will not be tardy
for the sake of the rising generation in returning to the commandments of
our Lord, the God of Israel. In conclusion, allow me to repeat an
appropriate prayer selected for the occasion. (Here a prayer followed, Vol.
II. No. 12 of the Occident, prayer No. 3, for the use of Hebrew
Sunday Schools.)
|
