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The Congregation House of
Israel of Philadelphia, who, as we learn from
the Asmonean, lately made an appeal to the
Israelites of New York for aid to redeem their new
Synagogue building from pecuniary embarrassment,
gave a ball on the evening of December 26, to
collect funds for the same purpose. We have not
heard how large the sum realized was; but, to judge
from the smallness of the company and the great
expenses always attending public festivities of the
kind, we should not think that the surplus could
have been large. We hesitate not in saying that we
consider such a means of aiding a Synagogue quite
objectionable, although we approve of it for purely
charitable purposes, and its projectors might have
known that the result would be a disappointment. We
are at the same time happy to state, that several
persons belonging to another congregation have
resolved to advance the money requisite to release
the building from the danger which lately threatened
it of being sold at public auction, and the
congregation will thus be enabled to extinguish the
debt gradually in the course of a very few years. We
would with pleasure mention the names of the
public-spirited gentlemen engaged in getting up the
loan, if we did not think that they would, for the
present at least, prefer the silent consciousness of
having done a good and religious act. Whilst upon
the subject, and as our editorial career does not
often give us an opportunity of speaking on it, we
think it requisite to caution all congregations
against the great impropriety of Synagogue building
without the requisite means. It is not right to
erect a fine structure, and then depend upon a good
providence to provide the means of payment; as our
wise men teach us אין
סומכים על הנס “We must not depend on
miracles.” Better, far better would it be to worship
in a simple room, no matter how plain, till means
are gradually accumulated, than plunge into debt
without any reasonable prospect of extrication. It
is true, the worshippers at the Synagogue in
question had the promise from the architect that he
would get the funds advanced; but he could not keep
his promise, and <<573>>hence the sore trial they
had to encounter. It is the first time, to our
recollection, that a Jewish place of worship was
under legal seizure in this country; and we put it,
therefore, on record, to let it act as a warning
against rising communities to guard against the
recurrence of it in future. We love to see
“beautiful dwellings of Israel’s God;” but we prefer
that no stain of impropriety and the charge of
asking undue favours should be brought against any
who bear the name of Jew, hence we say what we have
done. Still we would have kept silence had the
application for relief not been trumpeted forth in
the daily papers of our city, and the Jewish weekly
organ of the New York Israelites.
Dr. Raphall.—The Elm
Street Congregation of New York have done themselves
lasting honour in electing the Rev. Dr. Morris Jacob
Raphall as preacher, and superintendent of the
school they mean to establish. He is not charged
with any simply ministerial duties, as the
congregation have a Hazan and a reader of the
Sepher independently of Dr. R. His election is
for life; and whilst capable of discharging his
duties, his salary is fixed at $2000 per annum, and
in case of disability, he is to have a retiring
pension of from $500 to $1000. This is the first
time in America that such a liberal endowment has
been made for a religious teacher solely, and, we
repeat, it redounds to the honour of the people as
much as it is an evidence of the superior merit of
the learned divine, who so immediately upon his
arrival in this country found a highly numerous body
of Israelites capable of appreciating his talents
and anxious to secure the benefits of his
instruction for themselves and their children. We
hope that it will be our privilege to record more
such testimony of appreciation of religious teachers
before long in other parts of the country; and we
may also state at once that at no time since the
discovery and the settlement of America were there
so many able ministers of our blessed religion in
it; and we confidently trust that they will be able,
with the blessing of God, to plant Judaism here on a
permanent basis, and to be made the instruments in
making this land indeed the refuge of the pious
Israelite, whither he may flee from all the places
where he is oppressed.
Dr. Raphall’s Lectures on
Hebrew Poetry.—For several weeks past we have
had Dr. R. as a visitor in Philadelphia. After he
had finished his course of six lectures on the
poetry of the Bible, in New York, he resolved to
travel through the southern portion of the Union
previous to his entering on the permanent discharge
of his duties as minister of the Elm Street
congregation. He had preached in the Portuguese,
Wooster Street, and Pearl Street Synagogues, besides
his own, and was then invited to deliver a lecture
for the benefit of a chari<<574>>table society in
Baltimore on the evening of the 27th of December,
after which he preached on the following Sabbath in
the Lloyd Street Synagogue. The week following he
returned to our city, where many had expressed a
desire to hear him both preach and lecture. In
consequence of which he delivered a sermon in our
Synagogue on Sabbath Shemoth, on the mission of
Moses. And it is not necessary to say that the
impression he produced was the most profound on an
audience composed of persons of all the four
congregations of our city, together with many
Christians who had come in consequence of a public
notice of Dr. R.’s intention to speak. We have
before expressed our opinion on his manner and
matter, and therefore need not repeat it now.
Suffice it that he fully responded to the standard
which public expectation had set up. He has since
then preached in the Synagogue House of Israel to a
large congregation, composed as was his first
audience. His second sermon was on Exod. ix. 27, and
he was especially happy in his application, which
produced a marked and visible effect upon all
present. On Wednesday evening the 9th of January,
Dr. R. gave his first lecture on the Poetry of the
Hebrews, in the Hall of the University of
Pennsylvania, which had been kindly placed at his
service, gratuitously, by the trustees of the
institution, as no charge is ever made for the use
of the hall, and can only be obtained as above.
Though his first audience was not so large as it
ought to have been, it was composed of men of the
highest intellectual endowment of various Christian
denominations, independently of the large number of
Israelites present. The theme was the character of
Hebrew Poets and their inspired productions; and an
analysis of the remains of the earliest poetry as
found in the hook of Genesis; and touched lastly on
Job; and though he spoke for near an hour and a
half, and this entirely from memory, without any
note before him, he never tired his hearers, and
kept their attention fixed to the last. His second
lecture, on the evening of the 12th, was much better
attended. The subject was the book of Job, the
character and nature of which he very clearly
elucidated. He claims for this most ancient of all
poems to be a perfect drama, and though we do not
agree with him in this point, since upon the same
reasoning the book of Exodus might also be called
one, still he showed enough that there is a great
deal of the dramatic, melodramatic character rather,
in the book of Job. He averred also that Moses was
not the author of it, since its style is different
from the Pentateuch and the xc. Psalm, the
acknowledged productions of Moses, and it contains
besides 76 roots not found in any other part of the
Bible. The third lecture, on the evening of the
16th, was on the poetry of Moses proper, the song at
the Red Sea, the final song and blessing of Moses at
the conclusion of Deuteronomy, and the 90th
<<575>>Psalm, and Dr. R. stated that Moses was not
alone the legislator, but became likewise the
prototype of all subsequent poets and orators of his
people, no less than he has been often imitated by
those of modern nations. He concluded with the
triumphal song of Deborah. Whilst writing this, the
above was all yet delivered by Dr. R., the nature of
our magazine being so that we cannot wait for the
completion of the course, on the 27th of this month,
to notice the whole series. It is possible that we
may have to say something on the subject hereafter;
though we are not sure that we shall, as several
congregations will have an opportunity of listening
themselves to his eloquent exposition of the force
and beauty of the Psalmists and Seers of our race,
since at Baltimore already he has been invited to
speak; is expected, as we see by the papers, at
Charleston, and will pass through Savannah, Mobile,
New Orleans, and Cincinnati, before returning to New
York for the Passover holydays. Both Jews and
Christians vie in showing him attention in our city,
and no stranger was ever received with more kind
hospitality, and we are sure that the same will
await him wherever he goes.
Young Men’s Hebrew
Benevolent Association of N. Y.—This
praiseworthy society, organized last January,
numbers now two hundred members. They contribute two
dollars per annum, and the object is to give fuel to
the poor during winter. We are requested to state
that donations and subscriptions will be thankfully
received by the secretary, H. B. Herts, Jr. of 86
John Street, New York.
Cincinnati.—The seventh
anniversary dinner of the Gentlemen’s Hebrew
Benevolent Society of Cincinnati took place on
Sunday, 16th December, at the hall of the Lodge
Street Synagogue,—Mr. Jacob Seasongood, President;
Rev. J. K. Gutheim, Vice-President, presiding,
supported by Mr. L. Arnold, Treasurer, and Mr. Henry
Mack, Secretary. After the cloth was removed, grace
was said by Rev. J. K. Gutheim, preceded by a psalm
by Rev. Mr. Henry, both of which honours were sold
for the benefit of the Society, and presented
respectively. The President announced, that in
consequence of the awful visitation of the cholera
during the past year, the reserve fund of the
Society had been materially encroached on, and
appealed, not without success, to the audience, not
to let the Society be compelled to lessen its
exertions the coming year. The regular toasts were
as follows:— 1. Our anniversary. We hail its
arrival with joy. May our poor brethren revert to
it with gratitude, and look forward with hope for
its return. 2. The United States. Amidst the
crash of empires, down<<576>>fall of dynasties, and
usurpations of tyrants, her policy of universal
religious toleration is an example, a lesson, a
blessing, and a warning. 3. The city of
Cincinnati, emporium of the West. May she long
continue to enjoy the prosperity she deserves. 4.
The Holy Land. From a distance of time and space, as
the cradle of religion and civilization. 5.
Education. Train up a child in the way it should go,
and when it gets old it will not depart therefrom.
6. The Ladies’ Hebrew Benevolent Societies,
our co-operators in deeds of benevolence. We hail
them as worthy coadjutors, and pray for their
prosperity. 7. Charity. As the rosebud
expands under the genial influence of the sun’s
rays, so does the human heart expand under the
heavenly influence of charity. 8. The fair
sex. Ever present in our days of trouble, let
us not forget them in our moments of
rejoicing.—After the 7th toast was responded to by
Rev. J. K. Gutheim in his masterly manner, the
contributions were taken up, and with a very
favourable result. The utmost hilarity prevailed
during the whole evening. Mr. Nathan Maltzer
presented the Society with a splendid specimen of
Hebrew chirography, executed with a pen by a son of
Rev. H. A. Henry. The offering was made with a view
of being raffled off for the benefit of the Society,
and will no doubt increase the funds to the amount
of one hundred and fifty dollars. Although the gift
was highly and justly appreciated by the audience,
still their applause was not equal to the deserved
praise bestowed on the youthful artist for his
masterly production. The company dispersed at about
half past 11 P. M., after a most happy reunion.
The United Ladies’ Sewing
Society, at their regular annual meeting, elected as
officers—Mrs. Elias Mayer, Directress; Mrs. Phineas
Moses, Second Directress; Mrs. Abraham Moss,
Treasurer ; Mrs. Adolph A. Mayer, Secretary.
It was resolved that the
Society hold a tea-party and soiree for the benefit
of its treasury, which has become much exhausted by
the unusual demands during the past epidemic.
Rev. James K. Gutheim.—This
gentleman has at last yielded to again enter the
ministry, and has accepted a call, from the German
Congregation at New Orleans, La. The Crescent City
has robbed the Queen of the West of one of the
brightest jewels in her diadem. The Jewish population of Cincinnati
had thought that Mr. G. had renounced holy orders,
or they would not have relinquished him so easily.
He carries with him the good wishes of a host of
friends, the affections of many, and not a feeling
of enmity from any one. How could it be otherwise,
where urbanity, moral rectitude, and a just,
gentlemanly, and benevolent deportment meet with
their due reward? L. A. |
