|
We
have received a pamphlet containing the order of
service used on the celebration of the hundredth
anniversary of the erection of the Spanish and
Portuguese Synagogue at Kingston, Jamaica, on the
1st of September last; and as such an occurrence
must be of general interest to all our readers, we
give a somewhat abridged account of the proceedings
from the Kingston Daily Advertiser of Sept. 2d.—Ed. Oc.
Yesterday being the hundredth anniversary of the
erection of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in
this city, an extraordinary service, in
commemoration of the event, took place. Before ten
o’clock—<<363>>the hour appointed for the
commencement of the service—the spacious building
was densely crowded with the members of the
congregation, the members of the other Jewish
Synagogue in this city, who were specially invited,
and a large number of Christian gentlemen.
The service was conducted by the Rev. Mr. Lopez,
minister of the congregation, and the Rev. Solomon
Jacobs, minister of the English and German
congregation. The form of prayer, made especially
for the occasion, was of a most imposing character.
It commenced with the ordinary morning service,
which was read by the minister, assisted by the
choir, who were accompanied by Mr. Casseres on the
seraphine.
An
invocation in English was then offered up by the
Rev. Mr. Jacobs.
The Ark was opened, and ten Scrolls of the Law being
taken out, they were carried in the following order
by the ministers, and some of the officers of the
two congregations:—1st, by the Rev. Isaac Lopez; 2d,
by the Rev. Solomon Jacobs; 3d, by Mr. Emanuel
Lyons; 4th, by Mr. Aaron De Cordova; 5th, by Mr.
Daniel Jacobs; 6th, by Mr. David J. Alberga; 7th, by
Mr. David Alexander; 8th, by Mr. David R. Da Costa;
9th, by Mr. M. M. Sollas; 10th, by Mr. Louis Lewis.
A
solemn procession, in this order, went twice round
the Synagogue, headed by the ministers, the choir
chanting “Blessed be he who cometh in the name of
the Lord; we bless you from the house of the Lord,”
&c.
The ministers, and five of the scroll-bearers, then
returned to the reading-desk, when the Rev. Mr.
Jacobs and the choir chanted the following
HYMN.
None is like unto thee among the gods, O Lord!
nothing is like unto thy deeds! Thy kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom: kingdom dominion endureth
throughout all generations. The Lord reigneth; the
Lord hath reigned; the Lord shall reign for ever and
ever. The Lord will give strength unto his people;
the Lord will bless his people with peace.
The Rev. Mr. Lopez and the other scroll-bearers,
excepting the Rev. Mr. Jacobs, then performed six
circuits around the Synagogue, the Rev. Mr. Jacobs
and the choir chanting appropriate psalms.
The whole of the scroll-bearers being on the
reading-desk, the Rev. Mr. Jacobs read, in Hebrew,
the ordinary prayer for the Queen and royal family.
Also, a prayer for Sir Charles Grey, the council,
and assembly of the island. The Scrolls were then
returned to the Ark, the choir chanting the 29th
Psalm.
An
invocation, in Hebrew, was read by the Rev. Mr.
Lopez.
<<364>>
The choir having chanted the “Ane Kay-lohaynoo,” the
Rev. Mr. Jacobs ascended the pulpit before the Ark,
and preached an excellent discourse in English,
which occupied an hour and a half in its delivery.
The reverend gentleman selected the following text
from Deuteronomy, 29th chapter, 10, 11, 12, and 13
verses.
Ye
stand this day all of you before the Lord, your God;
your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your
officers, with all the men of Israel. Your little
ones, your wives, and the stranger that is in thy
camp—from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of
thy water.
That thou shouldst enter into covenant with the Lord
thy God, and into his oath which the Lord thy God
maketh with thee this day:
That He may establish thee to-day for a people unto
himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he
hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy
fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
He
divided his discourse into three parts—the first
showing the importance of the day; the second
defining the duties to be performed to constitute a
real anniversary of so important an event; and the
third demonstrating the existence of a nation to
depend upon the upholding efficiently places of
public worship. Although the object of their
assembling that day might be told in a few words,
he, nevertheless, dilated on the first establishment
of the holy edifice by those who sought protection
on a British soil from the persecutions of Spain and
Portugal. He took a brief sketch of the history of
the Jews, and alluded to the persecutions to which
they had been subject—showing how much more proud
and grateful they should be to Almighty God in being
permitted, not alone to see this anniversary, but to
have a Synagogue in which to worship Him according
to the forms of their forefathers. He alluded to the
time of the establishing of the building; to the
feelings which must have actuated its founders; and
to the propriety of those feelings being emulated by
his hearers. In dealing with the second part of his
discourse he made a stirring appeal to the elders
and guardians of both congregations, and pictured
forcibly the duties which devolved upon them
individually, as well as in their public capacities,
dilating at length on the value and force of
example. The last part of his discourse consisted in
a great measure in pointing out the duty of
supporting cheerfully their institutions, which were
essential to the upholding and fostering of their
congregations, and their existence as a separate and
chosen people. The discourse was attentively
listened to by the largest assembly, perhaps, that
has ever met within the same building.
The choir then chanted Psalm cl., also the “Adon
Olam,” after <<365>>which the following invocation
in Hebrew was offered by the Rev. Mr, Lopez:—
TRANSLATION,
Omnipotent God! Thou whose throne is in the heavens
and whose foot-stool is on the earth, who can be
compared unto Thee? who among the most mighty can be
likened unto Thee? who can relate thy glory and
thine excellence? Thou, alone, hast wrought wondrous
deeds for thy people.
Thou art even that mighty God who didst bring forth
our fathers from bondage, and didst give unto them
thy divine laws and precepts, commanding them to
build unto Thee a house in which Thou wouldst deign
to shed thy glory. Yea Thou didst assure them that
Thou wouldst be with them, and hearken to their
supplications whenever they would appear before Thee
with a perfect heart and a willing soul. But as they
did speedily turn away from the path of
righteousness, Thou didst expel them from their
land, and didst scatter them over the four corners
of the earth, as a testimony to the world of thine
awful power and wrath. Nevertheless hast Thou not
entirely forsaken us, nor withheld from us thy
manifold mercies, even in the midst of strangers;
for, as Thou didst assure us by the mouth of thy
servant, Thou wouldst not cast us off, nor totally
desert us, so hast Thou fulfilled thy promise—yea,
Thou, our benign Father, hast granted us grace and favour in the sight of those nations under whose
rule we abide, and caused them to permit us to
worship Thee after the manner of our fathers. And in
this far and distant isle, the children of thy
covenant now unite in thy holy sanctuary, to pray
for a continuance of thy divine favour and
protection.
On
this day, therefore, the hundredth anniversary of
the erection of this building, which our ancestors
raised to thy glory, we Almighty God! Are fully
reminded of all the mercies which thou hast shown to
thy people, from the day whereon this holy house was
consecrated to thy service unto the present time;
therefore have we united, with one heart and with
one accord, to beseech thee, our God, to be with us
as Thou wast of yore with our fathers; to incline
our hearts towards Thee; that we may walk in thy
ways; and to cause the light of thy countenance to
shine down upon us. Grant, O Almighty Father! that
this house may remain a monument to thy glory until
the scattered of Israel shall be gathered together
in the promised land, where they may again worship
Thee in the temple of Zion, even as they did in the
days of their ancestors. Amen.
The service was concluded at two o’clock. The
building was handsomely decorated, and the
arrangements reflected the highest credit on the
gentlemen who conducted them. |
