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It
is just seven years ago that we passed, during a
short summer’s trip, through the western part of the
State of New York, on our return from Canada
homeward. We heard, indeed, of the presence of a few
Israelites at Syracuse, and in other towns of the
West. But no congregation existed nearer than
Albany; and in the entire region west of that there
was no public assembly for the worship of God,
except at Cleveland, in Ohio.
But now see how great the change is which a few
years have wrought, at Syracuse in especial, for of
this it is our intention to speak. It was about the
time when we passed through the city, that the
Jewish community numbered seven members. when they
were joined by six more: after which they united, we
think at the instance of Mr. Isaac Henry Bronner, to
meet for worship in a small room which they hired
for the purpose. But soon they increased so rapidly
that they resolved on erecting a building of their
own which resulted in the wooden structure which was
consecrated by Dr. Wise on Sabbath Nitzabim, 5606,
or exactly five years before the dedication of the
new house. Once in possession of a proper place of
meeting, the community felt the impulse, until the
room was too small to hold all who sought the house
where the name of God was invoked among them. It
therefore became evident that a larger Synagogue was
absolutely required to answer the increased demand
for seats, as even standing-room was not at all
times to be obtained in the one then in use.
It
must be taken into consideration that the far
larger portion of the members, who now number
eighty-six, <<373>>mostly married men, are persons
of very limited means; and but few among them,
perhaps not above ten, can be styled comparatively
rich. Still did this fact not deter them from
devoting their money and their time,—this capital of
the poor,—to the service of their God, and they
resolved, as with one voice, in the spirit of
concord and brotherly fellowship, to erect a
more permanent and a much more spacious building
than had hitherto served them. A piece of ground was
accordingly purchased, in Mulberry Street, in an
excellent and pleasant situation, for about 1400
dollars, and after disposing of a portion which they
did not need for public purposes, they commenced,
about the season of the last Passover, to proceed
with the holy work. Every member contributed
twenty-three dollars for the building fund,—an
immense sum, in view of the limited resources of a
large portion of the people, who support themselves
by their daily toil. But the whole proceeding
displays so much energy and devotedness, that we
doubt whether there is a parallel to be found in
larger and wealthier communities in this country. It
argues that the Israelite’s heart is right, however
unseemly at times his exterior may be; and if
occasionally he errs, it is more owing to his
unfavourable position than to any inherent defect of
his character.
When we reached Syracuse, we were prepared to see a
good building, from the reports which had reached us
on our journey; but we confess to our astonishment,
when we beheld a large, roomy, and lofty house,
every way worthy to serve as a place for the
dwelling of the God of Jacob. It is, from the front
to the rear wall, sixty-four feet in length, of
which twelve feet are appropriated for the vestibule
and stairways, leaving the entire length of the main
Synagogue fifty-two feet. The width is forty-eight
feet; but, as the gallery on the west extends over
the entry, the ceiling covers the whole length, so
that the breadth just named is in perfect harmony
with the other dimensions. There is a gallery
running along three sides, and an upper one for the
choir, whenever they shall have it, on the west,
fronting the ark. The ceiling is vaulted over the
side galleries, and from them springs another vault
over the centre, <<374>>giving a beautiful finish to
the whole. From the middle of this is suspended a
beautiful glass chandelier, the metal work of which
is of gilt lacquer, and it has forty-two
gas-burners, in three tiers. It was manufactured by
the Messrs. Cornelius, of this city, at a cost of
four hundred dollars, and, from its loftiness and
graceful proportions, is a real ornament to the
building. The seats are disposed of in two rows,
with a broad walk between them, and a narrower
margin on the sides, and are divided off in the
centre, in the form of church pews, but without any
doors. The portion near the ark is semicircular, as
are also the step leading thereto and the ark
itself, over which is a handsome stained-glass
window, on which are inscribed the initial portions
of the ten commandments. We regretted to observe the
absence of a Reader’s stand, in lieu of which there
is a sloped reading-table within the limits of the
balustrade which surrounds the ark; within which are
also two sofas for the President and Vice-President
of the Congregation. There is also a movable pulpit,
which can be placed when required within the opening
of the balustrade just named, so that the preacher
may face the audience. The wood-work down stairs is
painted in imitation of black walnut, whereas the
columns and gallery are of a neutral colour, the
walls being plain white. There are five windows on
each side of the house, four of which are in the
main Synagogue and one in the entry. The material
used is for the basement blue limestone, and brick
for the superstructure.
A
flight of stone steps lead to the main entrance,
where we saw a tablet bearing the names of the
officers, and of the persons who were instrumental
in the erection the house, to wit Jacob Stone,
President; I. H. Bronner, Vice-President; Henry
Eckstein; Treasurer; Isaac Garson and Morris Marks,
Trustees E. Ettenheimer, M. Cone, A. Henochsberg, I.
Bronner, I. Oppen heimer, J. Silberman, R. Rosenbach,
M. A. Marks, S. Bamberger, M. Goldstein, M. Wiseman,
and S. Manheimer, Building Committee; T. Hayden,
Architect and G. Blumer, Builder.
In
the basement, which is lofty, there is a dwelling
for the sexton, a meeting-room for the congregation,
and a schoolroom; besides a Mikveh, supplied
with hot and cold water. The <<375>>school and
meeting-rooms are so arranged with folding doors
that, upon an occasion requiring it, they can be
transformed into a large hall, well-lighted, running
the entire length of the main building.
The above is a brief description of the Synagogue
and offices which presented themselves to our view
on the day of the dedication of the house, which
ceremony took place on Friday afternoon, the 22d of
Elul, the 19th of September. We had been originally
invited to officiate at the consecration; but we
understand that, by some mishap, our letter of
acceptance was so long on the way, that the people,
dreading our non-arrival, sent a message to the Rev.
Dr. Raphall, the well-known preacher of the Green
Street Synagogue of New York, to officiate in our
stead, to which Dr. R. readily assented; and as the
Rev. H. A. Henry, late of Cincinnati, had also
passed through Syracuse lately in his progress to
New York, he had either offered or been invited to
perform the service of Hazan at the ceremony,
wherefore we had nothing to do but to be a
spectator of the solemn proceedings.
Active preparations had been going on for some days
to put everything in order; a pretty carpet had been
placed in the centre aisle, round the balustrade and
within the same; a beautiful new curtain, the sides
composed of heavy scarlet brocade, and the centre of
red velvet, the whole the gift of Mr. M. Cone, as
appears by a Hebrew inscription which it bears, had
been suspended before the ark, and was only
completed by the pious labours of various ladies,
about two o’clock on the morning of the joyful day;
the galleries had been ornamented with wreaths and
festoons of flowers and evergreens, and the outside
front been likewise ornamented in the same manner,
whilst all around the building boughs of cedar,
pine, and spruce, had been placed, and a double row
was set up in front for the expected procession to
pass between: when, about one o’clock in the
afternoon, the congregation assembled in the old
Synagogue, which was crowded with worshippers, to
perform the afternoon service, which was read by the
Rev. Mr. Henry. This having been accomplished, Mr.
Jacob Stone, the worthy president of the
congregation, <<376>> briefly and feelingly
addressed the audience in the German language,
reminding them that they all recollected how they
had cheerfully dedicated the building in which they
there met for the last time, only five years before,
and how they had discovered that it had become
unable to contain all who desired to resort thither,
and that now they were preparing to enter a new
house of God, more capacious, more durable, more
beautiful, and better calculated to be a dwelling of
Jacob’s God; and he dwelt then upon the motives of
thankfulness which they thus had in having been
permitted to accomplish so great a deed with such
limited means as had been originally at their
command. We observed many eyes wet with tears; for
all felt the truth and force of the brief
allocution of the President.
The hour of two having
at length arrived, the procession was put in motion,
under the supervision of Mr. M. Cone, the Chief
Marshal, aided by several other gentlemen. In front
walked a good band of music, followed by the boys of
the congregation, walking two and two, one bearing a
banner, inscribed, on one side in Hebrew and the
other in English, with “And I bore you on eagles’
wings, and brought you to me,” with the date of the
consecration. Then came the girls, all dressed in
white, also walking two and two, the foremost
bearing wreaths, and one of them a cushion, on which
was laid the key of the new Synagogue. Next came a
canopy, carried by four young men, under which went
the bearers of the Law books; then followed the
ministers, accompanied by Dr. L. Elsner, a member of
the congregation, who was to deliver a German
address; after which came the officers, &c., the
other members and strangers bringing up the rear.
Arrived at the new building, the boys placed
themselves in front in two rows, when the President
stepped up and received the key from the builder.
The doors were then opened, and the procession
entered; when the usual ceremonies took place, the
circuits were made with the Sepharim, as we
have describe before this on other occasions. Mr.
Henry, his sons assisting him as choir, read the
prayers and chaunted the psalms in a very agreeable
manner, and, we doubt not, to the satisfaction of
all present.
When the Laws had been deposited for the first
<<377>>time in their new receptacle, Dr. Raphall
ascended the pulpit, and spoke for near an hour in
his customary emphatic and eloquent manner, on the
text, “And they shall make me a sanctuary, and I
will dwell amongst them.” He spoke of the object and
reasons for erecting places of worship,
demonstrating that to us it was a duty enjoined by
religion, and not a mere natural necessity, nor the
desire to propitiate by a gift the divine favour;
therefore there existed a necessity of so conducting
ourselves, in and out of the Synagogue, as to make
our appearing there acceptable in the sight of God,
who otherwise would demand of us, in the words of
the prophet, “Who asks this at your hands to tread
my courts?” The learned divine exhorted the audience
to peace and concord, that the good work that day
accomplished might bring precious fruit, and conduce
to their spiritual welfare.
We
do not pretend to report what Dr. R. said, as our
limits will not permit us even to sketch a brief
outline; besides which, we had no opportunity to
take any notes, and we do not like to depend
entirely on memory. Mr. Henry next recited a prayer
for the prosperity of the congregation, when a
collection was taken up; after which Dr. Elsner
delivered a German address on the text, “I rejoice
when they say unto me, Let us go to the house of
God,” dwelling upon the last term in
contradistinction to “the house of prayer,” as we
devote the house to God, and it is his precincts we
enter by his gracious permission. The 150th Psalm
was chaunted when Dr. E. had finished; after which
Mr. Henry read the evening service, assisted by his
sons and the congregation, in a beautiful style; and
at the conclusion of all, the numerous assembly,
composed of Israelites and Christians, to such an
extent as to fill the whole house without
over-crowding it, left for their homes, highly
gratified with what they had witnessed and heard,
and rejoicing that they had been spared to see that
day.
Early next morning the people again met; and they
displayed their liberality by offering nearly four
hundred dollars towards the funds of the
congregation; and there being then only Israelites
present, we could judge more correctly of the extent
of the Kahal, which consisted of upwards of one
hundred adult males, <<378>> besides the ladies and
children. The service extended to about two o’clock,
the various Mi-Sheberach occupying a great
deal of time, much more, we confess, than we thought
proper; but if ever this method of collecting funds
can be justified, it was excusable in this instance,
in view of the peculiar position of the
congregation.
At
four o’clock in the afternoon, the people again met
for Minchah, which we read, upon the request
of the President, it being the only part we took in
the exercises of the occasion, except walking in the
procession. At the conclusion, Dr. Raphall again
preached, from the text of Isaiah lv. 6: “Seek ye
the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while
he is near,” and showed how, when, and to whom, we
should return, which formed the three parts of his
sermon. He showed that we had hopes of pardon from
the mercy of God, who himself called to us to
supplicate to Him, and that we therefore
needed no sacrifice, if we only truly repented,
amended our course, and abominated the evil in our
hands. The Doctor spoke about an hour; and we could
see that he made a deep impression on the audience;
and we only hope that the lesson “how to repent,”
which he inculcated, may be deeply and indelibly
fixed on the minds of all, in order that godliness
and righteousness may abound among us.
Thus ended the consecration of the house of God at
Syracuse, in which much was said and done which
ought to have more than a mere evanescent effect;
and we seldom, if ever, were present on an occasion
so well calculated to arrest the attention of the
wayfarer on the path of life, and bid him ponder not
so much on his mortality as on the bright hopes of
that life where an everlasting Sabbath is the
portion of those who have feared the Lord.
We
also learned, while at Syracuse, that the ladies had
presented a white curtain for the approaching holy
days, and saw a beautiful silver pointer, the
gift of Mr. Isaac Garson, one of the Trustees. No
doubt there were donations from other sources but we
did not hear of them, as our time was but short, and
this a great deal occupied.<<379>>
On
Sunday, as both Dr. R, and ourself had to leave next
day, a number of gentlemen of the congregation
invited us, with Mr. Henry, to partake of a dinner
at the house of Mr. I. Garson; at the conclusion of
which the President rose, and, in an appropriate
address, presented the reverend orator with a
handsome fish and cream knife, as a keepsake, and
kindly then referred to our services to the cause of
Judaism as a publicist, and to the useful
offices rendered on the occasion by Mr. Henry. We
need not mention that Dr. R. was happy in his reply
to the compliment, and then he referred to the
occasion that had brought all together, and exhorted
them to be true to themselves in their walk of life,
and to confer on their children the benefits of a
thorough religious education. Of course we had to
say a few words; and stated that our services had
been first demanded of us in defence of the personal
character of Israelites which had been assailed,
which gradually led us to persevere till the present
time; and; in conclusion, we endeavoured to impress
on those who surrounded us the duty, the necessity,
of so conducting themselves as men and Israelites,
that the name of Jew, the highest and noblest in its
derivation, might no longer be a term of reproach,
but become, what it is in its origin, expressive of
all that is great, noble, and holy. We both spoke in
German, our hearers being nearly all natives of the
land where it is the vernacular tongue; and all
admired the ready manner in which Dr. R. availed
himself of the language which to him is an acquired
one, through a long residence in Germany. Mr. Henry
also made a suitable reply in English; after which
several sentiments were offered, among which, one by
Mr. Silberman, alluding to Dr. R.’s argument with
the late reform minister of Charleston.
All concur in assigning a high degree of praise to
Mr. Stone for the services he rendered to the people
in the management of the affairs of the Kahal, and
the erection of the Synagogue; and many have
expressed their deep regret at his determination to
retire from the Presidency, which he has held, we
think, for two years; and we are sure that he will
bear with him the good wishes of all in his
retirement.
In
the above hasty sketch, which we have prepared at
the last <<380>>moment, part of our number being
already printed off, is, no doubt, imperfect in many
particulars, and silent of many persons who ought to
be named. We only can promise that we shall
cheerfully supply any deficiency, and make any
correction which may be pointed out to us. For our
part, we say freely that we are rejoiced that we
were at Syracuse on that occasion, and hope to
witness many similar ones in other places hereafter. |
