Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. New York, NY. Sep 1889 · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. New York, NY. Sep 1889

Author

Morais, Sabato

Date Created

22 September 1889

Location(s)

United States -- New York -- New York

United States -- New York

Format

10 pages on 4 sheets

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?

Language(s)

English

Source

Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

Sabato Morais Collection, Box 10, Folder 8

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3v11w46x/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3v11w46x

Provenance

Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx10FF8_8.xml

content

For the consecration of Synagogue
Moses Montefiore in Harlem
Sep 22nd 1889

Brethren. No one who has the honor of the Jewish religion at heart, can sufficiently deprecate the unprecedented increase of meeting rooms for the ostensible purpose of public worship. In Philadelphia they multiply disproportionately to their want, and I, knowing that, almost reproach my-self for lending my countenance to such irregular assemblages. The defence which I am allege is nevertheless clear. As I am powerless to prevent what I consider an evil, I seek its mitigation by a brotherly counsel in occasional addresses. Failing to break up what not infrequently has local prejudices for its origin; what injures the interests of properly organized and decorously conducted synagogues, I try to influence for good men and women whom I must own as members of my race. By approaching them with kindness, I may hope to ward off a national stigma--Hillul kashem--the profanation of the

name of God, which shames Israel at large.
From all which I can gather, the object that I regretfully see in the city of my princi--pal exertions, exists also in New York, and it has a wider field for its mischievous operations, by reason of the population of foreign Hebrews flocking therin conti--nually. Most painfully noticeable is the circumstance I lament at the forth--coming solemn season of our year, when places ill-according with the dignity of the Divine services are chosen, and persons unqualified to stand as Shelichè Zibbur-- officiating ministers at the sacred desk-- offer propitiatory prayers and benedictions. Now, brethren, it is heartfelt satisfaction to me to know that the religious body hearing a name deservedly revered where--soever the outcasts of Judea dwell, is not to be reckoned among objectionable associations, with high-sounding titles, but having nothing

to support their claims. The "Moses Monte--fiore" is a legitimate Kehal Adonaï--"Congre--gation of the Lord"--founded upon the laudable wish to build up intelligent "Conservatism" in a spot of the great metropolis of free America, where Israelites visibly grow very numerous. The venerable "residue of Israel", to whom the glory belongs of having first unfurled the banner of the Torah in "new Amsterdam", even before "liberty was proclaimed throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof", Shearith Israel, I mean, could not anticipate the affi--liation of my coreligionists in Harlem. A great distance hindered it, while the advisability of precluding the formation of discreditable gatherings by a becomingly constituted assem--blage, must elicit the approval of the old--est Sephardic congregation in the United States. Naturally, my gratification increases because the order of service adopted by my brethren who now consecrate this building is that of the

school historically famous; the school from which sprung poets who nobly sang to the Lord; Sages who drew at the fountain of the traditions, and formulated a Syna--gogal ritual. In the absence of a uniform liturgy for the myriads of Israel, whose lot Providence has cast in these favored regions, that one according to which our Abarbanels, our Aboabs, our DeVegas prayed, must be preferred to either the Ashkenazic in its lengthy and obscurely worded additions, or to the diminu--tive hybrids of "Reform," often born of igno--rance of the Hebrew language and heresy. Besides, the general characteristics of the Spanish and Portuguese manner of worshipping are dignity and decorum, traits inherited and not forced out by a compulsory silence which is death to congregational worship.
But I have not accepted the invitation to participate in these ceremonies with the view of disparaging some and sounding the praises of others. Empty talk would

be mine, if I did not improve the solemn occasion by some suggestive thoughts. My Brethren. What means the dedication of an edifice to the Lord? I understand by it the opening of a spiritual intercourse between the universal Ruler who vouchsafes to let a heavenly ray rest thereupon, and His subjects who head before the Shechinah, and acknowledge the Divine government.
To that ethereal communion the archprophet must have alluded in his golden preaching, which is eternally recorded in the book whose perusal the faithful are about to complete. [Hebrew] "Thou hast exalted the Lord this day"......[Hebrew] "And the Lord has exalted thee this day." How is that mutual glorification effected? Say our Biblical expositors: when Israel declare "the Lord is our God, the Lord is One", the holy spirit [Hebrew] hovering around them responds: Who is like Israel the One devotional nation upon earth?" When Israel exclaim: "Who is like Thee among

the mighty O Lord!", the holy spirit echos forth: "Happy thou O Israel! Who is like thee a people saved by the Lord?." True; Israel are not alone the beneficiaries of the Almighty extolling His name. Even peoples who bow to brutish fetishism mean to magnify the Monarch of time; so teach the Talmudists [Hebrew] [Hebrew], but Israel slav and in Malachi we read "from the rising of the sun, even unto unto its setting my name is great among the gentiles," but Israel stand closer to the Rock of all ages, [Hebrew] By the law of heredity and by voluntary consecration the seed of the patriarchs has chosen to cleave to the living Redeemer.
Brothers and sisters in Israel. Will the tendency of your organization be luminously to prove true that assertion of our seers and sages? Will this structure promote a blissful end? Will the men and women of my race enjoy here the spiritual communion with the Shechinah,

that strengthens the weak in faith, and sends them hence to their daily walks of life invigorated to pursue right? Will a stream of consolation flow here in time of adversity, a spring of celestial joy be found in time of prosperity? Will this structure be a cement to the bond of Union which has uninterruptedly kept Israel together through untold vicissitudes-- [Hebrew]? For that I fervently pray. Again: I rejoice at being assured that in this building an instrument of moral elevation has been stored away to be called into daily requisition. I refer to the teaching of the Torah which the young will receive, and of the language dear to the adherents of the Torah. The Jew who eager--ly wishes the perpetuity of the religion of Sinai and of a monotheistic worship free from gentile admixture, must prepare, in advance of the syna--gogue itself, a spot in which our offspring will meet and learn the eventful history of their people and the manner of unitedly singing to the glory of the Most High who

watched over the preservation of their people. Mark it my brethren. In our outpourings on the great day of Atonement, we often petition God to pardon us for the sake of our guileless school children [Hebrew] Let us care for them, and God's blessing will be ours. Let us care for them, because in accord--ance with the precept and example obtained, they will become either our builders or our destroyers. May the creatures issuing from the diligent super--vision of "the Congregation Moses Montefiore," rise like central pillars in the religious edifice of an intelligent "conservatism." May the impres--sion created by the consecration of a house of God, stir up the hearts of many Jewish inhabitants of Harlem to enrol their names among the attendants at the worship tendered here to the Almighty, and among the practical supporters of the religious tuition imparted to the young. Then will the entreaty of the Psalmist be fulfilled; our sons growing like plants well tended in their

youth, our daughters becoming like polished corner stones that sustain and beautify the Temple of the One God. "Oh happy the people who shall fare thus, happy the peo--ple whose God is the Lord" [Hebrew] [Hebrew] (Here followed a conservative prayer)

Identifier

p3v11w46x

identifier

SMBx10FF8_8