Funeral orations. Morais, Sabato.. Philadelphia, PA. 1896 · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Funeral orations. Morais, Sabato.. Philadelphia, PA. 1896

Author

Morais, Sabato

Date Created

1896

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

9 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 11, Folder 13

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3rv0dk1h/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3rv0dk1h

Provenance

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

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx11FF13_13.xml

content

S. MORAIS,
546 N. FIFTH STREET,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.

96
On the death of Baron
De Hirsch

The death of Baron Maurice De Hirsch, does indeed call for expressions of heartfelt sorrow. I hold entertain no doubt, that wherever our people congregate, pulpits will now resound echo forth with mournful elegies sounds. I sincerely think hope that none will withhold a elegies and eulogies from the great departed, because his adherence to the ordinances of his ancestral religion, cannot, in all honesty, be declared strong. If it be true--as I firmly believe--that charity covers a multitude of sins, every mark trace of transgressions against the ceremonial Laws marked upon the soul of that crowned prince of philanthropy, the merciful hand of a merciful God has will have already blotted out.
An occasion occurrence did happen once, which forced out a censure from the Jewish ministry clergy. As The For different reasons the report circulated through--out the world and never denied contradicted, irritated for different reasons all minds, but the minds of both orthodox and heterodox but Ministers, but had the incautious word which a sensational journal attributed to Maurice De Hirsch issued in reality from his lips, it still would still deserve a universal pardon. No: The one whose loss we have just lost cause to bemoan, was not the promised Messiah, as absurdly announced by the flashes of the submarine wires, but he has proved a redeemer from misery and from ignorance to myriads of those of his own race.

To assert that the fountain of his beneficence flowed incessantly and with a copiousness unequalled by any single individual is not to deal cannot be ascribed to a desire of indulging in hyperboles. Perhaps True, no private Israelite has perhaps ever succeeded in amassing a colossal fortune, approaching any, near that ga- which -thered by Maurice De Hirsch gathered but that circumstance does not lessen a tittle of the nobility of a mind intent f upon eradicating deep rooted evils; redressing social wrongs, a mind ever wakeful, mind keeping a vigilant watch on events, that might further his plans whereby to purchase freedom for those whom tyranny enchains, to open a way to light unto them that abide in the gloom of darkness.
To so me was given the opportunity of testing the generous instincts of the heart, which has unhappily ceased to throb. Nearly nine years ago, a pe--tition addressed to the Baron was brought to my house. The memorialists had written it upon parchment in the Hebrew language, and I was asked to add a word of approval. They sought They asked for the Assistance was sought which might prevent a Russian colony from sink--ing into a state of decay; I was urged [?] charged with Mine was the mis--sion of forwarding the writing to my never to be forgotten school-mate--Emanuel Felice Veneziani--the trusty almoner of the Baron. The response to my signature was a a draft of five thousand dollars in aid of the cause.

That the results eagerly looked for by myself and others, whom I sought appointed as my associates, was fell very short of the anticipation, I shall ever regret. For, I had deemed the deep profound interest which Veneziani had exhibited, on reading my endor--sement of the request, as auspicious. It had at all events reopened between us a sweet correspondence, interrupted during a series of years. Alas! that it soon ended, when death tore away the good steward from the midst of his labors of love. Bereft of that dear friend of my youth, I then began to exchanges letters on the same subject of the Carmel Colony with another son of our people, as large-hearted and public spirited as he was learned. I have reference to Isidor Loeb, during many years the secretary of the Alliance Israelite Universelle; the Israelite in whose ripe judgment the Baron implicitly confided. In that Israelite Hebrew without guile, I met a wise and perfectly polished gentle--man; I valued his letters greatly. But as if a fatality attended my endeavours, Isidor Loeb did not long survive Veneziani, nor was Giacomo Montefiore, Veneziani's pro private secretary, who was wont to apprize me of the Baron's benefactions long permitted to walk this earth long after his two senior coworkers had passed away from it.

And now the supreme Chief, whose commanded Him also appearing it in height and comeliness like the a cedar of the Lebanon, the sc scythe of the fell destroyer soon mowed down. And now the supreme chief, who commanded legions to prepare the path leading to the conquest of humanity, lies lifeless. The daily papers have commended some of the countless deeds of kindness, extend--ing almost illimitably in every region and clime, where suffering, affliction, the mortals Jews endure tribulations, but not all know that during the Russo-Turkish war & the Franco Prussian war; whenever the pitiless sword decimated a population, where--ver widows and orphans multiplied and the earth was redeemed with human blood, Veneziani was the angel commissioned by his master to go in search of the spots, in which the groaning of the hapless could be heard, and there quickly to scatter the seeds of comfort. Did pestilence break out stalk abroad; destruction maladies waste at noon? Maurice De Hirsch strove with might to chase it destruction away by the agents of his goodness, who supplied timely and effectual cures remedies. Nor was the manifestation of that loving kindness cramped by local or racial prejudice. The Mohemmedan and the Christian shared with his brother the Jew the advantage of a charity, unstinted and universal.

If the Baron bade did bid his mind bend wetted specially on the interest of the scattered members of the house of Israel, it was because a cruel world denies them the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuits of happiness. A Alike in brutal Russia, and in prejudiced Austria, he would fain have distributed lavished scores of his golden millions for the creation of schools, whence all, irrespective of creed, might benefit. But not to do Cossacks alone good and antise--mites pleasure would he bestow his open unfasten the treasuries of his munificence. The manhood of the Jew must be recognized, his feelings must be respected; despotic governments must place sheathe into the scabbard the sword of Damocles suspended over the heads of his powerless defenceless brethren, before he will enrich them those governments with his the abundance exuberance of his wealth. But Let at all events, this notable fact ought tender all circumstances to be proclaimed at the sound of ten stringed instruments. The Universal Israelitish Alliance, which the Baron first endowed with a millions francs to set up schools of learning, schools of industry, schools for males and females in the Orient, might annually shrink in the extention work of its unabated activity, if Maurice De Hirsch did not invariably pr hinder that evil, by filling up replenishing the exhausted funds.

In one aspect of their lives, we may draw a comparison between Sir Moses Montefiore the munifi--cent philanthropist of Munich and the far-famed Jew English centennarian Jew of Ramsgate. When Sir Moses Montefiore had accumulated more than a sufficiency, he counselled with his wife, as to his future proceedings. Ought he to embark in farther enterprises in ode order to hoard up millions, or should he remain satis--fied with what had been already amply acquired, and devote what could be legitimately spared to the relief of mankind and the well being fare of Israel? The wise woman, who had imbibed in the parental home principles of practical religion, gave her noble husband advice. The habitable globe, knows the the issue. Baron De Hirsch's wife, born of a Bi--shofshein--a family noted for its enjoying the reputation of close attachment to to the Divine precepts, copied her sister in faith of the house of Cohen. She also, is--imbued with pious sentiments inspired her life-copartner with devotion to charity [Hebrew]--By the authority of a reliable correspondent, I can assert that the Baronness has been a helpmate to the Baron in diverse and most efficacious manners.

Not alone did she serve him as amanuensis, when innumerable missives of undivulged mercy went were to be sent far and wide, but her resignation to the will of the God she adores, proved a strong incentive to the unparalleled munificence generosity that her made her husband famous. The only child to whom she had given birth, she buried untimely. The grief was poignant, and for a period almost soul-crushing, but she arose above it the distressful thought and her resignation fortitude stimulated acts which mankind can never adequate--ly praise. We upon earth; we Jews especially, cannot avoid lamenting the deep loss sustained, for had Maurice De Hirsch been granted the allotted term of existence here below, his gigantic under--taking in our behalf aid of his people his subj sublime projects to become to them a redeemer, might have reached a goal, magnificently stupendously great. South America and the East of Europe, North Africa and Asiatic Turkey might have opened a home of security to those of our race, now trodden down under the heel of barbarity. In the book whose lines the finger of eternal justice has traced, it was decreed that the earth be bereft of the King of philan--thropy. Let us bow to the inscrutable sentence, with heartfelt for suppli--cations for the paradisual heavenly joys of the great great departed and the consolation of his weeping widow.

Identifier

p3rv0dk1h

identifier

SMBx11FF13_13