A DEPARTING RABBI.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 36, 12 February 1907, Page 2

A DEPARTING RABBI.

» , . * PRESENTATION TO THE REV. E. VAN STAVEREN. Members of the Jewish congregation, including several ladies, as&enibled in laTgc numbers at the Synagogue laet night to make a presentation to the Rev. H. Van Staveren, on the eve of his departure far a trip to the Old Country. The presentation was made by Mr. J. Mandel, president of the congregation, who referred to the fact that after thirtyyears among tham as pastor, ths coming boliday wks well deserved, end they all hoped that it would be of great benefit to his health. Together with a purse of soreroigns, Mr. Manckl then presented the Rev. H. Van Staveren with a hand-somely-framed illuminated addrea, which referred to the pood feeling entertained for their pastor by the Jewish community in Wellington, and asking him to accept tlie gift as n. memento of the C3tecm in which ho is held. • The rev. gentleman, on rising to leply, was greeted with loud nr^l prolonged 'applause. In the couteo of his remarks, he said that if his past services had been .appreciated, he could give them hio assurance that they had been ungrfidgingly rendered. H.* wanted r.o better remuneration than those words in the address, whorft it- said, "As a citizen you arc held in the highest Tcspcet and esttem. by your fellow men, without distinction of creed or SECt." He did not think there fchould bo any distinction between cro£4 and sect ; they >hould all do thoir duty ac citizens ■working ior the public Wjtal. Why should there be any distinction between Jew and Christian? They had all one Father; one God had created them all. Had -those present been born in tlie Catholic or Protest-ant faith, did they mean to tell him they would have been Jews ? No ; of coursa not. Ib *a= only tie lorcO Of CirOUHlstances that had made them Jewe and Christians, and different in creed, but, he asked, were not all creeds working for the public morality. So long aa they were good men and women, and did their duty to the State they must not make any distinction 'between creeds or the mode or place of, worship ; tljey had no right to. He was going Home to recruit his health, and hs trusted he would return able to fender them further service for many yeara. (Applause.) The Rev. H. Vim Staveren's ' health was then drunk with much enthusiasm, followed by three cheeTs, and " one more " for Mrs. Van Staveren.