JEWISH NEW YEAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17286, 29 September 1916, Page 3

JEWISH NEW YEAR.

ADDRESS TO CONGREGATION. The Jewish New Year services, commenced on 'Wednesday evening, wer® continued at tho Synagoguo yesterday, when there was a large congregation. An address was delivered during tho morning. The preacher (Mr David Schloss), said that the year had once more brought them to their- solemn day, and they must offer thanks to God ‘ for His many mercies. They were assembled in tear and reverence., prepared to meet their Maker, and to render to Him an account of their lives during the past year. There were those among them who had worn their Judaism lightly in the .months that head gone by, but that day they wore all united in the bonds of their religion. It was the strength of Judaism that such days as those had the power to strengthen the faith and purify the spirit of the Jewish nation. It was only too tru e that the ties of religion had been. weakening all the world over in recent decades. It was as true of Judaism as of other religions. The influence of tflie Synagogue was waning. The Sabbath was violated in a thousand. unnecessary ways. But the heart of Judaism was still sound, and it Would remain sound so long as such solemn occasions as tho Passover and the New Yeai were celebrated. After nearly, three years of war ?t was still difficult for people iu New Zealand to realise the ravages that War had wrought. They had been told that there wore 280.000 casualties im tho last three months. Many of those casualties involved Jewish youths. The Anglo-Jewish community, together witth tho rest of the community, had known anxieties and fears regarding) the fate of sons and brothers At the front. Tho Jewish casualty roll presented Judaism’s reply to its enemies, and demonstrated the continued and undying vitality of the Jewish nation. The Jewish people appreciated tho safety and protection given to them in England, and the Jews had flocked to the colours in greater numbers, in proportion to population, than the English. In Russia, also, the Jews had enlisted out of proportion to their numbers, but it could not bo said that the anti-Jewitio, movement in Russia had been ameliorated thereby. He had read recently that there were raids upon shirkers in London, “especially in the Jewish colonies.” In those colonies there were fugitives from Russian oppression. Those young men owed no duty to Russia, hut they were’ being given tho alternative of enlisting in Britain or returning lo Russia. If Britain would accept those young men as British citizens there would be no difficultyv about inducing them to fight in the British Army. The Drencher went on to urge the claims of Red Cross work for support, with especial reference to tho appeal to be made on tho following day, and in conclusion prayed that the next New Year would see the world at peace, and righteousness triumphant.