JEWISH NEW YEAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17587, 18 September 1917, Page 6

JEWISH NEW YEAR.

WORLD WAR BRINGS HOPE.

TRIBUTES TO THE JEWS IN WORLD CRISIS.

The Jewish New Year, 5675, began yesterday, and special services wore held in tho Jewish Synagogue, where there were largo attendances, and the services wero conducted by the Rev David Schloss, who dwelt on tho position of Jews in the war, and tho promise of tho new year. NEW YEAR OF PROMISE.

ADDRESS TO JEWISH CONGREGATION.

Air Schloss spoko from the text: “ And when you come to battle in your land against tho enemy that oppres* seth you, then ye shall blow an alarm on the trumpets, and yo shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall bo saved from your enemies.” He contrasted tho peaceful conditions of the year in Now Zealand with the conditions of their co-religionists in the invaded countries, where husbands had been torn from wives, lathers from children and sucklings from their mothers’ breasts. Those in New Zealand who had borne Judaism lightly for the past year rushed to pay hoinago in these ’ critical days. Those who had passed their year in a religious slumber were suddenly aroused by tho alarm of Rush, Hashoiieh and Kippur. This spoke volumes for the ability of tho spark of Judaism Lo burst into flames, and for the impossibility of that spark ever being quenched. The war, Mr Schloss continued, had been in some respects a war of deiive.ranee for the Jew, who had fought for the. land of his birth fvilla a splendid devotion, a fine courage, and that tenacity which was his distinguishing and dominating trait. It was only, by dint of Hard lighting that the Jew was where he was to-day. Tho Jew had come to the front in all the governments of Europe. Italy had him ler Premier and Foreign Secretary; England as cabinet, ministers, financial advisors and chief justice. These wero temporalities. They had hoard of the Christian’.-; life on earth compared to warfare. It was just as true of the Jew, though with a different connotation. Warfare brought the Jews of all the world into closer fellowship. From a position more or less passive the war of tho nations had placed him in a position relatively aggressive. Now, as tliev saw it* it was the fulfilment oi a* dream for which he, strove, and fat-rained forward. It was Zionism, a' thing essentially of ■ the' spirit. Had it not mado unbelievable;progress in the year that' had gone■-Decidedly, iu was a new yc-ar of promise, for the standing ol the Jciv among the nations had been bettered; he had been recognised as a patriot in tho time- meaning ol the world. . . , . What would be tho spirit of thoir boys towards Judaism on thoir return. In Franco some 20,000 young English Jews wero living in a world of grim realities, where the tawdry externals wero shorn, but 'the more precious tilings of tho spirit were properly, it unconsciously exalted- v Tito" ‘ hoys . returning would Mo dcspcjufely -impatient of tho old pettinesses" and souabblos that were a feature of the majority of congregations. British Judaism, to quote “Tho Times," must! become something eager, clear passionate and beautiful. Frankly, ho could not take a pessimistic view of religion after tho war. The cry would bo for more and not less Judaism, and too iren would prove forces making not for anarchy hut for greater union and their brotherhood m the ranks^

THE RETURN TO PALESTINE

THE JEW AND THE WORLD CRISIS. ' .

The part and prospects of the-Jew in the present world crisis- formed the subject of a special address by the Rev A. T. Thompson to the congregation of St Andrews Prosbvtenau Church on Sunday evening. Quoting from Milmnn 8 ‘History of the Jews, ’ ho saul: Thcur perpetuity, their national immortality, is at once the most curious problem to the political inquirer; to the religious man a subject of profound and .-awful admiration.” Yet the-history and the, place that the Jews occupied to-day wero a mere matter of iulfilmcnt of the statements of the Bible, the book that was their very own by creation and inheritance; and the. world sbv adoption. An intelligent and thoughtful man who. had visited Egypt in the early stages of tho war had been impressed more than all elso bv tho sight of a regiment ot Jews from'Palestine, now offering their services to free the land of their.ancestors from the blight of the Turk. Hie Jew, iu spite of his disfranchised position among the nations of the world today was perhaps greater and more numerous than at any time in his history. ’ Evcrvone who examined history and the facts of world progress had to make a. frank admission of great indebtedness to the Jew. Jo-day in tlio vorld crisis he was bearing a responsibility and making a contribution out of all proportion ,to his numbers. The Jews were suffering beyond the sufferings ot all peoples in this war. Their positions of responsibility at the same time were A\ lien Germany w isned. . to repudiate the “ scrap of paper,” tho man who stood up in the face of Germany to defend Hie honour of. Britain was a. jaw—Viscount Goschen, Ambassador at the German Court, and formerly First Lord of the Admiralty. The Lord Chief Justice of England—Lord Rcad-inpJ-was a Jew, and was publicly honoured by Mr Asquith for his sound financial arrangements to meet thenar crisis. Li tho 'troublous times with Ireland, n Jew, Sir Matthew Nathan, was appointed Secretary for Ireland. Several members of Cabinet were Jews, and the head of the Allies’ Financial Commission was a Jew. In Germany, Michael is Was a Jew, Herr Ballin was Jew. and the man who stood up in tho Reich slag to defy the Kaiser was ~ j c w— Ticbkiiocht. In France lately live members of Cabinet wero Jews; Kerensky was a Jew: Belgium's Ambassador at the British Court—r-Hyman was a Jew'; and tho best-ha'ldd man in German", who tore to shreds all the machinations of von Bulow before Italy entered tho war, was a Jew--Maivano. The most conspicuous man in Italy todav —Barzillai —was a Jew. \Yhat reward awaited the JtJw for lix S part in the great war? Mr Thompson asked. Denied in most countries the privileges' of that country,'the Jew was still held together by common bonds amounting almost to nationality; and the national spirit had grown with a desire for a settled home and country. Their eyes were turned towards their traditional home, and even before the war 1.00,000 Jews had settled there, while in possibly every Jewish household was to be found an a. 1 ms-bov for Palestine. Their own prophecies, now the world's Bible, told of their return. Apart from their own willingness to go, matters of world policy might force the situation, and no interests hvero more immediately concerned than those of Britain. Britain was committed to break the power of tho Turk, and Palestino in the hands of an enemy world Power was a. v, edge in the heart of the Empire. It looked as if things wore moving for the fulfilment of the prophecy, “ Jerusalem shall b'o trodden underfoot until the times of the Gentiles lie fulfilled.” How near or how far were they from that , LdiUmentJ