CEREMONY AT THE SYNAGOGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1241, 11 September 1875, Page 4

CEREMONY AT THE SYNAGOGUE.

The consecration of. a Scroll. of the Law presented by Mr Julius' 'Hayman',tp 'the Dunedin Jewish congregation, fooiplacVaf.'.the"' Synagogue on Sunday, sth inst:; wh'ea^bput 500 persons .of various denominations .were" present.' The Eev. BrLichtenstein officiated,/and was assisted, by the, President (fcjr. <B. Isaac) and a committee. Mr J. J Moss' .presided r at the harmonium (a splendid French instrument Avith 16 stops)', and the choir "consisted r6Pseven ladies, -ivho were principally, clre'ssed'in white, and eight gentlemen. ,The minister and • several honorary officers of the' congregation . brought the Scroll of the liaw to 'the ot the bynagogue, entered 5 in procession, and passed under the canopy and -round the ' altar seven tames, the choir and minister chant- » ing selections from the Psalms in Hebrew. , ihe Scroll having been brought to. the altar, . the minister offered the following prayer 'for the Queen and the Royal Family :— " May' He who dispenseth salvation unto kings 'and doifi^L nion unto princes ; whose Kingdom is an evepT lasting Kingdom ; wlio delivered David, HSs servant, from the destructive sword; who " maketh a way in the. sea, and a path throu-h ' the mighty waters : May He bless, preserve, guard, assist, exalt, and highly, aggrandise our 1 Sovereign Lady Queen, Victoria, Albert-Edward ; Prince of "Wales, and all the Eoyal Eamily-:,. May the .Supreme King of Kings, through' His infinite' mercy, "grant her life," preserve her, deliver her from all manner of ' trouble and danger, subdue people under her feet, make her enemies -fall before! her, and ■ cause her to prosper in all her undertakings : Maythe Supreme King of kings, through His infinite mercy, incline her heart; anil the hearts of her counsellors and nobles, with benevolence : to act kindly towards us and all Israel ;■ in her- " days and our days, may Judah' be saved sand Israel dwell, in safety, and may the Redeemercome into Zioa: 0 that this may :be His gracious will, and let us'say,Amen !' 5 - V" , ' The Rev. 8. -UiOHm'STEIJT tfnen ' Helivere'cP an interesting address from Deuteronomy xxxi. 24 to 2r.-v-.He. said, the'rlawotnowi" possessed, the same, freshness -and- vigour ' as -> when the Lord first" vouchsafed it to .us, and it would retain that freshness 'and 'vigour " until the endof time. -^Cfod woukT'neve'r 1 : alter ' nor change hjs law." nln proof- of- -this; 'the iev/ { gentleman mentioned that the various ■ behest* o of , the Pentateuch .were .enjoined to befa.statufe for ever. In consecrating 'the, Scroll to .the r same; Author by whom' it' wag" given, tie b'eseeched his brethren to devote'themselveswitft s '' renewed love and ;zeal : ta the observAhcd-of their ancient law. - Their ;' commandments > sh T ?. u l" I n - ot be PH^ved,^? anancient enactment which had fallen into abeyance^ and which' nor • one regarded, but' thejrshould be like a new proclamation just" issued, which everyone Has- -'■ tens to read and toobey; Hebeseechedthem' to' " renew the covenant with God, and;to exclaim 1 1 as their forefathers did: ffAll that the.Lord has v said, we xyill do and hear." They bid jthe' . Book of Books,' which had literally descenaedl '" from Heaven: -'He concluded -as, follows:^' ! " Sovereign ofcthe, Universe^ Thou nastrevealfct;' f unto, us.Thy holy. law*; sanctified: us mthThy: commandments, j and ...hastfcominanjded fus- .to search and study Thy divine words..'; (GJrantiiO, -, God, 1 ' that ' this " ' law 1 .'may ' acknowledge i the !< " 'divinity of Thy name; and'that^we mayKonoW' it with' loyalty and sanctify it by our deeds.' Grant,"O Lord, that this.law may be bur most precious inheritance; attach our hearts to it with love,~so that we ,may, faithfully .fulfill its' behests. May the law be our consolation amid the sorrows of life, arid may it sanctify our joys' and pleasures here below, and open for us the gates pf Heaven. Grant that the light bf Thy truth may illuminate the whole human race, , when thejr will all exclaim, 'Hear, 0 Israel] The* Lord is our God ! The Lord is one !'" ' ' ' The Scroll having been placed in the ark, the choir sweetly rendered "The Hallelujah Chorus," as composed by the late Mr Matthew; Moss, the father of our well-known citizen," Mr J. Moss. His beautiful composition has been and is much appreciated in the Jewish Synagogues at home. We may congratulate the choir upon their excellent Vocalisation, the solos particularly being given with precision and > effect. The, amount collected in aid of the building fund was £152 lls Gd. " ,