Excerpt from A Discourse Delivered on Sabbath Bemidbar, Sivan the 2d, 5652 (May 28, 1892): It Being the Thirty-Second Anniversary of the Consecration of the Synagogue, on Seventh Street Above Arch

Fellow-congregants - For two consecutive weeks I had been looking forward to the occasion when I might opportunely perform a duty, not pleasurable I confess at any time, still imperative very many times - the duty of asking assistance. Those among my brethren who attended the Divine services in this synagogue last Sabbath and that which preceded it will readily under stand why I kept silent when I was eager to speak. To plead for any cause, when persons who have it in their power to help, and whom the speaker may hope to influ ence for good, are absent, is an idle undertaking. It would, however, serve no purpose to discuss at this point the reasonableness or unreasonableness of the absence. Suffice that it existed and prevented my appealing in behalf of an object which I hold dear.

In conjunction with the Parnas of this congregation, who is also the President of the Philadelphia Branch of the Jewish Theological Seminary Association, I recently informed the readers of the jaws/z Exponent that a spacious and in every way suitable building had been bought for the use of students, who, under the guidance of Providence, will become reliable ministers of their people's religion. To that information, intended for the Hebrew community at large, I designed to have added from this pulpit an earnest solicitation that might secure free-will gifts toward the full payment of the dwelling and the furnishing 'of its apartments. I meant also to request those of my fellow-congregants who are not yet connected with the organization, to make the list of its subscribers and patrons swell in size. An appeal to thateffect, even this day, would not be inopportune, but while I crave that the simple mention of my wish may elicit a favorable response, I find that to dwell now at length upon that topic would be quite out of time.

This Sabbath recalls an occurrence forcibly directing our thoughts to another channel. Thirty-two years ago, on the third day of Sivan, Nay 24, this comely edifice was first entered with thanksgivings and praises to Israel's God. It was then fondly anticipated by the participants in the consecration that the prediction of Haggai, concerning the erection of the second Temple, would be fulfilled in our minor sanctuary, namely Greater will be the glory of the latter house than that of the former, and in this place I will give you peace, says the Lord of hosts. Grateful, indeed, we ought to feel that peace did reign here. We proceeded in a uniformly even course and avoided wranglings, -which not infrequently have created heart-burnings and divisions among congregations. But the prophecy touching the greater glory which we yearned after, the glory of a large accession of adherents to the principles' which our synagogue represents, was not accomplished. Notwithstanding the fact that a schism, of which, thank God, I am entirely innocent - a schism brought about by personal preferences while we still worshipped in the Cherry Street Synagogue - was fortunately healed; not withstanding that we welcomed back brothers and sisters in faith, who during a period, had assembled for prayer in another spot, still the increase of attendants to our Divine services did not grow remarkably. But how painfully must the decrease affect Israelites who still share my views!

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