911ฑฌมฯอ๘

In 1905, the 250^th anniversary of Jewish settlement in New Amsterdam was commemorated on the Sabbath before Thanksgiving.  A committee on โ€œForm of Prayer,โ€ led by Reverend Dr. Henry Pereira Mendes, was tasked with creating a service for the occasion.  The choice of Mendes was appropriate, and perhaps deliberate, since he was the spiritual leader of Congregation Shearith Israel / the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue โ€“ the mother of all American congregations, dating back to 1654. The committee published a pamphlet, in Hebrew and English, with selected Psalms and a prayer composed for the occasion.  This pamphlet is housed in 911ฑฌมฯอ๘ Libraryโ€™s Rare Book Room.  Hebrew and English excerpts follow:

ื•ืขืชื” ืืœืงื™ื ื• ืžื•ื“ื™ื ืื ื—ื ื• ืœืš ื•ืžื”ืœืœื™ื ืœืฉื ืชืคืืจืชืš ืขืœ ืฉื”ื—ื™ื™ืชื ื• ื•ืงื™ืžืชื ื• ืœื™ื•ื ื”ื–ื”. ื›ื™ ื‘ืจื—ืžื™ืš ื”ืจื‘ื™ื ืฉืžืช ืฉื ื•ืฉืืจื™ืช ืœืจื‘ื™ื ืžื‘ื ื™ ืกื’ื•ืœืชืš ืœื”ื—ื™ื•ืช ืœื ื• ืœืคืœื™ื˜ื” ื’ื“ื•ืœื” ื‘ืืจืฅ ื”ื–ืืช ืืฉืจ ื‘ื—ืกื“ ื”โ€˜ ืขืœื™ื” ื ื”ื™ื™ืช ืœืžืขื•ืŸ ื”ืฆื“ืง ื•ื”ืžืฉืคื˜ ืืฉืจ ื‘ื” ื™ื‘ืงืฉื• ื”ืขืฉื•ืงื™ื ื•ื”ื ืจื“ืคื™ื ืžืคืœื˜ ืœืžื•.   ื’ื“ื•ืœ ื”ืขืฆื” ื•ืจื‘ ื”ืขืœื™ืœื” ืœืš ื™ืืชื” ืชื”ืœื” ื›ื™ ื ื—ื™ืช ืžืชื™ ืžืกืคืจ ืžืขืžืš ื–ื” ืœืคื ื™ ืฉืชื™ ืžืื•ืช ื•ื—ืžืฉื™ื ืฉื ื” ืืœ ื”ืืจืฅ ื”ื‘ืจื•ื›ื” ื”ื–ืืช ืืฉืจ ื‘ื” ื™ื•ื›ืœื• ืœืขื‘ื“ ืื•ืชืš ื‘ืื™ืŸ ืžืคืจื™ืข.  ... ื•ื”ื™ื” ื”โ€˜  ืœืžืœืš ืขืœ ื›ืœ ื”ืืจืฅ ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ื”ื•ื ื™ื”ื™ื” ื”โ€˜  ืื—ื“ ื•ืฉืžื• ืื—ื“, ืืžืŸ.

โ€œEverlasting G-d โ€ฆwe lift up our hearts in gratitude to Thee, in that two hundred and fifty years ago Thou didst guide a little band of Israelโ€™s children who, seeking freedom to worship Thee, found it in a land which, with Thy blessing, became a refuge of freedom and justice for the oppressed of all peoples. โ€ฆ May all hearts serve Thee with one accord and recognize that Thou art One and Thy Name is One. Amen.โ€ Rev. Dr. Mendes served as an instructor of homiletics at RIETS from 1917 to 1920, and addressed its 1919 Chag HaSemicha which was celebrated at his synagogue, Congregation Shearith Israel, on Central Park West. Posted by Shulamith Z. Berger