B'NAI JEHUDAH BIDS
FAREWELL TO TEMPLE.
IT HAS WORSHIPPED THERE FOR
TWENTY-THREE YEARS.
Splendid New Temple at Flora and
Linwood Avenues Is Almost Com-
pleted, and May Be Dedi-
cated in September.
With impressive ceremonies the congregation B'Nai Jehudah gathered for the last time in the temple at Eleventh and Oak streets last night. It was the farewell service of the congregation in the old temple, after having used the building as a house of worship for twenty-three years. The change of the B'Nai Jehudah congregation to the new temple at Linwood boulevard and Flora avenue is one more instance of the passing of the downtown churches There are now but three churches left in the heart of the business district.
A special programme consisting of addresses by the older members of the congregation had been prepared for the occasion. The present of the congregation, Isaac Bachrach, told of the policy of the church; what it had been and what it now is striving to be. He said that the church had never stood for narrow mindedness, and that its rabbi was always given free scope in his sermons. He touched upon the wonderful progress which the congregation had made during the past twenty-three years.
L. L. Lorie, a member of the first confirmation class in the old church, told of the work which was being done by the confirmation teachers; how the little Jewish boy would attend the confirmation class after his regular school course and learn the Hebrew language. In the knowledge of this language Mr. Lorie believed that a boy was given a purer idea of right and wrong.
Mr. Lorie had telegraphed to all of those men who had been rabbis of the B'Nai Jehuda congregation asking them for words of congratulation or the expression of some sentiment which would be appropriate upon such an occasion. Each of the old rabbis responded and each spoke highly of the work and worthiness of the B'Nai Jehudah congregation.
B A. Fieneman, the oldest member of the congregation, read a paper upon the past history of the church, telling how it had grown from two-score persons to several hundred; how it had progressed from abject poverty to affluence. He told of the work of the members of the church and of the church as a whole in charity, which among the Jews is considered higher than missionary work.
The last address of the evening was made by Rabbi H. H. Mayer, for ten years the rabbi of the congregation. He spoke of the work which the church had done for the individual and of the trials which it had passed through.
"B'Nai Jehudah has now reached such a stage," said he, "that churches of other denominations point at us with wonder and ask how we did it. We are considered the leaders of the churches; we set the pace for every church of other denominations."
The new temple at Linwood Boulevard and Flora avenue will be ready for occupancy, it is thought, during the middle of September. Rabbi Mayer said last night that he hoped to set aside September 18-19-20 or September 11-12-13 for the days during which the dedicatory services will be held.
