Truly nothing has failed of that of
which Thou hast forewarned us through Moses Thy servant, for we have
broken Thy covenant and not observed Thy Commandments; so are we
surely convinced that we shall receive from Thee the promised good,
and our days will be renewed as of old; Thou wilt fulfil Thy words
unto Ezekiel Thy prophet, that 'The nations shall know that I the Lord
rebuild the ruined places and plant that which was desolate; I the
Lord have spoken it; I will do it.' Let our prayer and supplication,
which we offer towards Thy chosen city, ascend to heaven, Thy
dwelling-place. Gather together our dispersed in our days and in the
lifetime of the whole House of Israel, that all nations, even from the
ends of the earth, shall approach Thee, to call, all of them, on the
name of the Lord, and the Lord shall be King over all the earth. Then
the Lord alone shall be acknowledged, and His name be one. Amen."
Mr Montefiore, having concluded the prayer, descended from the pulpit,
and the congregation chanted several Hebrew hymns. The prayer for the
Royal Family was then said, and the service concluded with Psalm cl.
"At eight o'clock," writes Mr Montefiore, "the dedication finished,
all delighted with the ceremony as well as with the music. May
Heaven's blessing attend it."
At nine about eighty-two sat down to dinner. The gardens were
beautifully illuminated, and during dessert a band played in the tent.
The next morning Mr Montefiore accompanied Dr Herschel to the
Synagogue, followed by all their friends and visitors. After prayers
they returned to East Cliff Lodge, where the time was spent in
receiving the congratulations of their friends. The day was brought to
a close by a most agreeable entertainment, a description of which I
give in his own words.
"Soon after nine in the evening our company began to assemble,
consisting of all our neighbours as well as our own party. The wind
had been exceedingly high, almost too much for the lamps to keep
alight. Providence kindly allayed it, and the night was beautifully
calm. Our garden was splendidly illuminated; we had a band of
twenty-four performers on the lawn and another in the dining-room. All
our rooms were filled, many visitors strolling about the grounds to
witness the illumination. Before eleven the fireworks were displayed,
and exceeded our most sanguine expectations; the company was
delighted. This over, the tent-room was opened for supper; it made a
splendi
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