Excerpt from Reform Judaism: Discourse at the Celebration of Dr. Samuel Hirsch's 70th Anniversary, Delivered by His Son, the Rabbi of Chicago Sinai Congregation This spiritual family counts to-day the links in the golden chain of its love, and alas many are broken. I look around - I, who am almost a stranger among you - and miss many familiar faces. Many a voice that erst would welcome me home, on former returns to this city of my adolescence, is silent now; many a hand then stretched out to give warm greeting to the guest, is now cold, benumbed by the untimely chill of death. Where are those two so trusty men, who for the larger portion of my father's ministration among you, stood at the helm of the ship, guidn its course with firm grasp, through dangerous eddies and over treacherous shoals? They sleep the sleep of the just - planted in the acre of God - their memory blessed among us forever. And with them so many friends are gathered into eternal rest Such memories, common and sacred to teacher and congregation alike, are, indeed, strong rivets of spirit ual union; in the joy of one that shared your burdens, well may you claim to participate. And even so, many a time the merry peals of marriage feasts have called him to your sides, and you to his. The vows of love - many of you have spoken them before him that he might bless the auspicious beginnings of your jointed lives. The intimacy of hours of tears and smiles accords the right to you to crowd aside his own children, and speak with them the words of thankfulness that he, your guide, he, our father, has been spared us to see the light of this day. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.