Dr. de Sola’s ability in the pulpit led to his frequently being
invited to lecture in the United States, where he had acquired
much prominence and popularity. On the 9th of January, 1872,
he was invited by General Grant’s government to perform the
ceremony of opening the United States congress with prayer, and
for the first time was witnessed the unique spectacle of one
who was not a citizen of the United States nor of the dominant
belief officiating at the opening ceremonies at the assembling
of congress at Washington. The broad liberality of this act,
upon the part of the United States government, was fraught with
particular significance at that time, owing to the fact that
diplomatic relations between Britain and the United States
had then but lately been strained to dangerous tension by the
“Alabama Claims,” and this high compliment to a British subject
was the first evidence of the growth of a better feeling between
the two countries. Sir Edward Thornton, the British ambassador at
Washington, formally extended to Dr. de Sola the thanks of the
British government, and Mr. Gladstone--then prime minister, also
personally communicated his satisfaction.
Upon the death of Isaac Leeser, Dr. de Sola purchased the
stereotyped plates of his works and issued a new edition of
that author’s translation of the Bible according to Jewish
authorities. He also brought out a revised translation of the
Jewish Forms of Prayer, in six volumes, based upon the editions
of D. A. de Sola (his father) and of Leeser. He was invited to
become the successor of Mr. Leeser in his ministerial office but
declined. He had previously refused several similar offers.
Dr. de Sola’s onerous duties were at this time further increased
by his being offered the chair of Hebrew at the Montreal
Presbyterian College, and later on he accepted the appointment of
lecturer in Spanish literature at McGill University, a literature
and language with which he was specially familiar and to which he
was particularly attached.
But such incessant application to work could not but prove
exhaustive, and his naturally vigorous health broke down under
the strain. A year’s rest, spent in Europe, proved sufficiently
beneficial to enable him to return to some of his duties. For a
while he also resumed his contributions to the Jewish press, and
among other interesting writings we notice his “Yehuda Alcharizi
and the Book Tachkemoni.” In 1880 he published his last important
work, “Saadia Ha-Gaon,” a book giving a very valuable description
of the writings and life of one of the greatest of Jewish
philosophers and also containing an interesting account of the
court of a prince of the captivity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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