The morning call., 1891-10-12
FAST OF YOM KIPPUR.
The Most Sacred Festival of the
Hebrew Year.

Hebrews throughout the world are cele-
bratng to-day the festival of Yom Kippur,
or day of atonement, the most solemn
known TO the lsraelite church. The sacred
celebration began at sundown last night
and will end at sund0wn tonight.
In every synagogue and temple of He
brew worshiping in this city the festival was
appropriately observed last evening, begin
ming shortly after o'clock and continuing
for over an hour.
Last evenings services consisted in the
chanting of the most sacred prayer known
to the Hebrew faith, called the Kol-Nidre.
In the more orthodox churches the prayer
was ehanted by the entire congregation, but
in the Sheriff Israel Synagogue and the
Emanuel Temple it was ela6oratey rem
dered by a choir with magnificent music.
The Day of Atonement in the Hebrew
church began yesterday as day of uni
versal feastng, but with the hour of,sunset
last night a fast was inaugurated that will
be Ieligiously observed by every child of
Israel until sunset tonight. No food or
drink Of any description must be partaken
of to-day, and all the cares and worries OF
business must be laid aside and prayer and
song substituted instead.
There is a wild and weird melody in the
Kol-Nidre. ballowed by the remem brance
that the same mournful song rose on the
desert air thousands of years ago, when the
Hebrew was a slave t0ilDg under the lash of
his Egyptian task-maSter. The Kol- Nidre
is a prayer for abs0luti0n from false VOWS
taken under duress, and had its origin in
the middle ages when the Jews were tor
tured to death as the alternative of a re-
nuncation of their faith.
At the Synagogue Shaarey Zedeh, corner
of Stockton and California streets, the day
was observed in the usual manner. The old
orthodox custom Of chanting PRAYERS in He
oh nv Poh
assisted by Rabbs Solomon and Levy. The
0bservances Of the AtOnement will be con-
tinued to-day, commencing at 8 o'clock in
the morning and closing at O'clock i'll the
evening.
At the Geary-street temple Rabbi NJ S.
Levy delivered an eloquent sermon upon
the theme: Repentance and its true signif-
cance," his text being Isaiah lviii:1: Cry
aloud, spare not. Lift up thy voice like
trumpet. Show my people their transgres-
sions and the house of Jacob their Sins"
The service of song was conducted by the
Rev. Cantor Joseph Rabinowitz. assisted by
the well-drilled choir composed OF the fol-
lowing singers: Sopranos, Misses Cans and
Colin: altos, Misses Coney and Levy; ten
ors, Messrs. Blum and Hansel; bassos.
Messrs. Hughes and Wallen; organist. Mr..
Holt.
Miss Mary NJ. Coney sang the only solo of
the service, which was Lord. Have Mercy"
from Stradella. Her rendition of this mag
nihcent lyrical gem was most excellent and
ELECTED large amount of complimentary
comment.
The celebration Of Yom-Kippur at the
Ohabai Shalome Synagogue on Mason street
last evening was entirely a service of song.
which was led by the cantor, Rev. David
Myerson, assisted by double quartet of
well-known vocalists under the direction of
the organiStt Professor Gustav A. Scott.
The choir is as follows: Sopranos, Miss
Hefron and Mrs. Howell; altos, Misses Nc
Closkey aud Wofelsburg; tenOrs, Messrs.
Morrell and Wood; bassos, Messrs. Nelson
and Newman.
The only solo of the service was so,
Lord, We Pray Thee" Ave Maria), which
was eXquisitely rendered by Miss McClos-
key.
The synagogue was crowded almost to
suffocation.
The synagogue of the Congregation Beth
Menahim Streisand, on Minna street, was
the scene last evening of the usual holiday
services of the Jewish new year. The
services Of the early evening were con-
Quoted by Rabbi JOserh Wilmer, and the
after part of the night until O'clock this
morning was taken up in the chant of deYo-
tees