Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-12-29
Improyised Synagogues.

/ Richard Wheatley, in the January Century
Synsgogues, as We discover in persmbu-
lation of the city, are improvised in vari-
Gus parts thereof, as need or convenience
may require. Here, at No. 125 Rivington
street, is the Golden Rule hall. Five sep
arate congregations worship on its FIVE
separate floors, and worship for twelve
hours at stretch. Crowds of young,
middle-aged and old go in and out, up and
down the creaky stairs, in intermittent,
unending streams. Grandsires gray, pull
ing infants, tired women, and struggling
men, to whom Yom Kppur is more than
Sabbath, are all there for this one day out
of the 365. Within each steaming room
some men chat and some women gossip at
intervals. children are sleepily quiet, and
devotees in grave habiliments occupy the
corners. Wild is the recitative of the cha
zan, nervous and exaggerated his gestures,
while his voice is often singnlarly musical
Convection speaks from the depths of his
| being, and passionate devotion in his vi
bratory tones. His memory is marvellous.
| Not a syllable escapes that of one blind
| patriarch. Sequence of notes in his life
| long chanting has given to repetition the
| precision of al orguinette.
Two of the scenes enacted in this sanctu-
ary are sltogether rememberable, viz, the
| "Abodah" and the blessing by the ''Coha-
4 nim" Confession of sin is peculiarly ap-
prnpriste to this holy day. So is suppli
cation for forgiveness. Both are national
rather than personal Many times in the
| course of reconciliation with an offended
| God do the penitents, Tobed in grave
| clothes, PROSTATE themselves on the floor
/ of the aisles whereon they stand Pros
i trate themselves, We say-or rather on
bended knees knock the forehead against
the boards of the floor while imploring
pardon. Nor are they at ell reserved in ac-
/ knowledgment of transgression, but are as
i remarkably explicit in mention of delin-
/ quencies as in recognition of the fact that
| good works only can build the edifice of
| hope in the wondruus mercy of the Most
High. The ritual is said to be the one for
merly repeated by the high priest in the
| temple at Jerusalem The day is distin-
guished as the Sabbath Of Sabbaths,"
s.rest OF rests" whereon the high priest en-
tered into the Holy of Holes, and there
| pronounced the ineffable name.
The blessing by the CohGnim is another
spectacle that no stranger to the house of
Israel who sees and hears its bestowal can
forget. The Cohanim consist exclusively
of the descendants OF Aaron, the high
priest, and usually bear the name of
| Cohen. Collecting in front of the ark,
| these first worship the God of their ia
theirs. whose law and providence are
writer on the sacred scrolls within the
| revsred receptacle. In pronouncing the
priestly blessing each head is enveloped by
| the tallith, raised sufficiently by elevated
and extended hands to admit of seeing the
people. The fingers are trisngularly sd-
| justed. The middle is separated from the
ring finger. Three distinct openings or
| divisions of each hand are thus formed
| With these, and with the three periods of
human life-infsncy, virility and decrepi-
/ tude-the three parts of the blessing cor
respond.
| In comforting the blessings the body of
the Cohen assumes a swaying motion,
curiously harmonizing with the grooming
of his voice. Gentiles may gaze upon the
officiating Cohsnim, but Jews may not.
| Attentions of the priests must not be dis
trscted in performance of duty. An or
| thodox metropolitan rabbi, born and
brought mp within sight of the Trinity
church spire, declares that he has never
looked upon this ceremony. Why it should
, not be studied is not matter of easy con-
lecture. Certain it is that many of the
boys-as for the girls, that goes without
saying-indulge in furtive glances, even
when forbidden by fathers whose faces are
turned the other way, and whose paternal
discipline somehow implies occasional
squints over the shoulder. Which, the
group of Cohanim ON the pulpit platform,
or the absorbed artist intent on pictorial
reproduction, is the object of greater
curiosity to the women, admits of doubt
The endurance of chazan and choir is as
tonishing. Rich, clear, sweet and strong,
length of service. The music is not less
remarkable.