The National tribune., 1891-12-31
JEWISH WORSHIP.
Scenes In the New York synagOgl.

ANc
Synagogs, as we discover in perambulation of
the city, are improvsed in various parts there
OF, as need or convenience may require. Here.
at No. 10 RiyingtOn street, is the Golden Rule
Hall. Five separate congregations worship on
its five separate floors. and worship for II hours
at stretch. Crowds of young, niddle-aged,
aud old 20 IN and out, up and down the creaky
stairs. IN intermittent, unending streams.
Grandsres gray, pulling infants. tired women,
aud struggling men, TO whom YOm Ripper is
more than Sabbath, are all there for this one
day out of the 36j. Within each steamiug
room some men chat aud some women gossip
at intervals, children are seepily quiet, aud
devOtees ia grave habilimonts occupy the cor
ners Wild is the reeitative of the chazan.
nervous and exaggerated his gestures, while
his voice Is often singularly musical. COnvic-
tion speaks from the depths of his being, aud
passionate devotion in his vibratory tones.
His memory is marvellous Not a syllable
escapes that OF one blind patriarch. Sequence
OF notes in his lifelong chanting has given to
repetition the precision Of an orguinette.
Two of the scenes enacted in thisisanetuary
are altogether r6membeTable, viz, tho "AbO-
dab" and the blessing by the "Cohanim."
Confession Of sin Is peculiarly appropriate to
this holy day. So Is suppiicatiOn for forgive
ness. Both are national rather than personal.
Many times in the csurse OF reconciliation with
an offended God do the penitents. rObed in
grave-clOthes PROSTATE themselves on the floor
OF the aisles wheIeOn they stand. Prustrate
themselves, we say-Or rather on bended knees
knock the forehead. against the boards Of the
floor while implOring pardon. Nor are they at
all reserved in acknowledgment Of transgress-
ion, but are as remarkably explicit in mention
OF delinquences as in recognition OF tho fact
that good works only can build the edi Zee Of
hope in the wOndrOus mercy Of the Most High.
The ritual IS said TO be the one formerly re-
peated by the. high priest in the temple at
Jerusalem. The day is distinguished as the
Sabbath Of Sabbaths," rest OF rests" where
on the High Priest entered into the Holy Of
HOLES, and there pronounced the Inefable
Name.
The blessing by the Cohanim is anorher
spectacle that stranger TO the house OF Israel
who sees and hears its besiowal can forget
The Cohanim consist exclusively Of the de-
scendants Of Aaron, the High Priest. and usu-
ally bear the name Of Cohen. Collecting in
front OF the ark. these first worship the God OF
their fathers, whose law and providence arc
written on the sacred scrolls within the revered
receptacle. In prououucing the priestly bless
ing each head is envelOped by the taIIith
raised sufficiently by elevated and extended
hands 10 admit OF seeing the people. The fin
gers are trianEularly adjusted. The middle is
separated from the Ting-fnger. Three distinct
openings or divisions Of each hand are thus
formed. With these, and with the three pc
RODS Of human life,-inianey. virility and de-
! crepitude,-the three parts Of the blessing cor
respond.
la comforting the blessing the body Of the
Cohen assumes a swaying motion, euriously
harm0nizlng with the grooming Of his voice
Gentiles may gaze upon the officiating CO.
hanim, but Jews may not. Attention Of the
priests must not he distracted ia performance
of duty. An orthodox metropolitan rabbi.
born aud brought up within sight Of Trinity
Church spire, declares that he has never look ed
npon this ceremony. Why it should not bo
studied is not matter Of easy conjecture. Ger
tain II is that many Of the boys-as for the girls
that goes without saying-indulge in furtiye
glances. oven when forbidden by fathers whose
faces are turned the other way, aud whose pa
teTnal discipline somehow implies occasional
squints over the shoulder. Which, the group
Of Cohanim on the pulpit platform, or the alb
sorbed artist intent on pictorial reprodu ductiOu.
is the object Of greater curiosity 10 the women
admits OF doubt. The endurance Of chazan and
choir is astonishing. Rich. clear, sweet and
strong, their voices are seemingly unimpaiTed
by length Of service. The music is not less re-
markable.