Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-01
HEBREW \ NEW YEAR
The Services Todsy in the synagogues in
This City.
The Beginning sOf . Penitential Sea-
soma Generally observed Festival
Among Orthodox and Reformed.

The celebration Of Rosh Hashanah, the
Hebrew New Year, was begun by the He
Drew people throughout the world last even
ing, with the solemn rites which have char
acterized the day for centuries. In the jew
ish calendar the religious year begins to-
day. while the civil year begins with the
month OF Nissan, which generally falls
about the month of April.
The festival of the New Year is more
generally observed among the Hebrews
than any of the other numerous feasts and
lasts in the calendar Of the Jewish Church,
with the single exception of Yom Kippur,
or the Day of Atonemept, which will fall
on October 10 this year. Business is gen.
orally suspended in Hebrew commercial
circles during the New Year celebration
and the Jewish temples and synagogues. are
thronged with worshfpers. Among the
orthodox Hebrews the festival is celebrated
Tor TWO days, but those adherents of the
1aith who have accepted the principles of
the reform movement, which of late years
has made such marked progress confine the
celebration to one day.
Like all the festivals In the Jewish cal
endar, the celebration begins at sunset in
tne evening and continues until sunset of
the IL flowing day. The celebration of the
New Year, therefore, began last evening.
The ritual for the evenings service was the
usuai SABBATH evening services, with special
PhoSSiS 10 the view ear.
Features of the Observance.
Around Rosh Hashanah are clustered a
number of interesting customs and OBJ
servances. 1t Is the beginning of peniten-
tial season, a season for reflection and self
examination, when every faithful Hebrew is
expected to prepare himself by prayer and
attendance at the synagogue for the day
OF atonement, which comes ten days after
Rosh Hashaneh.
The music during the services consists
largely OF the ancient mournfui melodies
handed down by tradition and said to have
been used in the temple in the days of
King Solomon. These are sung In an i'm
pressive minor key, and in some of the
congregations are enriched by selections
from the sacred music of modern COM
posers The orthodox synagogues dispense
with the organ at this period and use only
male voices. They also have other cere-
monlais which differ from those in use
among the reformed congregations. In
the shrines the coverings of the ark and
the scrolls are pure white, and during the
services the rabbi and the worshippers go
services the rabbi and the worshipers go
grave clothes.
In addition to the religious services, the
beginning OF the New Year is observed in
various other ways. Many Hebrews close
their places of business and nearly all of
them visit the graves of the dead. The GUS
tom or sending cards of remembrance is
also general The inscription on these cards
is always the greeting, "Mayest thou be
inscribed for a good year"
Services in This City.
The celebration In Washington began last
evening at the Ad6s Israel Synagogue 9Th
and q streets northwest, and at the syna-
gosue of the Washington Hebrew congre-
CATION, on Sth street between III and l
streets northwest. The services consisted
mainly of devotional exercises and music,
AT the Eighth Street Synagogue Rabbi Stern
presided, the music being rendered by a
choir OF fifteen, led by quartet, consisting
OF MISS Whitesell soprano; Mrs. Martin,
alto; MIR. Mcfarland, tenor, and Mr. Nolan
basso The organist was Dr. w. G. Walter
Inc services were continued at $3.50 o'clock
th1s morning, when the trumpet, rams
horn, Identical with those of Biblical record.
was sounded. Rabbi Stern preached an eIo-
quent sermon from the text, ITO the in
telligent, the way of life leadeth up
ward"
AT Adas Synagogue Jsadore w. Samuels
conducted the services, which were con-
tinued this morning at Z O'Clock. and will
also be held this afternoon at O. clock and
at g o'clock and tomorrow morning and
afternoon.
The congregation of Chat Odom is also
celebrating the new year, the services be-
ing held in Odd Fellows Hall on It'll street
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