The San Francisco call., 1895-05-24
FEAST OF PENTECOST.
Will Be Suitably Observed bv
the Hebrew Community
Next Week.
) AGRARIAN CHARACTER.
Traditionally Connected With tba
publication of the Deoalogue
From Sinai.

Next Tuesday evening, corresponding to
Gne HIth Gay OF the Hebrew month Swan,
Israelltes all over the world will commence
tne celebration of the feast Of Shevouos, or
fehtecost. This is the second great festi-
val OF the Hebrew calendar, the others
being Passover and Tabernacles. It's rites
are restricted to one day among the reform
element OF the community, and two days,
Wednesday and Thursday, among the
orthodox.
Perhaps the most striking quality pos
sessed by Pentecost is its extreme SIM
pllcity. There is little or nothing in the
home observance to indicate the solemnity
of the occasion. Neither are any prepara-
tory ceremonies necessary, though some
previous to Shevouos in reading extracts
from the Law and the Prophets, and in
other exercises of devotional nature
The observance of 1.-The Feast of Weeks"
as 1t is called, is essentially linked to that
OF the Passover, its celebration taking
place seven complete weeks or fifty days
after that festival In order to mark the
progress of time between the two festivals
conservative Hebrews read a prayer after
each evening service in which the days
numerical position is stated. This is
termed Counting the Omer."
In former times the fifty days so enumer-
ated included the period of grain harvest,
commencing with the offering of the first
sheaf of the barley harvest at the Pass
over and ending with that of the first two
loaves which were made from the wheat
harvest at this festival. 1t was the offer
ing OF these two loaves which was the dis
tlnguishing rite of the day of Pentecost.
That the Pentecost was regarded among
the ancient Hebrews as an agrarian festi-
val is evidenced by its name. In common
with other nations the Jews, as an agri-
cultural people, made offerings to their
deity of the first fruits of their harvest.
From this fact is derived the second name
by which Pentecost is known, THE day of
the first fruits.''
Though the canonical scriptures speak
OF Pentecost as simply harvest festival,
yet non-canonical documents show that
the Jews, at least as early as the time of
Christ, connected with it and commence
rated on the sixth day of the third month
the giving of the decalogue. For this
reason on the morning of the first day of
Shevouos the lesson of the day is taken
from that portion of the book of Exodus
which contains an account of the issuance
OF the law from Sinai. In order to keep up
some semblance of its original character as
an agricultural celebration the synagogues
are decked with flowers, shrubs and odor-
| lferous herbs. In orthodox congregations
the Book of Ruth, that composition of the
| scriptures which touches on a pastoral
| theme, is read.
The enactments in regard to the celebra-
| ton OF Pentecost call for abstinence from
work OF all kinds and the congregation of
| all able-bodied members of the Jewish
community of both sexes for purposes of
public worship. Emphasis is also placed
! upon the Hberality which is to be exer-
clsed toward the fatherless and the widow
at the season OF general rejoicing.
Much OF the picturesque character of the
feast has been obliterated in the United
States, where, as was recently confessed by
! a prominent divine, Hebrews possess little
| of sympathetic thought for ''the land by
the Mediterranean" The counting of the
Omer and the celebration of the scholars
feast have been relegated to oblivion, as
have many of the usages of Eastern and
European Hebrews.
The feast OF Shevouos will be ushered in
in San Francisco on Tuesday evening by
services in all the temples. Sermons on
| appropriate subjects will be preached in
the Temple Emanuel by Rabbi Jacob
Voorsanger and at the Sheriff. Israel Syna-
gogue by Rabbi Jacob Nieto Rabbi Mayer
| S. Levy of the Temple Beth Israel, Geary
street, will hold services in his synagogue
on Tuesday evening, but will not deliver
an address. Each of his Sunday-schooi
children will read short two-minute adj
dresses during the morning services on the
first day of the festival.
| The confirmation exercises of the Con-
gregation Ohabai Shalome formerly on
| Mason street, will take place at Golden
Gate Hall, Sutter street, near Taylor, at 10
A. NJ. William Lissner, SUPERINTENDENT of
the Sabbath-school, will conduct the exer1
cises.
The services on Wednesday morning
will partake largely of the character of
confirmation exercises. The synagogues
will be beautifully decorated, and the chill
dren attending the Sunday-schoois at
tached to the various synagogues will take
oath of fidelity to the principles of their
faith, and diplomas will be issued to the
contirmants. The Hallel, or hymns of
praise, will be chanted, and music of a
high order will be made feature of the
services, which will be fully choral.
In orthodox Jewish circles the religious
exercises will be continued on Thursday
morning, and the festival will come to q
close on the evening of that day.
BACON Printing Company, sos Clay street