The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-09-29
THE GREAT FESTIVAL.
Second Day of New Years Serv-
ices in the Orthodox Syn
agogues.
The Rabbis Excel Themselves
Admonitions for the Coming
Year

In the synagogues OF the orthodox Jews
the services commemorative of the advent
Of another year were continued Yesterday
morning. With the exception of the SER
mons the services were the same as those
of The day previous, consisting OF the
reading of the services by the cantor the
blowing of the shophar and music by
special choirs.
Rabbi Levy discoursed to the congrega-
ton OF Beth Israel on Israel the Guardian
of Gods Revealed Wort" taking his Ie xt
from Deuteronomy xxxiii:29
He showed that in centuries gone by the
Egyptian, Phelician, Roman and Grecian
had tried the utmost not only to an
initiate but rob the Jew of his God given
faith. While these empires, however,
have ceased 10 exist and no trace of their
diyinities cen Ge found except in blocks Of
marble in the museums OF London, Paris
and the Vatican, where they are unwor-
SHIPPED and unhonored-as dead as the
stone from which they are carved-;he
God of Israel still Lives and is worshiped
by millions outside of his own treasured
eople, and Israel, the guardian OF his
revelation.
spoke on the Spiritual Food" with
an eloouence OF earneslness which mad
a deep impression on his hearers. He
began by drawing a realistic picture of
Elijah, cast aside by his own people 10
whom he had been trying to preach of tn e
one true God and fleeing for his life in the
desert. When finally exhausted he laid
himself down in the shade OF friendy
tree and the angel OF the Lord came and
ntfPraH lS
journey to Mount Horeb, where the voice
of the Lord comforteu and directed him.
He iikeDed Elijah to many of the Jews
to-day, who start out in life with high
ideals, but Degectlng to sunply them
selves with spiritual food fail TO realize
their billions. and finally when the
world grows dark to them they come TO
the temple of the true God and partake of
that spiritual iood which alone can sus-
tain them IN their Journey through this
world and bring them safe 10 the heavenly
Zion.
At the Taylor-street Synagogue the Rev.
Dr.. Voorsanger of the Temple Emanu- Ell
preached the sermon by invitation. The
audience was large, AMI were alternately
amused and impressed by DR.. Voorsan-
gers sallies and criticisms, and hi, sudden
changes 10 The deeper shades of bis dis
course. The doctor was at his best and
Tor forty minutes held the close attention
of his audience. The sermon was a Tai
mu iicaI disquisition on the symbolism Of
the Jewish faith with especial reference to
the symbolism Of the New Years day.
Most of my hearers" began the rabbi,
'have doubtless no recollection of a quaint
little ceremony still in vogue nong ortho-
dox He brews, and called Tasnlikh. This
ceremony consists in repairing, after the
monday services of the new year, to
some bridge or viaduct spanning river
and casting bread into the running
waters. This ceremony sym bolizes the
last three verses OF Micah, which are re-
cited, and has especial reference TO that
part of the sentence that promised, lana
he will cast into the depths OF the sea all
thy SIM" SO that this quaint ceremony
of Tashlikh, now nearly obsolete, was in
effect symb olical expression that, as this
brea | was pushed Oh by the rivers waves
TO tie open sea so would God cast the sins
OF his repenlant people into the depths
from which they would nevermore be re-
guscitateu