The San Francisco call., 1898-04-06
The Ancient Festival Will Open This Even
 ing.
Curious and Interesting Cere- monies to Be Followed
 Out.
A Comm enaoratfon of the Redenp- ton of Israel From tho Bond
 age of Egypt.

With the setting of the sun this even ing will be celebrated tf, opening o1 one of the three primary festivals of the Jewish faith-the feast of the Passover. As is we'll known, this fes- tival commentaries the exodus from Egypt as narrated In the second book of the Old Testament. Unlike other Jewish holidays, the principal features of the feast of the Passover are made manifest rather in the home than in the synagogue.
 For days anterior to the 14th day of the first Hebrew month Nissan, an air of busy expectancy is noticeable in the orthodox Jewish household. Articles of food made with leavening materials are gradually set aside, and the vessels which have contained them are puri- fled. Many Jewish families possess a second complete outfit of crockery, sill verware and cutlery, which is used for the Passover alone. The day before the festival, that is to say, this morn ing, all articles of leaven, bread, pastry, beer, fermented wines, etc., will have been removed to give way for regula- tion articles of diet prescribed for the following eight days.
 During the Passover the staple arti- cle of food used in lieu of bread is the coarse, unleavened cake. whose appear ance is familiar to every one. In the orthodox Hebrew communities of Eng land and the Continent these are pre- pared under the supervision of spe- cially appointed officials, whose seal on the case containing them is a guar antee that they have been prepared strictly in accordance with the rites of f0i hi Y1 ri of specially prepared food is carried out with regard to almost every one of the foodStuffS ordinarily used, milk, cheese, butter, wines, coffee and tea being similarly sold under seal of rec ognized ecclesiastical authorities.
 The ceremonies to be witnessed at the ushering in of the festival in ortho- dox Jewish houses are time -honored and interesting. and they are derived from the usage of hundreds of years. Immediately after synagogue on the first evening of Passover, the master of the house in the pre- ence of his as- semhled family invokes a blessing on the table, which has been set in a man. ner entirely different to that which is customary. On separate plates are placed the shankbone of lamb repre- senting the Paschal Sacrifice, some bit ter herbs to typify the rigorous servi- tude of Israel in Egypt, and mixture of chopped apples. almonds and various spices. emblematic of the mortar used by the Hebrews in building the treas ure cities of Egypt.
 The service is commenced by the master of the house, who. indicating to the assembled company one of the Passover cakes. pronounces the for mula: Like unto this was the bread of aff1iction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry enter and eat, and all who are in need enter and celebrate the Pass over" The better to carry out the spirit of this invitation the door of the house Is hospitably left open during the entire service, which consists of ex- tracts from the Law, the Prophets and the works of the ancient Rabbis. Al intervals hymns and psalms are sung and it is late hour before the com pany disperses.
 Services will be held in all the tenn pies this evening at 530 o'clock and to- morrow morning at 10 o'clock, when sermons will be delivered by the at tendant ministers.