El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-07
ORTHODOX JEWS
Have Organized a Congrega.
ton in This City
ANCIENT CUSTOMS,
ANCIENT

ANCIENT CUSTOMS,
Handed Down From the Days of Abraham
Are scrupulously Observed by Them to
the Present Day.
Following the example of the so called
reformed Jews, the Orthodox Jews OF
this city have organized q cOnRrega-
ton and will hold meeting next
Wednesday evening at Odd Fellows
hall.
Messrs. I. Wolf and I. Moneak are at
the head of the congregation as trus-
tees and report that about 25 persons
have already joined the religious or
ganizatiOp.
In regard to the observance Of new
year by the Orthodox Jews the Globe
Democrat says:
Few outside the faith know the true
significance of the ceremonies in the
Jewish synagogues this evening, and
all day Tuesday, and, in fact, con tinu-
ing with but little intermission until
after the 18th inst, when the oldest of
all the Jewish ceremonials will be OBJ
served, that of attending services in
their synagogues clad in the white
robes which will clothe them when
they are laid to their final rest.
The busy shopkeepers in Little Jeru-
salem will have their places of bust
ness closed Tuesday, and it is safe to
say that every one OF them, unless he
be kept close to sick bed, will be in
the syuagogues at the blowing of the
"shofar" or rams horn. The Fourth
district policeman will be started by
the weird Eotes of the horns, as will
perhcance passers-by.
About 10 O'Clock in the morning the
ram g horns will be blown and the
notes will be the same as those which
have been blown from rams horns
every New Years day for the past 1000
years. Naught buta crooked rams
horn will do for the service. People
who make no study of the Jew think
that he insists on q crooked rams horn
because of some idea that the crooked
horn has some special virtue. But the
orthodox Jew of Little Jerusalem will
turn over the leaves of the Christian
bible to that fanciful story of the sacri
fee required of Abraham.
He will read to you. pre- ferably in
Hebrew, of how Abraham bad placed
his con on the pile and was about to
holding the sword was stopped by an
angel of the Lord, and he was shown q
ram caught by it's crooked horn in the
brush near by, and this he was direct
ed to offer as sacrifice.
The rams horn which is blown every
New Years day is symbolical of the
ram which Abraham slew for the sac
rifice, and hence its crooked char
acter.
The early morning ceremonies con-
sist of prayers and the blowing OF the
ssshofar," or rams horn, is reached
about 10 O'Clock.
This ia done by one of the most
venerable men of the congregation.
The art of blowing the ram g horn is
one not easily acquired. 1t is taught
by father to son, and the Jews will tell
you that exactly the same sounds that
were blown on the rams horn 1000
years ago in the temples of Jerusalem
are reproduced in ST. Louis each New
YEARS. day. There are four different
sounds, or airs or Whatever they may
be called. They resem BILE the calls of
cavalry bugle, but are not as long
continued.
The four sounds are made at the Or
der of the rabbi, and are repeated I'M
The names of the sounds which are
asked for by the rabbi are: "T'kea.
Ssh 'worun' 'st'roa" and "t'kea."
The last ''t'kea' is,different from the
fret one only in that the last of its
notes Is prolonged and quavering.
The blowing of the rams horn is q
most solemn ceremony. Is the explana-
tion of the ceremonial by the rabbi
just preceding it remainds the ortho-
dox Jew that the blowing of the horn
ia symbolical of the blowing of the
on the final day of judg
ment.
1t affects the people of Little Jerusa-
lem in different ways, but many of the
older people remem Der the sorrows of
the year closed, and there Is much
weeping rs the sounds of the horn ring
loud and clear through the syna-
gogues.
Some of them tremble with fear as
the rabbi, accompanying the notes of
the horn, exhorts them to repent of
their sins.
After the blowing of the rams horn
the venerable man who has performed
the duty turns toward the congregation
and says in loud voice: blessed be
Thou, the eternal, King of the universe,
W DO sanctifes US with his command
ments and commands US to listen to
the sounds of the shOfar."
Then comes the portion OF the cere-
mony most beautiful and picturesque
to the spectator who does not under
stand the Hebrew. 1t Is the singing
of the great song or prayer, for which
each church hires skilled Jewish sing
erS. That this Is most I'm pOrtant
part Of the ceremony is shown by the
fact that even in Little Jerusalem,
where the thrifty Jew perhaps looks at
his money longest before being separ-
ated from it, pays the singer from $3.50
to 5000 for the service he performs in
few hours.
His song and the close of the cere-
mony come about l o'clock in the
afternoon. Then the people 60 to
their homes for light refreshments
and return in the afternoon for cere
r,fan . n0f.n Ii x etW h at the Catholins COL