The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-01
JEWISH new YEAR
WILL COMMENCE THIS AFTERNOON
AT 6ssO O'CLOCK.
TOMORROW is A HOLIDAY.
NEARLY EVERY JEWISH ESTAB-
LIsIIMENT WILL BE CLOSED.

Special Services Will BE Held at the
Temple and at the Synagogue.
The New Year Came Sept. Last
Year-Feast of YOm Kippur on the
10Th Inst.-FoIIOwing This viii BE
the Feast of the TabernacIes-Dur-
ing This Time Many of the Jewish
Formulation Will Eat Meals in
Back Yards Under Thatched Roofs.
This afternoon at $50 O'Clock, the
Jewish New Year will begin. The
holiday. which lasts until the same
hour tomorrow afternoon. will be OBJ
served by the Jews all over the world,
and among the orthodox Jews the fol-
lowing day also will be observed. The
observance of both days is occasioned
through an uncertainty as to which is
the right day of the two, and rather
than make a mistake the orthodox
Jews observe both.
Tomorrow almost every Jewish es-
Establishment in the city will be closed
throughout the day. Special services
will be held in the synagogues. The
pretty custom of sending new years
cards obtains among the Jews, and at
the various book stores these cards
have been on sale for some time.
Since Time of Adam.
The new year will be known as 1858
A M, or ancient time, the years be-
ing numbered from the time of Adam.
In Hebrew the new year is known as
i.
not commence at the same time each
year, as does the Christian year, there
being twelve lunar months in the COM
mon year and thirteen in leap year.
The year just passed was a leap year,
which made New Years Day occur on
Sept. l last year. Nor do the leap
years occur with the same regularity
which marks those of the Christian
year. For this reason, few are the
Jews who can say, off hand, on what
day of the month the several holidays
occur. The present month is well filled
with days which the Jews observe.
On the day following Rosh Hashan-
ma memorial services will be held in
the synagogue and the temple. These
services are designed to commemorate
the deaths of those who have died
within the past year. These services,
as well as the services on New Years
Day, are entirely different from any
others held during the year To-mor-
row the services will be more extend
ed at the temple than at the other
places of worship.
Feast of YOm Kippur.
The feast of Yom Kippur. also known
as the Day of Atonement, is on Sept.
10. The ten days intervening between
New Years Day and the feast of Yom
Kippur are known as the days of peni-
tence, and on these days the Jews
fast. Both Rosh Hashanna and Yom
Kippur are known as days of solemnity.
while the Tabernacles, which follow
close on, are known as the days of
feasting. The Feast of the Taber-
nacles, or ingathering of the harvest is
an important occasion in the Jewish
church
At sunset on Oct. Is, the eight days
of the tabernacle commence. While
the orthodox Jews observe all eight
days, the reform. element celebrates
only the first and last days. During
the Tabernacles some orthodox Jews
live in booths constructed of tree limbs,
bushes and leaves. This is to COM
memorate the passing of the children
of Israel through the wilderness.
Meals Under Thntched Roof.
While there are probably no orthodox
Jews in Savannah who live in booths
during the eight days of the Taber-
nacle, there are many who eat their
meals in that fashion. Rudely con-
structed booths, built in the back
yards, serve as dining apartments for
the family during the days of the tab
ernacle.
The Feast of the Tabernacles is
known in Hebrew as Sukoth, or the
ingathering of the harvest. During this
season palm branches, citron, willow
and myrtle are symbolic. The season
being a time when special services are
offered to God, they represent the
various parts of the body used in Civ
ing service to the Almighty. the palm
branch representing the spinal col
umn, the willow representing the lips,
the myrtle representing the eye and
the heart represented by the citron.
The last day of the Tabernacles is
known as Sheminu Aseret, and many
observe this day as a holiday. Among
the orthodox Jews the Bible is read
through each year, it being the Gus
tom to read certain portion thereof
each Sunday. Friday, Oct. "a, is Sim
hat Torah, or the day of the charging
of the law, and on this day the reading
of the Bible is completed. The reform
Jews do not complete the reading of
the Rihle annuallV but rather fri