Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-12
FESTIVAL OF THE PASSOVER
Jewish People Commence Observance
of Their Most Sacred CeIe-
bration.

The members of the Church Of Judah,
reformed and orthodox alike, began yes
terday evening at shutdown the observance
and celebration of the great Jewish festival
of Pesach, or the Passover. This celebra-
tlon, which is one of the most sacred in
the calendar, lasts for seven days. The
congregation OF the Harvey street temple,
which is of the reformed church, will OBJ
serve only the first and last days, but the
Russian synagogues celebrate the first and
last two days and continue SOM observ-
ances throughout the week. In the Harvey
street temple and at the orthodox syna-
gogues at Twelfth and Capitol avenue and
on Dodge street short services only began
the festival. starting at $50 and lasting
less than an hour, Rabbi Simon delivering
no lecture.
This morning at 10 o'clock Rabbi Simon
will conduct services in the Harvey street
| temple and lecture under the heading
Light this being a continuation Of his
lecture of Friday evening on do We Live
in Darkness?" There will be no further
special services in this temple until Fri
day evening. In the Omaha Hebrew school
synagogue in Woodmen hall, sixteenth and
Capitol avenue, Rabbi Rosor will lecture
this morning on THE Exodus of Israel
from Egypt" Rabbi Jraceman Of the Rus
sian synagogue on Capitol avenue and
Rabbi Grodzinsky Of the Basehamereth
Hagodal synagogue on South Thirteenth
street will also conduct morning services.
The principal observance of yesterday
evening, however, was in the homes Of the
people. where after the services early ended
for that reason, the w%orshipers went to
the "seder," the feast OF unleavened bread.
In the orthodox synagogues the old forms
are adhered to very strictly, the seder
being repeated this evening, and through
out the week only unleavened bread being
eaten, and other foods, all of which have
been specially prepared for the festival.
This feast commemorates the deliverance
OF the Israelites from the Egyptian slavery
when the race first took its place as
free and independent nation, bearing 8
divine mission. 1t was called the feast Of
unleavened bread from the fact that the
deliverance came so suddenly that there
was no time for the bread made for the
journey to be allowed to rise. The cele.
bration Of the feast is many times e~njoineC
in the books OF the Mosaic law, and
through times OF oppression the custom
has been roligiously adhered to.
In addition to its commemorative sig
~nihcance, the feast is also a harvest festi
val, for in Palestine at this time Of tn,
year the grain became ripe and the harves
was made. This festival was begun by
solemn ceremony ia the temple on tn,
morning following the Inauguration Of tn,
Passover, wherein an offering was mad,
OF a measure Of barley, the first Of tn,
harvest. Before the completion Of thl
ceremony no one was allowed to use an.
OF the grain.
The Pesach was generally observed Il
Israel because OF its great significance
and during the time of the Second Tempt
It grew in Importance, until II became tn
great popular festival. and Jews from al
countries travelled to Jerusalem to be pres
ent at it's celebration.