The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-09
JEWS CELEBRATE
AIQNEMENT DAY
SOLEMN CEREMONIES H E L D
THRUoUT THE WORLD.
Beautiful and Impressive Customs Dat
ing from Biblical Times Mark Day
Of Fasting and Prayer for Forgive
ness of Sins-Ancient Traditions
Woven Into Ceremonies Still OBJ
served.

Yom Kippur, the Hebrew day Of
atonement, is being observed by ortho-
dox and reformed Jews all over the
! world today. The service began last
evening at sunset, and will continue till
| sunset tonight.
The first ten days of the Jewish
new year are set aside for Jews to
take an inventory Of their lives for the
past year, and on the tenth day, Yom
for whatever they find not to their,
credit. Services at the orthodox syn
agogue, Sixth avenue N and Fourth
street, are being well attended, many
of the more earnest Jews having re-
manned all night reading prayers.
At sunset YESTERDAY the Jews gath
cred, the women in the gallery, the
men below wearing, silk and striped
wooden praying shaws-'' Talith -
nesses of the forty years wandering
in the wilderness. The ark was brought
out Of it's fastness behind the altar
and the sacred scrolls placed in sight.
These scrolls are the first five books
of the Bible, called the Torah, writ
ten on parchment and kept, according
to tradition, in the ark. Then attired
in their praying shawls and swaying to
the rhythm of the music, the men sang
the "pfayer of pledges" petition !
during iu the year wi Which yc1l could not be
kept, accompanied by the voices and
weeping Of the women in the gallery.
The music Of this prayer is singularly
sad, having been written by Jew
especially to commemorate the persecu
tion Of the Jews in Spain at, the time OF
the Inquisition: The legend runs that
a young Jewish couple, having been
drew to celebrate their wedding in So
cret, according to the faith Of theil
fathers. They were discovered anc
burned at tho stake with all theil
friends. Rabbi SLIDER preached or
"Prayer, the only sermon included III
the services.
Prayers and Psalms All Day.
Prayers and psalms were read ant
chanted, all day without intermission
beginninggwith the"praayer Of the morn
ditional'.' prayers were chanted in com
memoration Of the ten martyrs, wht
avenged the selling Of Joseph int
Egypt. It is said that after the tel
wicked brothers had done this deed
Jehovah was angry and held the chill
.dren Of Israel RESPONSIBLE. But JOSEPH
was not avenged till about 500 years be
fore the Christian, era, when a king o:
Israel determined to remove the clout
from the people. He therefore caused
ten learned men to be put to death BY
different cruel means: The sunset
prayer is called ,t'Neile,n ''the SUI
touching the tree-tops.' The twilight
prayer, 20 Mincha,'' incarnates the spiri
Of sacrifice as formerly this season was
devoted to burnt offerings in the temple
"Evening STAR prayers vii! conclude
the services about dark tonight, tn.
finale being one blast of the ram 8 horn
significant Of the resurrection. Then al
the people will say, one to another, 81
year hence we shall meet in Jerusalem, ,
thus reminding themselves of the hop
) all Jews cherish to sometime return t.
the holy city. They will 90 home an
break their fast, exchanging calls an
wishing everybody, much happiness. O:
Thursday they wiz celebrate the feas
! Of the tabernacle, which lasts for eigh
! days in the old countries and is a seaso
Of great rejoicing.