Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1908-09-25
THE new YEAR
and YOM KIPPUR
The Great Jewish Festival Period Is
Now Here What It Denotes.
YoM KIRpUR rEN OAvs LATeR

Interesting information Regarding
These Solemn and Important oc-
casIons IN the Jewish World.
The Jewish festival OF New Year
falls today. and the celebration OF
the still more important feast, Yom
Kippur. or the day OF atonement, viii
take place ten days later.
The Jewish community IL Gaines
Vile will observe the festival period
in their homes, and the new year
1868 will be auspiciously entered
upon.
The celebration Of Rosh Hoshan-
nah or New Years, as Is the case
with all Jewish festivals, begins at
sunset.
General Custom.
It seems to have been a general
custom among Semitic peoples TO
count their year as beginning In the
fall synchronous with the harvest
festival, and since ell Semitic people
arrange their calendar according to
the phases Of the moon, IL can be
readily understood why. following the
ancient custom, the Jewish New Year
occurs IN the fall And because Of
this discrepancy between the lunar
and solar years there Is few days
variation from year to year IN the
date OF the celebration, according 10
The current calendar
Different from the ordinary concep
tlon. Rosh Hoshannah has deep re.
ligious Significance II Is called in
the Bible, the day Of remembrance.
the day Of judgment. and the day Of
blowing the shofar or trumpet IL Il
more than anything else, really the
preparation for the great Yom Kippur,
or Day Of Atonement,
Days o. PenItence.
The days between Rosh aoahan.
nah aud Yom Kippw are known as
the awful days. or ten days Of pent
tence, each Of which - observed a.
halflast day by the more orthodox
Jews while the Yom Kippar itself
n invariably observed as complete
fast.
The rahblnicai allegory that on
Rosh Hoshannah God commands the
recording angel to open the books OF
each ones sims and merits, leaving
the record open, 10 be- finally and ir.
revocably closed ON tho Yom KIppur.
Indicates al once the significance OF
the day and the appropriateness OF
calling tue New Year the day Of re-.
mcmbrance. Judgment and Of blowing
she shofar
Blowing o. Ghefar
Perhaps the most distinguished fen.
auro Ia tho ritual OF Rosh Iloshannah
IL the blowing o. the shotar The
shofar Is made OF curved raui'a horn,
and IN earlier times the blowing 90
The horn was resorted 60 as signal
Tor preparing for war, assembling for
special purposes and particularly 20
announce religious ceremonies The
custom ot blowing the shogar IN the
aynagogue has been retained. The
blowing % the sholar on Rosh Hosh,
annah Ii the signal for each soul to
rouse ITSELF consider lts past. reflect
npon ita deserts aud prepare 10 De-
more worthy In the future.
IN the law commanded Ia the
awonty,thlrd chapter az Leylticus Il ~
naid that God IN the observance %
Atonemont nay commanded. "And SO
shall atlllct your souls The meaning
~ thr words u rather obscure. bar
tne early rabbits interpreted them 10
mean abstinence from food. hence
sastlnr has hccome the universal Gus
com u the Observance % ghla aay
The soecoth.
The snecoth az the Feast 81 Tab
eguaclos which emresponas with the
Christian rhaakssiylnT concludes
she cycle * holy aays wish weeks
celebration. ana. a. N AZ amen eases
me nrW ana last DAYS ~ lhe ooaeyN,
nnce are marked ~ RELIGIOUS Feryres
Thls wreck b really she thmksEieins
festival which Is hrsely analngous
ID the modern harvest home u par