The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-11
THE JEWISH NEW YEAR
BY RABBI JULIUS T. LOEB.

1 generation of the entire world, the united brotherhood of man, together with the l restoration of Israel And on that day the Lord shall be one and his name one" The festival through the principal feature thereof-the Shofar-is thus made to con- meet Israel's glorious past with his golden hope for a bright future for all that lives and moves on earth. The observance of Israels new year is of a universal bear ing.
 The trend of thought permeating the en- tire order of service during the day is the exaltation of God as King of Justice, and the prayer most conspicuous in the days worship Is the one which gives ex- pression to the earnest wish for the day when wickedness and oppression shall be no more when the rule of presumptuous- ress shall cease and all mankind be made into one united bond of brethren in the performance of Gods own will. And the Lord alone shall reign over all his crea- lures, as it is written. The Lord shall reign for ever and ever, even thy God, o, Zion for all generations Hallelujah,'
 In a manner as the first of all things in ancient Israel as well as the tenth of all natural productions with them, were 'holy unto the Lord" so the first 10 days of
 
 sacred service The ten days beginning the new year are known as the Season of Repentance;' the first day being the Rosh Hashanah, while the tenth and last day of the solemn season, forming the crowning point of the repentance, Is the Tom kippur, the Day of Atonement; day of resting, fasting. prayer and spiritual improvement. The Tom Kippur's fast will begin with sunset Friday Sfp- +1vx ,Ia,- xnrfH 1o-f tptI nr~ t,,- ming on the following day. This day Is the most important of all Jewish holidays It is based in Lev. xvi, %, 3O 31; also in the following scripturai passage Qbid. xxiii, 31, 32) ''Ye shall do no manner of work therein; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your habitations. It shall be unto you sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your selves: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye cele- brate your sabbath
 The phrase, "ye shall afflct yourselves" is explained by tradition to signify the total abstinence from all kinds of food and drink and the qualification of bodily appetites, so therefore "repentance,' or a return to the path of righteousness as to include an exercise for the earnest at tempt to control, and when necessary to suppress such appettes. But the fasting
 
 sin and a firm determination for the amendment of life's conduct
 The reformed Jewish congregations will observe but one day, Rosh Hashanah, from sunset Wednesday until sunset Thursday next In the orthodox syna- gogues, however, the members of the ancient faith, who are in the majority everywhere In the world, will observe the new years feast for two days.
 
 Services will be held at the Knesseth- Israel synagogue, Seventh avenue and Seventeenth street, during the solemn sea son, beginning Wednesday night at I o'clock Wednesday and Thursday morn ings 6:30 to 12, noon. Rabbi Loeb will conduct the services. The subject of his sermon Wednesday night will be '1sraels New Year" Wednesday morning at 8:3D the theme of his discourse will be ''The Message of the Trumpet" For the benefit of the Yiddish-speaking public Rabbi Loeb will preach Thursday morning in Yiddish.
 Aside from the two most important festivals mentioned above, which go to form the solemn season of the first 10 days in the month of Tishri, the Succoth- feast Is celebrated from the 18th of Tishri till the 23d of this month.