The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-09-27
MK|PPURTO
BE OBSERVED
NEXT MONDAY
THE DAY OF ACHIEVEMENT IS
HoLIEsT IN JEWISH CALENDAR
AND OBSERVANCE BEGINS AT
SHUTDOWN suNpAY-sERvIcEs
AR TEMPLE BETHEL.

When the first stars appear in the
heavens Sunday evening, October LIST
they Will usher in the day hottest to
the Jew in his entire religious calen-
lar. From that hour until the evening
Of the following day, October End, the
devout Israelite will give himself en-
tirely to God, and to the purifying Of
his soul by repentance. 1t viii be a
day spent by him in meditation and
prayer, with no thought of the world,
its profits or pleasures. 1t is the
great White Fast, when, abstaining
from all food, from shutdown to sun
down, the people Of Israel 'afflict
their souls" for the sins Of the past
year.
The holy day is mentioned in the
Bible in a number Of places; Leviticus
XVI describes the elaborate. priestly
ceremonial of atonement; IBID XIII,
1852, it appears in the list of festivals
where the "affliction of the soul"
(fasting) is ordained; ibid XIV, 9, an
nounces that on the Day of Atone
ment, each fiftieth year. the trumpet
sound shall usher in the Jubilee year;
while Numbers xxx, Til, describes
the sacrifices Of this sacred day. From
these references and later accounts
in the Talmud we can get picture Of
this Day Of Awe as it was celebrated
in Biblical times. The holy day on
the tenth day Of Tishri was observed
by abstention from food and drink
and by an elaborate ceremonial in
which the high priest was the central
figure. He besought forgiveness for
his own sins and those Of his own
household, then for those of the wider
household of priests, then for all the
people. OF two goats, he Slaughtered
one as a sacrifice 'for the Lord" and
set the other aside "for Azazel" The
blood OF the sacrifices he sprinkled
upon the curtain of the Holy of Holes,
to purify it from the sins Of the
people.
From this Biblical ceremonial which
throughout seeks for forgiveness of
the community as a whole, the Day
of Atonement has been somewhat
changed in Rabbinic Judaism and In
the modern service and emphasizes
also repentance and personal prayer
for the forgiveness Of each individual
SHINING soul. 1t completes the peni-
tential period Of ten days that had
begun with the New Years Day.
The celebration of the Day Of Atone
ment begins in the synagog with the
evening service, called Kol Nidre from
its opening formula, which refers to
vows concerning the individual and
his conscience. With its strongly
marked melodies and songs, this SER
vice assumed in the course of time a
very impressive character. Through
out the following day q continuous
series of services is held. which to-
ward the middle of the afternoon is
heightened in impressiveness by a
most solemn commemorative service
for the dead. This is followed by the
Neilah or closing service in which
the main ideas of the day are
especially emphasized: repentance
conditioning forgiveness and Gods
sealing the decree of man for the en-
suing year. The service ends with a
solemn invocation Of Gods name, the
Shema and the seven-fold exclama-
ton, The Lord, He Is God" AS a
signal of the close of the sacred day.
the trumpet (shofar) is blown once,
and the devout worshipper turns
homeward from Gods house with the
assurance that in reward for his true
and sincere repentance the sins Of the
past have been forgiven.
This hottest of days among the
Jews will be appropriately observed
by the members Of the race in this
city and services will be held at
Temple BETHEL Sunday evening and