Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-09-14
JEWISH NEW YEAR BEGINS
THIS EVENING AT SUNSET

THIS EVENING AT SUNSET
With sunset this evening the begin
ming of New Year of the religious,
philanthropic charitable and social
activities among the Jewish people
will be duly observed by special SER
vices in all the synagogues, orthodox
and reform, throughout the world.
! The day fixed by the Jewish calen-
dar for this official commencement is
the new moon nearest the autumnal
equinox. The calendars indicate that
/ this new moon occurs this evening,
and, throughout the world, the Jewish
| people will observe what has come to
be called the Jewish New Years. The
day has not the brilliant social char
| acter of the secular New Year, but is
marked by religious services of deep
4 fervor and is held as an occasion for
reflection, repentance and resolution.
Like all the sacred days in the Jewish
calendar, this holy occasion begins at
sunset and is observed until the close
of the next day; accordingly. Wednes-
day evening, September II and Thurs
/ day, September II, mark what is
known among the Jewish people as
New Years day.
| There is an ancient tradition that
| 1913 years ago the world was created
| by the fiat of God and that it is in
honor of the act of creation that the
New Years day is observed so sacreed-
! ly and so solemnily by the great ma
jority of Jews wherever situated.
The religious observance of the New
Years day and the characteristic cere-
monial appropriate to it are very an
cient. The Bible, in Leviticus, chap
ter xiii, verses 24-25, ordains that,
In the seventh month, on the first
I day of the month We shall have Sab
bath, memorial of trumpets and a
holy assembly. Ye shall do no SER
vile work therein" The peculiar
phrasing of the Bible verse has led
to the popular belief that the Jewish
New Years day is to be used as a day
of memorial; that is to say, a day in
which memory is given the opportunity
of recalling the events of the past
year; while the stirring tones of the
| trumpet are to serve the purpose of
awakening the conscience of the Jew
to a recollection of past misdeed and
of future Improvement. To this end
the "shofar," or ramshorn, or trum-
pet, is used as the characteristic SYM
Dol of the holy day.
In many cities Jews attached to or
thodoX forms visit the river side
There they repeat several penitentia
hymns and verses 1920 of the seventh
chapter of Micah wherein may be
found the phrase. Thou wilt cast all
their sins into the depths of the sea-
With great literalness, those who fol-
low the practice of visiting a running
stream drop bread crumbs, symbols of
their sins, into the water believing
that in like manner God will efface
the record of their misdoings. Jewish
scholars indicate that this custom
arose in the middle ages when it was
popularity believed also by followers
of other creeds that sin and its con
sequence could be easily obliterated
by ecclesiastical intercession. There
is nothing ancient about this practice,
which is regarded by many Jews to
be little more than vain superisti-
ton.
The custom prevails among Jewish
people to visit each other on the New
Years day and the customary greeting
takes the form:
May you be inscribed for Happy
Year"
Orthodox Jewish folk observe the
occasion for two days, and hence will
hold Friday, the 18th, as sacred as
Thursday, the 18th. In all the syna-
gogues here services will be held Wed
hesday evening and Thursday morn
ing. So anxious are Jewish men
snd women to attend some form
OF service that halls are rented and
converted into houses of assembly for
the occasion so that the faithful may
thus express their loyalty to the re-
ligion of their fathers.
AS told in this paper yesterday, the
Jewish synagogue, Bosh Yonkab on
Pennsylvania avenue, was formally
opened that afternoon by the cere-
monious removed of the Holy Bibles,
new and old, from the home of Rabbi
Levin on Liberty street, to the new
place of worship which was formally
the First United Brethren church but
recently converted into a synagogue.
In commemoration of the New Year
there will be special services in the
synagogue this evening at $50, tomor-
row morning and evening and Friday
morning and evening. During all this
time business will be entirely suspend
ed among the Jews. The service Fri
day evening win be from to $50 and
then the holiday ends and business be.
gins again. The services viii be in