The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-11
CONF|RMAT|ONAT
TEMPLE EMANUEL.
Feast of Weeks in Jewish
Calendar Will Be OBJ
served Today

The feast of weeks in the Jewish cal
endar will be observed at Temple Emanu-
i5l and services will be held this morning
beginning at 10 o'clock. At this service
the following boys and girls will receive
the rite of confirmation.
The Misses Natalie Lenll, Bertha Engel,
Violet Semon, Goldie Selkowitz, Rosalie
Goldberg, Adde Schwa bacher and Masters
Carroll Band, Bernard Beitman, Jack
Link and Ben Coplan
After the services there will be a re-
union of all the last 25 classes that have
been confirmed in the temple.
The Jewish feast of Shabuoth is some
times translated ''Pentecost" and some-
times Feast of Weeks
The feast is referred to in the Bible,
Exodus 1916, Exodus 34:22, Deuteron-
oily 14:9, Leviticus 23:15; Numbers 2S:3S.
Originally an agricultural festival, Sha-
buoth was, no doubt, the occasion of
Thanksgiving and rejoicing over the wheat
harvest which was, in Palestine, completed
at this time of the year.
Ancient Jewish tradition has associated
with the Feast of Weeks the giving of the
Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai which,
according to Exodus 10, took place in the
third month, i. e., Swan. The commence
ration of the giving of the law has ac-
cordingly come to be the dominant note of
the holiday. The idea of divine revelation
is on this day the central theme of syna-
gogal worship and preaching. The read
ing of the Ten Commandments and the
a Sfsi11 fint
and 20, describing how, amid fire and
smoke and earthquake and thunder and
horn blasts. Israel received the Ten Com
mandments from God, is the core of the
days devotions
"reminiscences of the original agricul-
tural character of the festival have. for
many centuries, maintained themselves in
the synagogue through the beautiful GUS
tom of publicly reading, on this day, the
book of Ruth.
Reform Jews have one feature in their
celebration of the Feast of Weeks which
orthodox Jews do not have. This is the
ceremony of confirmation Originating in
Germany about 100 years ago, confirma-
tion has come to hold a conspicuous place
in reform Jewish life. While confirma-
tion has been conducted, and in some con-
gregations still is conducted, on other days
than the Feast of Weeks, and while at
TINS very hour there is an agitation to
transfer confirmation to some date in the
fall, yet the prevailing usage among re-
form Jews throughout the United States
Is to have confirmation on Shabuoth.
From 13 to Is years is the usual age
at which Jewish boy or girl may be con-
| firmed-a higher age being required in
only few congregation The service of
confirmation is exceptionally beautiful and
impressive. Tside from an appropriate
sermon and certain exquisite musical feat
ures, the exercises consist of prayers by
the children ana recitations by them on
religious themes, and conclude with the
blessing pronounced upon the confirmants
| by the minister. In some congregations
there is a portion of the service during
which the children. leaving the altar, go
| to receive the benediction OF their parents.
| Flowers and floral decorations figure
prominently in the confirmation ceremony,
and synagogues, following an ancient GUS
tom, are sometimes decorated with fresh
green branches