New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-07
Jews Will Fill SynagogueS
Tomorrow to Celebrate
ROSh-ha- ShOnah.
SPECIAL PEACE
PRAYER IN RITUAL
Money Spent on Elaborate
Feasts at Other Times Will Go
to War Zone Sufferers.

striped prayer shawl and hood. Will
mount the bona in hundreds of syna-
gogues and blow a blast on rams
horn that has been fattened by heat.
Near each white robed figure another
ancient, similarly attired. will say these
words under his breath:
BLESSED be Thou, o Lord, our God.
King Of the Universe, who has sancti-
fed US with His commandments, and
commanded US to hear the sound Of the
far"
'i-ah!" he will whisper TO the
40 will raise the instrument
slowly and solemnly TO his lips. pull
the prayer shawl over his head and
force his breath through the "shofar."
The result will be an unbroken sound,
a duplicate Of the blast which caused
Jericho's wall to fall. The congrega-
ton will bend their eyes to the ground.
for "the gaze Of the multitude may not
rest upon the sacred horn when its
voice goeth out"
"Shebarim!" will come again from
the prompter. The blast will be broken,
not unlike the footing on q horn.
"Te-ru-ahl" A great wailing cry
will issue from the rams horn. When
the last sound will tremble into silence
the scrolls with their glinting silver
plates will be lowered into a box like
ark built in the wall of the synagogue.
The cantor will begin his intonation
afresh and the men in white will pros
trate themselves on the floor.
Tomorrow night every Jew will seek
his synagogue. II he is orthodox he
will be clad in long, loose white robe
and skull cap. This is really the shroud
in which he will be dressed when he
dies. but 70 wear il at synagogue ser
vices g supposed to act as an incentive
TO sincere repentance. For the same
reason, the Jew and his womenfolk 90
to the riverfront during the day, for
the sight Of the water with its myri@ds
Of fnny inhabitants may lead man to
think Of his own insecure tenure Of life
and thus bring him TO repentance.
Rosh-ha-Shonah begins the ten days
Of repentance. They are days OF
prayers for forgiveness, prayers for
success and applications for blessing
during the coming year. That is what
the PRAYERS are for during usual years.
But Rosh-ha-Shonsh this year Will be
something more intensive and emo
tionaL. Thousands of Jewish soldiers
have fallen or been captured as a re-
suit of the war The Jews are pltted
against each other on the battlefield.
Rosh- ha-Shonah this year will be cele-
brated with the following verse;
God q the East.
God - the West
God o. the south.
God o. the North.
God o. the English. the Germans and French
Italians and serbs Of Bulsars ana Az
Even ~ Russians who shall know Thee. God;
can Thy Archaugel and send him sheld
To blow the great trumpet. Send out blast
Shal shake an the CAMPS and silence the guns.
MAKE all the mad warriors SINK on tDelI hees
And trembling. confess that the hour has struck
When Peace should be torn Of blood sacrlice'
A. daylight Of darkness-rsinbows of storm
We lear ,he Te- h an sound loud and sound shril
Cur souls make the answer. may fe@ee De 4N'
VIII.
The purpose of celebrating Rosh-ha-
shonah. or the beginning of the New
Year" is TO prompt the jew 10 self
examination and reconciliation with
God. II begins on the first day OF
Tishri. seventh month of the Jewish
calendar, when, in ancient times, slaves
were emancipated and landed property
reverted 10 its original owners.
With the idea Of repentance for the
past and Of hope for the future the
harvest spirit is blended. A survival of
the harvest idea, dating back to the
time when the Jews were an agricultu-
raj people, is seen in the method OF
observing New Years Eve.
Much stress is laid on omens Of good
luck. During these days one should
eat pumpkins, fenugreeks, leeks. beets
and dates, because all these have
rapid growth. and in the Aramic their
names signify plentiful" and for
giveness" Nuts may not be eaten, be-
cause they stimulate the flow of saliva
which would interfere with the saying
Of prayers When the worshippers re-
turn from synagogue tomorrow morn
ipt, they will offer benedicuon with
the customary cup Of wine and dip
some bread in honey while those about
the festal board will repeat the lnvoca-
ton
"Nay il please the Lord, our God
and the God Of our fathers, 10 renew
FOR us a good and sweet year"
Usually the housewife spreads
feast before her husband and children.
This year the fare will be restricted to
humble food in most households. The
surplus money will go to supply foot
FOR the millions Of starving Jews
abroad II is expected the Jews OF
the United States alone will raise
$1,000. 900 during he holidays for this
purpose
The Jews will not forget their dead
or their poor at home. Early to-mor-
row morning relatives and friends Will
70 20 the cemeteries.
"Shofar" will be sounded after the
preliminary prayers on Thursday
morning. There is a tradition that the
blowing Of the horn is the signal for
an accounting. The wicked are plotted
out Of the book Of life" the names OF
the righteous are inscribed. and those
who may still repent are reminded that
they have until Yom Kippur, the Day
Of Atonement- days away.
On the street friends will greet
friends much as the Gentiles do at
their New Year "Layshono tovah
tic-aw-shay-voo vay-shay-chos-a-moo,"
Is the form Of expression. but II IS
best interpreted in the words OF
Charles Lamb:
"A merry New Year, and many OF
them, 20 you all. my masteTs!