El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-12-23
FEAST IF LIGHTS
SERVICE SUNDAY
Hebrews Now Observing the
Memorial of Defeat of the
Syrian Pagans.
By RABBI q. RURSFTOWV

Today is the fourth day of the Jewish
| festival. Feast of Lights which lasts
/ eight days It is celebrated every day,
: by a simple but effective ceremony at
I twilight Uttering a blessing to God
1 for his performances Of miracles. to his
! forefathers in ancient and modern days.
in times OF war as in times Of peace.
I the Hebrew kindles one extra candle
, in his home and synagogue on the first
day Of the festival, and increases one
candle with every day. having eight
extra lights lit on the eighth day at
twilight
This festival is celebrated by the
Hebrews every year about this time,
which exactly. according to the Jewish
calendar, begins the 18th Of kislev.
being approximate the month Of De-
Gem Der. and il has been observed by
the Hebrews all over the world since
165 B. c. II is in commemoration Of
the heroic victory through the genius
and military prOwess Of Judas Maca-
bees with his small army against the
rians who polluted the Hebrew temple
in Jerusalem in 169 3. %. and set up
here a Pagan altar of '-Zeus Olympus"
then the Syrian goo. compelling the
Hebrews under penalty Of death. TO
bow 10 the idol
Old sage is Hero.
Mattathias Hasmonean, so years of
age. who was the priest Of the little
village, Modin. in Palestine. was the
father Of Judas Macabees, and was the
first one to dare Il take up the cause
Of his much younger cOreligionists,
against their religious prosecutors. /
With his own naked hands. the old sage
slew the first Syrian officer VINO set
up an Olympian idol in the little COM
munity TO enforce the Hebrews TO bow
10 it, Mattathias had five sons. He i'm
i n
eral on strategic plans and military
science Another son. Simon. was ap-
pointed by his father chief counselor
and advisor, and the three other Sons
Were to act as assistants and organ
izers.
During their four long years of fight .
ing against the well trained and long
established Syrian armies. the Hebrews.
at first, when they We're merely few
individuals. kept on to the form of
guerrilla warfare, having the noun
tains ana known regions as their pro-
tectOr, but later. when they were or
gained. the Hebrews then used only
the pUrest science Of strategic warfore. F.
They succeeded in driving out their O.
enemies from the Holy land only
through the great military skill of their .
chief general. Judas Macabees: because 3
in numbers, even at their best in that .
war, the Hebrews We're never more (
than ten percent Of the Syrian mill
tary host.
Orders Long Feast.
Judas then recOnsecrated Jerusalem
and purified the temple of all defiled
objects, placed there by the Syrians
He ordered feast OF eight days, TO b.
celebrated by giving praise to God ana
lights every day, but did not
forbid his followers from doing servile /
dork during these days. as is usually
the case with other Hebrew holy DAYS. /
He. on the contrary, encouraged his
people in the construction work. in
order to rebuild sooner the numerous
ruins left in the Holy land by the
Syrians Judas. himself. first started
the example of this festival celebration
by kindling the everburning light in
the Holy temple, according to EXod. |
xvii, 20-21. which was eXtinguished
Tor the last four years Of war
Nowadays. besides the kindling II
lights for the grOwn-ups. the children
rejoice in these days by receiving pres
snts and playing different games. es-
Decially made for them. One known
game is the "trendel," which has the
Of the children's wood
N top, except that il is square instead
IF round and on each flat side there IS
some letter inserted. being all the IN !
tials of words Indicating the mirac-
llous deeds IF God in the war of the
,lacabees- According to the different ,
etters inserted on the flat sides OF
he "trendel," the children have their
un. either by guessing the right letter
o he turned up. when the 'trendel" viii
II last fail. or by any other tricks the
hildren usually invent themselves
Plan Special Services
Next Sunday. at $50 p. m. Temple
mai Zion. on North FL PasO street, /
viii hold special services to celebrate
Il twilight, the sixth day OF the Feast
# Lights. II will be IN a form Of a
acred concert, given by the Hebrew
chool children. in the presence OF all
he members OF the congregation. B'nai
ZION and the FL PasO Hebrew school. /
The program follows
Report on communal progress. Rev.
> Bursetown.
Address. on the Lights of the Maca-