The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-09-22
This Festival viii Mark Beginning
Of High Holiday and Will be
Followed by PenI-
tenee Days.
YoM KIPPER FOLLOWS
This is Day Of Atonement and Has
Particular Significance for
Members OF the
Race.

Shutdown Wednesday, September ~,
the first day of the Jewish month
Tishri, will mark the beginning of
the Jewish high holidays. These hol-
idays of deep religious Significance,
will commence with the feast OF Rosh
Hashanah, or New Year. The new
year will be followed by ten days of
penitence, which reach their climax
In the day Of atonement, October Z.
"On the new year all the inhabit-
ants of the earth pass before Him
as Sheep before shepherd" In these
words the ancient Jewish law book,
the Mishna, refers to the significance
Of this day. 1t is day of judgment
when the sins and the merits of all
men are weighed by the divine judge.
The Talmud tells that in this annual
new years judgment scene three
books lie open before the most high.
In one book, the Book of Life, the
names of the perfectly righteous, the
sinless, are inscribed; the second
book, the book of death has recorded
in it the names of the utterly wick,
ed; and the third book is for the
ordinary middle type" of men, In
whose behalf judgment is suspended
through the ten days of penitence,
decision is finally made and recorded.
The services for the day are espec-
tally solemn Prayers in prose and
poetry, dwelling upon the theme Of
Gods Judgment of man, are recited
and sung. The Rams horn, the "Sho-
far summoning men to prayer and
repentance, Is sounded in all syna-
gogs. At the close of the service the
worshippers greet each other with
the words May you be written down
for good year"
Orthodox Jews observe many cere-
monies which suggest the ideas and
emotions of the day. In the home
honey and fruits are eaten and the
pious wish expressed May it be Thy
will to renew to us a good and sweet
year" During the day orthodox Jews
will go to river, shake crumbs
from their clothes and recite among
other prayers the verse from Micah,
"And you will cast into the depths OF
the sea all their SINS" While ortho-
dox Jews observe the feast for two
days, September 81 and %, this year,
reform Jews return to the ancient
Palestinian custom and observe but
one day.
The Day Of Atonement.
The day of atonement or "Yom
Kippur," the tenth day of the month
of Tishri, begins at sunset Friday,
October 6, and ends at sunset Satur-
day. October 7. The thought under
living the day is expressed in the
scriptural words "On this day He
will atone for you, to purify you from
all your sins" 1t is day, therefore,
of reconciliation of man with his Eel
low man and with God, and comes as
a climax to the holiday season which
began Wednesday evening, Septem.
Der 81 with the new years day and
continued through the ten days OF
penitence. On new years day OF
Judgment of ordinary people, who
had been neither completely right
eous nor utterly sinful was left un'
decided and the opportunity was CIV
en- them for repentance; now the day
of atonement provides all men with
the possibility of returning to their
God and of finding reconciliation with
Him through prayer.
The day is the most solemn of all
days in the Jewish calendar. 1t is
passed in fasting and prayer. Inc
whole day is spent in the synagog. In
the evening there is the service which
commences with the chanting of the
we'll known Kol Nidre prayer. Fhe
day proper has four services. VI
these the Mussaf or additional service
contains a description of the atone
ment rites as practiced in the an
Gent days in the temple at Jerusa'
lem: and the Neilah service is under
stood to be held at the time when de
cision is finally made as to man
fate, and thus the Neilah prayers IN,
stead of having the usual phrase,
"Inscribe US in the book of life uses
the expression: Seal us in the book
of life"
According to Jewish tradition ex'
pressed in an ancient law book, the
day of atonement, when spent In
praying and repenting, will bring par
don for sins between man and GOD;
but as for the sins committed by man
against his fellow man the day can,
not bring pardon until he has appeas'
ed his fellow man. This idea IS the
basis of the effort always made be-
fore the day of atonement to bring
peace between such friends who have
become estranged and are on un.
friendly terms with one another; and
in this way, the day will put the
worshipper at peace not only with his
Maker. but also with his fellow man