Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-09-24
THE DAY OF ATONEhENT
Yom kippur to be Observed by the
-.
Jewish Race in Alexandria Be.
ginning With Tomorrow Night.


ginning With Tomorrow Night.
At the setting of the sun Tuesday,
September the twenty-fifth. Jewry
everywhere will begin the twenty
/ four hours observance of the hottest
day in their religious calendar. Yom
kippur day of Atonement) is the
| great Fast Of Israel, for Orthodox
and Reform alike, who feel the throb
of Israe's historical consciousness.
1t is Israel's Sabbath of Sabbaths,
and has a firm hold on the Jew be-
cause its noble poetry appeals to his
soul, and gives voice to his faith.
Services will be held by Bethel
congregation of Alexandria in thei.
! synagogue on north Washington
street tomorrow evening at 1880, at
which hour Rabbi Henry j. Berko-
WITT of Cincinnati, Ohio, will be the
officiating minister. Services will
so be held on Wednesday, begin
| ming at ten o'clock in the morning
when Mr.. Benedict We'll Of this city
will officiate.
The fundamental concepts of the
.Atonement are: Sin is not master OF
man. Man is born pure and innocent
lowered with capacity to become
Godlike. Sin is weak will. Man
icIn overcome sin and effect his sal
walton through character. The Atone
ment Day invites man to recognize
his short comings and sins, repent ny
the assertion OF his will, make his
peace with his maker, and his fcl
luwmen, and begin d new life, whose
doings may reflect the better view
and viii.
| Cod is the Father; all men are His
children. "As father pitch his
children so the Lord pitch them
that fear Him" As a child or God,
man is certain Of his Fathers for
giving mercy. Reliance on Him de-
cciveth not" "A broken and con-
trita heart God will not despise."
Yom Kippur offers the divine hand
of forgiveness to those who humbly
return to God.
In Scriptulal times, the High
Priest on this day made :r:pIe
atoncment; "for himself, his house
hold and for the people" This now
ever, must not be understood in the
sense of priest!y mediation between
God and man. The fact that the High
Priest was himself compelled to
make atonement for his own sins IS
conclusive evidence that ne could not
act as intercessor for the people.
Man himself can effect Atonement
with his Maker by breaking with his
sinful past and conseerating the ne"
life to virtue. and reetitude.
The Day of Atonement eNpateS
sins between man and his maker
but for sins between man ana man
the condition precedent to atone
mcnt is the redress of the injury
CTalmud. Yoma So, b.. Man must be
reronciled with the neighbor he has
wrOnged before he can ask pardon
of God.
Atonement is effected by humblln@
oneself before God in sincere penn
tence. in abstaining from all worldly
pursuits and pleasures. by day
of devout devotion. and thus 1uily
feel the grief of sin and the beauty
and holiness of the correct life. seek
We the Lord while He may be found
cali We upon Him while He Is near
Let the wicked forsake His way, ana
the unrghteouS man his thoughts
and let him return unto the Lord,
and He will have mercy upon MIN
and unto God. for He will abundant
w pardon" Isaiah ". 6, y.
The devout Jew spends the entire
day in the synagog. For day IN
thv courts is better than thousand
elsewhere" memorial service IN
memory of the departed, including
the great servants of humanity, forms
an important part Of the solemn
atonement service.