The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-28
JEWS ID OBSERVE
 FEAST 0F WEEKS
Confirmation Class Services Will Be Held at Temple
 Emanu-EI

Jewish celebration of feast of weeks or shabuoth, will be held at Temple Emanu-Ei beginning Thursday eve ming at s:1B, when special services will be held. This service will be in short form.
 Friday morning at 10 o'clock the celebration wilt begin. followed by confirmation class services with the following Birmingham Jews in the class: Adler. Marion; Bimstein, Le- roy; chisiing. Lillian; Cohen. Adele J.; Friedman, Harold Roy; Ginsbers. Sadie; Heidenr eieh. Louis M; Heln- berg. Agsie F.; Joseph, Henriette A; Kessier. Abraham: Iandsberger. Ray nond: Landsberger. soion; Loveman. Margaret: Moses. Minnas C.: Rosen- tsrger. Hermine P; Spielberser. Adrla IT.; Stern. Samuel; weinstein, Aaron; Weinstein, Charles.
 Referrred Church Event
 Particular Importance is attached to the celebration of this day by the fact that the reform congregations of this country set aside this festival as confirmation day whereon the children of the religious school who have attained sufficient Knowledge of Jewish history. religion and Bib Heal literature are graduated or con Nrmed.
 This confirmation ceremony pos sesses a certain religious character since it aims to impress the grad uatss of the school with a sense of obligation towards their religious heritage Of their own accord, how ever, they express their >convictions and pledge themselves to uphold with loyalty and devotion the convenaat of justice and humanity which they received from their fathers.
 Originally the feast of weeks was the occasion for one of the three piigramages undertaken by the in- habitants of ancient Palestine to the temple at Jerusalem, where they foregathered to sing the praises of the Lord In those days the core monial consisted in the offering of the first fruits and grains of the field. in thanksgiving for the new cf op that was being harvested. {Deu.. xvi:1o).
 Pilgrim Festival
 This feast of the first fruits, like the other pilgrim festivals, was gradually transformed by the rabbis and invested with more spiritual Intent; particularly after the Jewish people began to link historical events with those institutions and festivals that were transmitted from remote ancestry. Tn the case of the feast of weeks the giving of the decalog was associated with it. thus investing 1t with an historical as- soclation.
 By this coupling of the giving of the law with the feast of weeks. the Jews developed the consciousness of their appointment as a priest-people at the altar of humanity. The pur- pose of this consecration Is a dedica- tion of the Jewish people to the ser vice of the Lord. Teaching this la " of love by word and example, and striving to bring about the glorious era when all humanity shall be united to do honor to God as the uat- versal Father of man, is the an nouncement of Shabuoth.
 It was by means of this symboiiza- : tion of the consecration of Israel that the reform congregations enriched the feast of weeks, by adding thereto confirmation service. The children, representatives of the new. spirit were to be consecrated anew to Is- rael's aee-iong task of serving hu- manity. To this end confirmation day becomes g means of adding new recruits to the host of those battling for truth and justice.