The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-09-21
R0SH HASHANAH IS TO
BE OBSERVED HERE
One Of the Two Most Sign fcant Holy
Days In the Jewish
Reliuion,


Rosh Hashanah, or New Years
which inaugurates the most solemn
season Of the Jewish religious year,
will begin Friday evening at sunset
and continue until sundown Sunday
evening This holiday opens the
Jewish year 56S3 and New Year serv.
ices will be held by the local Jewish
residents at Union hall which has
been leased for this purpose
The local Jewish merchants will
close their places of business all day
Saturday and Saturday evening. --
The Jewish New Year initiates the
ceremonial calendar OF the synagog
and is interpreted In purely spiritu.
al sense. This holiday is regarded by
the Jews as one of the two most sig.
nificant holy days in their religion,
ranking with the day of atonement,
which falls due 10 days later, in sub.
Unity OF concept and significance of
intent.
Unlike the secular New Year, which
is designated to mark time, Rosh
Hashanah is an occasion for each
member of the fellowship of Israel to
put himself in harmony with God and
fill his soul with new and better re.
solves for guidance in Ghe future.
In this conception, the New Year
becomes a day of judgment also. In
fact this Is one of several designa-
tions attributed to IT, For, Judaism
does not place the day of judgment
after death, but in the midst Of life
and at the beginning of the religious
year in order that each one may by
self-examination and new orienta.
tion obtain a better conception of
his place in society and the duties
incumbent upon him as American and
Jew.
The Biblical basis of the New Year
is found in Leviticus 29:24, whore it
Is said; In the seventh month, in
the first day of the month shall be a
soleman rest unto you, memorial
proclaimed with the blast of horns, a
holy convoCation,'
New Year appears in the Mosaic
code in the guise of memorial day
OF the blowing of the trumpet Later
the rabbs of the Talmudic era adopt.
ed the first day of the year as day
of divine judgment when God allots
to each man his destiny for the year
according to his record of good or
evil as inscribed in the book of life. a
poetic symbol of his own individual
soul Realizing that mans destiny is
bound up in his record, the Shofar
blasts we're symbolzed as clarion
calls to repentance, that old and
young might improve their ways dur
ing the new year.
Three blasts of the shofar which
are set by tradition in the liturgy OF
the New Year symbolic three great
ideas of the jewish religion, namely
the recognition of God as King of the
world; as Judge who remembers the
actions and the thoughts Of men as
well as nations and rewards and pun.
ishes each; and then finally as Re
vealer of History who in the end of
time will have gathered all men unto
Him in righteousness as the Children
of Israel were summoned to Him
amid the trumpet.blasts of Sinai
when a covenant of love and law was
drawn up between God and Israel.
According to rabbinic legend New
Year marks the anniversary of the
creation of the world and consequent
ly this is supposed to be the 56S9rd
year since the world was created. OF
greater Importance is the intent of
the legend which was to stress the
significance of the day as marking
the anniversary of all humanity.
! Aside from attending solemn SER
vices in the synagog, the American
Jewish people utilize the occasion to
exchange greetings among friends and
relatives and by Strengthening the
bonds of fellowship, unite with them
to serve one another and their fellow
citizens in love and justice,