" (Sec Z) Statesman. Salem. Orew Friday, Sept II, 1953;
Jewish Faith
By GEORGE CORNELL
NEW YORK to On these days,
the Jew looks into the mirror of his
conscience, measuring the wrongs
of yesterday' and seeking a better
tomorrow. These are the most
sacred days of his year.
It's a unique time. At sunset
Wednesday, it began. Ten days
from then, it ends. And all. these
days, for him, are both an end and
a beginning.
While those outside his faith
know these to be his highest holy
days, few know the special mean
ings of the season, for the timeless
message that's "renewed and told
again for him and for all men.
Sits la Syaagcfme
On that first evening Wednesday,
he sat in the Synagogue, listening
to majestic swells of music, join
ing in the songs of prayer:
"Help up, God. to understand that
Injustice and ha te will not forever
afflict the sons of men; that
righteousness and mercy will tri
umph in the end."
So he observed the start of Rosh
Hashana Hebrew for "beginning
of the year" the first phase of the
'10 days of penitence" which last
until Yom Kippur "the day of
atonement" on Sep. 19.
Hears Teraa
He watched the flickering candles
on the altar, symbolizing the light
of faith in God, heard the Torah
(Scriptures) and sermon. The mel
odic prayers bespoke his anxieties
and his hope:
"Our God and God of our fathers,
may thy kingdom come speedily,
that worship of thy name and
obedience to thy laws unite all men
In brotherhood and peace."
Like all Jewish holy days, it be
gan at evening, ia accord with the
scriptural account of creation
"there was evening, and morning,
one day."
Spiritual New Year
Thus Thursday was the morn
ing of Rosh Hashana, his spiritual
new year a time for personal stock
taking, for resolutions to do right
In the coming year, for more pray
er and psalms in the temple:
"I lift mine eyes unto the hills
. . ." He intones with the congre
gation. And then his pulse quickened as
the clear, piercing trumpeting of
the ram's horn sounded the "call
to conscience" with the urgency of
a bulge.
Day of RededicatioB
He looked around him, many fel
low Jews who seldom came to wor-
Obseryin
g Birth of The ir New Year
ship, filled the Synagogue. For
this was their great day of rededt
cation. "Heavenly Father," they prayed,
"in the twilight of the vanishing
year, we lilt up our Hearts to
Thee, to thank Thee for all Thy
mercies in the past, and to im
plore Thy guidance and Thy bless
ing, for Uie future.
His prayers on these days are
not for himself alone, nor his par-l
ucular faith.
Have Universality
"The aspirations voiced," said
Rabbi Samuel Silver, of the Union
of American Hebrew Congrega
tions, "have a universality that
goes beyond any group."
Even the use of the ram's horn
the "shofar" which in ancient
times called men to battle symbo
lized the hope that instruments of
war will be converted to imple
ments of peace.
To the Jew, the days commem
orate no person, nor event, but sum-;
mon him to. do his best to live
rightly, to quit old faults and
pledge new devotion to the laws
of his maker.
Ancient Lunar Calendar
Ifs a technical matter, to him J
that the time the "new Year" of
5714 is calculated by the ancient
lunar calendar, instead of the mod
ern solar calendar he uses every
day. The occasion is strictly spir
itual. At home, too, he observes the
I days, mostly with contempla
Uon and prayer. At mealtime per
fhaps there will be honey served.
( symbolizing the hope for sweetness
; of life during the coming year.
And he will light candles at the
table, speaking the -blessing:,
"Praise be Thou, oh Lord our God,
King of the universe, who hast
sanctified us by the command
ments and commended us to kindle
the festive candle.' -Hears
Hesea Plea
' Friday and Saturday, he attends
special "shabbat Shuvah" services
the "Sabbath of Return (repent
ence)T and be hears the old plea
of the prophet Hosea:
"Return, return, oh Israel . ; .
unto the Lord thy God, for Thou
has stumbled in thine iniquity . . .
return unto the Lord, and say unto
Him, forgive all iniquity and ac
cept that which is good."
A week hence on Yom Kippur
the "Day of Atonement" and hol
iest day of the Jewish calendar
he fasts all day, taking only water
from sunset Friday until sunset Sat
urday. AH Oc VMn1
Evening services open with the
most celebrated song in Jewish mu
sic, the Kol Nidre meaning "All
Our Vows."
As the compelling, haunting
strains fill the people, he watch
es deeply moved, as attendants lift
the decorative, parchment scrolls
of the law from the ark.
-Teach us to undo the wrongs
we have committed," the choir
sings.
Inscribed Scrolls
During the song, the brilliantly
inscribed scrolls, containing the
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first five books of the Bible, are
held in view. The ceremony means
much to him, recalling periods of
persecution when worship had to be
in secret, and the ark kept hidden.
Afterward comes a central part
of the service, the public confes
sional. Its collective nature indi
cates the idea of mutual responsi
bility, that though one may be in
nocent of a particular sin, he
shares the guilt if he stood by while
others committed it.
'Tor the sins that we have sin
ned against Thee under stress or
through choice in stubbornness
or in error ... in the evil medita-
of mouth by abuse of power ...
by disrespect of parents and teach
ers ... by dealing treacherously
with our neighbor ... for all these
sins, oh God of forgiveness, bear
with us, pardon us, forgive us."
Services Continue
The choir echoes the words, and
he stands, his head bowed.
All day Saturday, the services
continue. With prayers, special
scriptures, , sermons and . psalms.
Uon of; the heart . by the word
He hears the clear-cut injunction
from Deuteronomy:
"I call Heaven and earth to wit
ness unto you this day, that I have
set before thee, life or death, the
blessing or - the curse; therefore
choose Aife, that thou mayest live."
And finally, just before the sun
sets, come the closing trumpeting
of the ram' born, sounding a last
reminder and challenge te the year
ahead 4 i ' . t .. .
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