iPßank of Banks^f FIRST NATIONAL BANK, EMPORIUM, PA., For the People of Cameron County FOUNDATION. Capital - SIOO,OOO Surplus - 81,116 $181,116 Strength DIRECTORS. J. P. Felt, T. B. Lloyd, Hon. B. W* Green, W. L. Sykes, Hon. Josiah Howard, N. Seger, Joseph Kaye, J. E. Smith. W. S. Walker, There are 42 shareholders and no one of them owns 10 per cent of the capital stock, and they are double liable on their stock. # Durability. 112 22 years of successful banking is the record of this institution, during which time its doors has been opened every business day. $ $ s■——■—a—i iii m ■mi—ii—MM^ Piling Up Dollars Stacking up dollars is a facinating game. Once you I: get interested in it you will wonder why you never engaged in it before. If every person knew what a i satisfaction there was in having a growing bank ac count, this would be a happier world. Why not start a bank account with the new year? We receive de posit SI.OO and upwards. <t» 111 -nil nmraw— — Ill'l l iini ( t > 4*mMUIUJLI—MM—d? I NEW CURRENCY I We keep on hand at all times an ample supply of bright new currency, fresh from U. S. Treasury. Christmas week we pay over the counter nothing but new money from 1 cent to S2O bills. MERRY CH —— an HAPPY NEW CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY,DECEMBER 13, 1906 &he ===© New Yea.r of The Jews •By HOnEHT%SS LOVE [Copyright, lßOfi, by ltobcrt U8 I-ove.) WHAT Is the significance ofi Kosh ha-Shanah? Most of, ns know that that Is thej name of the Jewish New; Tear's day. but comparatively few out side the ancient faith of Israel under stand its deep and solemn meaning toj every Hebrew. It is by no means a mere holiday, to be observed wlth| feasting and merriment, as we ob serve the first day of January. In one sense it Is a festival, but In a deeper sense it is the beginning of n ten day period of repentance for the sins of the past year and prayer for guidance dur ing the year that is opening. Kosh ha Shauah is observed the world over by orthodox Jews as a stern religious duty. Its profound spiritual and re ligious significance dates from the time of Mo»es, (lie lawgiver. It is a common thing for one to re mark upon observing that a store or other place of business conducted by Jews Is closed, "Oh, this Is the Jews' New Year." Ooubtless the majority of BLOWING THE SHOFAR. gentiles imagine that the Jews close their places of business simply that they may have a good time for the day, spend the hours in recreation, vis iting. eating elaborate dinners and the like. The truth is far different from this conception. No day in the entire Jewish calendar, with the single excep tion of Yoni Kippur, the day of atone ment. which follows ten days later, is observe:! more solemnly than liosh ha-Shunah. In 1900 Uosh ha-Shanah fell on Thursday, Sept. 20. In the Jewish cal endar it Is the tirst day of the seventh month, Tishri, and also the day of the new moon. As the Jews divide time a day begins at sunset. Accordingly, the observance of Bosh ha-Shanah began at that time. Just as the slender cres cent of the new moon became visible above the fading light of the setting sun. In very ancient times it was call ed New Moon day. At sunset all over the world wherev er Jews dwell the faithful repaired to the synagogues for the prescribed serv ice in observance of the new year. All the next day the observance was continued, and by the strictly orthodox Jews two whole days were occupied in the solemn observance of the birth of a new year, which, according to the Hebraic calendar, is the year 5007 from the creation of the world. To those who understand the significance of these services in the synagogues there Is nothing more impressive in re ligious ceremonials. Several times dur ing the day the congregations gather and worship after the most ancient of religious rituals. Rosli ha-Shauali Is called also the (Bay of judgment. The Jews believe (that 011 that day all the inhabitants of the world pass for judgment before the Creator, or Cod, as sheep pass for examination before the shepherd. Ac cording to the ancient tradition, three books of account are opened on that day, wherein is recorded the fate of the wicked, of the righteous and of an in termediate class not utterly wicked. The names of the righteous are Imme diately inscribed and sealed "to live," those of the Intermediate class are giv ,cn a respite of ten days—until Yoni Kippur—to repent ami become right eous, while the are "blotted out of the book of the living." The many prayers said during the observance, usually in the Hebrew tongue, relate to this belief and to cer tain other ideas which are held in con nection Willi this annual da> of judg ment. There are prayers for the uni versal recognition of Cod's power upon earth, for the restoration of the Jewish state, for the reward of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked. One brief prayer is in these words: "Our Father, our King, help us to lead a good and pure life," or, in another form, ••Inscribe us in the book of life." I'erbaps the most impressive part of the ceremonies during Kosh ha-Shuuah is the blowing of the shofar, or ram's horn, which occurs at frequent inter vals throughout the services. This has, deep and mysterious significance, which is fully understood only by the most learned of the rabbis. Even the most ignorant Jew, however, is sol emnly impressed by the ceremony. The sliofnr is usually a ram's horn, though at times the horn of a wild goat Is used. This horn is straight. The ram's born is curved and some times almost spiral. Various shapes of the horn are used. Some shofars used every year at Kosh ha-Shanah services! have been preserved for centuries. The shofar is the earliest form of wind Instrument -known to mankind, ex cepting only the reed. The horn Is procured, scraped, dried and cleaned with exceeding care by a person of ficially chosen for the duty. In the in terior it is ingeniously carved so that it will emit certain sounds at the pleasure of the man who blows It. Sometimes ih> shofar is accompanied by two trumpet.-, one 011 each side. The mosf impressive note blown from the ram's horn Is called the tekiah. This Is a plain deep bass sound, ending abruptly. The teruab is a trill or treble sounded between two teklahs. These three sounds, consti tuting a inuslciil bar, are blown three! times, calling tlie people of the world to judgment. But the original three sounds are increased on New Year's day to a hundred or more, some ol'i which are peculiarly weird and eerie, like the wailing of the damned or the, anguish of tortured souls striving against sin. Certain words during the; ceremony are Intoned by the rabbis, and the blower of the shofar is able to imitate them on the rani's horn,; thus enhancing the impressiveness of the services. The use of the horn of the cow is expressly prohibited in the manufacture of the shofar. As in ancient times, three series of these sounds are blown, the general term for all the sounds being tekiot. BLESSING THE CANDLES AT HOME. The first tekiot "alls the people to j judgment and repentance, in obedi-' enee to the command of the prophet j Amos. The second and tliwd are in- j tended to bewilder and stagger Satan, j who at first Imagines that the Jews are: merely complying with the law, but Is surprised by the second blowing, think- j ing perhaps that the Messiah is com-] ing, and.finally, at the blowing of the third tekiot, Satan is dumi'ounded, •xpecting the resurrection, at which his power will cease. In the middle pi' the second century tlie Komau authorities in Palestine, hearing the blowing <>i" the shofars ear ly on the morning of Rosh ha-Slianah. mistook the sounds for military sig nals and sent detachments of troops to the synagogues. Many of the devout Jews were put to the sword before the ltomans understood the ceremony. Those same notes are blown from the rani'B horn in every modern synagogue. In modern times it is the custom for Jews to eat largely of grapes and honey on New Year's day. Rabbis of' olden times counseled their people that as an o'nen of good luck for the com ing year they should eat pumpkins, leeks, beets and dates, because all such things grow quickly and their names signify "plentiful" and likewise "for giveness." In Provence it is the cus torn to eat calf's head or deer's head on New Year's day on the theory that the consumer will be "ahead" and not backward in his business undertak ings for the twelvemonth just begun. In the intervals between the various ceremonies at the synagogues more or less New Year's calling is indulged in. particularly in New York and othev large American cities. For such ocea* slous calling cards are specially pre pared, bearing mottoes or inscription's appropriate to the day. Usually they express the wish that the host or hostess may lie "inscribed in the book of life" or enjoy prosperity and suc cess in business for the year. It Is in the ghettos of great cities, like New York and Chicago, among the Jews who are strictly orthodox that the most elaborate observances of the day are held. No matter how poor may be t lie community or how humble the synagogue, for that day the altar is fichly dressed all in white; the great scrolls, or books of the law, which are taken out of the ark of the covenant on the altar steps, we also swathed irj white, with gold embroidery, instead of their usual brilliant covering. As tlie worshipers one by one are called to take part in the ceremonies they wrap about their shoulders the talith, a long white shawl of thin silk bordered by a rim of blue. Up in the gallery sit the women, not being permitted in the orthodox churches to set foot 011 the main floor of the synagogue. Fre quently these services occupy four or five hours. Through all these rites the only sounds are the singing, wailing, chanting human voices, with the blasts of the shofar at their proper time. No musical instruments are permitted. A cry of desolation and melancholy runs through all tiie prayer»—the wailing for the restoration of Jerusalem, the hymns for forgiveness and salvation, with now and then a chant of thank fulness. The climax is reached when tho scrolls containing tlio law, each a roll of parchment wrapped around two sticks, are brought forth from the ark, with white silken coverings and tin kling little bolls, and, after being un rolled, arc read in Hebrew. The thir teen arliclos of the Jewish faith drawn up 700 years ago by the Rabbi Mal monides are repeated. In tin- wealth ier synagogues of the orthodox the cer emonies are conducted with still moro pomp, the draperies and coverings of white being more striking. In all or thodox synagogues the rabbis and the men of the congregation wear hats throughout the services. The ten days following are days of repentance in preparation for Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, this be ing observed with more impressive so lemnity than any other day in the He braic year. But not all the-Jewish holy days are of a sad solemnity. Judaism also has its joyous occasions. One of these is known as Channkkah, a kind of Jew ish thanksgiving. Usually it comes in December. An interesting ceremony in connection with this day denotes the meaning of its title, "the feast of lights." Channkkah lasts an entire week, but. the . rineipal part of its observance oc cure in the evenings, when the "Cha nukkali caudles'' are lit. These are thiu tapers, al>out six inches long, made of yellow wax. On the llrst night oue candle is lit and left to burn itself out. On tlic second night two candles mark the passing of tlio holliluy, and so 011 until seven Chanukkah candles, burn ing out at one time, show thai the holiday hits taken its place with it? thousands of predecessors.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers