Page Twenty-Two
THE JEWISH NEWS
,
Friday, September 7, 1945
i , '"Vg litg a n ig N O V:.
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- sawosistabtittiftEd
—Photo by Herbert Sonnenfeld
—Philip Gendreau Photo
ONE GOD..The Ways We Worship Him
THE JEWISH WAY
THE CATHOLIC WAY
S
YNAGOGUE MEANS a .place of assembly,
and the synagogue is used for any gathering the
people may wish- to have. But first of • all; it is the
House of God. It is so built that the worshippers lace
east, that is, toward Jerusalem. The large room. has
pews and a platform in the front, in the middle of
which is the reading desk.
The rabbi is the friend and counselor of his con-
gregation. He is not set apart from others as' are
priests in many religions. His clothes are like those
of other men, although in the pulpit he may wear
special vestments. It is right for him to marry and
have children, that he may be an example of normal
living. In most synagogues he is paid by the congte-
gration in order that he may be free to give all his
time to teaching.
In other religions the sacred books were the con-
cern only of priests and ..scholars; thiS was true 'also
in the early history of Israel. But • more than two
thousand years ago, Jewish leaders began to spread
education among all the people; they wanted :every
JeW to be intelligent and to think. They taught their)
to read. and study the Scriptures. The first sermons-
ever preached were those in Jewish synagogues. Any-
one learned in the law . might be "asked to' interpret
the scriptures. Hebrew Was the language commonly
spoken then and it :is still- used in the synagogues;
except for the sermon.. No matter where a Jew lives
or what language he speaks, the use of Hebrew re
minds him that he 'belongs to the 'congregation of
Israel; and if he . ever travels far :a -6cl comes to a
synagogue in a strange land, he will hear :familiar
words and songs and R-.el at 11(91e.
W
THE PROTESTANT WAY
P
HEN HE REACHES his sixth birthday
ROTESTANT CHURCHES, like all
the child begins to go with his mother to o 'Church.
others, teach that a- parent's first 'responsibility is the
The church may be a splendid cathedral, ,or a 'little
training of hiS children. - In families where 'God is
wooden building set up in a newly settled country.
loved, the little child is put to bed with a prayer.
Many Catholic churches are rectangular in shape like • When he is a little older, he learns to repeat a prayer
the traditional Jewislk synagogue, but the typical form . himself. .
is that of the cross, for the cross is the central symbol
Usually he , follows the memorized prayer with an
of Christianity.
informal one, for he is taught to use his own thoughts -
and words as he prays.
When a child enters a church built in this style, he
There is a grace said at meals in many Protestant
'finds a broad aisle down the center, and the first
homes, sometimes by the father in whatever words he
thing he sees is the altar at the farther end. On
may choose.
either side there are pews for the congregation. This
The child learns to think Of God as' the Giver of
part of the building is called the nave, which means
all good things, :and it helps to make: him feel secure
ship and suggestS that there is safety and pe ice,in .
the Church always, .as a :ship is safe even wh e n there . •GocPs world. -
are storms, at sea. -
For Protestants,. the Bible takes the place of the
Church as the final . authority. They study it and
listen to what God .says to them through it. it: is the '
The "nave ends where. it meets the cross-Section, the
business :of , ministers and teachers to help peoPle
transePt; which has aisles and pews in the arms., .-Often
Understand the partS that puzzle -them, but each one
' a dome or ' spire riseSr • above the place- of crossing;
must. be left free tO: interpret as he believes right..
lifting the heart of the .worshipper =toward heaven.
Some thingS in the Bible , are hard . to understand but. '• .
the Protestant. Church has always .believed that what.. ..
is most important is so clear that even people without..:,
There are pictures on the walls of nave and transept:
much education can -find it.
and in the stained glaSs windows. Many centuries ago
THE SABBATH-
few ,people could read and there were no printed'
Although 'Protestants read and'study the Bible more
For the Jews more than any Other 'people, religion
books. So the churches were like colorful picture
than
Catholics do,. Catholics and Jews share reverence
is bound up with the family life. This is seen in their
books of the stories of the Bible and of the lives' of
for the Bible. All of . them call it, the Word of God.
Observance of the Sabbath. The Sabbath, like all
the saints.
. Jewish holy days, begins and ends at sunsa, because
The sacred writings of the JeWs are that part of
in olden times, before there were clocks, people told
the Bible which Christians call the Old Testament;
time by the sun. Enough food is bought and cooked
In most Catholic churches there are 14 pictures, or
so that no cooking will be necessary on the Sabbath.
these -were the scriptures used by Jesus and His
The house is given a :special cleaning and 'the mother
sculptures, seven on each side. These represent 'the
first followers. Soon the - Christians began to write;
or servant is busy preparing the soup, fish and
events of the last day of the•life of Jesus,
they wanted to keep a record of Jesus' sayings and
chicken. Sometimes they bake the bread,. the Hallah;
tell of His life.One
..
wrote an . account- of the work of
at home, cutting the dough into strips and braiding
it into the special shape of the Sabbath loaVes.
the earliest missionaries. Letters were written by
The
church
is
always'
open,
•so
that
•
one
may'
enter
They place two heavy 'brass 'or silver candlesticks,
s o me of - the leaders. All 'these were treasured- and
whenever he
and "make a visit to jesus." At
the engraved silver kiddush • cup filled with wine, :and
finally collected into what is Called the New Testament.,
the two twisted loaves of Hallah, covered with a
the entrance there is a font of water which- has been
snowy white embroidered cloth. At last everything
blessed, by the priest with • , solenin prayer.:: As if to
Wherever Christians have gone, they have Carried
is ready and the mother' lights the candles. This is
renew the rite of his baptism the Catholic child dips
the Bible' with them and it has been translated into
the .age-old ceremony that ushers. in' the Sabbath.
his fingers in the water, Makes the sign of: the cross
the everyday language of the country. In some places
She stands silently before the table for a few mo-
ments, then she spreads her , hands. above the flames ,and says, .."In the name of -the Father and of the Son
where_ there was no written language, missionaries .
and . holds them befOre her face as she prays, first in
and of the Holy Ghost." By this ceremony he sym-
learned to -speak as the natives : do. Then they put
Hebrew, the ancient 'language of her p:e6ple, then . in
bolizes that lie is once more cleansed of sin and fit to
down letters to represent the: sounds -and so built • up
English: "Blessed art Thou, 0 Lord our God, • King
come into- God's presence.'
a language in whiCh they could write and which they
of the Universe, Who • has Sanctified us by Thy
commandments and commanded us to kindle the
could teach. the people to 'read. The Bible was the
Sabbath lights." Then.' alrnOst. silently she adds "May
first book , written.- The. study; . of it haS been the begin-
our 'home be consecrated, 0 God, byThy
.
. Light."
,THE MASS-
nitig of •education and civilization for my.
an Now the
AS soon as the men have washed their hands, saying
a little blessing as they • lo so, the family. gathers in
Bible is the- "Book of a ThOusand :Tongues." It is • the
' 'In , the school and in his home, the' child is prepared
the living room and singS a greeting to the Sabbath:
world's best seller; about thirty million copies are
"Welcome Sabbath Angels, Angels of Peace." Then
to share in the supreme act of Catholic worship, the
printed . every year. • „
the 'father reads from the proverbs the praise of
sacrifice of the Mass. Every Catholic is obligated to
women as a special honor to his_
wife. The :chil- . attend Mass every Sunday, and On Holy Days of
SUNDAY SCHOOL
•
then' stand before him and he s ay . his hand . upon
Obligation.
each head and blesses them one by' one. After this
When he is four or five years old, the - Protestant .
the : family goes to the 'dining room.
child begins to go to the Church School, which is held •
At the table the father lifts the cup of wine and
The meaning of the Altar is explained to, every
Sunday 'mornings before or r, • after the worship
prorioUnoes the Kiddush, • the Sabbath Prayer. He
Catholic child. An altar is a place where :saerifices
service of the Church.
pours off a "cup of blessing," a small portion of wine,
are offered to God.
for each member of the family. Everyone washes his
The school is divided into . departments, according
hands and then the blessing is said; and they sit
to age In each department there is an opening ser-
down and the meal is served.
The top of 'the altar is a long narrow stone, covered
At the close of the meal the family sings a song
vice of worship, followed by talking and study and
by' three clothS. On either side of the center are
and, says grace. Then 'they go into the living room
handwork. The child is:taught that God is near him,
candleS,
large
and
small,
and
often
a
seven
:branched
where they may settle down to read, or talk. Every-
not , just on 'Sunday and' :in the church, but every day,
, candlestick. The number of candles lighted; depends
one relaxes in the way he prefers.
wherever he .goes.
Saturday morning the family attends the service
upon the solemnity of the Mass. At the right, is the
in the synagogue. In the afternoon the father and
.•
Missal, .a book containing the ritual of the Mass. In
• When they are learning
what Moses did for his
older sons may go again for a short meeting, in which
/people,
:
the
central
place
at
the
rear
stands
the
tabernacle,
they.
memorize
.the Ten Commandments which
there is reading and discuSsion of some .greA .0 Jewish
he ga.si them. ' When they read about David, the
writing. `&The Sayings of • the . Vathers": most often ' a strong locked box;' in which is the ciboriuM,; a gold
shepherd , : boy, who became the greatest king of Israel
used; it is a collection of wisdom from the teachers
or gold-lined Vessel shaped like a goblet with a cover.
they learn the twenty-third psalm and some of the
of many centuries.
This contains the breadof
th t .
e saci amen
other Psalms 'which it is believed he wrote.
REPRINTED FROM "ORE GOD: TILE WAYS WE WO RSIFIIP . HIM" 'by FLORENCE MARY FTTCH, BY _RPE CIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH THE PUBLISHERS,
LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., and the NATIONA L CONFERENCE OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS.
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