Rosh Hashanah Through History
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS-77
Friday, September 11, 1953
Is the Story of Courageous People
In a free country—where the
free exercise of prayer is neither
prevented nor compulsory—it is
quite a human failing to take
one's religion for granted.
By going back into history to
see how Jews of previous gener-
ations observed the most holy
of all seasons—the .High Holy
Day time—we can get a glimpse
of life in those days and also
see how the devotion of . our
forefathers made possible for us
today the observance of our re-
ligion in a free society.
A most interesting story on
"The New Year in History" was
written several years ago by
noted historian Cecil Roth in
the London '. Jewish Chronicle,
which gives some insight into
the lives of Jews a few centuries
ago.
"If you happen to possess an
old edition of the Selihot," Mr.
Roth states, "It is worth turning
up at this season of the year."
On its pages, printed in large
type, are yellow stains, which
are actually blobs of wax.
It was so dark in the syna-
gogue that the printer, with not
unusual forethought, had made
the characters in the prayer-
book very big and very dark.
Nevertheless, some of the wor-
shippers had brought candles
with them, and swaying back
and forth with the service, the
wax from the candles dripped in
Picture, if you can, how our blotches on their prayerbooks.
pious fathers opened up their
No matter where the Jew
"campaign of prayer" a week
to ten days in advance of the when the New Year approaches
Holy Days, when the schul- he is ready for prayer, and
klopfer went his rounds in the sometimes out of extemporane-
ghetto, pounding on each door ous assemblies grew some of our
long before dawn. Imagine, in largest and most honored con-
the pitch darkness, groups of gregations.
In Venice, for instance, at the
people stumbling along the
turn of the 16th Century, Jews
had been excluded from the city.
In 1508 began the War of the
League of Cambrai when the
Season's Best Greetings
Venetian possessions were over
run, and large numbers of refu-
gees, including man y Jews,
crowded into the city.
20500 Greenfield and Eight Mile Road
When the New Year came
around, Jews were permitted to
20000 Van Dyke and Outer Drive
hold Divine Services, and a
number of extemporized places
19430 Harper Near Seven Mile Road
of worship were set up in sev-
4309 North Woodward
eral houses. This may be said
to have been the birth of the
Venice Jewish Community.
A century and a half later,
Menasseh ben Israel was nego-
New Year's Greetings to
tiating for the return of the
Jews to England. Menasseh left
Our Friends and Patrons
Amsterdam, Holland ; on Sept. 2,
1655, and the New Year 5416 was
to dawn on Sept. 22.
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Season's Best Wishes
•
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Best Wishes to the Jewish Community
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New Year Greetings
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Best Wishes for a .Happy Holiday
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Holiday Good Wishes
cobbled street until the syna-
gogue was crowded.
His success in organizing
services is expressed better in
newspaper clippings of the
time, which stated that "On
the High Festivals • Jewish
services were held in London
with all due formality . . . for
The first time since the Jews
had been driven out by Ed-
ward I, 365 years before."
The New Year in Jewish his-
tory, however, as Mr. Roth
states, has "not been uniformly
bright." In 1553, for example,
grief and mourning reigned in
Jewish ranks. It was the height
of the Catholic Reaction, and
the pOsition of Jews, particular-
ly in Italy, was becoming more
and more precarious.
Vittorio Eliano, grandson of
the eminent scholar, Elias Le-
vita, together with his brother,
SolomOn Romano and a couple
of other converts from Judaism
had proclaimed the Talmud
blaSphemous, and the great
work was immediately con-
demned.
New Year—Rosh Hashanah,
1553—was proclaimed as book
burning day, and while Jews
assembled in their synagogue
praying for a year of peace and
freedom, all copies of the Tal-
mud and other Jewish works
were being burned on the Cam-
po dei Fiori.
The same man who had car-
ried out the Talmud burning or-
der, Cardinal Caraffa, was now
in 1558, Pope Paul IV. He sent
Philip Moro to Rome, armed
with a license to preach to the
Jews.
It was the Day of Atonement,
and Moro thought this an ideal
time to preach to the Jews, and
set up his Crucifix in front of
the Ark. This was more than
the whit e robed worshippers
could bear, and they forced him
to leave the synagogue.
The opportunity was now
there. Moro, s a yin g the Jews
molested him and insulted the
sacred symbol he bore, summon-•
d the townspeople. A near riot
was halted, but soon after the
ommunity suffered complete
end final banishment.
"Within the lifetime of men
then living," writes Mr. Roth,
"the tide of persecution began
I ' to turn." He tells the story of a
group of dark-skinned Span-
iards—Marranos—who on Yom
Kippur in 1596 met in Amster-
dam for services. The service
was disturbed by armed men
who thought them Catholics.
Wh en they expained that
I hey were not persecutory Pap-
i sts and instead persecuted
Z ews, they were left to leave
E nd continue their service. The
f allowing year saw the first per-
r anent synagogue established in
i isterdam.
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Best Holiday Wishes to Our
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Arthur C. Howard
Belva Mabin Wilson
310 DAVID BRODERICK TOWER
WO. 1-2320
WO. 2-8238
Sincerest Wishes for A Happy
New Year to the Jewish Comriiunity
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— Specializing in
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Wedding and Anniversary Cakes
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3227 W. McNichols Road
UN. 2-3272
Holiday Good Wishes
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Alterations on Attics - Recreation Rooms
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New Year Greetings to All
my Friends and Customers
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Genuine Clay Tile
13094 Corbett Ave.
LA. 6-3258
Best Wishes for a Happy New Year
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Blackboards and Bulletin Boards
With Aluminum Trim
1030-40 McDougall
LO. 7-8900
Sincerest Holiday Greetings
CENTER REALTY CO.
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In the Center of Detroit
8320 Woodward
Detroit 2, Mich.
Phone : TRinity 4-2900
oliday Greetings
ILIANCE TOOL CO.
4991 Cabot
Detroit 10, Mich.
LU. 2-0283
Greetings on the New Year
ALEXANDE ' RAMSAY R °HNC
16816 Murray Hill
Residence Phone VE. 5-7917
TE. 4-3445