Article September 14, 1899 Issue

Beginning of the Hebrew New Year

An Occasion of Solemn Import.

Boston Herald

Beginning to-night with the first appearance of the new moon, and ending to-morrow night with the earliest shining of the stars in the sky, the first day of the month of Tisri is observed by Jews everywhere throughout the world as the introduction to the 5660th year since the creation of the world, and as the beginning of the ten days of repentance preceding the day of atonement.

Though the first day of the year, reckoning from the Mosaic creation, it is at the same time the first of the seventh month, computing from the Passover, the date of the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The ancient Hebrew year was divided into two equal parts, the beginning of each of which was, and still is, a time of special sanctity. The real year begins with the month Nisan, the early spring, the time of the Passover, from which all the other holidays of the following twelve months are computed, and which is the starting point of the religious year. But the civil year begins to-day, and from it are reckoned all civil and commercial periods.

Because of the dependence of the Hebrew calendar upon lunar changes, the dates of the sacred days vary widely from year to year. Thus, the new year, which falls this year upon the 5th, was last year the 17th, will be next year the 17th, and in 1901 the 24th.

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