The Pittsburgh Press (September 25, 1946)
Background of news –
The Jewish New Year
By Bertram Benedict
Jews all over the world – in the United States and the Soviet Union, in South America and Australia, no less than in Palestine – will begin at sundown today their celebration of the Jewish New Year, “Rosh Hashanah.”
The ancient Jews, a pastoral race, considered the new year as beginning in the fall of the year, when the corn was ripe for feeding and the new seed was to be sown.
Many other ancient peoples dated the new year from the spring, when new life began in the fields and the forests. There is some evidence to indicate that the Jewish people while in exile in Babylon followed the Babylonian custom of considering the new year as beginning in the spring.
The Roman year for a long time began in March, so that September, October, November and December really were, as their names indicate, the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th months, respectively. It was Julius Caesar who made January the first month of the year in the Roman calendar.
The Jews traditionally believed that at the beginning of the year the Lord judged all His people. The Ram’s Horn (Shofar) called the people to judgment. Those completely good were blessed, those completely bad were condemned. For the great majority in between, the chance for redemption came with contrition 10 days later at the most solemn Jewish holiday, the Day of Atonement.
Day began at sunset
For religious purposes the ancient Jews began their day at sunset, ended it when three stars appeared in the sky.
The exact day on which the New Year was celebrated depended on when the crescent of the new moon was observed in the heavens. The observation had to be confirmed by the council of elders, the Sanhedrin, in Jerusalem; then messengers were sent to the people outside of the capital.
It frequently would take some time for the messengers to reach the distant areas. People in these began to celebrate the New Year for two days at about the time when the new moon was due to appear, so as not to miss the right day if the messengers arrived late.
Then the habit spread of celebrating all holidays except the Day of Atonement for two days. The Day of Atonement, “Yom Kippur,” is celebrated for only one day – it is a day of complete fasting. The orthodox or conservative Jews will celebrate Rosh Hashanah for two days, the liberal or Reform Jews, for one day.
Lunar month observed
The ancient Jews followed the lunar month, which works out to about 29½ days. Months were alternately of 29 and 30 days. Twelve lunar months amounted to 354 days, but a solar year had to be observed if the new year were always to begin at about the same time relatively to the crop season. So an extra month was added to the Jewish calendar eight times in every 19 years.
The week was one of seven days. At first the months as well as the days seem to have been called by number; the present names of the Jewish months date from the Babylonian exile, and are said to be of Babylonian origin.