Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-11-19
CUSTOMS OF the ien0anws.
TAis brief stasemeu. Of Jewish cs.tom

| This brief statemen. Of Jewish customs
at the close Of life Is Of much interest -
The Jews imagine thas the two creates,
acts that can be performed ase-sa wing
prayers for dying mso, and following
him to the grave; on the ps(ncipls that he
who does another favor il diGhsreot cir
cumstances may be selfish, frolA as ex-
pectation Of its return, but thee in these
cases the motive must be pors, - no such
expectations can be induced When .
Jsw 10 dying, itis no ssssual thing. there
fore, for his ffieads and selstisos 70 inform
The whole neighbordood q he fact. A
poor Jew, a. well ~ . rich one, always
hes, 1t su.h time, two nurses 70 attend
him and say prayers; he may have them
night and day for mouths, the whole ex.
penss of which, together with that Of doc
tors, &C., is betrayed from the treasury Of
the synagogue. Those who attend Jew
in his dying moments ere we'll acquainted
with all the ymptoms Of death; for, though
burial takes place within twenty
hours, instances are very rare Of persons
being buried alive. The departed lies on
the same bed for one hour; feather is
put on his lips TO be blown away il he
should bresthe,) and, ~ it is reckonsd an
honor, the Jews present stop during that
time; they strip the corpse and lay !, on
the ground, or, in some cases, carry IL to
another room. A black cloth is now OBJ.
tanned from the synagoge to lay over the
corpse; n pewter plate with salt is general
ly put on the breast, which, they say, keeps
it from swelling; oil is put in vessel. and
n cotton wick is inserted; bas sin Of water.
covered with a clean napkin, is brought
forth; and two watchers (proyided by the
synagognes, if the individual be poor sit
by the dead.
An hour before the time Of burial, cer-
tain people come from the synagogue to
wash and si,roud the corpse, in the ablu-
t'on of which from forty to 6.ty gallons Of
water may be used Before it leaves the
house, the husband for the wife, the wife
for the husband. children for parents. and
parents for children. &c. &c, stand Oh one
side the coffin. and the clerk Of the syna-
gogue on the other, while. as each relation
leans over the coffin, the clerk takes knife.
makes slit on the right side Of the male
or females upper garment. aDont two in
ches long and then tears it two inches far
| ther. The garments must be worn in this
state for thirty one days.
| When any OF the Jews assembled cannot
| follow the corpse TO the grave, y paii OF
water and a jug are brought, with which
they may wash each others hands. The
| frs, takes the water and thr ows it over the
next, three times. bnt he must not touch
~,,h al al a. ftae a,
placed on the ground when he who is
washed takes il up, and does the same for
him who washed him, and thus the pro.
cess of gblution is carried on through the
| whole.
The collins OF the rich and poor are made
Of four deal boards, merely planed over to
prevent splEters running into the hands.
The ,hrouds are generally made of wool !;
but some Of the more wealthy are buried
in tiHe linen. The Jews have no walking
funerals and no difference is apparent
between those of the poor and the rich.
except relatives or friends Of the latter
! should follow them in carriages. 1t is by
no means uncommon for a corpse 10 be
followed by multitude. consisting Of from
one hundred TO one thousond persons, as
may be frequently witnessed, at the east
end of London where there are several
Jewish burying grounds. Publicity is
given to case Of dissolution in two ways.
| One is by its announcement IN the syna-
gogue; for, when person has died. the
| clerk in the midst of his prayer stops, aud.
with a loud voice, mentions his name, the
spot where the corpse lies, and the hour OF
| interment.
The other is more remarkable. One OF
the Jews belonging to the synagogue goes
into the places crowded with his people,
having copper money-box in the shape
Of halt gallon cssk, secured by lock
and key. with niche large enough to ad
nit penny piece. The peculiar sound of
the box. when shaken, intimHles that some
one is dead, the Jews therefore flock
around him, make every inquiry, and east
into the box what they please. This is
always done unless the departed was an
Legitimate child, n person Of very impure
life, or one grossly negligent OF Jewish
forms. In this case seldom more than
eight or nine follow him to his grave. SO
infamous, indeed, is it to be an exception
to the custom nst alluded to, that il is
sometimes mentioned many years after.
as branding even distant relations. When
jews quarrel it may be in the synagogue,
one will sometimes say to the other, ~
know something about you. don't unlock
my lips, or will disgrace yon;" aud. when
he is dared to utter all he knows, it is not
uncommon to reply, il it cannot be charged
on nearer relation, "Why, your great.
grandfather, or your fourth cousin died,
and the box did not 60 for him. Femaics
very rarely or never attend a corpse to
the grave; but it is hcart-rcnding to wit.
ness their mourning.
When the males re,ife all sit on the
ground, and hard boiled egg i. cut in
pieces amoug them. Their posture is con.
tioued for seven days, during which vi,i.
tors come, sometime to the number Of one
thousand. to afford consolation; and,
should the party visited be poor, refresh
nent or money is usually given secretly.
The light placed at the side Of the corpse
is kept in Tor one aud thirty days las Aaron
was mourued for during that time j il is
called the light Of the departed spirit, and,
according to the cleRrncss or dimnsss Of
the flame, they determine its comfort or
congregation assemblies night and morn
ing add every morning the water and
napkin are changed, under the idea that the
spirit comes and purifes itself with them.
Every anniversary, too, light must burn
in the same way for four and twenty hours
4 fast must be kept tor that tinie. and the
synagogue mus. be visited night and
morning to say Kodesh lprayers) in its
behalf.
r6r A nan might as well try To comb
his head with tho edge OF fire brick, us