The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1860-01-28
Peculiar Customs of the Hebrews.


Peculiar Customs of the Hebrews.
This brief statement of Jewish GUS
toms at the close of life is of much in-
terest The Jews imagine that the two
greatest acts that can be performed are
saying prayers for a dying man, and
following him to the grave on the prin-
ciple that he who does another favor in
different circumstances may be selfish,
from an expectation Of its return, but
that in these cases the motive must be
pure, as no such expectations can be
INDUCED. When Jew is dying, it is no
unusual thing, therefore, for his friends
and relations to inform the whole neigh
borhood of the fact poor Jew, as we'll
rs rich one, always has .at such time,
two nurses to attend and say prayers; he
may have them night and day for months,
the whole expense of which, together
with that of doctors &C., is betrayed
from the treasure of the synagogue.
Those who attend Jew in his dying
moments are well acquainted with all the
symptoms of death; for, though burial
takes place within twenty-four hours,
instances are very rare of persons being
buried alive. The departed lies on the
same bed for one hour; a feather is put on
his lips Ito be blown away if he should
breath }, and, as it is reckoned an hour,
the Jews present stop during that time;
they strip the corpse and lay it on the
ground, or, in some cases, carry it to an
other room. A black cloth is now OBJ
tanned from the synagogue to DAY over
the corpse; a pewter plate with salt is
generally put on the breast, which, they
say, keeps it from swelling oil is put in a
vessel, and cotton wich is inserted; a
basin of water, covered with clean
napkin, is brought forth; and two watch
ers provided by the synagogue, if tho
individual be poor) sit by the dead.
An hour before the time Of burial,
certain people come from the synagogue
to wash and shroud the corpse, in the
ablution Of which from forty to fifty
gallons of water may bo used. Before it
leaves the house, the husband for the
wife, the wife for the husband, children
for parents, and parents for children, &c,
staud on one side the coffin, and the
clerk of the synagogue on the other, while,
as each relation leans over the coffin, the
clerk takes knife, makes q slit on the
right side of the male or females upper
garment, about two inches long and then
tears it two inches further. The gar
ments must be worn in this state for
thirty-one days
When any of the Jews assembled
cannot follow the corpse to the grave, u
pail of water and a jug are brought with
which they may wash each other IS hands.
The first takes the water and throws it
over the hands of the next, three times,
but he must not touch them with the
vessel; this is afterward placed on the
ground; VIII en- he who is washed takes it
up, and does the same for him who washed
him, and thus the process of ablution is
carried on through the whole.
The cofins of the rich and poor are
made of four deal boards, merely planed
over to prevent splinters running into the
hands. The shrouds are generally made
of wool; but some of the more wealthy are
buried in fine 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 corpse
to be followed by multitude, consisting
of from one hundred to one thousand
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 it's announce
ment in the synagogue; for, when
person has died the clerk in the midst of
the prayer stops, and, with loud voice,
mentions his name, tho 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 half gallon cask secured By
lock and key, with niche large enough
to admit of a penny peice. The peculiar
sound of the box when shaken, intimates
that some one is dead, the Jews there
fore flock around him, make every in
quiry, and cast in the box what they
please This is always done unless the
departed was an illegitimate child, a
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
just alluded to- that it is sometimes men
toned many years after, as branding even
distant relations. When Jews quarrel,
it may be in the synagogue, one will
sometimes say to the other, 81 know some
thing about you, don't unlock my lips, or
| will disgrace you;" and, when he is
dared to utter all he knows it is not I'M
common to reply if it cannot be charged
on nearer relation, "Why, your great
grandfather, or your fourth cousin died,
and the box did not 60 for him." Fe-
males very rarely or never attend corpse
to the grave; but it is heart rending to
witness their mourning.
When the males retire all sit on the
ground, and hard boiled egg is cut in
pieces among them Their posture is
continued for seven days, during which
visitors come, sometimes to the number
of one thousand, to afford consolation;
and, should the party visited be poor,
refreshment or money is usually given