The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-07-16
-HKBREW FUNERALS.
Israers Customs in Burying the
Dead-A Few Facts Not Gener-

Israel's Customs in Burying thu
Dead-A Few Facts Not Gener
ally Known.
cseInnad EoquIrur.
The funerals or the forms observed Il
preparing corpse for intsrnent, BY {
large and influential clASs Of our bes
citizens, are a. much = mystery 70 thos'
outide Of their ranks n bosgh nom
ever took place. We reier to Hebrew
funerals. For the purpose Of removing
In = great measure, the dense igporADo'
Of The uninitiatsd on this head, an "a
SEir4 reporter called upon an ISrSelitt
recently, and in the course Of an interes
ting chat on the srups subject dotted doEr
in his memory { few facts.
The customs that are referred to In
this article, 1t should be remembered, ar
those observed BY the strictly orthodox
There are three orthodox congregations
| in this city that are guided In all subjects
relating 10 Jewish social Lie by the striei
tenets, lorms and ceremonies that have
prevailed for ages. In other congreea'
lions EliEht Innovations hare prevailed
and minor changes have erept in, bat In
the main they are the same. For instance,
q sermon l. preached over the dead il be
was I member Of the modern Church;
in the orthodox this 10 never done.
To begin ~ the beginning, however,
when an orthodox IsrAeliie il taken sick,
. number Of appointed watchers, say siI
in some instances n many ~ dozen
are SEM. These watchers receive pay
for their services, the remuneration being
in accordance With the means or standing
Of The patients family. II the patient il
4 male, men attend The bedside; il Wo-
man, women are the watchers. Should
The illness prove fatal, and death il mo-
neatArily expected, the watchers sur.
round The bedside Of the dying, and with
bowed heads, wait for the FINAL blow.
This il termed watching for neezsr-or
The approach Of death. Daring this
solemn time they repeat aprayer called
the sehimeiz, a. follows: "Sbemang Yis
Woiisi AdenoS = 10 BIO no AdenoW = had,
which means; "HeAr, o Israel! The
Lord our God Is one." This prayer il
aid At the frat sign Of dissolution, add il
repeated Continuously until the breath
leaves the body. After death the remains
ASe SLOWED 70 remain untouched for =
h1lf.hour or more, when The watchers
place the dead on straw strewn on the
door; here it remains while the ceremo.
ny Of tyr or washing il performed. AT
La Il ka M nj .
Of water and two lighted candles. The
washing is done in the ordinary way,
and accompanied BY 8 short prayer often
repeated. This being huished, the body
is placed 90 what is termed mArtor
board, broad slAb, on which It remains
until ready for the coffin. Even the poor
est Israelite is never buried in the clothes
worn by him during life, or Just pteTi.
Qua 10 his lat monents, and the Dext
thing il 10 enTslop the corpse in what ia
termed shroud. Usually on the night
previous 10 the day Of burial, $ number
Of the female Aca1AintAbces and friends
Of the deceased meet At the late residence
Of the departed for the purpose Of pre-
pairing the tekrebom (shroud) which con.
.ists Of long gosn and cap: Every
stitch upon these garments nust be seSed
With the left hand. Beside the gown and
cap, two small bags are made, and are
placed in the cofin with the corpse.
These bags are 10 contain small portion
Of " mother EARTH" and after the arrival
Of The remains At the mArtor.house or
v.ult, the bags are taken from the coffin,
filed With earth taken from the grave,
and replaced IN the coffin, beneath the
head Of the corpse. The coffin Is Of the
most primitive description, being made
Of pine plAnks, ADD sometimes not even
snoothed with 4 plane. Alter the corpse
has been placed in this box, It's ipyAria-
bly, covered with black cloth, and this
covering remains over the coffin until il
reaches the cemetery. II the dead be
female, the watchers are Of her own sex,
and on the day OF burial two or three ell
derby women 60 in charge Of the remains
70 the cemetery and take particular
pains 70 see that they are in the right Po.
sitiou in the coE5u. A male is not allowed
10 lay hands upon the female dead. In
very ancient times, il is sale, Women, how
ever, were not allowed to intervene be-
tween death and burial No ministerial
services are performed over the body,
and no floral decorations are placed upon
the coffin. In these two paruculsrs the
moderniIed Iaraelites, or Reiormers, take
opposite grounds from the orthodox.
when all il ready for the start 70 the
Biscboim grave gard), the remains are
followed from the house oil mourning BY
the family, friends and relatives the cof.
fn il placed in the hearse and the sad
procession in carriages repair 70 the last
resting place OF the dead. Among the
nourners are ten men who accompany
the remains for the purpose Of what Is
termed making ninyon" Tor reciting =
prayer for the repose OF the departed)
while in the dead house" Arrived a.
this point, all the male relative. Of the
deceased assemble around the coffin, and
the ceremony OF "eutting Greer Is obsery.
ed. This consists in making an Incision
in the Left lapel Of the coat or other outer
garment With knife. Alter the FIRST slit
or tear IL made toe garment 10 caught
bold OF by the weArer, Who gives 1t
slight Jerk in order 70 make greater
rent in the garment, and At the same
moment 8 prayer is uttered. This torn
garment il then worn during the "slosh-
nm," or thirty days Of mourning. II tne
deceased be 4 parent the eldest male child,
II there be one, while At the dead-house,
repests kodAsh Tor prayer, followed BY
his brothers, il he has them. When the
above forms have been dolly observed the
remains are taken 70 the grave and lover
ed into it. The nearest relative OF the
deceAsed then steps from the crowd OF
nourners and throEs upon the CONN
three shovelfuIs Of earth; the balance OF
the relatives then do the same, and the
grave Il filled with the remaining earth
and finished like any other.
This done the burial party returns 70
the re.idenee Of the bereAyed family, and
soon after 20 70 their several homes.
The members Of the family circle in which
the death has ocearred coon alter A.
penble in the room formerly occupied BY
the departed, for the purpose Of begin
ming the seven days Of morning. Dur
iug these seven days no business is trans
aetsd by any one Of The household, and
Aminyon," or prayer for the dead, is re-
psAted every mourning and evening dur
-, iii. lanytL If time The male mem.