The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-08-10
LIFE IN xopnsx PALEsrlxA
a J.ri,h Festival at the Taab - he
no,yned Rabbi

~ nowned Rabbi
uA1rA July g. IN tho early days Of May
xhare ia An nualiy celebrated at Tiberias fosu-
.al in honor of tho Rabbi MAR. ut tho largo
sh,,n, I'M above Lis tomb. within q fow hun
Jr.I vordn from tho sulphur baths. Thithor.
having terminated my visit to tho Drusos. I
determined TO repair 10 witncss tho nocturnal
ceremonies.
Twas escorted to tho extremity OF tho village
Of Hattin by band Of young Drusos. firing
guns and snging CON plimentary odos. who
thus sought to speed with honor the parting
guost, and soon found myself crossing tho
plain aud entering upon tho steop descent that
leads to tho shotes Of the lako. 1t was soft.
baimy evening. about sunset. whom reached
Tiberias and found tho whole population In
movement.
The distance from tho town to the tomb Of
the Rabbi Is about mile and half along tho
lake shore. and tho road was crowded with
merry groups OF jewish men. women. and
children In gala dress. all nocking to the place
OF meeting. Tho two or three boats OF which
the lako con boast wero even put into requi-
alton, and were slowly drifting down. thotr
large sails hardly filed with the gcntle breeze.
and packed to OVERLOOKING with women and
children. Tiberias contains between three and
four thousand jews and certainly moro than
half that number must have turned out. to say
nothing OF those attracted from Jerusalem.
Saiod, and other places. As those who inhabit
Tiberias are nearly all Sephardlm or Spanish
Jews, tho men wear the Oriental dress. while
the women indulge In costume In which tho
Western fashions seem grated on those Of
the East. Tho visitors. who were for the most
part Ashkinazim or German Jews. could easily
be distinguished. as they always appear In the
clothes to which they are accustomed In cast
ha ronfaaaaA nj h,A
flowing robe OF Asia 10 preferable to the long
coat or gabardine OF Russia and Roumania.
The men usually walked. but . favorte
method OF locomotion among tho women was
donksyback. and very comical they looked. sit
ting astride very wide pads. with their skirts
we'll up to their knees. and their necks and
wrists and ioreheads bedizened with orna-
monts while their wigs were often . perfect
garden Of flowers. However pretty some OF the
faces OF tho Younger mopbers OF the female
pare for good looks with the Druse girls-noth-
Ing can compensate for the abominable prac-
Ss Wis u Sasf
which come low down upon the forehead. and
the falseness Of which no attempt ID made to
il occurred to me uIon this ,.. OCCASION ssa as
contrasted their chevelure with that u the
less than that square cutting across the fore
much in vogue in England and America for the
last fifteen years. popularity called banging.
na Th s si Ia q
child have since inuu..e OF some fashion,
able young Syrian ladies', and the younger ones
copied this from tho Partisan fashions lately
introduced at Beyrout. an obvious impossi-
they confirm the curious fact that this banging
has always been custom with the Druse poo
pie. The fine ladies' OF the present generation
have littlo guessed whom they were i'm tating
in setting saucers upon their own heads and
has around Sa aSovs their
Ing coul exceed in vulgarity the tinsel orna-
mentation of the Jewish heatidresses. and. to in
crease tho effect. various pigments were 8p-
parenty used by many OF tho ladies' to improve
their compilations.
the bathing season. the shore OF tho lake at
this point prosecuted an appearance OF unwont-
tents pitched round tine bath house. which al,
en.erPrising Syrian has leased this year from
the Govsrnment and Th ,i, 2, he even s
which It il distant from the town. 80 as 70 40
civilization at which tho. authorities took
any u BIS own money for the psSo eonysa.
ience In the manner proposed. The result 70
or 1 mat hSts Which are unSsarabiy hot during
the day. or ride from the town aud back again
for every bath. =,
Syria now IN insled with tho Jewish crowd. and
etroamed up the short ascent which lssds 70
tered q courtyard where the usual circular
exclusively male. The bedizsned females sal 50;
IN groups. feasiing on good things they had
5s wh them and slspS gun
and by the light OF numerous ilaring lamps
the general effect WAS quaint and gay enough
massive stone stair, entered q chamber where
the tomb Of the rabbi, was surrounded BY q
rabbis and their neophytse praying with the
swsying motion Of the body peculiar 70 thai
With Of mqsshh s hs w ~0s IL hs
chamber. WHICH was crowded. an Immense
%..s shed w ans Ss ns e" AWD,
ushereti Sy a Jew. WHO volunteered to be my
guide. into another room q iiinx hot. In which
somsshinx which IA led u to undsrstana. The
Sns TO m 70 Sa he WAS at
poment sailing by auction tho privilege o
hs n 1aSc ess
Jochai. who. however. seems to bs buried else
where. This privilege was put t up at two IA IA
audience IL 2 sonorogs Hebrew chant; The!
iiitls Iss1. the honey. absorbing 10 my inform
ant being Givon to the poor. After that
ss s%py
poeon.
Then sort Of procession was formed an,
the crowd surgpd out down tho steps to the
courtyard. In the centre of which wore two col
umns. each surmounted by u sort OF larg
saucer. Ths,excitsmsnt now became great. tn
dancing stopped; and men and women Ioins!
Iron cradle full Of flaming rags. which ha'
been lighted by the highest bidder. places
poured betts Of k Kerosens Of oil upon It. Peo
pie now came forward with offerings to b
burned These consisted for the most part. Al
far as could Judge. Of old handkerchief an,
scarfs. The theory IL that they should bs arti
eies Of value. covered with gold and silver GIN
broidery and that after their cOnsummato
by fire the residue Of gold and silver which re
mains should he scraped up and given to II
RAGS which saw would amount in value to to-
csnts. Then tho second bonfire was lighted
and as both piles blaZed up and shed their lur
glow over the eager faces Of swarthy men, wit
their long ear cnrls, and be1izened womeI