Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-01
A NOVEL DIVORCE.
Curious Jewish Rite Performed
at Louisville.
DIVORCED FROM A DEAD HUSBAND

And at the Same Time Freed from Her
Brother-in- Laws Claim Upon Her-The
Mosaic Law Carried Out to the Letter
by Executing an Elaborate and Unique
operati on-The Woman Paints at the
Close of the Ordeal.
LOUISVILLE, Oct. IA ceremony rarely
witnessed in the United States occurred at
the temple of the Bnai Jakob congregation
Sunday. 1t was the divorcing of woman
from her dead husband and his brother at
the same time The ceremony is according
TO the Mosaic law of the Hebrews. and is
only performed by the most orthodox Of
that sect This law, which comes dow 4 from
Abraham, is that if woman is childless
when left a widow she is at the disposal of
her husbands oldest brother. The latter
may compel the widow to marry him, or by
a simple public ceremony free her But she
can never marry another without being
divorced from the dead husband and re-
ceiving the REIMBURSEMENT of the living
brother at the same time.
The Parties to the Case.
The woman who figured in this remarka
BILE ceremony was Mrs Emma Levin, whose
husband was murdered several months ago.
The brother-in law is Israel Moses Levin.
Mrs Levin desired to marry again, being
but 20 years old, but she could not do sc
without this ceremony. Two rabbis from
Chicago performed the operation separating
the living from the dead. The temple was
filled with members Of the congregation and
a few outsiders The two rabbis seated
themselves at a small table, Israel Moses
Levin and the widow standing before them
The spectators left their seats and crowded
about the man and woman.
I>raers Part in the Ceremony.
The rabbis asked Israel whether it was
his intention TO claim his brothers widow
for a wife. Israel answered NO" Israe
then crossed over to a front corner of the
hall, the rabbis accompanying and the
crowd surging behind. Here he removed
one Of his shoes and the sock, and rolled hii
pantaloon leg up TO the knee. A member Of
the flock produced a basin, and, kneelIns
down, ashed lsrael's foot One of the rab
bis then gave HIM a sort of moccasin mad,
of bear skin, which he pl aced on his foot
sheepskin thong an inch wide and six feet
long was then laced through the eyeiets Of
the moccasin and wrapped about israets
leg TO the knee.
The Widow Takes a Hand.
where Israel was standing She bowed hel
head to him, then kuet down and united th,
knot in the thong, unwrapping it with hei
left hand from the mans leg. With bel
right hand she removed the foot covering
and, still kneeling, cast it behind her Thi.
was symbolical of throwing of the bond,
which bound her TO Israel Moses Levin, heI
brother-in-law, through her dead husband
Then she spat twice, according TO instruc
tons, and began to pray in Hewbrew.
Faint and "a Panic.
During all this ordeal the woman tremblei
from head to foot Before she finished the
prayer her face became asheu, she reeled.
then fell to the floor in a dead faint Their,
was panic in the temple, some of thos,
present rushing for the door, while other.
began to shrek. After nearly half an hour
had elapsed she recovered ami was taken K
her home by her friends.