New-York tribune., 1900-12-30
/ JUDAS M4ccABEUS" on THE EAST SIDE.
THE ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION OF LoNeFE1.-
LOWS POEM INTERPRETED By JEWS.

LOWS POEM INTERPRETED By JEWS
Last week the Jewish population of the
lower East Side kept holiday along with
the rest of the world. The holiday was not
Christmas, of course although this year it oc-
Cured at the same time. 1t was the celebra-
tion of Chanucha, the festival of the Macca-
bees which hands down from generation to
generation the fame of the family which de-
Iivered the Jews from the persecution of Antio-
chus and cleansed the Temple from its pollution
by the Greeks Chanucha is not festlVai OF
the importance of Passover or Purinl, but II Is
generally observed by the orthodox Jews. The
symbolic candles burn every night Tor the eishC
days in thousands of East Side tenements' ana
the ordinary fare is enriched with festival dain-
ties
This year Chanucha brought new pleasure
to the lower East Side The Educational AL
lance gave number of performances OF play
which dealt in rather novel fashion with the
romance Of Jewish history commemorated by the
feast. Longfellow's Judas Maccabseus" was
read aloud to the audience and illustrated in
pantomime by children taken from the various
departments of the institutions work.
A young girl in Greek costume the reader,
and an excellent one. She stood outside the cur
tain at one side, and made the words of the
poet audible in every part of the hall. Two small
pages, types of exquisite Oriental beauty, were
dressed in the costume of the period and drew
the curtain aside for the various scenes. The
first picture represented the King Antiochus.
declaring his intention of turning the Jews
from their harsh and un@sthetic religion to the
Greek worship of beauty and pleasure. Jason,
the renegade Jew, warns him that he will not
find his task an easy one; but the easy CONVEX
sion of few Samaritans builds up false hopes
for the King. Everything was done by look and
gesture keeping time with the clear voice Of the
reader. About this time the audience became
excited. The East Side Jews are quiet folk,
If nobody says conversion" to them, but they
can, if necessary, demonstrate their Oriental
origin. The following tableau. representing
Eliezir the high priest. being tortured, rather
than eat the flesh of swine, called forth en-
thusiastic applause The lights were low and
me effect was realistic enough to rouse the
racial enthusiasm of far less sensitive audience
than this one of East Side Hebrews.
But the piece de resistance of the evening
came when the curtain was drawn back to dis
cover Hannah weeping for her seven sons. "A
girl whose spiritual face well suited the charac-
ter of the noble and unhappy mother played
Hannah with real feeling. It would be no easy
task for an older and more accomplished actress
to give a fair idea of the anguish of mother
who can hear in the next room the groans of
her tortured sons and this girl of fourteen or
fifteen entered into the spirit of the part in
manner that showed temperament" II not
talent The audience was keyed up to fine
frenzy by this time, and when the ghosts Of the
martyrs passed at the back of the stage there
were little gasps of awe all over the hall.
Everybody entered into Hannah's dread lest
some of the sons might be tortured into for
swearing that belief in the one God daily to
profess which is part of every Jews education
At last the curtain was drawn, and only SIX sons
had died It was feared especially by one small
boy with big eyes, that Syrlon, the youngest,
was about to disgrace himself and his mother.
The next scene showed the six murdered sons
lying in a heap in the middle of the stage, While
Syrion by the hand and urging Hannah to save
his life by telling him to recant. Hannah, putting
her arms around thz child bade him be true TO
the God of Israel and die like his brothers. Wnen
Syrion nodded his little head and turned his
grave baby eyes TO Antiochus in defiance, the
applause ofthe spectators was tumultuous.
Following scenes showed Judas Macca beus
calling the Jews to fight for their faith and their
temple the populace focking to him and hail
ing him the savior of the people. Judas
was a dignified boy of about sixteen years old,
and he bore his honOrs with gravity. When
Jason the Traitor was brought before him he
scornfully sent him away to be a wanderer on
the face of the earth forever. Jason's remorse
perhaps softened the hearts of the spectators,
/ for he not Kissed, as Haman invariably is
at Purim plays which tell the story Of Esther.
The final scene showed Antiochus, smtten
! with sudden death and declaring his defeat by
I that God Of the Hebrews whom he had wished
! to dethrone. Judas Maccab9us, accompanied
! by 4 throng Of people, came in just in time to
/ wave the flag of Zion over the corpse of the
King, amid the silent gesticulations of the popu-