The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-10
RARE JEWISH CEREMONY.
Man Relieved of Obligation to Mar
~ His Deceased Brothers. wife.

Otcthscu w
From the New York Times.
An extraordinary rare ceremony,
based by the Jews directly upon the
teachings OF the Old Testament. was
performed yesterday in this city when
a young woman who had Travelled TO-
900 miles was released from the obliga-
ton OF marrying her deceased hus-
bands brother. The obligation OF q
woman marrying the brother OF her
deceased husband, according to an
Gent law. arose when her husband died
before children were born to the pair.
The marriage was known as levi
rate marriage" Hastings Bible Die
tionary says that the purpose of mar
rage OF this character is that the de-
ceased husbands brother may raise
UP children to the dead man, 10 whom
the children produced by such a mar
riage were then supposed to belong"
The young woman in the case is Mrs.
Coda Laos, a young Roumanian jew
ess from Bucharest. A little over three
years ago she married Emanuel Laos,
when she was but eighteen years old.
Within three months the husband died.
All this happened in Bucharest
The brotherin-law, whom. according
to the faith. the young woman must
marry, is Samuel Laos, of SIG East
Forty-ninth street, this city. Laos was
already married, and therefore. of
course, could not have married the
widow of his brother, even il he had
wanted to. The young woman opened
negotiations with her New York rela-
1--WE soon after the death of her hus-
band, but her brother-in-law found it
impossible to travel abroad to have the
ceremony or dispensing with the oblis
cation TO marry performed. Without
this dispensation, according to the
law, the widow could not marry again.
AS nothing remained under the cir
cumstances, the widow decided to come
to America to get the desired release,
and 1t was this ceremony which was
performed yesterday in a little front
room on the second floor of tenement
house at 109 Norfolk street.
In preparation for the ceremony all
chairs were removed from the room
and two unplaned boards were brought
in and placed on supports forming a
V-shaped bench. On this bench sat the
Senate, Rabbi B. Moot, accompanied
by four assistants. Ten witnesses and
the parties most interested entered the
room and took their places standing.
Then the brother-in- entered the
ROOM He took his place resting against
purpose of slanting against the wall.
Next the widow entered. She is a come
ly young woman, dressed simply for
the occasion, without ornaments or
jewels, and wore a long black veil
thrown over her head and shoulders.
The ceremony began by introducing
witnesses that the woman principal of
the ceremony had no children. and that
Laos was the brother-in-law of the
widow.
Ibid you demand that this man be-
come your husband?' asked the rabbi.
II did, and he refused" said the wo-
man.
Ibid you refuse to marry this wo-
MANI" asked the rabbi of Laos.
II did, because 1 have already taken
a wife,
A portion of the Talmud was read
by the rabbi, who, at the end of the
reading, produced a sandal of peculiar
and ancient pattern. It was made of
two pieces of leather, and was fastened
with latches and two long thongs
STOPPING. he fastened this to the foot
of Laos.
The widow was then directed to kneel
in front of the man and use only her
right hand to unite the shoe. After this
was done she arose, held the shoe high
above her head and cast IL on the floor
in front. of her brother-in- At the
same time she spat on the floor at his
feet.
The two principals were then direct
ed TO repeat after the rabbi. The Sem
ators then said:
I'VE are here present to see that
you are released from each other for
ever. Each can go his way, as each is
free"