The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-31
BLACKFAST CELEBRATION
1T Is ONE OF THE sADDEsT IN THE
JEWISH CALENDAR.
Next sunday Synagogues Will Be
Darkened and Congregations VIII
Listen to Lamentations.

In every orthodox Jewish church in the
world Sunday Will be observed the great
day or the saddest day in the whole Jew
ish calendar. The day Is known as the
Black Fast. or the Fast OF Alb. and occurs
on the 9th of the fifth month of Alb, a
month which corresponds roughly with the
end of July and the beginning of August.
This day Is the anniversary OF the two de-
structions of Jerusalem, the first by
Nebuehadnezzar, which resulted in the
Babylonish captivity; the second by Titus
when the Jewish nation was scattered over
the face OF the earth. Some historians de-
clare that this day is the anniversary of
five great calamities of the Jews Mishnah
speaks OF these five national calamities.
The first of these. he says, was the time
when the IsraeIites were doomed to stay
In the wilderness. The second calamity
was the destruction of Jerusalem under
Nebuchadnezzar; the third, the destruction
of Jerusalem under Titus; the fourth and
fifth, the fall of Bethar and the drawing of
the pillow over the Holy City and over the
temple year later in order to turn the
place into a Roman colony. The ninth day
of Alb has since been like the day of
atonement
SYNAGOGUES DARKENED.
The day is observed scrupulously from
sunset OF the eighth day until nightfall of
the ninth. The synagogues are darkened
so. that the light of the sun cannot pene-
trate within. Only a few dim candles are
lighted, the ornaments are all removed
and the ark is stripped of it's curtains. The
sermon consists OF readings from the book
OF Lamentations and dirges describing the
fall of Jerusalem and the scattering of its
people. These are conducted i'm low
mournful tone by the cantor. Instead of in
their allotted places, the custom in the old
days was for the worshipers TO be seated
on the ground. The more devout put ashes
on their heads, pulled of their shoes and
wept and sobbed as the story of the de-
struction of Jerusalem was told and retold.
TO them the catastrophies were the catas-
this sense of personal bereavement was
one OF the most striking phases of the
whole day. In some OF the churches where
number of the older Jews of the ortho-
dox religion adhere closely to these old Gus
toms, this ceremony is carried out. There
VIII be simple ceremony in the orthodox
church here and IL will not go to any eX-
tremes. The ceremony will begin the even
Ing before and the day of the Black Fast
VIII mean a partial abstinence of food.
The ceremony which includes the OBJ
servances OF the evening before will not
take place this year since the day preced-
ing is the Jewish Sabbath, which cannot
be day OF mourning. Ordinarily the last
meal before the holiday consists of Que
course. after which an egg dipped in ashes
Is eaten and with the setting of the sun be-
gins the twenty-four hours of fast. But
for three weeks previous the approach of the
day or mourning has been observed in the
ghettos of the world. on the seventeenth
day OF the Jewish month of Tammuz,
which fell on July II this year, there is a
fast day and the three weeks that follow
give name to the whole period, since the
period is known as THE Three Weeks"
This marks the date when the hordes of
Nebuchadnezar invested Jerusalem and
began the siege which Is recorded in the
book of Kings.
MEAT IS FORBIDDEN.
AS the three weeks advance the lines
tighten Meat is forbidden after the first
day of the Jewish month of Alb, that is, |
eight days before the final holiday. Wine |
may not be taken at all. These rules do not |
hold good on Sundays, however. Finally, |
when the great day comes. there is abso-
lutte fast, and not even the books of the |
law may be read, since these books give |
pleasure to the reader.
The book of Lamentations is read morn |
ing and evening in the synagogue on this |
day, the people chanting after their cam |
tor the mournful tale OF a scattered people. |
Besides the book of Lamentations there is |
another book, the book OF Kinoth. The |
reading of this book has a powerful effect. |
IL reviews the ancient fire of the Hebrew |
race Its story is that of persecution. the |
WTOnSS suffered ndnQS OF the Roman |
legionaries which began the endless chain |
OF Jewish persecution which paused so re- |
Gently at kishinen and may begin again |
In any Russian city tomorrow. Small won
der Is IL that the recitation of such fearful /
wrongs has been the lot of the Jewish peo-
pie and arouses within them a latent grief. |
A story from the book OF Kinoth marks
the present poignaney of these legends of |
centuries ago. IL Is known all over the |
world by every orthodox Jew and will be |
rehearsed again on Sunday for those who !
do not already know. This story tells OF |
one of the Roman tyrants who summoned |
before him ten learned Hebrew rabbis and |
commanded them to tell him the story of |
their Bible. They. began and the tyrant was |
at first much interested. but he grew !
weary, he finally interrupted them at the |
close of the story OF the treatment accorded |
Joseph by his brothers.
Your ancestors did Joseph a great |
wrong" roared the tyrant. "Now, / pro-
pose to avenge the wrong done him upon |
your bodies" Then he devised torments for |
the rabbis and they were all slain. The |
stories of their fortunes and the manner
in which they died all told in the |
''Kinoth." They were fearful tortures and
brave victims and the stories of these are
powerfully told
The Jews of the reformed church will
not observe the day. IL Is not their custom
and would not be in accordance with their
belief that the scattering of the Jews was
blessing rather than curse They have
Illusions about the return to Palestine.
Zionism Is not their dream. II il their be-
lief that the dispersal OF the nation was
the dissemination OF their religion, that il
gave To them the opportunity to teach to
all the world the message OF their true re-
ligion.
WORDS Of PRAISE