The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-05-19
'PiCK|N||G Up MON[
PRAYING FOR DEAD.

-.[I1hlnv0 TUT ULhU
Kaddish Saying a Profession
That Offers a Livelihood
to Beggar Students.
/ The Ghetto has many queer trades
and professions. One of them is the
calling of Kaddish saying.
The Kaddish Is the prayer which
the Jews offer for the repose of the
souls Of their dead. 1t is recited by
the sons or other near kindred of the
| departed In the morning, afternoon
and evening prayer services. 1t
should be said every day for a year
after the death of the person prayed
! for, and thereafter on every anniver
are any sons or other male kindred OF
the deceased surviving.
The Kaddish must always be recit-
ed In congregation of worshippers,
at least in body of a ''minyan" OF
persons praying, the "minyan" con-
s.stlng of 10 men. For this reason it
is necessary to go to the synagogue to
say the Kaddish or to call together
a gathering of worshippers for the
purpose, says the New York Sun.
According to the statute in Israel,
when a man dies his sons, and in de-
fault Of his sons his father, must re-
cite the Kadd1sh for the repose of his
soul. But what ii man has lett pe,
hind him neither parent nor male is
sue? Suppose he left only daughters,
who are not permitted to enter the
male apartment Of the synagogue to
repeat the Kaddish-what then?
This case Is provided for by regu.
J lar corps of professional Kaddish say
els found i'll almost all large syna
gOgues. whose occupation it is to re-
peat the Kaddish for the souls of the
departed for. due remuneration. Kad-
dish saying for the souls Of those who
have left no male children nor parent
behind them has thus become a pro-
fession.
Often people who have not been
blessed with "a Kaddish of their
own feeling that they are near death
make all necessary provisions to have
the Kaddish recited for them, and ar
range things with the Kaddish sayer
up to the smallest details. Sometimes
a relative or friend is constituted as
Kaddish sayer, and in that case he is
usually remembered in the will
ITO have a Kaddish"-that is the
wish Of every Jewish mother and ev.
cry Jewish father. One of the real
tragedies of Jewish life in Russia is
that so many Of the Jewish sons, rear
ed and cherished and brought up with
tender care and loving kindness, after.
ward depart for America and there in
that Goddess country" as many OF
the parents view it, the children u.s.
ually forget to recite the Kaddish
after the parents left behind pass
away.
Death Makes Business Good.
The professional Kaddish sayers OF
New York's ghetto are mostly "batlo
him. or beggar students of the Torah,
plous young men who spend their days
and their nights in the synagogues
engaged in the study OF Talmud and
its endless commentaries. Some OF
these INDECENT and dilapidated stu.
dents of the Jewish law study with the
object of becoming rabbis, or jewish
judges, or official slaughterers or cat
tie; but others simply study for the
sake Of ''the dear BRIDE" which is the
law, and these have no easy time
The pay for saying the Kaddish.
Says an observer of things in the
ghetto, is not very high, and in slack
time when folks evince spiteful
tendency to cling to life or are bent
| on giving up the ghost only after they
have begotten male descendants, the
professionals are apt to be somewhat
ragged in aspect and in distress gen-
orally. Still, when the Lord Ia his
infinite mercies grants good business,
and people die often and without sons,
kaddish saying may not be the mean
est or least rem"ncrative OF trades"
Sampson Ledderhandler, a Jewish
writer who is we'll acquainted with
their modes of existence has written
a story dealing with the life Of the
Jewish batlonim, or beggar students,
especially those who exc out living
by reciting the Kaddisn for the dead.
The scene of the story is the Beth
Hamidrash Hagodal, or the great syn-
agogue on Norfolk street.
The batlon1m and Kaddish sayers
are introduced to us at time when
much mental anxiety prevails among
them, and they are confronted by a
calamity. The new president of the
synagogue has discovered that in or
der to say the Kaddish for the souls of
number OF dead the hired Kaddish
sayer must -ecite the general Jewish
prayers morning. afternoon and ev-
ening many times every day, and this
is contrary to the law which forbids
man to repeat the prayers more
than limited number IF times, for
every time superfluous prayer is re-
cited the name of God is pronounced
In vain.
Helping the Gone Soul.
"Reh Dovid Yudel," said Moyshele
the baton, 1.-The times are evil, the