Norwich bulletin., 1913-01-08

y praying. Fasting means absolute ap- stinence from food and water. It is not uncommon for the older Jews to remain in tho 'syuaEorue for the whole 24 hours of that fast day.
 This Year is Lsap Year.
 This present year in our calendar is a leap year; when we have an ad- ditfonal month which is called the sec ond Adar On the fourteenth day of this month is celebrated the feast or is probably more feasting on Purim than there is on any other festival during the year. for the rabbinicai writings teach that when the Messiah comes all festivals will be abolished except that of Purirn; for they. say if the decree should have been fulfilled according to the wish of Hatnan every Jew would have been slaughtered and none would have renamed to nave told the sad tale.
 Passover About Easter Time.
 About Easter time the Jewish people celebrate the feast of Passover which continues for week. The Jews in their nasty retreat from Egypt made morial to the time no leaven of any kind is. used for the entire week. Matzoths or crackers made Of flour and water are eaten instead or bread. Before this holiday Is ushered in, the Jewish housewife has general houses cleaning and puts away all her dishes and culinary utensils which she gen- orally uses and brings out set kept especially for this week. for nothing Is allowed to be used which has come in contact with leaven of any kind. On the first evening of the Passover. the family gathers around the tapie, for divine service, during which the story of the defyeranee from Egypt is rehearsed and intoned aloud in unison. After the meal the service is taken up again by saying grace and h rsT- fr.r- bn sion. Here I may note that the good Jew says grace both before and after meals. On the second night Of the Passover the services are again re- peated. An interval of four days pass es and the seventh and eighth day are again celebrated as feast days. pe-- culiar custom fs followed at the eel ebration of, the first night by leaving an empty chair at the table at which there is place for a visitor who may happer to appear. The visitor who is expected Is Elijah the Prophet. who is supposed to appear at every Jews home during the celebration of this feast. .s-
 Prayers Three Times Daily.
 The Orthodox Jew is deveut almost to the extrene, in that, if he observed strictly the custom, he would go to the synagogue three times daily to say his prayers. In the morning be- fore he has had his breakfast he says the Kiriath Shbma and the Shemona Esreh which are portions of the Old Testament. The Shbna contains the confession of the unity of God and of the duties wrich they owe to Him. The Shemona Esreh which literally means the eighteen prayers, were com posed and instituted by Esreh and the other Rabaiis of the great syna- gogue, These prayers are enjoined te be said by ali that are of age, what ever sex or condition. either in pub lie at the synagogue, where To less than ten men must make up the. con- gregatfon, or in. private at their own dwellings, three times a day; that is in the morning, in the afternoon and at night.
 Training of the Boy.
 The Jewish boy, from the age of five is trained by his parents in the ob- servance of his daily prayers and he is obliged to attend the Hebrew school where, under the instruction of com potent Hebrew tutor, he gains his knowledge You will notice then that the Jewish boys who were born and bred in this country, that, in addition to the work of the public school. where he pursues his English studies from the beginning at the age of five years. at the same time begins his training in Hebrew. It is usual for the Jew ish boy to pursue the study of the Old Testament from the beginning to its end. until he has reached the age of thirteen, when he is confirmed and en- ters into the state of manhood. be- coming responsible for his own ac- tions thereafter, so that in the or dinary course of events, the Jewish boy has obtained n training in He- brew covering a period of eight years more or less, while at the same time he is diligently applying himself to his work required in the daily school. It may be seen that the Jewish boy ordinarily has better, sounder training and more comprehensive understand ing of the Old Testament from his constant reading of the Old Testa- ment.
 Women Not Counted.
 In the synagogue the women are not counted in making a number re- quired to hold services, as it takes ten males above the age of thirteen to hold services publicly. Indeed. wo- men and girls sit apart and the men and boys in the synagogue usually occupy the balcony: however, women are devout worshippers and give strict adherence to the Jewish laws and cus- toms. What am about now to mem tion, is no doubt upon the custom strictly observed by the Jewish wo- men ever since the law was first given upon Mount Sinai. and I venture to say that even at the present time, there- : is not Jewish householder at least not one in five hundred. who
 will deviate from this point.
 Four Sets of Culinary Utensils When g Jew settles in life. one of his first cares is to provide four sets i of culinary utensils, this arises from the interpretation of Moses command Thou shalt not seeth a kid in it's mothers milk Upon these few words the Talmpd. the collection of writers that are memorable to this day and "a bbi's have compared many volumes upon the subject, Every Jew has in his kitchen or where convenient, two cupboards ors other conyeniences; one for all kinds of utensils which are used by butter vfctuals and another set for meat utensils, that is to say, that meat and butter are not used together in any shape or form by Jewish Orth- odox people, and the Jewish house keeper is filled with dismay, if. by any mishap, the butter utensils should be mixed with the meat utensils. Such an event is I may add. rare occur renee; for to the credit of the Jewess to whose lot it falls to take charge of their households 1t may be said that they pay particular regard to this point.
 Domestic Life and Divorce. Domestic life among the Jews is usually very happy. and divorce is conspicuous. Divorce by person m rrfed under The Jewish law