Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-09-22
EST FLOODED
JEWS ARE Ex|LES
IlanderS Of the Caucasus Who
l4ye Kept Free From Gentle
Admixture.
elRN THE PLAINS PEOPLE
|hoir Language and Many OF Their
cuetoms Are Peculiar-Date and
circumstances OF Settlement In
That Region Unknown.

That Region Unknown.
TOndon.--Of all the scattered tribes
nd remnants of the Jewish people,
ne Is less known to the world AT
kfie. and certainly none presents Il
Iofe striking contrast to the common
Exception OF the modern children OF
fael than the Jewish Highlauders Of
. eastern Caucasus. Yet there are
Qbably none in all the world who
kye kept the Jewish blood more pure
ia free from gentle admlXture, nor
M who have more faithfully pre-
Arved the traditions, beliefs and Gus
rms Of the times before the exile.
Indeed, they hold themselves quite
IIOOf from the other Jews OF the eau
neus region, refusing to intermarry
vith them. TO worship with them, or
wen to have social or commercial in
efcOurse with them beyond the Limits
the barest necessity. No Scottish
highlander ever scorned the LOWlander
ne-half so much as these Highland
& Jews scorn their kinsmen OF the
1alQs and of the urban ghetto
Madltions Fail to Explain.
The date and the circumstances or
Biz settlement in the Caucasus high
IDS ARD unknown, even in their own
additions. but 1t is certain that they
I've been there for nearly a thousand
hrs. Yin that time their physical
Sractefistics have been materially
2difed by their environment ana
neie Of life. With characteristic jew
III faces and complexion, they have
UT Stalwart, muscular bodies, re-
lel&bling the best of the Hill men of
India, or some of the giant Highland
erSaof Scotland. Their life is of course
pufely rural, since they have no CON
Sldtrable towns, and they devote them
DelIes to agriculture, and the growing
n 5grapes and tobacco. From the
fapes they make both wine and
.h(andy, and of these beverages they
AIe heavy drinkers Indeed they have
he unenviable reputation of being the
Jfd<St drinkers in all that part of the
world which might easily he, since
1.-THE Mohammedan tribes around them
|are almost entirely total abstainers
However, drunkenness is little known
|among them, If at all.
oil
Ills generally characteristic Of noun
Ftntneers. and in these highland Jews
1T Is highly developed. They always
Ego armed, as do the Montenegrins, and
Iare never backward in using their
Weapons for defense. They do not,
however. share in any Of the blood
! feiids of the CircaSsian trhcsmen, nor
tdO they join in their raids and quar-
IJes
Peculiar Language.
Their language is neither Hebrew
Or that of the country in which they
I've but rather what philologists term
&arSi-Tartar. or mlngling of old Per
Sian and Tartar. From this circum-
ttance II is inferred that their ances-
LtOrs went to the Caucasus from Persia
Yin the days of Cyrus the Great, or
FDarius. Perhaps they We're fugltive>
from Persian captivity; or else they
preferred going 10 the Caucasus
rather than back to Palestine. There is
indeed one ancient legend which tells
that they wandered northward in quest
of Mount Ararat and the remains OF
kNoah's ark.
The patrarChal mode, of life pre-
tails among them. When son mar.
rles he does not establish home OF
his own. He simply builds a wing or
his fathers house and lives in ii. II
this fashion there are often three OF
four generations living in Il single
house, which consists of single story
spread over large area of ground
Each house has it's own allotment Of
lnnd, comprising grain field tobacco
field, vegetable garden and vineyard
and all are kept in high state Of cul
tivaton, though with primitive meth
DDS. Each garden Is inclosed within
ka wall OF ruhbe 9nd clay about ST,
g.feat high.
These highland Jews have no rabbi
and no religious head. They have n
synagogues and no liturgy. They hay
scroll Of the law, but it is used onl,
for reference They observe the Sal
bath in the strictest Mosaic fashion,
doing no work and cooking no food, al
food requiring it being cooked on tn
preceding day. They keep the Pass
over, not ny eating unleavened hreaC
because all their bread is always Ill
! leayened, but by eating an evenin
meal IN common IL the OMEN air. II
4 s-~- --.-