Pictures of Jewish Home-Life Fifty Years Ago | Page 8

and I imagine nowhere else can
there be anything like it. I called it the 'Female Club' instead of 'An Old
Maids Club,' as Mr Zangwill did, for there were no old maids waiting
near the oven.
"Most of them come as early as 5 a.m., and none care to leave till they
have their cakes baked, for, if you do, your tins will be pushed aside as
you are not there to scream at and scold the baker--if someone slips a
copper into his hand he, on the quiet, puts their tins in first, though they

may have come later!
"Besides, if you are not there to watch carefully (for the tins are not
named or numbered), someone might take your tins in exchange for his
own, if the cakes, etc., look more tempting. During Purim this is not
looked upon as stealing, but merely as a joke or a bit of fun. The
youngsters will not move an inch unless they can trust someone to take
their place. So I leave you to try to imagine the noise and the chatter.
There is probably not a thing that has happened in Jerusalem during the
last two months that is not discussed around the public oven while
people are waiting for their cake-tins; and, as everyone wants to talk
rather than to listen, the noise is like the buzz in a factory.
"After all the cooking and so forth was finished, of course we had to
keep the Fast of Esther, and everyone, even babies went to Shule to
hear the Megilla (the _Book of Esther_) read; and, when the Chazan
came to Haman, the Gragers went off with just such a noise as they do
in the London Shules in Old Montague Street or Booth Street. Then we
went home; and after the evening meal the joyfulness began, for they
did not wait till the next day, as we do in England.
"As only one room was lighted up by each family to economize light
and for other reasons--there are no curtains or blinds to draw down--we
were able to go through all Meah Sheorim and stop a minute or two at
every lighted window and watch the goings on. We heard nothing but
singing and clapping of hands, while the children danced. Sometimes
one of the elders looking on could not resist joining in the fun, and tied
his kaftan behind his back so as to leave his legs free, put one of the
youngsters on his shoulders, and danced like a chassid or a jolly
Irishman.
"As we went from house to house peeping in at the windows,
sometimes some of the family would come out and drag us in by force,
and make us drink wine and eat cakes. If we did not wish to join in the
dancing, but wanted to leave, they would just say 'Shalom'--'go in peace
but come again.' I can tell you it was jolly, and nowhere else in all the
world could Yomtov be kept up as it is here.
"We were given wine in so many houses that from the eldest to the
youngest we were beginning to feel rather funny. Next morning, after
being well shaken up by Father, and after we had had a wash with cold
water in the open air, we made up our minds to be firmer at the next

Purim.
"After going in the morning to hear the Chazan again, and coming
home and enjoying the Hamantaschen and other good things, then
begins the pleasure and excitement of sending Shalach-manoth to
friends, acquaintances, and chiefly to the poor, and even to enemies if
you have any. As you are supposed, if possible, to send back to the
sender something similar to what is sent to you, things cannot be made
ready beforehand. To the poor you always send useful presents as well
as delicacies which are likely to last them for months or longer.
"As to the beggars, I never imagined there could be so many in one
country. We generally get enough beggars coming to us on Fridays and
before holy days, but at Yom Kippur and Purim they come in crowds.
Most of them are Sephardim and Yeminites. It is true you give each of
them only a para, which is about a quarter of a farthing, and they give
you a blessing for it; but, if they come to a rich class of home and are
not given there according to the style of the house, they upbraid the
people, and even curse them, so the children are told to stand at the
doors with paras and cakes, etc. At some houses they are invited in.
Each carries a sack on his shoulder, expecting, I suppose, that it will be
filled