405

LEAVE WASLUI-ARRIVAL IN JASSY.

We left Waslui about two o'clock in the morning, while it was yet dark, and at seven rested for some hours at a wretched khan, large and nearly empty, under a shed. There were several extensive marshes near, from which dense exhalations were rising drawn out by the morning sun. These must render this part of the country very unwholesome. Proceeding northward up a long valley, the summits of the hills being generally covered with trees, the appearance of the country gradually improved, and in the afternoon we came to a really pleasant view. The valley was closed up with hills finely wooded with elms, wild apple-trees, and plums, richly laden with fruit. The woodbine and hop-plant were twining round the trees, and many wild flowers gave a charm to this wilderness. Our road was directly over the ridge of hills, and our postilions continued to urge on their horses with their barbarian cries till we reached the summit. A deep wooded ravine now lay beneath, and beyond it the vast undulating plain of Jassy. Several miles off the city appeared of great extent, the houses white, spires glittering, and much verdure round.

We entered it before sunset, and passed through long streets of artisans, the houses all of one story, and poorer than those of Bucarest. The Jews were busily employed in shutting up their shops and dressing. Many families were already on their way to the synagogue; for no one would be absent on so solemn an occasion as the beginning of the Day of Atonement. Many of them were fine-looking men, and the Jewesses were beautifully attired, some wearing jewels, Putting up our carriage, we hastened to the synagogue, which we found crowded to excess; even the women's gallery was quite full, and there were many children. The Absolution Chant, known by the name of "Col Nidre," had been sung before we entered. This we wished much to have heard, the tune being plaintive and beautiful, and one which the Jews believe was brought from Sinai. Three rabbis stand up dressed in white, and in their own name, and in the name of God, absolve all in the synagogue from the sins committed in the year past. The number of large candles lighted, and the multitude of worshippers, made the atmosphere quite oppressive in all the synagogues we visited; and the perspiration was running down in streams from the zealous devotees, whose cries and frantic earnestness might be heard afar off. They clapped their

BRITISH CONSUL-SYNAGOGUE.

407

hands, clasped them, wrung them, struck the prayer-book, beat upon their breast, and writhed their bodies, again reminding us of the Jews of Saphet and Tiberias. On this occasion, the Jews keep up prayer all night and all the next day, till the time of evening when "the stars appear."

We left them for the present, and found our way to the house of the British Consul-general, Mr Gardner, who received us with great kindness. We afterwards found a lodging in the Hotel St Petersburgh, a large establishment kept by a baptized Jew of the Greek Church.

Early next day (Sept. 18) we sought out the synagogue again. The Jews come up to the solemnity of the Atonement from the country, as they did to Jerusalem in former days. We visited twelve of their synagogues, and found all crowded with men, women, and children, in the same manner as the previous night. At one of them we saw many mothers with their children at the breast or in cradles, sitting on the outside dressed in their finest clothes. It reminded us of the fast described by Joel," Assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts." As there was not sufficient room within, many men were sitting under the shade of the walls, looking with their faces towards Jerusalem, and praying along with those inside. The floor of the synagogue was for the most part strewed with straw or hay, to add to the comfort of the worshippers in their long service; for most of them put off their shoes, the day being so holy. the synagogue is full of immense lighted candles. mily provides one, and each member has a thread in the wick of the candle. These represent the soul of each person according to their interpretation of the Proverb, "The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord." On so solemn a day as this, no Jew will touch one of these candles, even were it to fall and endanger the safety of the synagogue. To do so would be accounted servile work, and therefore they employ a Gentile servant, who is called in when any lights require to be trimmed.

All day Each fa

In the prayers, they go over the greater part of Lev. xvi, in which the sacrifices of the day of atonement are described. The rest of the service consists in reading a Hebrew poem, of which we were assured that most of the worshippers scarcely understood one word, because it is most difficult Hebrew.

Joel 11. 16

2 Prov. xx. 27.

408

DAY OF ATONEMENT-SYNAGOGUES.

Yet all were engaged in reading it aloud.

Sometimes they came to a chant, when the deep bass voice of the chanter was contrasted with the tenor voices of a few young men ; the effect was often very plaintive, and sometimes ludicrous. Again and again the whole congregation broke in with " Amen," pro

Many of the men seemed already quite

wearied with their worship, or rather with their bodily exercise, and many had their eyes red and swollen with weeping; a good number of the married men wore the

(halukah),

or white shirt of the rabbis. Among the women, some were weeping, and others sobbing aloud. A few boys were as seriously engaged as their elders.

There are 200 synagogues in the town, and about thirty of these are large. In one quarter there are twenty all within the space of a street. Some of the buildings had their roofs fancifully painted with figures, representing Paradise and the Creation-wild beasts, trees, and fishes, the golden candlestick also, and table of show bread. In several parts near the entrance of the town, we noticed the Eruv, or string stretched from house to house across the street, to make it a walled town, the same as we had observed at Saphet.'

1 See p. 283.

JEWISH STATISTICS-JEWS.

409

We found it impossible to ascertain with accuracy the numbers of the Jews in Jassy. The Consul reckoned the whole population of the city at 50,000, and the Jews at somewhat less than the half, perhaps 20,000. This would coincide with the reckoning of many of the Jews themselves, who gave their numbers at 5500 families. The highest estimate we heard from a very intelligent Jew was 10,000 families, while the lowest was 3500, or about 15,000 souls. They are regarded by the Government as a separate community, and the capitation-tax is not levied from them individually, but from their chief men, who are left to gather the sum from their brethren in the way they think most equal and fair. Each family, at an average, pay a ducat, equal to ten shillings. The way in which the rulers of the Jews levy the tax is as follows:-They lay it not on the provisions of the poor, but on articles of luxury. For example, a goose is sold for about a zwanzig,1 but they put a tax on it of half a zwanzig and eight paras. Thus the rich, who wish luxuries, pay a high price for them; while the poor, who are content with the necessaries of life, escape. They do not consider themselves oppressed by the Government, but the common people use them ill. As an instance of this, we were told that a Moldavian would often reply, when asked by a Jew to do something for him, "I would as soon do it for a Zingan." The name "Zingan," and the epithet " cursed," is often applied to them. All the Jews here speak a corrupt dialect of GerThey follow all trades, except that of a smith; the most are tailors, shoemakers, carpenters, and watchmakers; a few are idle, and sleep in the streets. There have been about twenty converts to the Greek Church. Three of these are persons of respectability, one the keeper of the hotel, another a carpenter, and the third a student at college-but all were very ignorant. The Jews believe that their true reason for seeking baptism was, that they might get more freedom. It did not make any difference in regard to their employment. If any of the chief Jews were to profess Christianity, many would follow their example. Some of them expressed their belief that Messiah would come in the year 1840, others think it is to be in the seven-thousandth year of the world, and then a time of Sabbaths is to follow. There is a belief, too, among many of them, that the Russians (whom they suppose to be 1 For the value of the different coins see Appendix, No. 1L

man.

66

410

JASSY-SCHOOL-SYNAGOGUES.

the Javan of Zech. Ix. 13) are to have the dominion of the world.

There are many Jewish Schools in Jassy, but none of them good. Six of the principal families have refused to send their children to any of these schools to be taught the Talmud, because they think that such studies make them mean and degraded; they either send them elsewhere, or employ a private tutor. The severe discipline used in Smyrna is not altogether unknown here; for a Jew who acted as our guide told us that his son often came home with his ears bleeding, his hair torn out, and nose twisted, all by the barbarous treatment of his teacher; so that the father has frequently intended complaining to the police, or sending his boy to be taught in Russia.

About six in the evening, we went to two of the largest synagogues, to see the ceremonies of the day of atonement concluded. When the sun is setting they pray for the last time, and their crying out is intense, far beyond all their previous supplications; for if they do not obtain pardon of their sins before the stars appear, they have no hope remaining of obtaining forgiveness for that year. When about to utter their last prayer, a trumpet is sounded like that of the New Year, but only one blast. Then all is over! and forth they come to the light of the risen moon, pouring like a stream from the synagogue. They stood in groups, all turning their faces toward the moon,-for the Jews believe that the spots in the moon are the Shecinah. Each group had a lighted candle, to enable one of their number to read the prayer addressed to the Shecinah in the moon. Some held up their hands, others roared aloud, and all shewed by their gestures the intense feeling of their heart. It was a grotesque scene, as well as peculiarly novel, to stand amid such a company, each in hi high fur-cap the tallith round his shoulders, and generally his beard flowing wide over the book he was reading. As w looked upon the crowds of worshippers that filled the spacious court of the synagogue, and saw their white eyes ever and anon turned up toward the bright moon, we were irresistibly reminded of the days when the fathers of that singular people forsook the worship of Jehovah, and "served Baa and Ashtaroth," and "made cakes to the queen of heaven."" This service being done, they appeared as if relieved from the pressure of an overwhelming load, for they had fasted and

Judg. n. 13; x. 6 Jer. VII. 18.