Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 November 1874 — The Jewish Passover. [ARTICLE]

The Jewish Passover.

Thk observance of this festival is prescribed in Exodus xxiii. (See also Leviticus xxiii., and Deuteronomy xvi.) Itoccurs in the Jewish month of Abib (Nisan), usually about the latter part of March or the beginning of April in the calendar year, and lasts strictly seven days, although the more orthodox observe elgbt.yowing to- an uncertainty which once arose about the almanac and froifl which in all these many centuries they have not recovered. The first day and the last are sacred, and are marked by a total suspension of work. There are services in the synagogues of unusual length and solemnity, at which persons attend who do not observe a Sabbath in the whole year. They close their shops everywhere; dwellers in the country where there are no Jewish communities repair to the city and put up with friends, or at Jewish inns, until the week is over, travelers return to their homes, and in fine every stray orthodox lamb puts in an appearance. An unusual amount of friendliness and benevolence is prevalent and the enjoyment is general. But, after all, these lire not the distinguishing features of the Passover. All the festivals are marked more or less in this way. Its real characteristic is its unleavened food, and the operation which this peculiar diet has upon Jewish tables. All leavened food and fermented drink are prohibited, and everything containing any mixture of either, such matter being known by its Hebrew name, chometz. With respect to this the festival is observed with extraordinary strictness. By noon the day before the Passover sets in every house is completely cleaned. All the table and kitchen utensils, dishes of every description, knives forks, table-covers, wine glasses—every thing, in fine, that has even the remotest connection with the preparation or consumption of food or drink, besides, of course, all unconsumed groceries—are removed to the attic or some other distant anti unoccupied quarter of the house. In place of all this house,warean equally complete array, which has never been used except for the unleavened food of this festival, is brought down from the attic and arrayed for a week’s brief service. Each little Israclitish lamb lias probably its own private Passover mug, the gift perhaps of some friend or relative ; and how the youngsters rejoice over their familiar favorites as they are taken from their year’s confinement! While these dishes are used the greatest care is taken to prevent their contact with chometz. Should such collision accidentally happen, the contaminated utensil in thoroughly orthodox households is sundered from the rest of the Passover ware, and thereafter is doomed to perpetual associat ion with the plebeian crockery up-stairs. —OaUxxy far November.