Jews -- Periodicals; Jews -- United States -- Periodicals
In his religious life the Jew of the Roman Ghetto resembles the
Lithuanian rather than the Western European. His religious activity,
to be sure, is restricted to the prayer services of the Temple, but
his Temple is more like a Beth Midrash than a symphony hall and
lyceum. Living within a Catholic environment, his religion has
been preserved as something positive, tangible, and powerful; and
if it is no longer an inspiring influence within him, it exists at
least as a reality outside of him. The religious institutions and
instrumentalities are looked upon by him as something hallowed and
consecrate. The synagogue is spoken of as the "sacro tempio" and the
rabbi, referred to by the Hebrew words "Morenu Harav," is looked up to
in matters religious as if he were the incumbent of the throne of
Moses. The place of worship is opened three times a day for the
traditional number of the daily public prayers, and young men as well
as old, unwashed and in their working garments, repair there directly
from their work to hear the "sacra messa," as the services are
sometimes termed by them. Most of the younger Jews are unable to read
the Hebrew prayers, some read without understanding them; but they all
know a few selected prayers by heart which they recite aloud with many
interesting gesticulations and genuflections, while in the pulpit the
Chasan reads the services from a prayer-book printed in Livorno,
chanting them in a monotonous sing-song not unlike what one often
hears in the chapels of St. Peter.
_Societies of Jewish Youth in Italy_
Racial consciousness is strong among these Jews of the Roman Ghetto.
They are to themselves, in common parlance, "Ibrim" or "Yahudim,"
which they utter not without pride, and the Gentile is looked down
upon as a mere "goi," while the passing priest is pointed out as a
"komer." If you ever happen to be in Rome, I should advise you take
one afternoon off, and ordering a "cafe noro" at some café house on
the Piazza Venezia, sit down quietly at a table on the terrace and try
to look Jewish. You will soon be assailed by a number of postal-card
venders coming one after another, until one importunate youth,
discovering your identity, will of a sudden change his attitude, and,
his obsequiousness gone, will enter with you into an intimate
conversation. He will tell you his name, his pedigree, and of the
"tempio," and of the street where many Jews live. He will no longer
entreat you to buy his goods; and if you do so, he will mumble out his
"grazie" rather perfunctorily. For are not all Israel of the same
descent?--and if they are not all princes, at least none of them is
better than a postal-card vender in Rome.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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