Mother and Son
Scene
A room in the house of the old rabbi, which during his lifetime served as a chamber of justice, where he decided disputes between his people and rendered ritual opinions. In the back-ground are two small windows, hung with white curtains. At the left, is a door leading into the hall; another door farther back leads to Gitele’s room. At the right, is a door leading to other parts of the house.
The apartment is furnished with a long, plain table, at the head of which stands a very large wooden armchair. Near it is an old upholstered armchair. There are also long benches, a large doorless closet, whose shelves are lined with old, well-worn books, an altar, a holy ark, and so forth, in appropriate positions. Over the table hangs a huge chandelier and upon the walls are brass candleholders. Between the windows hangs a large portrait of the rabbi, who has been gathered to his Fathers. The walls and the low ceiling of the room are whitewashed. Over the entrance door, however, a bare patch has been left—a reminder of the destruction of the Temple. Large charity-boxes, upon which are pasted labels bearing the inscription: “Reb Maier, the Worker of Miracles, Jerusalem, etc.”, are nailed to the door-posts. On the table stand two large brass candlesticks, the candles in which are partly
19
