THE JAIL
There are about twenty-five of them. They wanted to sneak out of the army,—with Polish Jews nobody knows where he is. Not even a court-martial. They have had them here for several months now and can get nothing out of them. They have no documents, they say that everything was destroyed during the Russian invasion; all they have is an endorsement from the heads of their local authorities that they are actually students for the rabbinate, but several of these heads are locked up here with them to be on the safe side, for these endorsements are exceedingly suspicious. You see them at exercise; one was a shop-keeper, one was an official in a Savings Bank, one was a tenant of an estate, one was a barber, one was a private gentleman,—the war came and he described himself as a student for the rabbinate, that is, as one who was learning the sacred theology of the Jews and who had a claim to exemption from military service. Their authorities gave them papers confirming that they actually were studying, one with this rabbi, the other with that one, another again was studying at home; at last the whole affair became suspicious to the military and they took them. They eat according to their ritual. That is, a Jewish benevolent society here provides them with food prepared according to the ritual. Papritz, a great anti-Semite, has fits of rage from time to time and forbids it to them; the Jews starve, deputations proceed in the meanwhile to Papritz, until he graciously gives permission again, only to forbid them afresh after a few days. And on the Sabbath they sing their religious songs."
I listened,—the singing was drawn out in a melancholy, lamenting, yearning manner, then they struck a few powerful notes, and the choir sang something which sounded immensely triumphant, exulting and mighty. It was from such songs that Goldmark is said to have derived tunes for his "Queen of Sheba".
103
