Childhood in Old Jerusalem on Hannukah

Childhood in Old Jerusalem on Hannukah

Edited by Shelomo Alfassa and Rabbi Nissim Elnecave

The narrative below took place in the years prior to WWI. Note that while this was a time when food was scarce and funds were hard to come by, the people took it in stride and persevered through those times of great difficulty with tremendous dignity and pride. Here are the words of Jacob Yehoshua, son of Hakham Gabriel Yehoshua.

From the beginning of the month of Kislev (December), the children of the Sephardic Talmud Torá would go out into the narrow streets of the old city of Jerusalem while singing a special song. This was a tune all those that grew up with still remember with much endearment. Hakham Davichon Pizante, their beloved teacher, accompanied the children. Every Shabat, he, together with Hakham Hayim Kasuto, would distribute fruits and sweets to the students who would read Tehillim (Psalms). During the days of Kislev, the children would carry on their shoulders cloth sacks, and in their hands they would hold empty bottles and utensils for oil. The following are the words of the song they sang:

CLICK TO LISTEN "Aki mos vinimos, un ijiko mos trushimos, meldador i eskrivano, kon la pendola en la mano. Damos un ajiko, el Di-o ke vos de un ijiko, damos una seboyika, el Di-o ke vos de una ijika. Damos karbon, ke el Di-o vos de un ijo varon, damos arina, ke el Di-o vos de la vida. Damos azete, ke el Di-o vos de prezente, damos ke mos keremos ir, biva el Haham kon los talmidim. Ya mos dan, ya mos dan, el Di-o vos de la beraha."

"We came here, we brought you a small child, a studious one and a scribe, he has a pen in his hand, give us a small garlic, G-d should give you a small boy; give us a small onion, G-d should give a small girl; give us coals, G-d should give you a strong and courageous boy; give us flour, G-d should give you life; give us oil, G-d should give you a gift; give us, we must go, long live the Hakham together with the students. Behold, they are giving us; behold, they are giving us; G-d should give you the blessing."

This lengthy song, full of praises, supplications and blessings, was sung in order to receive a small onion, a few coals, a bit of salt and a little oil. This sweet song touched the hearts of all the women, especially those who were childless. Every evening, through the cold and rain, the children donned their worn clothing and torn shoes while gathering the foods for the celebration of the merienda, the Holiday celebrated on the last day of Hanuka. This is the day that the portion of Hanukat ha-mizveah (Numbers 7:84) is read from the Torá. But, it was not enough to only sing this song, they also added the verses of the Perasha of the week that they had learned in the Talmud Torá, "And our father said: Go again, buy us a little food." (Genesis 44:25). There was a mixture of the holy with the secular. Their intent was to ask the ladies of the house to aid them, by doing so, they would be fulfilling the words of the Torá, just as Yaakov Avinu had also sent his children to Egypt to bring food.

In the new neighborhoods outside of the walled city, the children would not sing this song.  The children of the Montefiore neighborhood would visit the homes with their teacher Hakham Shemuel Zamro in order to gather food for the merienda, which was celebrated at the house of the Hakham. Their songs did not have any relation to the one sang in the Old City of Jerusalem, the poverty in the Old City was much greater.

The merienda in the Old City was organized at the synagogue of the Talmud Torá [K.K. Eliyahu ha-Navi], one of the four synagogues that were interconnected to each other. This also included the Istanbulis synagogue, the Del Medio synagogue [The Emtzai or K.K. Zion], meaning the middle synagogue; and the synagogue of Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakai that was also called El Kal Grande, which means the big synagogue; the synagogue of the Talmud Torá is where the cave of Eliyahu ha-Navi was located. Often, in these synagogues joyous parties and events were held during the holidays, as well as prayers for rain. These synagogues served as places of gathering for the congregation during times of joy as well as in times of stress.

On the day of Hanukat ha-Mizveah, the students of the Talmud Torá came as everyday, although they knew that they didn't come to learn on that special day. The children formed lines, marching with great noise towards the synagogue where the party was to take place. The special clothing that the students wore on this day included bluzas, long shirts that reached down to their legs, and a fez. Their dress raised the onlookers from the Jewish street to their feet. The storeowners stood in the doorways of their stores to inspect the strange line of children that walked with toy weapons and [lit] sparklers in their hands. During those days of war, one was only allowed to use sparklers twice a year, on Hanukat ha-Mizveah and Purim.

Sometimes the merienda was conducted in the courtyard of the Talmud Torá and in order to make the children happy, the young organization (Shbab) would perform dances. On their heads they carried platters filled with abas i aroz, chick peas and rice. These were foods we loved when we were children and even today we still love to eat them. The dancing went along the sounds of the trabukas [drums] and the panderos [tamborines].

Righteous women volunteered to prepare the foods; they cooked near the Mount of Olives, assisted by members of the community such as Hakham Hayim Kasuto, Rabbi Benveniste and Moshe Nehama. These sages, incredible personalities, sanctified their lives for the well being of their communities. They would never know rest and their participation in the festivity was always one of great joy. Sometimes the rice and chick peas were prepared the day before. When cooking, they used large spoons in the clay pots to sample the foods. Small pots would sit on the fire the entire night cooking, making the food taste like the hamin [stew] we eat on Shabat.

On this day, it was as if the walls between the rabbis and the students had fallen. The students had no fear that the leather strap the Hakham possesed would reach their faces or shoulders. Everyone received their small tasty piece of bread and their portion of food. As dessert, they were given a piece of lekekh, which was an ashkenazi cake that had become a part of the festive meal in every Sephardic gathering. The lekekh was made from flour that had sugar spread on it. The custom was to dip it into coffee or milk, and the blessing was made, bore mine mezonot. We had a special liking for the lekekh, when our parents would return from some festive occasion, we would search for the lekekh that they had saved for us in their pockets.

Students that were ill on Hanukat ha-Mizveah and were not able to participate on the festivity, would still receive their food. A piece of bread with rice, chick peas and the lekekh through the hands of a messenger that would bring it to the location where they were resting. Outside, the poor people would look with envy toward those that had received a portion of rice, chick peas, and a piece of bread. Sometimes the lekekh was snatched by some of their children; the poor people would try to appease their hunger this way.

Many times, the members of the Bet Din, the rabbinical court, participated in the merienda and this brought great joy to the children. It was a great honor to have the members of the respected court participate in the festivities.

Today in Israel, the descendents of these families, enjoy a much better situation, often they have no idea of how difficult things were for their parents and grandparents at one time.

-- The Muslim children of the old city of Jerusalem and of Hevron, also went around the Moslem houses and the courtyards of the neighborhood in order to gather goods and other foods. But their practice was VERY different then ours. The following is the song that the Arab children sang in the old city of Jerusalem:

"If it was not for the honor of _____ we would not have come. Open up your pocket books and give us something, give us the gift that we deserve. Two portions of the baked food called baklawa, be very careful, a stick is in our hands, we will strike with it, many serpents will come out. Add to that the two breads baked in the Damascus way, two nice pieces. Give us what you give; you are from Damascus where they have afarsimon [persimmons] and pomegranates."

The Arabs did not have enough with onions, oil and flour, they actually demanded bread from Damascus that was made from fine flour. They came with sticks and were demanding, even using harsh language.

In contrast to them, the Jewish children of the Talmud Torá would come with blessings and supplications.   

###

The song can be heard here: http://www.alfassa.com/elnecave_aki.mp3