Sunday, September 16, 2018

Religious Excuse Note from Court, 1869

This time of year, I'm having to take an awful lot of time off work for all of the holidays.  In addition, sunset is getting earlier and earlier, so I need to leave earlier and earlier on Fridays as well to get home well before Shabbat starts.  Generations of my family have had to ask for postponements of various events that conflict with religious observances.  And here's an early example:

Religious Excuse Note, Nizhyn, 1869


Received 2 April 1869 and addressed "To the Nezhin Magistrate Court"
The Nezhin Conference of the Peace summoned me [to appear] on the 12th of this month of April for hearing of the complaint against me of the Cossack Roman Pylypenko of the village of Drozdovka. Since April 12 falls on a Saturday, I cannot appear for the hearing because of my religion, and for that reason I request the Nezhin Conference of Peace to designate another day. Nezhin townsman Itsko Lefand."  

I posted this one several years ago, but now I know the connection to my family--Itsko Lefand was my great-great-great-great-great uncle.  I don't know if the Nezhin Magistrate Court rescheduled his hearing, or even what the hearing was.  But at least when I'm asking for things to be moved, it isn't because Cossacks are registering complaints against me!

Shana tova!

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