This is a postcard with a drawing by the Polish Jewish artist Maurycy Trebacz (1861–1941) depicting a synagogue during Tisha B’Av services. The drawing shows men sitting on the floor or on low stools, as is the custom of mourning on Tisha B’Av the destruction of the Temple. The men have open books, probably the book of Lamentations or kinnot (dirges) which are traditionally read on Tisha B’Av. The bimah is covered with a tablecloth on which there are two lit candles. Another man, who may be leading the prayers, is leaning on the bimah reading from a book. Also in the room are bookcases and long, narrow tables, where the men usually sit during prayer services. The men gathered in the synagogue represent a variety of ages and are dressed in a range of head coverings. Their faces are full of sorrow and suffering.
The postcard is part of a series of postcards that were published by the “Lebanon” publishing company in Warsaw, Poland in 1903. The writing below the drawing, in Hebrew and German, states the name of the artist, the title, “Tisha B’Av,” and the name of the Lebanon Company No. 9.
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Tisha B’Av – Tisha B’Av, the 9th of Av, the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, commemorates the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. The description of the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE by the Babylonians is found in the book of Lamentations (Aicha) which is read on Tisha B’Av. The Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE by the Romans. It is customary on Tisha B’Av to fast for 25 hours and to refrain from wearing leather shoes, washing, wearing perfume, and engaging in intimacy. During evening services on Tisha B’Av, Aicha is read, often by candlelight or other dim lighting, while sitting on the floor or low stools. Following the reading, kinnot (dirges) are recited. Friends also refrain from greeting each other.
Maurycy Trebacz – Maurycy Trebacz (1861–1941) was a popular Polish Jewish artist. Trebacz was known as a portrait and landscape painter who depicted contemporary Jewish life, much of which was lost in the Holocaust. His subjects included rabbis, family life, and street scenes. Trebacz died of starvation in the Lodz ghetto in 1941.
The Lebanon Company and Postcards - The Lebanon company published postcards featuring Zionist and Jewish themes. It operated out of Eastern Europe in the early twentieth century, a time when postcards were very popular also within Jewish communities. The symbol of the Lebanon company is printed on the reverse of the postcard and comprises an open book, palm fronds, and an agricultural tool, perhaps a plough.
