A schulklopfer (or shulklopfer; from Yiddish 'synagogue knocker' [1]) is the person who calls a Jewish community to prayer in the local synagogue. [2] [3]
The schulklopfer was usually a beadle, who would perform the task by wandering around the community, knocking on each household's door early in the morning. [2] In Neustadt, he would knock four times. Israel Isserlein, a rabbi from Neustadt, argued that this pattern encoded the biblical phrase "I shall come to thee and bless thee" [4] [2] In the Rhine, the custom was to strike thrice. [2]
In mediaeval Eastern Europe, the schulklopfer also had the role of individually inviting people to marriage ceremonies ( nissuin); the invitations were made to the entire community by the schulklopfer on the morning of the marriage ceremony itself (such ceremonies were usually an evening affair). [5]
The name stems from the Holy Roman Empire (Germany) in the Middle Ages. [2] Christians in nearby communities sometimes referred to schulklopfers as campanatores (a Latin term meaning bell-strikers) or as Glöckner ( German for bell-striker). [2]
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A schulklopfer (or shulklopfer; from Yiddish 'synagogue knocker' [1]) is the person who calls a Jewish community to prayer in the local synagogue. [2] [3]
The schulklopfer was usually a beadle, who would perform the task by wandering around the community, knocking on each household's door early in the morning. [2] In Neustadt, he would knock four times. Israel Isserlein, a rabbi from Neustadt, argued that this pattern encoded the biblical phrase "I shall come to thee and bless thee" [4] [2] In the Rhine, the custom was to strike thrice. [2]
In mediaeval Eastern Europe, the schulklopfer also had the role of individually inviting people to marriage ceremonies ( nissuin); the invitations were made to the entire community by the schulklopfer on the morning of the marriage ceremony itself (such ceremonies were usually an evening affair). [5]
The name stems from the Holy Roman Empire (Germany) in the Middle Ages. [2] Christians in nearby communities sometimes referred to schulklopfers as campanatores (a Latin term meaning bell-strikers) or as Glöckner ( German for bell-striker). [2]
{{
cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
Alt URL
{{
cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
Alt URL