19-09-2025, 02:43 AM
Quote:This is a drawing of a man performing the kapparot ceremony before Yom Kippur. The man is holding a prayer book in his left hand and a chicken in his right hand with the face of Tsar Nicholas II. The Hebrew text underneath the drawing read: “This is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my atonement” which is the central part of the kapparot ceremony. The phrase continues: “This chicken should go to its death and I shall proceed to a good, long life and peace.”
This satirical postcard can be viewed in various ways. It could be mocking the Tsar who was known for his bad treatment of the Jews. It could represent the problems of the previous year or express the wish that all of our sins and misfortunes be transferred to the Tsar just like they are transferred to the chicken in the kapparot ceremony. The card could also be suggesting that the fate of the Tsar should be like the fate of the chicken at the end of this ceremony.
