An engrossing glimpse into the dally pre-radio, pre-email, pre-Internet lives of Jews in Jerusalem several generations ago
It’s not in your dictionary? Then be grateful you are reading this, for otherwise you could be at risk of going through an entire lifetime with this gaping lacuna in your knowledge.
In truth, no one really knows. Google and AI suggest that it might stem from Polish, French, and Italian roots, but no one is certain.
What is certain is that pashkevilim have for centuries played a crucial role in Jerusalem’s chareidi life, and even today their impact is still quite powerful.
What is a pashkevil? It is a public broadside, a large wall poster containing news, important information, directives, warnings, invitations, and rabbinic inspiration to the community at large. In the absence of radios or daily newspapers, especially in the past, these announcements, usually attached to any open — or not so open — wall in town, provided vital notices and announcements.
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