Pinchas Bloch, a pious chassid of Lemberg, has entered upon the tenth day of his fast as an ultimatum to God to send a Messiah, else the Jewish people will vanish from the face of the earth.
Bloch is convinced that the day of redemption is approaching and is joyfully continuing his fast.
His act has attracted wide attention from the Jewish press and public alike and already a legend has arisen regarding his holiness and mysterious powers.
Relatives and rabbis of the chassid, who is fifty-four years old, have sought in vain to prevail upon him to give up his fast. Bloch insists, however, that even his death is a worthy sacrifice if it will aid in the solution of the Jewish question.
Physicians and psychiatrists who have been called in have likewise been unable to dissuade Bloch. The latter declare that while Bloch is normal, he is suffering from a mania. They express the belief that he will succumb to the effects of his fast.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
