Constantinople,
April 3d.—The census of this capital has just been taken; the entire
population is 900,000, among whom there are 100,000 Jews.
Hospital
at Jerusalem.—Dr. Philippson, under date of the 17th of March,
acknowledges to have received for the contemplated hospital and school
to be established at Jerusalem the sum of 32,038 Thaler, 16 Silver
Groschen and 8 Pfenninge,—say 24,029 dollars American money; of this
sum the Rothschilds, as previously announced, have given more than
three-fourths, viz. 100,000 francs. We confidently hope that the
enterprize may succeed, since the wants of the Jews at Jerusalem have so
long appealed to the sympathies of their brethren abroad, and as
Christians have made it their chief place of attack upon our religion;
and this last fact is too well known to need any farther remark from us.
In addition to the above we learn from the Voice of Jacob that about 300
dollars were lately collected by several ladies in England for the same
purpose.—Could not some contributions be sent from America for this
laudable undertaking?
Synagogue
at Hobarttown, Van Diemen’s Land.—We learn from a friend in
London that the foundation-stone of a Synagogue has been laid in the
above place. The papers which contain the particulars, and which our
correspondent forwarded, have not been received.
Consecration
of the Sydney Synagogue.—We are in receipt of no less than
three files of the local papers, giving interesting particulars of this
solemn ceremonial. It took place on Tuesday, 2d April last, (two days
before the Passover.) Under the gallery a portion is partitioned off for
a committee room; the screen being of highly polished cedar wood of
chaste design. The windows are of stained glass; and the building is
illuminated at night by gas chandeliers. and four lamps on pyramids in
front of the ark; the whole fabric is considered an ornament to Sydney.
The usual procession sacred rolls under a canopy, was accompanied by
suitable recitations, assisted by a choir trained by Mr. Nathan, who had
composed music expressly for the occasion. The
Editor of The Australian speaks of it critically, and with
the highest praise, as also of the Psalms chaunted to other music,
composed for the occasion by Mr. Leo, a pupil of Mr. Nathan. A
consecration anthem,
written by the late Chief Rabbi, was tastefully executed by the reader
Mr. Phillips. The service was arranged by Mr. George Moss, the Hon.
Sec., whose exertions in all Jewish concerns really appear
indefatigable. King Solomon’s prayer of dedication, (1st Kings cap.
8.,) and the prayer for the Queen and Royal family, were read in Hebrew
and English. In the course of the day, about £3000 was offered in aid
of the building fund; the total cost being about £4000, of which nearly
£1500 still remains a debt upon the building. A Sydney Editor, in
paying a high and well-deserved tribute to the zeal of the Jews there
for their piety, reproaches the Protestants in the colony with the want
of church accommodation which they still permit to prevail. In the
following paragraph, is the reproach of the English Jews.
“It
is understood to be intended by the Jewish community, to send to England
for an ordained minister.”
To
our shame be it confessed, that we are still altogether without adequate means of even training a minister.
Melbourne.—His
excellency the Governor, on the application of the Jews of Melbourne,
has been pleased to grant a site for the erection of a Synagogue, to
which our fellow-townsmen of that persuasion may worship God according
to the practice of their fathers. The promptitude with which his
Excellency complied with this application stands out in bright relief,
as contrasted with the illiberal treatment which the Jews at Launceston
experienced at the hands of their late Lieutenant Governor, Sir John
Franklin.—Port Phillip Patriot, Feb. 19.
Schools
at Kingston, Jamaica.—One of our correspondents writes us from
Kingston, under date of August 30th, that it has been proposed on the
part of the English and German Jews’ school committee to form a union
with the Portuguese free-school. The resolutions to that effect were
carried unanimously; and if the project succeeds, writes our
correspondent, it will be the means of affording education to all the
poor children of that city. There are now sixty children who receive
gratuitous instruction; and we trust that, it a union can extend the
benefits of education, and sure we are that a union is the only means
for a general diffusion of knowledge, the present opportunity will be
cheerfully embraced by our friends of the Portuguese congregation to
resort to a union, when it can be of such important benefits, as to
confer the blessing of a good religious training upon all those whose
means will not permit them to obtain it without the aid of others.
We
omitted to mention in our previous number that Mr. Louis A. Green, late
of this city, has been elected teacher of the Beth Limmud School of
Kingston, in the place of Mr. Mendes who has left for England to pursue
his studies. |
