|
Philadelphia.—We learn
that at the last Annual Meeting of the congregation
Rodef Sholem of Philadelphia, the salaries of the
Rev. Mr. Frankel and of Mr. Bachman, the teacher,
were advanced 150 dollars each, thus showing both
the prosperous condition of the finances and the
approbation which these two faithful officers have
obtained from <<104>>their constituents.—At the
annual election of the United Hebrew Fuel Society,
held on Sunday, the 7th of April, the following
gentlemen were elected to serve for one year: David Pesoa, President; David H. Solis, Vice-President;
Abraham S. Wolf, Treasurer; Alfred T. Jones,
Secretary; A. Hart, M. Reinhard, S. Lyons, M.
Arnold, S. Abeles, Z. A. Davis, S. M. Klasser, W. A.
Van Collem, Isaac Hyneman, Isaac Lobe, Henry De
Boer, and —— ——, Managers. The usual beneficence in
the distribution of wood, coal, and stoves, was
pursued during the past season, and much real
distress was relieved. The amount to be given to
each family is generally restricted to one and a
half cords of wood or one and a half tons of coal;
though in case of necessity an additional half cord
of wood or half ton of coal may be given. The
Society has been in existence now for nine years
past, and has thus far relieved, we think, all whose
claims were in any degree admissible, and we think
both to the satisfaction of the recipients and the
bestowers of the charity. We wish it a happy
influence on the poor for many years to come, or
until there shall be no more distressed to claim its
attention.
Louisville.—On Purim, (the 26th of February,)
the Incorporated Ladies’ Hebrew Beneficial Society
tried the experiment of an Anniversary Ball in aid
of their funds. The managers were Messrs. Fox, Schlessinger, Wurmser, Oberderfer, Herzog, Brown,
Goldsmith, and Feust. It was held in the Assembly
Rooms, and the company separated at a late hour
highly delighted, and it was resolved to continue to
celebrate the anniversary at the same season every
year. The net proceeds were seventy dollars, which
our correspondent assures us was as much as could be
expected under the circumstances.—The Holy-days have
passed over with a great deal of satisfaction, the
Synagogue, which is considered an ornament to the
city, was crowded morning and evening. The
introduction of a choir has materially improved the
service. The minister, Rev. B. H. Gotthelf, preached
in German, on Sabbath, the 3d day of Passover, and
the teacher of the congregation, Mr. A. I. H.
Bernal, in English on the Sabbath previous, in the
afternoon. We are told that considering the number
of Israelites in the place, there is much less open
profanation of the Sabbath than in the East. It was
at first the intention of the managers of the
congregational school to hold an examination of the
pupils on the middle days of the Passover; but in
consequence of the sudden illness of Mr. Bernal it
was postponed, and will not take place now until the
fall vacation. There are upwards of eighty pupils in
attendance, and we are <<105>>told that taking them
all in all, they are progressing rapidly. The
directors are—Messrs. A. Tandler, Chairman; E.
Lieberman, Secretary; M. Strauss, A. Gerstle, and
B. Sachs. They meet once a month, to receive
reports, &c. The teachers are, at least in part,
Messrs. Gotthelf and Bernal and Miss Esther Bernal,
who, we are glad to hear, perform their duties
faithfully.—There is another Ladies’ and one Mens’
Hebra; the latter is but six months old, numbers 35
members, and is incorporated. From the amount of
mutual benefits, as detailed in the letter before
us, which it dispenses, we fear it cannot long
survive; and if the members would take our counsel
they would either double their annual subscription,
or restrict their expenditures within reasonable
limits.—We are sorry to learn that there is a strong
intention manifested of building another Synagogue
“up town,” as it is called; if the fault is with the
laws of the corporation as they now exist, we
confidently hope that the members will listen to
reason and amend them before a disunion takes place,
when the mischief will not be easily repaired. We
trust, however, that the projectors of the new
congregation will pause before they proceed, and at
least make every effort to obtain a redress of their
grievances, if they have anything to complain of;
and they may rely on one thing, that one
well-organized, powerful congregation, is worth a
thousand little fractions of Minyanim, each
too weak to effect any good or useful object by
itself, and, as usual, hostile to all the other
sister communities in the same place. We are at the
same time pleased to state that the Synagogue seems
to flourish under the charge of Mr. Gotthelf, and
that it is open for worship besides four times on
Sabbath, on Monday and Thursday, Rosh-Hodesh, &c.
The officers are: S. Ulman, President; Samuel
Lieberman, Vice-President; S. Roggenburger,
Treasurer; B. Rosenberg, Gabby Beth Hayim; A.
Tandler, Secretary, pro tem.; S. Bacharach,
B. Marx, F. Mark, A. Sale, A. Steinauer and E. Hilp,
Trustees. The members amount to between 80 and 90,
of whom every one owns a permanent seat in the
Synagogue.—It gives us much satisfaction to be able
to lay such full details of this increasing
congregation before our readers, thanks to the
favours of several kind correspondents; and we would
thank our friends, everywhere, to write us at all
times such full particulars of then communities that
we may be able to announce something more than
merely a dry election of officers from year to
year.
Frankfort.—Dr. Emden, a Jew, has been elected
one of the secretaries to the new Legislative
Assembly, recently renewed here.
<<106>>
Paris.—On the 20th of January a meeting of
the Portuguese congregation of the French capital
took place, to take into consideration the building
of a new Synagogue for that body, in lieu of the
small and inconvenient structure in which they now
worship. There are said to be in Paris 205 men, or
heads of families, of the Portuguese Minhag; 177
females, 202 boys, and 181 girls, and the expense of
building the Synagogue is estimated at 120,000
francs, one-half being for the purchase of the
ground. Rabbi Isidor made a handsome address at the
meeting, which we would gladly report had we the
space. The committee to carry out the intentions of
this meeting, and to devise ways and means for that
purpose, are—Messrs. Solar, Monteaux, Millaud, Leon,
the elder, Silveyra, Lange, Astruc, and Almosnino.
Mr. Lange at once offered 1000 francs as his
donation.
Vienna.—We are informed that the minister,
Dr. Bach, has recently given another proof of his
determination to carry out the Jewish Emancipation
Act to the fullest extent. A Jew having bought a
piece of ground at Gratz, for the purpose of
building a hotel, and meeting with great opposition
from the corporation, applied to the Minister of the
Interior, who offered him a piece of ground
belonging to government, with the remark, “The state
is willing to give a good example to the
corporation.”
Montreal.—The annual examination of our
Sunday School, says a valued correspondent, took
place at the school-house on the Sunday after Purim
(5th March). All the scholars were present, and
although the school has only been established about
fifteen months, the pupils (thirty in number) all
acquitted themselves with great credit, and
exhibited a degree of advancement that was quite
surprising, affording evidence that the “labour of
love” of those young ladies who, with our respected Hazan (Rev. A. De Sola), devote part of their time
to this good work is not labour in vain. The
examination was attended not only by the parents of
the scholars, but also by all the Israelites
resident in the city, who were so pleased at the
proficiency displayed by the children, that a vote
of thanks was proposed, and unanimously passed, to
the teachers, Miss Rebekah Joseph, Miss Dora Hart,
and Miss Emma Solomons, and to Mr. De Sola, and a
subscription opened for the purpose of purchasing
prizes to be distributed to the most deserving.
That much good is to be effected by instilling into
young minds a sound religious education no one can
doubt for a moment. And it is a matter of
congratulation, that in our small community we can
find <<107>>ladies sufficiently zealous in the cause
of our holy religion, to devote a few leisure hours
to its advancement, even in the performance of such
a pleasing task as this.
New Benevolent Society At New Orleans.—We are
requested to announce the formation of a new society
at New Orleans under the name of “Love and
Benevolence,” the purpose of which is to render
assistance in case of illness, and to attend to the
burial of deceased Israelites entitled to the
services of the society. The officers are, Jacob
Pretto Henriquez, President; I. C. Labatt, Vice
President; Daniel Wolff, Secretary and Treasurer; E.
Sampson, First Trustee; and L. Hertz, second
Trustee.
New York.—We are informed that the new
Synagogue Anshay Chesed, of New York, will be
consecrated to the worship of Almighty God on the
day before Shebuoth. We are also credibly told that
the Rev. Drs. Lilienthal and Schlessinger and Rev.
S. M. Isaacs, are expected to preach a sermon each
on that interesting occasion. This building is
situated in Norfolk Street, and is, we believe, the
largest Jewish place of worship in New York.
San Francisco—California.—We are informed
that the Israelites in this place have organized a
charitable society, purchased a piece of land for a
burying-ground, and are about organizing a
congregation. We have no doubt that before long the
worship of the God of Israel will be celebrated
after our ancestral customs at this new commercial
capital of the Far West, in the same manner as it is
done in the distant East. May the Lord prosper it.
Curaçoa.—The Sunday School in this Island,
under the charge of M. De Casseres, is progressing
prosperously. The lady teachers are Misses Leah and
Rachel Senior, and Miss Sarah Lindo.
Tunis.—Letters from Tunis, of the 18th
January, say that the cholera is at this moment
making great ravages in this city, particularly
among the Jews; and the number of fatal cases from
the 4th to the 18th of January was not less than
from 20 to 25 a day. One cannot, therefore,
sufficiently praise the generous measures adopted by
the Bey to diminish the effects of this terrible
malady. His Highness has established three hospitals
for cholera patients, carefully divided, according
to their religion, and all the expense incurred is
defrayed by him. Among the Jews as well as the other
sufferers, the Bey has ordered to be distributed 400
camel loads of wheat, 800 goat-skins filled with the
finest oil, and 10,000 piastres. A three days’
collection made among the Catholic and Jewish
merchants produced 18,000 piastres. All the
prisoners for debt have been released.—Archives
Israelite.
<<108>>
Columbia, South Carolina.—We are pleased to
learn from the public prints that our worthy friend,
Captain Henry Lyons, was chosen on the first of
April, Intendant (Mayor) of the capital of South
Carolina, a position which we are sure he will fill
to the satisfaction of his constituents and with
honour to himself. Whilst mentioning this election
we must also chronicle the appointment of another of
our friends, Solomon Cohen, Esq., of Savannah,
Georgia, as Cashier of one of the principal Banking
and Railroad Companies of that state; and it gives
us much satisfaction to bear our testimony that in
this case also honour was conferred only to whom it
is justly due.
Europe.—It is now said that the Austrian
government has ordered the forced war-tax imposed on
the Jews of Hungary to be repealed, and even to
restore what has been so unjustly taken. Several
more Jews have been elected or appointed to offices
in Austria and Germany, but at the same time we
learn that Austria and Russia arc going to deliver
over to each other all Jews who may escape without a
passport from either country. Glorious news this
must be, to those who deny the coming of the Messiah
for Israel; what a consummation of the brilliant
prophecies which predict the glory of our people!
Let our readers reflect!
New Orleans.—We have been kindly invited to
attend the consecration of the new Synagogue of the
congregation Nefuzote Yehudah, which is expected to
take place in the course of May, probably the day
before Shebuoth. It is our intention, God willing,
to be present, and hence, if we should carry out our
present thoughts, it will be out of our power to
issue the Occident in the beginning of June; but our
readers may depend on not losing by our temporary
absence, if we are ever permitted to return to our
post. But we have full confidence in the good saying
of our wise men שלוחי מצוה
אינן נזקין, that those who are sent on
errands pertaining to the exercise of religion are
not injured in their going or returning. But if it
be otherwise decreed, we know “that our Redeemer
lives” to protect us in life or to lend us through
the portals of death to a life far happier than the
earth has ever been to us, and the many who toil for
their daily bread, in the anxiety of heart and the
ingratitude and indifference of the world. But why
should we complain? why should our rebellious heart
give vent to its feeling? We are yet endowed with
that intellect which our God has given us; malice
cannot rob us of our hard-earned reputation; and so
cheer up! there are better days coming! For the
present, therefore, farewell hind reader, till we
meet again. |
