The Holy Land

The Rev. S. M. Isaacs of New York begs most gratefully to acknowledge the receipt of the following sums for the poor of the Holy Land, which will be transmitted to the proper authorities. He states that if the sixty American congregations would but follow the example set them by the under-mentioned, it would be the means, not only to relieve the distressed of Jerusalem, but at the same time to discountenance the system of sending “messengers” to receive contributions, but little of which reaches the poor pilgrims of hope.

Note.—A letter was lately brought from Palestine, directed to Mr. A. Hart, the President of the Portuguese congregation of Philadelphia, and the editor, asking additional aid for the German Perushim (Polish) community of Jerusalem, the messenger of which, Rabbi Aaron Selig Ashkenazi, was some years ago in this country. We understood Mr. Hart to say that there is an annual appropriation from his Kahal of $25, which he would transmit with whatever private collections he could obtain, which, we suppose, will easily amount to as much more. Fully as we acknowledge the necessity of spending all we have to spare in America on our own improvement, and hence would discountenance the system of seeking for objects abroad when so much is left neglected at home: still can we not deny our sympathy to those of our brothers who linger at the graves of our ancestors, submitting to hardships innumerable, merely to tread the soil of Palestine. We will, however, state at once that we would oppose the collections to be confined to one or two bodies merely; for where the distress is so general, the relief ought to be so likewise. We told this to Rabbi Aaron, in person. However, the channels employed by the Rev. Mr. Isaacs to forward the donations will distribute all funds impartially, as we have understood.—Ed. Oc.