News Items.

The Third Annual Charity Ball of the Israelites of Philadelphia, took place on Thursday evening, the 23d of January last. The assembly was numerous, and the whole arrangements reflect the greatest credit upon the managers. The surplus was $568 49, which was equally divided between the Fuel, Ladies’ Benevolent, and Sewing Societies.

The Second Annual Examination of the Talmud Torah school of New York, took place on Sunday, the 26th of January, and is reported to have resulted very favourably. We have not received the particulars, which we expected to obtain from some of our correspondents.

The Second Anniversary Dinner of the Hebrew Beneficial Society of St. Louis took place on Wednesday the 6th of January, on which occasion a new branch was added to the operations of this charity, to give aid to persons not of the Jewish persuasion who may apply for relief, and the members resolved to adopt the name of “the Revival of Life,” חברה משיבת נפש. The society is yet in its infancy, and consists chiefly of young men, the whole number being twenty-nine, of whom but three are married. As the funds are yet low, and the objects desired to be carried out so useful, we are requested to state that donations and contributions will be thankfully received by the officers of the society; which are, for the present year, A. Jacobs, President; I. M. Levy, Vice-President; B. Defrice, Treasurer, and M. C. Harris, Secretary. Messrs. Joseph Levy, now of Philadelphia; A. J. Latz, now of Cincinnati, and A. Jacobs, of St. Louis, were the founders of this Institution, in November, 1842.

Order Restored at Mogador.—Our attention has been called by the gentleman who supplied us with our previous intelligence from Mogador, to an official communication which has been received from Her Majesty’s Consul-General at Tangier, and published in the Gibraltar Chronicle of the 6th Dec.

The new Governor of Mogador, El Arby Terres, writes thus, under date of 22d Nov.

“Praise be to God. There is no force or power but in God. We have received your letter, and understood its contents; and the European merchant, William Grace, your agent, in the port of Sweera, (Mogador) and its vicinity, has arrived.

“He (Mr. Grace), has found that the town is inhabited, and that the market is plentiful and well supplied from all the vicinity; and that government is restored as it was before, and better; and that ships are beginning to come to the happy and prosperous port. May God prosper it and increase its welfare! Amen!”

Mr. Grace had been able to confirm the above welcome intelligence. The Governor had preceded him by a few days, and restored order. The re-establishment of the British flag was hailed with satisfaction by many, who had not been content to remain, without the assurance so given that tranquillity was to be depended upon. Mr. G. writes:—

“The Sultan is proceeding slowly, but surely, in arresting those of the authorities of the town and provinces, who either had a hand in the plunder, or did not attempt to stop the ravages at the time of the bombardment, and in punishing the tribes who, by that conduct and plunder of their brethren placed themselves without the pale of Islamism.

“The native Jew merchants had not yet returned from Morocco (City), but were daily expected; the market was well attended, and most of the Moorish inhabitants had come back.”

The accounts in our last number were dated October, fully one month earlier. It is understood to have been the indirect character of the reports hitherto received, the uncertainty as to whether Mogador was yet re-inhabited, and the difficulty of obtaining favourable opportunities of freight, which prevented an earlier transmission of the aid collected here. A large quantity of rice, and clothing-materials for both sexes, have been prepared for sending out.—Voice of Jacob.

In connexion with the preceding, the following is given in a late number of the same paper:

The Mogador Calamity.—It is understood, that the amount received in aid of the sufferers, has somewhat exceeded £2500; and that the generous spirit of I. L. Yuly, Esq., having afforded a gratuitous freight to the Relief Committee in a vessel despatched by him to the Barbary Coast nearly a fortnight since, the opportunity was employed to send out 15 tons of rice, materials for clothing 300 males and 300 females, and a liberal amount in dollars. It is also rumoured, that the Committee had it in contemplation to send out some competent gentleman from this country, in order to superintend and report upon the distribution of the relief; but that detailed lists of the numbers and condition of the sufferers having been recently received, the necessity of such a mission has appeared less urgent.

Mitigation of the Russo-Polish Conscription.—We have been obliged with the opportunity of extracting the following gratifying particulars, from letters addressed to London by the elders of the Wilna Congregation.

That congregation had just received despatches from Amstislow, dated 6th of Kislev, (17th Nov.,) informing them that on Wednesday, the 13th of that month, a courier had arrived from His Excellency the Minister Wrioutrnik Diel, announcing the speedy approach of that functionary with good tidings for the afflicted Jews of that place. Then followed another estafette summoning the Jews together in order to give the Minister a reception. He himself arrived on the 14th, and read to the assembled congregation an Imperial decree, the substance of which was as follows:—

1. The decree ordering the levy of one in every ten Israelites, is recalled.
2. The thirty-six men already taken in pursuance thereof, are to be returned to their families.

His Excellency said, that he was charged with despatches to the Governor General of the Province of Wittepsk, containing other gracious concessions.

The Elders of Wilna convey this intelligence to the Anglo-Jewish authorities, in return for the communication made to them of the proceedings taken by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, on the occasion of the Emperor’s visit to this country; they express the most lively gratitude for the sympathy so exhibited on their behalf, and state that they have good reasons to believe that this important mitigation of the rigour of the Russo-Polish Conscription, may be considered the fruit of that fraternal sympathy. We will revert to the subject at an early opportunity.—Voice of Jacob.

Dr. Adler, Chief Rabbi.—We have much pleasure in presenting our readers with the following account of our newly elected Rabbi, compiled from an authenticated source.

Dr. Adler was born in Hanover, on the 17^th of December, A. M. 5563 (C. E. 1802,) his father, the Rev. Rabbi Marcus Beer Adler, o Frankfort, being then Chief Rabbi of Hanover. This distinguished Rabbi, himself the descendant from celebrated theologians, superintended the Biblical and Talmudical studies of his son, and had him prepared for the university by other competent preceptors. After giving some evidence of his attainments by the delivery of a discourse in the German language, he entered the University of Würtzburg; a city then equally eminent for the reputation of its professors as for the qualities of the highly respected ministering Rabbi of its Jewish congregation.

Here Dr. A. prosecuted his studies for rather more than two years; and with great success, as testified by the usual certificates. After having been ordained by the Rev. Abm. Bing, the Chief Rabbi of Würtzburg, just alluded to, he visited the University of Erlangen, and wrote there a treatise “On the Supreme Being;” he then underwent the usual examination by the professors of the philosophical faculty, and received thereupon the diploma of Doctor.

Upon returning to his native city, Dr. Adler was invited to become Chief Rabbi of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg; and previously to entering upon those functions, he was married in Frankfort, in the winter of 1829, to Miss Henrietta Worms, his present estimable lady, by whom he has a promising family of 2 sons and 3 daughters. While in Frankfort, and with a view to secure the advantages of its citizenship, Dr. A. submitted to another formal examination of his theological attainments, receiving a very handsome testimonial thereupon. In the May following, he formally assumed his rabbinical office at Oldenburg. Here, he not only enjoyed the respect and esteem of his flock, but obtained similar marks of the consideration in which he was held by the Ducal authorities. His sermons, some of which have been published in the local periodicals, were popular also with the professors of other creeds. He had not long held the post of Oldenburgh, when he was invited to assume that of Cassel, in Niederhessen; but he preferred that of Hanover, which the death of his lamented father had vacated.

He has discharged the high functions of the Hanoverian Rabbinate for a period of fourteen years; with what success may be gleaned from the very handsome testimony which has been borne thereto by all classes of the community. The Hanoverian synagogues number about one hundred; hence the Jewish population in that kingdom, which has been stated at 5000 only, must certainly be underestimated. The result of Dr. Adler’s spiritual labours include the introduction of regularly delivered sermons, the establishment of an effective choir, and other modes of rendering the public service more impressive. His activity in the organization of public schools is declared to have been signally successful; and as the accredited organ and representative of the Hanoverian Jews, he has become personally known and respected by that government, in such a manner as to enlist its sympathies for his advancement. The Duke of Cambridge, (ex-Viceroy of Hanover,) is understood to have been especially interested for the result of our recent election; and although such matters have no concern within the pale of the synagogue, it is valuable testimony which is thus collaterally borne by that prince, (whose kind-hearted feelings towards our national institutions render him a worthy successor to the lamented Duke of Sussex,) to the dignity and consideration with which the English Synagogue will be henceforward represented externally. Altogether our Chief Rabbi appears to belong to that class emphatically called practical men; and such is just the man to deal with the difficulties of his new office.

The circumstance that our Chief Rabbi is a כהן—lineal descendant of Aaron and of the order of the priesthood, will be regarded by many who have manifested an interest in this election, as one of its most interesting Features. The Holy Scriptures make direct and important reference to the vocation of the Cohen, in times of doubt or difficulty. See Deut. 17:8, and especially Mal. 2:7.

“For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts.”

Hamburgh.—The senate of this city, so considerably indebted to Jewish commerce, as well as to Jewish patriotism and liberality, (witness the sacrifices made on the occasion of the great fire,) has undertaken to originate a legislative improvement of the position of the resident Jews. It is but a partial measure after all, and it remains yet to be seen whether the popular district assemblies will give that consent which the form of government requires.—Voice of Jacob.

The Appeal in Charleston, after being learnedly argued by the legal gentlemen on both sides, has been left undecided upon by the judges, for the present, and we learn that it is probable that a final judgment will not be given before next November.