News Items.*

* Some of the above articles have been deferred from time to time, and we give them now in connexion as a part of the history of the day.

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.