News Items.

Philadelphia.—The Hebrew Education Society was duly organised on the 16th of July last, by the election of the following as officers for the first year: Solomon Solis, President; Simeon Elfelt, Vice-Presi<<263>>dent; Abraham Hart, Treasurer; Z. A. Davis, Secretary; Simon M. Klasser, Assistant Secretary, and Marcus Cauffman, Lewis J. Cohen, M. A. Dropsie, A. T. Jones, Jacob Langsdorff, Isaac Leeser, Moses Nathans, Joseph Newhouse, H. Polock, Julius Stern, H. Van Bell, and A. S. Wolf, Managers. At the same time Messrs. M. Arnold, M. Nathans and J. Schoneman, were elected Trustees of the Society. About forty-five members registered their names at the organization of the Association, and many more are ready to join without delay. The first Board meeting will be held on Sunday the 6th of August; and it is to be hoped that such measures may be devised as will enable a school to be opened within the course of the next twelve months.

Relief For Palestine.—We owe an apology to the gentleman who furnished us with a statement from Jerusalem relative to the return of R. Jechiel Cohen, of whom we spoke in the last number of our fourth volume, to Palestine, with the funds which he collected for the relief of the poor at Hebron. We never doubted the integrity of the mission of R. Jechiel, and stated so in our Magazine; but as some persons affected to doubt him, we with pleasure seize this opportunity to do justice to an absent individual, who left a favourable impression on the minds of many by his proper bearing when here. In connexion, however, with the general policy of giving to travelling missionaries who come to collect for special purposes, there can be no doubt that much is wasted in defraying the heavy attendant expenses; still we cannot leave a poor man to go away empty handed, simply because he ventured over the ocean in the mistaken hope of being liberally aided when here. Nevertheless it is well for those who mean to benefit the poor of the Holy Land, to consider well whether some method other than direct application is not far preferable, and we candidly think, that local collections forwarded through faithful houses in Europe will be the better means. We accordingly draw the public attention to the subject by laying before our readers the circular of the Committee of the Society Terumath Hackodesh, of New York.

New York, July 5608.

Sir,—The Committee appointed by the Society Terumath Hackodesh, for the purpose of making an Extra Collection in behalf of our distressed brethren in the Holy Land, owing to the dreadful famine which prevailed there, have the pleasure of reporting the collection and transmission of the sum of ______ Dollars, for which they present the receipts from the parties authorized to receive and dispense the same.

This Society was established for the purpose of raising funds in aid <<264>>of our poor brethren in the Holy Land, and thus obviating the necessity of sending messengers hither to raise contributions in their behalf. In addition to the danger of fraud and imposition resorted to by false messengers, the expenses attending the journey to and from this country, and the commissions charged by those duly authorized, swallow up a considerable portion of the collections made, to the prejudice of those for whom they are intended. The terms upon which these messengers discharge the purposes of their mission, is, to deduct one-third of their collections as their commission, and from the residue the expenses of their journey; thus leaving very little surplus, (if any) to be divided among those whom they represent.

The committee respectfully propose, that each congregation be urgently requested to open a subscription list in behalf of our poor brethren in the Holy Land; to invite and urge persons to subscribe any sum, however small, (the former sum was only one dollar per annum,) annually, for the term of five years; by which means there would be an annual fund to be depended on for transmission, sufficiently considerable, however, to preclude the necessity of sending any messengers here in future. The value of money being much greater in the Holy Land than in this country, a moderate amount collected here, would be felt and considered very important there. This plan has been successfully adopted at Hamburg.

The committee, in order to give congregations and individuals an opportunity of co-operating in the plan proposed, will meet in the Meeting Room of the Crosby Street Synagogue, on Sunday, August 6th, 5608, from 4 to 5 P.M., it being important to apprise the principal men among our brethren in Jerusalem, of the measures and intentions of their brethren here in their behalf, as early as possible.

The committee, also, recommend that the פרנס and גבאי of each congregation in this city, be constituted a committee to effect the above objects.

I. B. Kursheedt,
S. M. Isaacs,
Sim. Abraham, Committee.

Rome, May.—Excesses Committed Against the Jews.—Within the last few days, several disturbances have taken place in the Ghetto. The people had already begun to demolish some houses, when the Civica arrived to prevent their proceedings. The common people envy the Jews their newly acquired rights.—Zeit. de Jud.

Berlin.—Dr. Veit, a bookseller of Berlin, has been elected at Berlin a representative to the German Parliament assembled at Frankfort.—Ib.