News Items

Philadelphia.—The adjourned meeting for the promotion of education, which was to convene on the 7th of May, duly met; and after appointing a committee to draft a constitution and by-laws for the formation of a Hebrew Education Society, it adjourned to meet on the 21st. On that day the committee reported; but before getting through with the whole of the report, the meeting again adjourned to the 4th of June. We hope sincerely that something definite may then be adopted to forward the good cause in view , but we fear that the variety of opinions with regard to the creation of a free or pay school system, will for the present frustrate immediate action. Still we trust that a better understanding of the question will lead to a more correct appreciation of each other’s views, than appeared to prevail at the last meeting.—At the late annual election of the Fuel Society of Philadelphia the following persons were elected to serve for the current year: David Pesoa, President; Isaac Leeser, Vice-President; H. Van Beil, Treasurer; A. T. Jones, Secretary; Abr. Hart, M. A. Van Collem, Z. A. Davis, Mayer Arnold, A. S. Wolf, Isaac Lobe, Samuel Lyons, Simon Elfelt, Abm. Stein, B. Greenewald, S. M. Klasser, and Jacob Langsdorff, Managers.

Boston.—The following persons were elected officers of the congregation at Boston, for the current year, on the 23d of April last: M. Ehrlich, President; H. P. Spitz, Vice-President and Treasurer; C. W. Rosenfeld, S. M. Peyser, M. Baiersdorfer, M. I. Disbecker, and H. Selling, Trustees; and B. Wurmser, Secretary.—For the last few weeks a Sunday School has been commenced through the active exertions of Miss Ellen Lazarus, formerly of Wilmington, N. C., from which much good is expected.—The Ladies Hebrew Benevolent Society, חברה אהבת אחות, which had existed but one year, held its annual meeting on the 14th of May, and elected the following gentlemen as principal officers: B. Fox, President; L. Lewengood, Vice-President and Treasurer; and B. Wurmser, Secretary.

Albany.—We learn from a letter dated Albany, May 9th, that the congregation Beth El, under the charge of the Rev. Dr. Wise, is constantly increasing in numbers and mutual good will. The school under the charge of the reverend minister, consists of eighty-four scholars; forty-five boys and girls belong to the Bible class; and in addition to translating the Torah and the First Prophets, they are taught geography, history, grammar, arithmetic, natural history, and the German language. The school passed  a brilliant examination on the last Passover.

<<155>>
New York.—In addition to the society תרומת הקודש over which Mr. I. B. Kursheedt has presided for many years, a similar one was lately instituted among the Netherland congregation, for the relief of the poor of Palestine. Any donations sent to Mr. A. Leon will be thankfully received.

Curaçao.—In the latter part of September, a school was established in Curacao, under the name of Talmud Torah, to give instruction in the first rudiments of English, and the study of our Law. The enterprising  projector is Mr. Benjamin De Casseres, jr., and he is assisted by the Rev. David Cardozo, minister of the congregation. The plan has been accepted with enthusiasm by the people, and many of the younger members of the congregation have offered their services as teachers. Mr. De Casseres is a merchant, and our correspondent presumes that he must suffer a loss in his business by the time he spends in this benevolent object. Still we hope that it may be amply made up to him. The school now consists of sixty to seventy scholars, who have made considerable progress considering the short time they had been under tuition. It is said that the same gentlemen contemplate having a Sunday School for religious instruction.

Coro, Venezuela.—It is much to be regretted, that the civil war lately broken out between President Monagas and the party opposed to him, has compelled the greater part of the Israelites of Coro to seek refuge in Curaçoa. We fear that this deplorable war will tend, for some time to come, to retard the progress of Israelites in distracted Venezuela, but they will succeed there without doubt hereafter.

Europe.—The Jewish Emancipation Bill had its third reading in the House of Commons of England, on Thursday evening the 4th of May. Under present circumstances it can hardly fail to pass the House of Lords, not now strong enough to oppose the popular will. At the same time, it is painful to witness that the popular feeling in Hungary, Baden, Bohemia, and Prussian Poland, is exceedingly adverse to the Jews. In all these districts popular outbreaks have taken place, in which our people were either threatened or badly treated. It will no doubt be recollected, that we apprehended as much in our leading article of last month, that in the first tumult of joy at their new freedom, the ignorant masses would, as usual, testify their abhorrence against all that the government in a measure protected; and badly, therefore, as the kings treated the Jews, it was still a protection for them against the fanaticism of the masses; and hence these will wreak their vengeance probably on the unoffending, whom they now think they can <<156>>ill-treat with impunity, till the new forms of government shall have acquired sufficient strength and consolidation to repress and put down the turbulence of the now agitated masses of the various countries. Riots are the sign of upheaving of opinions; order and mutual respect, that of a tranquil acrd consolidated government. Let us pray for peace; for tumult is always hurtful to the minority, who then suffer without redress, We give an extract from a letter dated London, April 28.

Rev. I. Leeser,—On the other side, I send you an extract from a letter of Mr. Chas. Salaman, now at Rome, to his family here, which his sister was kind enough to send me. I see by the papers, that the Israelites of Paris have petitioned the Provisunal Government to abolish the present Consistory, as it is elected by 111 persons, when the Jewish population exceeds 6,000. I presume you have seen the synopsis of the Constitution offered by the Emperor of Austria to his subjects, in which the Israelites are accorded equal rights.

I heard (I did not myself read of it) that some disturbances had occurred in Posen, during which the Israelites had been treated with barbarity: one child had been murdered by bleeding it to death, and other horrible atrocities perpetrated. I see by the papers of the day, that according to “an ancient prophecy bound up with the superstitions of the people of Posen, that when Easter Sunday falls upon St. George’s day, a great miracle will ensue, which will fill the world with lamentation and woe; and afterwards with joy.” This event occurs this year, and it has caused such a sensation amongst the Jews, that many of them have quitted the city, to avoid the expected miracle. No doubt anticipating a recurrence of the atrocities of last week.

I have sent home a paper this week which contains a letter from Posen, denying that the Israelites had been ill-treated,

“The Pope sent to the Cardinal Vicar, who is guardian of the Ghetto district, to order him to have all the gates of the Ghetto removed last night. The Cardinal informed the elders—my friends Alatro, Tagliacozzo, Scala—to keep the people in their houses, in order not tocause too much excitement. A hundred men, with implements, were  ordered to assemble at 9 o’clock for the purpose. It was to be done at night, and the first night of Passover, another deliverance of the Israelites. While we were at supper at Tagliacozzo’s, we heard they had commenced, and I went out with young T——o, and had the gratification to see six gates taken down and removed in carts. I saw the men with pickaxes at the brick work, which, by this time must be all down. There are, or were, eight disgraceful gates. The Ghetto will now be open with the adjoining streets, and a large wall, dividing the Scucole or Shools from the Piazza Cenci, will be also removed. Cicernachio was there to calm the low people, and the celebrated Padre Ambrosolt, who has been preaching in favour of the Jews, was there to argue with the bigots. There was no disturbance. The police and civic guard remained to preserve order. It was a moonlight night, as light as day.”