Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 13.djvu/721

687 Jewish agricultural colonies have been formed at Lydda and else where, and an excellent agricultural school at Jaffa receives thirty pupils. Jews are found at Hebron, Tiberias (1100 in number), Kamleh, Safed (5666), and elsewhere in the Holy Land. a, In the mountains of Kurdistan and on the plain of Urmiali there are Jews who speak an Aramaic dialect the language of the Targum. " The Jews in Persia, as in many other countries, write their vernacular in Hebrew characters. They are engaged as peddlers in petty trades or in larger commerce, or enter into partner ship with Kurdish farmers, to whom they supply capital, receiving half the produce. As a rule monogamy prevails, but exceptions are frequent when the marriage proves childless, or when the levirate law comes into operation. Jews settle their differences with each other by -applying to the inalum (i.e., the rabbi) of the place, who together with his betk din forms the authorized court of justice. Boys are taught reading, writing, the Scriptures, and sometimes the Mishna. Every man and woman wears charms as safeguards against the evil eye, as protections both from ailments and from the attacks of enemies. The fear of infidelity is one of the causes which deter parents from letting their children learn secular subjects. Yet as each congregation requires the services of a day an or religious chief, the necessity of cultivating some kind of knowledge cannot be entirely ignored. Persons desirous of pursuing a course of studies have had to resort to Urmiah and to Baghdad. There are ten synagogues, and 3uO families in Teheran, partly engaged in skilled trades and professions. Jews are also found in Ispahan and other towns, &c. They are very poor, the majority in Ispahan being day-labourers and porters. The total number of the Jews in Persia is estimated to be 16,000. al In Bokhara (13,000), in Samarkand (10,000), in Merv, through- out Central Asia, Jews are scattered. The small colonies of Jews rn in Kai-fung-foo, Hansho, Ningpo, and Peking are regarded by the Chinese as a sect of Mahometans. They are termed Taou-Kin-Kedou ("separators of the sinew from the flesh"). These colonies, of ancient settlement, are not to be confounded with the European Jewish merchants, who under European protection now trade in the ports. The Jews of Kai-fung-foo have parted with their sacred scrolls, and their synagogues are ruined. a. The Jews in Yemen have a long history, but the present Jewish population is stated by the latest observer (a correspondent of the Alliance Israelite, writing in 1881) to be only 15,000 in number. An older estimate (1876) made them number 200,000. They are chiefly found in Sanaa, the capital (where they are from 2000 to 3000 in number, and have thirteen synagogues under a Chacham Bashi), and also in the mountain villages. For upwards of eighty years the Jews of Sanaa have been the victims of repeated persecutions, false accusations, and exactions ; and until twelve years ago to these were added the duties of scavengers and night-men, imposed even upon the rabbis, and not redeemable by money payments. The assumption of sovereignty by the Porte much improved their position. They are artisans, labourers, and merchants. i. Wealthy Jews reside at Cairo (3000), others at Alexandria (where the odious blood accusations were recently revived against them) and Port Said. There are in all about 8000 Jews in Egypt. In Abyssinia are found the Falashas, whose Jewish descent is doubted ^by some ethnologists. See FALASHAS, and Halevy in Misc. Soc. Heb. Lit., 2d ser., vol. ii., 1877. The Jews in Tripoli are estimated at 100,000. Tunis is variously said to contain 40,000 or 60,000 Jews. Those in the ports are European, chiefly Spanish, in recent origin. In the interior Jews live in tents, carry on agriculture on a communal basis, dress like their neighbours, bear long matchlocks, and rove from place to place like them ; many, however, are goldsmiths. They conform strictly to the Jewish ceremonial laws. The number of the Jews in Morocco was stated by the deputation which petitioned the British foreign office on their behalf in 1880 to be 300,000. There are 1200 in Larache, 1400 in Alcazar, 6000 in Tehun, 8000 in Tangiers. Many are of Spanish origin. Jews have frequently been chosen, in bygone times, to represent the sultan as envoys. They now suffer from the fanaticism of the Mahometans, and are compelled to go barefoot in sign of their submission in nearly all the cities. Robbers plunder them almost with impunity, and murders of Jews are frequent. About a hundred enjoy pro tection from Christian powers, which was confirmed at the con ference of Madrid in 1880, but is impatiently submitted to by the sultan. Jews in the interior or beyond the boundary of Morocco live a nomad life like the Jewish tribes of Arabia, and conduct caravans across the desert as far as Timbuctoo. Mardochee, a member of the first Israelite family who settled in Timbuctoo, has described the Daggatoun (merchants), a tribe of Jews who have forgotten their religion, but cherish the tradition of their descent, and proclaim it by their fair complexions and the character of their features ; they live in the Sahara in the midst of a Mussulman race, with whom they do not intermarry. Ki i, There are several thousands of Jews in Brazil ; a Dutch Jewish colony was founded at Savannas in Surinam, but has lost its distinc tive character ; a few Jews are scattered in Mexico and the South American ports. In the United States Jews are numerous, and enjoy full equality of rights and great material prosperity. A Jewish colony was founded by Judge Mordecai Noah, sheriff of New York, in 1 825, at Grand Island in the Niagara river, but did not long endure. The Jews of the United States organize themselves in great friendly societies. Of these there are four principal orders : the B nai Berith (Sons of the Covenant), which in 1878 had 22,814 members, had paid 1,000,000 in benefits, and retained $570,000 in hand ; the Independent Order of Free Sons of Israel, with 8604 members ; the Kesher shel Barzel (Iron Link), with 10,000 members and $112,000 ; the Improved Order Free Sons of Israel, with 2849 members. Jewish hospitals, orphan asylums, free schools, benevolent institutions, exist in very many cities. The union of American congregations comprises 118 con gregations, and has for its objects (1) to promote religious instruc tion, and (2) to co-operate with similar associations throughout the world to relieve and elevate oppressed Jews. Many ways of interpret ing Scripture prevail among the Jews in the United States. 1 -Some keep Sabbath on Sunday, others pray in English without any use of Hebrew ; there is much laxity in observance, but all sects agree in building magnificent synagogues. In 1878 there were in the United States 278 congregations with 12,546 members, owning in their cor porate capacity real estate worth $4,778,700 and other property worth $1,860,030, sending 12,886 children to their schools, and forming a population of about 250,000. Some further particulars may be given regarding the Jewish press. There are, according to Lippe, 86 Jewish periodicals, as follows : 18 in the Hebrew language, published at Vienna (2), "Warsaw (2), Wilna, St Petersburg, Konigsberg (2), Lyck (2), Mainz, Jerusalem (3), and 4 in Galicia (at Brody, Kolomea, Tarnopol, and Lemberg) ; 14 in Jiidisch-Deutsch, published at Vienna (2), Bucharest (3), Mainz, New York, Pressburg, Chicago, Konigsberg, Lernberg, Budapest (2) ; 22 in German, published at "Wiirzburg, Breslau, Berlin (4), Frankfort-on-the-Main, Leipsic (3), Bromberg, Kroto- schin, Mainz, Magdeburg, Lemberg, Budapest (2), Melnik (Bohemia), Bilni (Bohemia), Vienna, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee; 4 in French (reckoning the bulletin of the Alliance as one) at Paris (3), Avignon; 14 in English, at London (2), New York (4), Cincinnati (2), San Francisco (partly in German), Chicago, Philadelphia, Atalanta, St Louis, and Melbourne; 3 in Italian, at Trieste, Casale Monferrato, and Corfu; 3 in Dutch, at Rotterdam (2), Amsterdam; 2 in Russian, both at St Petersburg ; 2 in Polish, at Warsaw and Tarnopol in Galicia ; 1 in Hungarian, at Budapest ; 6 in Spanish (5 of them in Hebrew characters), at Vienna (2), Constantinople (2), Salonica, and Smyrna. In addition to these, Lippe gives 8 annuals: 1 in Roumanian at Bucharest, 1 in French at Paris, 1 in Russian at St Petersburg, 1 partly in German and partly in Hebrew at Bamberg, and 4 in German at Brody, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Halberstadt, and Prague. Two Jewish calendars appear annually in London. From the numbers of the Jewish population which we have given it results that there are about 5,000,000 Jews in Europe. In Asia 200,000, in Africa 700,000, maybe approximately correct totals, in America 300,000, in Australia 20,000. The total Jewish population of the world would thus be 6,200,000. It may be added that the vital statistics of the Jews differ a little from those of the nations with which they have been compared. The Jews have a somewhat greater average longevity,which is attributed to their abstinence, com parative freedom from phthisis, &c., and to their not often following employments which shorten life. Their dietary laws and ceremonial ablutions have an influence in preserving them from epidemics. Literature. Graetz, Geschichte tier Juden ; Casscl, Lehrbuch der Judischen Geschichte und Lileratur ; Jost, Geschichte der Israelilen, and Gesch. des Judcn- thums; Stern, Gesch. des Judenthums von Mendelssohn bis atif die Gegenwart; Back, Gesch. des judischen Voltes ; Kayserling, Menasseh b. Israel, and Juden in Portugal; Mendelssohn, Gesammelte Schriften; Loewcnstcin, Damascia ; Lippe, Dibliographisches Lexicon; Ersch and Gruber, Encyk., sect, ii., vol. xxvii.; Selig Cassel, Juden-Gesch.; Geiger (Ludwig), Gesch. der Juden in Berlin; Giitlemann, Gesch. dar Juden in Magdeburg ; Haarbleieher, Gesch. der dcutsch-israelitischen Gemeinde in Hamburg; Jolowicz, Gesc/i. der Juden in Konigtberg; Perles, Gesch. der [Juden in Posen; Wolf, Gesch. der Juden in Worms u. Wien; Aucrbach, Gesch. der isr. Gemeinde z. Halberstadt ; Donath, Gesch. der Juden in Mecklen burg ; Engelbert, Statistik der Juden im deutschen Reich; Schimmer. Statistik der Juden in den Oesterreichischen Landern; Friedliinder, Zur Gesch. der Juden in Mdhren; Stein, Gesch. der Juden in Danzig; Fin, Gesch. der jiidischen Gemeinde in Wilna; Schulman, Toldot C/iachme Israel; Bedarride, Les Juifs en France, en Italie, et en Espagne; Carmoly, La France Israelite; Loch, Albert Co/in. Situation en Serbie en Roumanie; Beugnot, Les Juifs d Occident; Ilollandaerski, Les Israelites dePologne; Halphen, Recueil des Lois concernant les Israelites; Collec tion des actes de rassemblee des Israelites ; DctcheVcrry, Israelites de Bordeaux ; Mardochde, Les Daggatoun; Saphir, Travels; Milman, History of the Jews; Picciotto, Sketches of Anglo-Jewish History; Sydney Samuel, Jen* in the East (reprinted from Jetcish Chronicle); Mnrais, Eminent Israelites of 19rt Century; L. Oliphant, The Land of Gt.le.ad; Lindo, Calendar, and Jcu-s in Spain; Israel Davis, Jeirs in Roumania; Society of Hebrew Literature, Misc. Heb. Lit., i., ii. ; Archives of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews synagogue, London (MS.); Her mann Adler, Jews in England; Koencn, Geschiedenis de Joden; J. Miller and A. Liiwy, in Tr. Soc. Bib. Arch., 1876; Keports of Anglo-Jewish Association, Alliance Israelite, Board of Deputies, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Allianz in Wicn, etc.; Jewish newspapers (see list in Lippe). (L D.) 1 The loader of the most advanced school is I)r Felix Adler, who, in his dis courses. Creed and Deed, advocates the supersession of religion by ethical culture.