370 



JEWS. 



attended by the resident merchants and arti- 

 sans, but produced also practical results in the 

 shape of several direct orders. Yokohama, as 

 is well known, is the principal emporium of 

 Niphon, in which the greater part of the busi- 

 ness of the import and export trade is trans- 

 acted. The reports of the mission mention, 

 with warm thankfulness, the great courtesy 

 and alacrity with which they were assisted in 

 their intercourse with the court officials, the 

 statesmen, and other officers, by the British 

 secretary of legation, Herr Alexander von 

 Siebold. This young diplomat, who speaks the 

 language of the country with the polish and 

 elegance of a cultivated Japanese, is the eldest 

 son of the celebrated naturalist who died a few 

 years ago at Munich. Herr von Siebold was 

 already acquainted with, and a personal friend 

 of the chief of the statistical and scientific de- 

 partment of the expedition, the ministerial 

 councillor, Dr. Karl von Scherzer. Herr von 

 Scherzer, who, both in Japan and China, dis- 

 played a zeal for the commercial interests of 

 the expedition worthy of recognition, and who 

 materially furthered the objects of the em- 

 bassy by his practical skill as well as by 

 his personal influence, and winning amiabil- 

 ity, which had great effect upon the Asi- 

 atics, separated himself temporarily from the 

 expedition at Yokohama, in order to go to 

 California and obtain a brief view of commer- 

 cial affairs there. The expedition left Japan 

 on the 10th of November for San Jose, in 

 Guatemala, where it was expected that Dr. von 

 Scherzer would rejoin it. 



JEWS. The Board of Delegates of Ameri- 

 can Israelites is an association somewhat on the 

 plan of the " Universal Israelitish Alliance " of 

 Paris. It is an attempt to unite the congrega- 

 tions of the Jews in the United States in efforts 

 for education, for the protection and assist- 

 ance of Jews in foreign countries where dis- 

 abilities are still imposed, for enlarging the 

 privileges and liberties of the Jews, and de- 

 fending them against encroachments, and in 

 general for what may tend to the increased 

 prosperity of the people. The movement of 

 the Board has not been encouraged with what 

 its executive committee consider "adequate 

 liberality," and its enterprises have consequent- 

 ly been contracted by the limitation of its 

 means. In 1868 the committee reported only 

 50 out of 200 Jewish congregations in the 

 country as entered upon its rolls, and lamented 

 the entire absence of union among the Hebrews, 

 and the lack of means of obtaining statistics or 

 information about congregations or societies. 

 The Board have approved of a suggestion look- 

 ing to the formation of an American Jewish 

 Church, but that being an ecclesiastical move- 

 ment, and not within their objects, it declined 

 to take action in the matter. 



The Board now hold a Palestine fund of 

 $3,300, the interest of which is given to the 

 schools established by the Universal Israelitish 

 Alliance at Jerusalem and Jaffa. These schools 



are to be enlarged by the opening of an agri- 

 cultural school at Jaffa. A further scheme for 

 the amelioration of the condition of the Israel- 

 ites in the Holy Land has been submitted for 

 approval. It contemplates the erection of 

 dwellings for pilgrims to Palestine, and for the 

 aged and indigent resident there. Several 

 such have been erected by the English and 

 French Jews, and the cooperation of American 

 Jews is invited. 



At home the Board of Delegates are guard- 

 ing against the proposed amendment to the 

 Constitution of the United States recognizing 

 Christianity as the religion of the land, and are 

 endeavoring to secure amendments to the 

 Sunday laws of the States, where such proviso 

 is not already made, exempting from their 

 operation those who keep the seventh day as 

 the Sabbath, and conduct their business on the 

 first day " quietly and not to the public detri- 

 ment." The executive committee of the Board 

 recommend that steps be taken for the regular 

 authorized issue of Jewish publications, and 

 call attention to the fact that every denomina- 

 tion in the United States has a publication 

 society, while the Hebrews have none. The 

 plan, which was offered in 1868 and renewed 

 in 1869, proposed a committee to be intrusted 

 with the duty of selecting books to be translated 

 or printed in the original. The publication 

 "should embrace reading-books for Jewish 

 schools, works in the various departments of 

 Hebrew literature, Jewish history, etc. Philo- 

 sophical works might be reprinted or subscribed 

 for, and authors and translators of useful books 

 aided in publishing them. The tendency of 

 the society should be to avoid works of pro- 

 nounced party character its aim, the propa- 

 gation of Jewish knowledge and impartial 

 science. Correspondence and cooperation with 

 similar organizations in Europe should also 

 be comprehended in the plan." 



Maimonides College was opened at Philadel- 

 phia, in October, 1867. Its course is liberal, 

 embracing the Hebrew language and literature 

 and Jewish theology, the classics, lelle-lettres, 

 and mathematics. The sessions have been 

 maintained since without interruption (except 

 regular vacations), but the committee are not 

 able to speak hopefully, rather apologetically, 

 of its condition and prospects, and of the sup- 

 port it receives from the congregations. The 

 committee continue in their report: 



The committee observe little effort on the part of 

 American Israelites to combine their forces for the 

 public good. The only interest which appears to 

 prompt united action is the work of charity ; and in 

 this tney do labor with unwonted energy." There are 

 societies having, extensive branches throughout the 

 Union, which, by the establishment of asylums for 

 the needy, the sick, the widow, the orphan, by the 

 maintenance of a liberal system of mutual aid, and by 

 generous benefactions in special cases, have stimu- 

 lated thousands of Israelites to take more interest in 

 their common welfare, and to consult together for 

 purposes of benevolence and profoundly aifecting all. 

 The ultimate result of these measures may be to en- 

 gage them in movements looking to the elevation of 



