99 99 99 99 99 ---------------------------------------- ------------------- ,transcriber's ,note3 ,obvious typographical errors have been corrected4 ,for a complete list1 please see the end of this document4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------- 99 99 99 99 99 ,,suggestions ,,to ,,the ,,jews1 ,,for ,,improvement ,,in ,,reference ,,to ,,their ,,charities1 ,,education1 ,,and ,,general ,,government4 ,,by ,a ,,jew4 ,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,,john ,,wertheimer ,,and ,,co41 ,,circus ,,place1 ,,finsbury ,,circus ,,and ,,may ,,be ,,had ,,of ,g4 ,,galabin1 #ia1 ,,bartholomew ,,close4 #ahdd4 ,,suggestions1 ,,etc4 ,as the twelve tribes had many interests in common1 and1 in some respects1 formed but one political body1 the magistrates of all the tribes met in general assemblies to consult for the good of the nation4 ,jahn's ,history of the ,hebrew ,commonwealth4 ,whoever regards the state of our community in this country1 must come to the conclusion1 that we have arrived at an important period1 when we can no longer defer the consideration of matters of vital interest1 if we would escape the well merited condemnation of the world at large1 or the just reproaches of conscience in ourselves4 ,we stand in a position where the past1 the present1 and the probable future are alike presented to our view2 the first to instruct and warn us1 and the two latter to furnish us with every motive to exertion which can be gathered from the impulses of hope and fear1 from a perception of our own best interests and of those of our posterity4 ,that the honour and reputation of the ,jewish body are and have been at stake1 must be granted by those who admit1 as facts1 the circumstances to which it is the aim of this ,pamphlet to draw the public attention4 ,the great majority of our poor are uneducated in the holy tenets of our creed--in their duties as citizens--in the proper arts of life2 while poverty and distress abound in the dwellings of vast numbers of our brethren1 partially mitigated1 indeed1 not permanently provided for1 by the many excellent and worthy charitable societies which surround us4 ,these are truths which painfully arrest the attention of individuals2 and it becomes the duty of the whole1 to seek the means of meeting the difficulties of the case4 ,in the ensuing pages ,i venture to suggest some propositions for the purpose4 ,in all well constituted societies1 it has been found necessary to have a head1 from which all government1 laws and regulations1 have emanated4 ,these governments have been formed either of one person or more1 the object being1 a means to an end1 or more fully speaking1 the production of the greatest possible amount of human happiness4 ,this fact is so universally admitted1 that associations for every object1 whether religious or political1 scientific or trading1 have recourse to a governing body for carrying out their particular views2 and1 perhaps1 ,i am not far wrong in stating1 that the only exception in ,great ,britain of an extensive religious community being without a government is to be found amongst the ,jews1 not because the exigency is less1 but because1 from their first establishment in this kingdom1 the want was never so much felt as at the present moment2 their position has now become matter of inquiry to every enlightened mind1 and many circumstances have recently shewn the disadvantages which a want of system has entailed upon those who profess the ,jewish religion in this country--disadvantages which will be particularised as we proceed4 ,in the peculiar position of the ,jewish people1 ,i cannot find a term by which to distinguish them1 and must therefore apologise for adopting those terms which are already in use4 ,they are called a nation2 and ,i avail myself of the word3 but in what consists their nationality8 ,they are termed a body3 in what do they assimilate8 ,they are designated the ,british ,jews3 how are they identified with the title8 ,the phrase1 ,members of a certain ,synagogue1 conveys to the mind the only idea to which we can find any corresponding reality2 for1 in truth1 beyond what it implies1 the ,jews are not united for any definite design or purpose2 and while it would have been reasonable to expect1 priori1 that the votaries of a faith set apart from all others1 should have had some common bond of union in their affairs1 we are startled by the consideration that there exist at this moment in ,london alone1 a number of distinct ,jewish ,congregations1 independent of each other1 with separate wants and interests1 having nothing in common but their religion3 and all the great and noble advantages to be obtained by numbers1 having a unity of purpose1 are either unrecognised1 or merged and lost in that separation of interests which makes the respective pecuniary benefit of each ,congregation the greatest1 if not the only object of its existence4 ,the provincial ,congregations are precisely in the same injurious position1 and sensibly feel the want of a defined and constituted authority--to decide upon many differences that arise--to interfere for the extinction of animosities 7trifling in themselves1 but made gigantic by continued contest7 easy to be reconciled by a power to which all would feel compelled to bow--yet as pregnant with important consequences1 if unchecked1 as those causes which led for a period to the downfall of monarchy in these realms4 ,the evil appears1 so far as regards the ,metropolitan ,congregations1 to have originated at1 and been continued from1 the period of the second settlement of the ,israelites in this country4 ,to the rapid increase of numbers and wealth1 during the absence of one efficient regulating power1 we can trace the successive formation of so many distinct communities4 ,to those elements which ought to have contributed to our strength1 we thus owe our weakness1 and that disorganisation and separation of interests which characterises the various proceedings of our body1 in the formation of the necessary places of worship1 and in other affairs4 ,had our ancestors provided a government at the outset1 or placed us under the control of an adequate authority1 no material disagreements would have taken place4 ,but the narrow policy which led to the formation of parties1 compelled them to take what might have been wisely and nobly given1--created feelings of aversion where the affection of parent and offspring ought to have existed4 ,the wealth of the newer branches generated1 on their part1 a feeling of pride equally to be deplored2 and in losing sight of the necessity for general co-operation1 and for one common fund1 every kindly feeling gave way to mutual jealousy4 ,the example once set1 was soon followed1 and continues to be so on every opportunity3 we blindly press onward in the same irrational course1 without staying to consider that we impoverish the source1 by continually increasing the number of the streams4 ,the same spirit of division 7it cannot be called independence7 enters into the details of all the affairs of the ,israelites in their respective undertakings3 it marks their general social position1 and leads to a universal separation of interests4 ,every charity is encountered by another for similar purposes1 in the east or west1 as the case may be1 to be supported by private exertion1 and by opposing parties4 ,one counteracts the other2 both contend with all the force and feelings of competitors for public favour4 ,the strength which would be tenfold if united1 is wasted in petty rivalries1 and in endeavours after show1 instead of being employed in seeking the advantage of the objects to be benefited4 ,yet views of charity and religion1 which the ,jews entertain in common1 and the sympathy that unites them1 as it does individuals of every class possessing a similarity of belief or feeling1 render it desirable to resort to a plan of centralisation and union1 by which not alone the wholesome regulation of charitable institutions would be effected1 but the education of the poor1 and the intellectual advancement of the entire community1 would be accomplished4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the anxiety of the poor ,jews for instruction1--of the trading classes for moral improvement1--of the wealthy for a removal of civil disabilities1--of the religious for some alteration in the mode of worship1--in short1 of every portion and member of the ,jewish community1 for an amendment of its social position1 is so evident1 that the following suggestions are put forth in the hope and belief that they contain the elements of a plan1 which1 if boldly and fully carried out1 will tend to elevate the ,jews from their present degraded and certainly unmerited position2 and while it would improve them1 it would enable the ,christian world to do that justice to their talents and probity1 for which at present1 in an ignorance of their true characteristics1 little credit is given to them2 not because ,englishmen are now indisposed to act fairly or kindly to their countrymen of a different religion1 or from their indifference to the wants of our co-religionists1 but because 7in the fear of thrusting themselves before the public1 where insult and contumely have too frequently awaited them7 the ,jews have not collectively manifested any desire for intellectual culture1 nor attempted to disabuse the minds of their neighbours from the prejudices of what1 as towards the ,jews1 may be termed an illiberal and bigoted education4 ,as1 however1 it forms no part of my plan to recapitulate the oppression of the one party1 or the quiet suffering of the other1 nor to analyse the causes1 but to take the ,jews as ,i find them1 ,i will leave to others the task of commenting upon the past1 nor will ,i1 by any invidious remarks1 prove that they have always been an ill-used body2 yet ,i cannot refrain from stating1 that in no similar number of men in ,great ,britain1 labouring under the same social and political disadvantages with themselves 7unprovided for by the government1 uninstructed1 and with very few attempts made1 until recently1 by their brethren1 to instruct them71 will be found more humanity1 kindness1 honesty1 and a disinclination to heinous crimes1 than in the body hitherto scornfully designated ,jews4 ,attempts at extensive improvements are always termed visionary2 and every effort towards advancement has been always met by the clamours of the ignorant and the interested4 ,the general spread of knowledge has had to contend with the opposition of party and personal feelings2 but these have never been enabled to stem the onward progress of enlightenment with any strength3 ,i would1 therefore1 entreat those who with myself are seeking to carry out this scheme1 and to arrive at a better state of things1 to persevere1 nothing daunted at the first repulse1 but to continue their course1 rising superior to the paltry prejudices that may and will assail them1 until they have succeeded in procuring for their brethren1 a name and a station worthy of them in the ranks of society-- ,for freedom's battle once begun1 ,bequeath'd by suff'ring sire to son1 ,though baffl'd oft1 is ever won6 ,let us not forget1 therefore1 that it is our duty to enlist the earnest co-operation of every individual that is to be benefited1 and in that designation is comprised every member of the community4 ,as a crime committed by a ,jew1 an illegal act1 even an examination before a magistrate upon suspicion1 is made a disgrace to the race1 and reflects discredit upon the whole1 the entire body--the very religion--suffers from it4 ,every living ,jew--the very memory of the dead--demands justice2 and as individuals have it in their power to contribute to the general honour or disgrace1 it is our duty to implant the purpose that animates us in the hearts and understandings of all our brethren4 ,in a subsequent part of this pamphlet will be found1 in brief detail1 a plan1 which the necessity of the case itself seems to suggest as the best means for ameliorating the condition of the ,jewish body2 and ,i only refer to it shortly here1 in order to state succinctly the objects to be attained1 and previously to an attempt1 to show our brethren of all classes and of every grade1 how intimately the interest of each is bound up with that of the whole4 ,it is clearly admitted that the children of the poor are not sufficiently educated1 or sufficiently instructed in the means of procuring their subsistence1 an evil which not only affects the present generation1 but spreads its baneful influence wide and deep into the future1 and may affect all the interests of our posterity4 ,one great portion of the plan1 therefore1 is to provide the means of education1 to be governed and guided according to rules which experience and observation have proved to be the best1 as selected from various institutions and from ,schools of ,industry in this country4 ,another principal feature of it is1 to enlarge and strengthen the power of the numerous charitable societies in existence1 by providing a building adapted to the whole1 and which1 by creating a unity of purpose and management among the various administrations1 will give a much larger scope of action to the respective charities4 ,a third portion of the plan regards an adequate provision for an ,anglo-,jewish press1 which will be found not only subsidiary to the objects already alluded to1 by publishing to our brethren every thing connected with those objects1 but will be seen to be in itself a most powerful instrument for our mental advancement2 and as it is requisite that such great and important ends as these should be guided and controlled by one power1 so that each portion of this plan should lend to1 and receive mutual assistance from1 the others1 so that no differences of view should intercept or mar the common benefit1 it has been considered requisite to provide for the constituting of a supervising committee or central council1 who would have the superintendence of all matters not ecclesiastical4 ,let us contrast in our minds1 for one moment1 the present state of things1 with what an advantageous position we should hold1 as a community1 if a plan like the above were in full and fair operation4 ,let us look upon this picture1 and on that2 and who is there among us that will not say1 in the communings of his own soul1 ,this is a concern in which it behoves me to exert every energy and power which the ,divine ,author of our faith has bestowed upon me8 ,and while all can bring their meed of power and energy to the task1 to each1 according to his views1 his feelings1 or his rank in life1 some peculiar inducement appears for taking part in so laudable an undertaking4 ,i would ask the religious man1 be he ,jew or not1 ,is not a proper observance of religion to be expected rather from the instructed than the debased mind8 ,putting aside every high command to assist the needy1 is it not a duty to improve the worldly welfare of your fellow man1 giving him1 at the same time1 means which will develop his mental faculties1 and induce him to join you in prayer1 and lead him to the better observance of all his religious duties8 ,to you1 then1 worshipper of the ,supreme ,being1 ,i appeal to join in this undertaking3 your future hopes1 as well as your worldly welfare1 are linked with the fate of the poor and unenlightened ,jews4 ,assist them--instruct them--extend the provision for them in old age--let not the prejudices which spring from worldly differences1 or the rancour of sectarian feeling1 blind you to the great good you may achieve4 ,join early in the glorious work--come even singly to combat with darkness and disgrace4 ,every man may be the vanquisher of one illiterate spirit1 and bear him from ignorance and evil to knowledge and the brightness of everlasting good4 ,it is your duty especially1 preachers of the word of truth1 to disseminate these principles from your high places2 for by opening the minds of the ignorant you teach them to laugh to scorn the sophisms of conversionists1 and enable them to judge better of their religion and ,,themselves4 ,unite yourselves then1 ye pastors2 cry aloud1 ,there is a feeling of hope stirring among the ,jews--they seek for instruction1 let us help them6 ,address your exertions to inform those who know less than yourselves--and you will have the inestimable satisfaction of perceiving that the precepts of morality and virtue will make their way with redoubled force to the hearts and understandings of your hearers2 that you will be enabled to impart to all1 whatever religion affords of hope and consolation and gladness2 cheering the afflicted in the hour of his adversity--proving to the doubting spirit that truth and good are one1 and1 in the exercise of your sacred functions on unclouded minds1 ,allure to brighter worlds and lead the way4 ,in the prosecution of this scheme many advantages are offered1 which to the trader and mere man of the world are of considerable importance1 by bringing all our charities to a focus4 ,setting aside the great saving that could and would be effected in the management by united efforts1 a much larger sum might be given to the legitimate object of each charity1 and a systematic and efficient check upon each person receiving relief could be accomplished4 ,the vast sums annually given to established charities and benevolent institutions1 form but a small item in the sum total of expenditure for charity4 ,tradesmen1 and indeed individuals of every class1 are in the habit of making continual donations to persons unknown1 and frequently unworthy4 ,to those1 then1 whom these considerations principally affect1 ,i would say1--,put all your charities under a salutary control1 and1 under a united management1 sink for once the mere desire to be chairman1 committee-men1 and managers4 ,act with others1 and not as if you only were patrons and founders of the institutions you wish to see flourish4 ,unite for the purpose of doing good1 not for granting patronage4 ,assist in educating the poor and needy1 whether orphans or otherwise1 and in afterwards placing them as apprentices4 ,as the honesty of their character1 and the diligence with which they exercise their calling become developed and known1 so will your reputation as honourable tradesmen increase4 ,as they will have received the advantage of an education1 in which religion and morality will have been combined with whatever is necessary for their support through life1 no imputation of chicanery--no supposition of dishonesty will attach itself to them1 and your word will be taken4 ,when their religious observances are known1 they will be appreciated2 and your pledge of honour as a ,jew will be guarantee for the quality of your commodity4 ,thus everything is to be gained1 and the accomplishment is within your own power4 ,will you quietly sit by and hear vituperation heaped upon your creed and upon yourselves1 without being roused to the slightest effort8 ,i will readily admit that it is only the prejudices of the ignorant and vulgar which draw the distinction between yourself and the ,christian3 enlighten him therefore where requisite2 associate as much as possible with him2 let your press address him2 prove by your acts1 your words and dealings1 the falseness of his assertions against you1 and his sneer loses all its sting from its inapplicability4 ,let the phrase1 ,he is a ,jew in his dealings1 be an honourable testimonial1 equally as desirable to you as that ,he acts like a ,christian1 is to our fellow-citizens of the faith alluded to3 and let those who think that the only worth of the ,jewish religion is to be measured by the purchase-money offered for apostasy from it1 find that the price they pay is only a bribe for seeming assent from the outcasts of society1 and that the very worst and lowest ,jew is sufficiently informed to know that he will not be raised by becoming a bad ,christian1 or an infidel4 ,it is equally clear that a bad ,jew will never make a good ,christian3 and ,i am not quite sure if we ought not to be thankful for the removal of such an excrescence from our body4 ,in turning to those who are sometimes termed our aristocracy1 that is to say--the wealthy portion of the ,jewish community1 ,i would ask1 ,are you contented that the stigma which unjustly presses on the ,jewish name should longer continue8 ,i am free to admit that the ,christians rather than the ,jews require to be enlightened upon this point2 but have you attempted this8 ,what has been done by you for the elevation of your brethren8 ,but let all that is practicable in this respect be attained1 and you will ascend with them2 as the majority become refined in their manners1 talented in their professions1 known in their dealings1 so will you1 always the most conspicuous1 be exalted with them4 ,honour will emanate from the people and be reflected upon the leaders4 ,every onward movement of the middle and lower orders must press you1 the more advanced1 into higher eminence3 and it is therefore necessary on your parts to procure for the body of which you are a portion1 the means of making its members of every class useful and excellent citizens4 ,while the poor are left to obloquy--no matter who the rich may be--all will be designated by one common term of reproach4 ,while the great mass of the population is progressing in intellectual power1 the ,jews cannot stand still and be at the same time respected4 ,the aristocratic class of the ,jews is formed of men of wealth--of wealth honourably acquired1 and thus open to every man3 but unless the strictest regard be had to the education of our co-religionists1 we shall have that class1 noted only for its money and its ignorance1 shamed into an unenviable notoriety by an indifference to the wants of the majority1 and dragged downwards with them into one general obscurity4 ,as wealth is within the attainment of poorer orders1 the requisite education should be at once provided for them--the characters of all formed upon honest principles--the minds of all cultivated and embued with useful knowledge--and the manners1 so far as is practicable1 trained with a view to what is decorous and proper in social life4 ,punish by your frowns1 by public scorn and private avoidance1 the wretch who would cast dishonour on you by the dishonesty of his dealings4 ,the poorest youth of character may justly aspire in this country to the honours of every station1 and he will be the more honoured and sought as his fair fame expands itself--an example to his fellows--an ornament to his friends--an honour to his country4 ,one false step in early life 7which1 had he possessed that education we contend for1 might have been avoided71 and he not only closes the portals of distinction on himself--not to be reopened by golden keys--but he becomes a source of injury to all his race4 ,i should but imperfectly fulfil my task1 if ,i omitted to address the fairer portion of our community for their aid in this noble undertaking4 ,to those who know the deep extent of their influence1 although exerted within the limited sphere of the hallowed precincts of home1 ,i need not say one word in vindication of an appeal to them3 and who among us1 either as husband1 son1 or brother1 does not possess a knowledge of this influence8 ,glorious hereditary traits distinguish1 in the eyes of every ,israelite1 the daughters of his race4 ,the pure affection that characterises them inspires all their actions1 and repays him1 in the hours spent in the bosom of his family1 for the toils1 the trials1 and the hardships of the world4 ,from an influence so founded1 what may not be expected from her who is entrusted with the formation of the mind at that period when it is susceptible of every impression for good or ill3 nearly everything we possess of the better and purer feelings of our nature1 we can trace to the hours of childhood1 when all is subjected to the maternal sway4 ,even the tales with which she lulls to sleep may lead to pursuits of honour2 for as we find a prejudice firmly imprinted on the memory from nursery stories1 so may nobler views of men and actions be lessons from the cradle never to be eradicated1 but strengthened by subsequent tuition4 ,in after-age1 woman controls and influences the stronger passions of our nature3 and no shape1 no circumstance of life can occur1 but where1 directly or indirectly1 the relation in which she stands to us affects every occurrence1 and retards or gives an impulse to the current of our lives2 and as surely as her support is sought for by her offspring1 and her affection relied upon by her husband1 so is she capable of achieving all that is desirable in her family4 ,looking then to each family among us for some support for this undertaking1 we may hope to have done something towards its fulfilment1 when the mothers and daughters of ,israel shall become acquainted and penetrated with its aim and tendency4 ,they can improve the condition of their race--to their understandings no suggestion is necessary as to what course to pursue--to their hearts no stimulus required as an inducement to assist in a course which concerns the intellectual advancement and the happiness of their people4 ,where ends like these are to be gained1 they will be the first to perceive how much of what is purely domestic1 and within their own immediate sphere1 may derive advantage from their participation and advocacy4 ,the humbler portion of my brethren1 in whose direct and more especial interest a part of this undertaking has been contemplated1 will1 it is to be hoped and expected1 give it that assistance which the case demands from them4 ,their welfare is the great object sought2 and ,i implore them1 for whom so much is desired1 not to meet with coldness these efforts on their behalf--,i implore them to be advised1 taught1 guided and improved by those who only seek their own advantage in common with that of the poor themselves4 ,to smooth the rugged path of their toils--to elevate them above the occasional frowns and ill-temper of those whom fortune has more highly favoured--to alleviate their misery--to provide for their wants--to recognise their claims--to prove that they are the objects of solicitude to their true friends among the richer ,jews--will be the great result1 as it is the great purpose1 of this plan3 but how can their condition be improved1 unless with an earnest disposition on their own part towards it8 ,is obtaining occasional charity1 that relieves them only for a short period1 the sole aim of their lives8 ,is not the welfare of their children an all-powerful feeling with them8 ,does the destitution of old age never occur to their thoughts1 until the moment that it commences1 when helpless infirmity assails them8 ,is not the thought of an hereafter sometimes present to their minds8 ,if their answers1 their opinions upon these subjects1 are what they should be1 and what must naturally be expected1 ,i am sure they will add1 that they are prepared to go with me in the scheme for their improvement and welfare2 they will remove their children from the contamination of vice--allow them to be taught honest trades as they grow up--let them become men of use to the community1 their cheerers and supporters in affliction and age2 and when not blessed with offspring1 there will still be a reward for the uprightness and integrity of their conduct in that ,asylum1 which ,i hope we shall soon see erected for their reception1 when their strength and powers of exertion shall be exhausted1 where their labours shall cease1 and where the doors shall be opened for their future ease1 without the interference of private friends or their personal solicitations to a patron4 99 99 99 99 99 ,having somewhat concisely shewn the advantages to be gained by adopting a scheme to be founded on the foregoing hints1 ,i would solicit the co-operation of all friends to my views1 to commence forthwith the formation of a ,general ,committee or ,council1 consisting1 in the first instance1 of those who are disposed to give their personal or pecuniary assistance2 and afterwards1 during the operation of the project1 also of members selected by the public and popular election of the ,jews in all parts of ,great ,britain4 ,the ultimate aim of this ,committee or ,council should be to become 7as they would1 by their superior knowledge and management7 the governing body of the ,jews in this country in all secular matters4 ,they should possess the confidence of the community from their numbers1 education1 wealth1 and footing in society4 ,from their public elections--from their ready compliance to entertain and adjudicate upon all matters coming before them--from their public deliberations and well-weighed judgments in general assembly from all parts1 at stated periods1 their position would be independent1 yet subject to the wholesome control of the press and the opinions of their constituents4 ,the necessity for such a governing body becomes daily more apparent2 and the advantages that would arise from it are incalculable4 ,without giving any opinion on the merits of the question in the recent dispute at ,liverpool1 if a government had been in existence1 would the unpleasant result of the establishment of a fresh congregation1 another independent and irresponsible party1 have arisen1 with all its expensive appurtenances and its future jealousies1 to say nothing of the fact of another disagreement among the ,jews1 being trumpeted forth by those who watch for opportunities to defame us4 ,the truth is so apparent1 that we think it requires little argument to prove to the minds of those who will give the subject some consideration1 the propriety of immediately forming a ,council1 vested with powers alike for the control and supervision of old congregations1 as for the supporting of new ones--for proposing and carrying out laws and regulations in furtherance of the philanthropic and educational portions of this scheme1 and for assimilating all ,jewish arrangements1 either provincial or metropolitan4 ,the ,society of ,friends 7whose social constitutions and government must be the theme of praise even to the most casual observer7 ,i would in this as in many other details take as my model2 for they are spread over as large a surface as the ,jews--consist1 like them1 of merchants and traders--similar in numbers--superior in education1 7although not in mental capacity7--with a well-ordered and responsible government--and we consequently hear of no distress or disorganization among them2 yet it is not to be doubted that as many causes for interference occur in that body as in our own1 but education1 discipline1 and a well-regulated system for their poor enable them to grapple with every question of good or evil1 whether of retrogression or advancement as it arises4 ,the same advantages would so soon shew themselves in our own case1 that all the ,jews would gladly accord with the arrangement1 and as the ,council would have an ultimate influence on the management of the funds1 and have an opportunity of investigating into and advising upon their distribution1 an efficient system of relief would be formed--the aged would be provided for--the ignorant instructed--and1 as a general consequence1 the character of the ,jew regarded with the homage that every man pays to excellence under every denomination4 ,not to enter fully into further particulars upon the various subjects within the immediate province of the ,council1 there is yet one of great importance1 hitherto wholly disregarded1 but intimately connected with any extended plan of education and philanthropy1 which might be well submitted to their supervision4 ,by a registration of the names of every man1 woman1 and child of the ,jewish persuasion1 a large amount of statistical information would be obtained1 and the concentration of the community facilitated--no claimant for any purpose of education or charity1 could or would be recognised1 unless upon the register--thus offering an inducement for every member of the ,jewish body to enter his or her name upon it2 for this registration a small charge1 say one shilling1 should be made1 which would produce an annual amount of about #aejj to be added to the general funds1 for the benefit of all2 affording material assistance to the objects now contemplated2 and1 while giving an interest to each person in the public concerns1 the required sum would be very trifling to the poorest1 when considered as giving them defined claims as recognised members of a community4 ,that the various ,synagogues have the means of largely assisting a liberal and progressive policy1 not the most prejudiced upholder of the present state will deny--nor will it be urged that they have contributed to their fullest extent towards the education and enlightenment of the rising generation4 ,in a pecuniary point of view1 they could and would gain largely by adopting fully the views now advocated2 for they would transfer from their funds to those of the ,jewish public1 all their pensioners3 but they ought to be the leaders in encouraging the objects1 from a desire of improvement1 instead of mere pecuniary gain4 ,in proposing the instruction of all the ,jewish children1 therefore1 and in taking charge of all the offspring of the poor1 ,i take from them all the claim generally resorted to for the charitable interference of the ,synagogues2 as the poor will have very little difficulty in maintaining themselves1 if we maintain all their children1 to do which1 it would be necessary to remove them to a suitable establishment1 properly provided and superintended1 in connection with a school of industry1 in which all the trades and useful arts of life should be inculcated4 ,the school 7,aubin's7 at ,norwood gives the system as far as it can be properly acted upon2 or a new system1 if necessary1 could be arranged1 having for its object the instruction of the younger children1 and the making artizans of the more advanced in age4 ,the expences of this arrangement would be much less than generally imagined1 and a considerable part of them could be defrayed by the industry of the pupils2 and the schools of the ,society of ,friends at ,ackworth1 ,sidcoat1 c4 should likewise be our examples1 but accommodated to the necessary differences of the case4 ,in conjunction with this establishment1 ,i would recommend the formation of a superior school for a limited number of boys in the neighbourhood of the ,london ,university1 where the most talented of the scholars from the former school should be placed1 at the public charge1 under the tuition of ,hebrew1 ,french1 and ,german classical teachers4 ,the expenditure for board and lodging1 and for attending the classes during the term at the ,university school1 and at the ,university1 should be defrayed out of the general fund2 and some of these youths might and should be trained to all the offices and duties of our clergy1 others to the professions of law and medicine1 and all other superior attainments of education4 ,accommodation should be afforded at this place for a number of private or paying pupils1 to have the advantages of all the means of instruction provided1 and of the general management of the house1 with the privilege of attending the ,university1 and of having their studies likewise superintended at the house by the professors engaged4 ,the fees for their admission and support would considerably lessen the expences of the whole establishment1 and enable the younger branches of the ,jews to receive a sound1 religious1 and classical education4 ,this would give an opportunity for the development of all the higher attributes of the mind2 and as the youth assembled there would be all of the best instructed of the rising and future generations1 every province in ,england and the ,colonies would naturally come there for its tutors and clergy4 ,inducements thus held out for the cultivation of talent in all classes1 would be gradually to render the whole body of the ,jews well informed4 ,it is unnecessary to say more here upon this subject4 ,the minor points1 being for the consideration of the ,council1 shall be forthcoming at the proper time3 but ,i believe the removal of the young from the old1 at an early age1 very desirable2 for1 the contamination of evil example1 of vicious and dishonourable pursuits1 tends to undo the instruction they receive at present1 and is the cause of so small a number attending the places already provided for their instruction4 ,the object must be1 therefore1 to make the school attractive to the children1 and an advantage to the parents4 99 99 99 99 99 ,by the amalgamation of the ,jewish charities is not to be understood the depriving of any of the present institutions of their funds1 or of their control over them1 nor do ,i wish to divert legacies or the accumulations of years from their legitimate channels1 but to secure an efficient centralisation1 with wholesome and necessary control2 for it must be admitted that1 independent of the money so liberally bestowed by the wealthy portion of the ,jews1 the humblest as well as the most distinguished give continually large sums in proportion to their incomes4 ,not a ,sunday1 and scarcely a day1 passes1 but contributions are solicited from the poorer traders of the ,jews1 to which the most indigent add their pence1 with the true feelings of ,jewish benevolence1 in the hope of mitigating the poignant sufferings of the applicants4 ,the charity which plenty gives to poverty is human and earthly1 but it becomes divine and heavenly when poverty gives to want4 ,the great sums distributed in known or public charities are more than doubled by the continual call upon the purses of the donors2 and being so well answered1 it is impossible to calculate the amount4 ,the wealthy are daily subjected to these visitations1 and in few instances is the immediate pecuniary relief refused4 ,it is scarcely necessary to point out the expensiveness of this mode of relief1 it being self-evident2 but that is a very small portion of the evil it entails4 ,if it ended here1 ,i would say1 ,send not a mendicant1 no matter what his creed or country1 from you unrelieved2 as the very necessity that induces the application is sufficient reason for relief1 should even the applicant be thought unworthy3 but the mischief ,,stops not here2 it is only the commencement--it encourages1 instead of checking1 mendicity--it produces beggars where it should make artizans--it encourages consumers instead of helping producers--it assists idlers when its object is and should be to support the industrious4,a ,all indiscriminate charity must therefore be an evil to the body1 an injury to the community3 it begets a class of persons that spend the easily obtained funds as improperly as they were procured--it degrades the minds of the recipients1 while the wealthy donors look more frequently with disgust than compassion on the receiver2 in short1 no persons can become more debased in mind and body than habitual beggars1 of which a very large number exists among the ,jews--uncontrolled1 unchecked1 and unprovided for--in spite of all the efforts of the charities and ,synagogue funds1 nearly all of which are casual4 ,the sums thus distributed should1 and would1 suffice to maintain all the paupers of the ,jews2 but the inefficiency of the administration permits them to devote their entire time in successfully preventing one charitable institution from arriving at the knowledge of what they receive from another1 and to extort from private sources as much as possible4 ,these are facts known to us all3 but1 in the charitableness of our hearts1 we fear to come boldly forward and provide at once entirely for all these mendicants1 who should be properly taken care of1 clothed1 fed1 and housed2 and the expenditures of the present day would be sufficient1 if carefully arranged4 ,by the withdrawal from the public eye of all these unfortunate beings1 a great improvement would appear1 and certainly be very soon effected4 ,the pernicious example would be unknown to the young2 and the idly disposed would find the fee simple of their present estates devoted to the purchase of useful1 industrious1 and honest means of procuring them their subsistence4 ,through the want of a well-regulated system of relief1 under check and control1 every beggar is an independent member of the ,jewish commonwealth1 employed in seeking1 the entire day1 whom to devour1 considering himself entirely at liberty1 morally and physically1 to devote his entire time to the readiest way of getting money--honestly if he can1 that is1 by persevering importunity1 but frequently by false representations1 and other more disreputable means1 of which the law takes no immediate cognizance4 ,we continually see the state to which this reduces him1 but ,,he feels not the degradation to which he has become familiar1 habit reconciling and making attractive his course of life1 whatever may have been his feelings at the commencement of it4 ,the persons who condemn are those who have driven him to this base means of existence2 the facility with which money is obtained from those who give 7through the habit of doing so from having seen their parents do it1 or because they believe the distressed is a poor ,jew and has no recognised refuge71 induces an opinion that this is the proper and legitimate mode of ,jewish charity3 but no really laudable feeling enters the mind of either2 nor does the giver always think he is conferring a benefit3 he treats the applicant for relief generally as a fugitive and vagabond on the earth1 forgetting entirely that the debasement of this mind1 the ignorance of this man1 the slur that is cast upon the ,jews by this individual1 is entirely their own act4 ,they1 the wealthy1 the honored1 the enlightened1 the pride of the people1 are the culprits--not the poor1 the ignorant1 the destitute4 ,cheerfully might these be induced to regard the means of supporting themselves by their own industry4 ,how gladly would they avail themselves of a reputable institution to receive them1--a house to shelter them--a supervision to protect1 an asylum to support them6 ,but have the leaders attended to this8 ,it is true1 and honourable1 and worthy of the highest praise1 that many sources of relief exist1 founded by the thoughtful1 supported by the charitable1 governed by the indefatigable2 but many of these even1 it is reported1 have been commenced by those who are but little elevated above poverty in the neighbourhood where the distress has been most evident1 and maintained subsequently by the personal interference of individuals1 and the stringent appeals of private friends1 which could not have been refused if wished1 which dared not be neglected4 ,an exception1 the ,jews' ,hospital1 was the emanation of a noble mind1 and1 backed by disinterested perseverance1 induced all to contribute to so bold an undertaking1 commencing from the highest3 its sphere of benefit is1 however1 very limited4 ,unfortunately1 few among us investigate whether any good1 or what1 is achieved by other societies to which all are ready and willing contributors4 ,but the time has come1 hastened by the ,anglo-,jewish press1 when we all see the necessity for action to the purpose1 and immediate4 ,we can do it well1 at less expense2 with less trouble1 with more dignity to ourselves1 and with more honour to our successors1 than any class of conversionists can do it for us2 and certainly much more effectually when we commence1 as years of ineffectual effort on their part have proved4 ,our motives cannot be impugned2 the object being the purest and holiest command to honour and succour the aged2 persons unknown to us1 unconnected in every way with us except by their adoration and worship of the ,creator by the same means1 forms1 and language4 ,i would suggest to all the charities as at present constituted1 while their usefulness must be admitted1 that their government1 although it is to a limited extent good1 does not answer many of the purposes that are desirable2 nor does it prevent an individual obtaining from all sources the donations they distribute2 nor do the present methods provide entirely for the object to be benefited4 ,let1 then1 the present funds of all the charities be united1 with grants from the congregations1 and gifts or loans from private individuals4 ,these will amount1 in a very short time1 to a sum sufficiently large to build one house for the reception of the aged decayed1 the blind1 the deaf and dumb1 the idiotic1 the helpless1 and the temporarily destitute3 the really destitute only to be admissible4 ,relief from all other quarters should be withheld1 or a proper officer for the distribution of charity appointed2 but if the friends of any of the inmates can contribute to their maintenance1 they should do so to the general fund4 ,this building should be divided into wards1 each separate ward to be under the control1 and supplied by the funds of the charity to which it at present approximates nearest3 the objects of their solicitude would thus be under their immediate observation1 and deriving much greater advantages than it is possible now to give4 ,the existing committees would receive the voluntary subscriptions as at present1 and devote them to the same purposes2 but the infirm and poor would be entirely provided with every necessary1 and a home4 ,the details1 however1 must be left until the rules for general management are arranged3 but it should be a fundamental principle1 that every member of each committee should be a member of the general board2 and a part of the details1 that the beds in wards for the aged should be fitted as those at ,greenwich ,hospital2 and that every committee man should have the power to inspect every ward4 ,for the purpose of example1 let us suppose the ward for the aged destitute established2 the society whose object approaches nearest should take the management1 and subscribe towards the general fund according to its means1 say #ajjj4 ,their subsequent annual contribution must be arranged in proportion to its revenue3 for if their present income is #aej per annum1 they can now only disburse #ajj1 the remainder being swallowed up for various expenses4 ,it would be desirable and easy for them to devote the larger sum1 or nearly their entire means1 to the purposes of the ward4 ,the same system adopted throughout the house would be ample for its support2 and each charity would be carrying out to its greatest extent the object of its formation4 ,in every ward there should be a tablet with the names of the ,founders1 ,committee1 and ,subscribers above a certain sum4 ,a portion of the expences of the establishment would be yielded by itself2 the money now expended in managements would be produced by the registration2 and any other deficiency1 by the general fund4 ,the ,society of ,friends have a general register2 and every member contributes to the local funds1 these again to the general3 thus sufficient sums are obtained for all proper and legitimate purposes4 ,a somewhat similar modus operandi ,i would advocate for our adoption3 the country congregations1 being relieved from all expences except those of a religious or congregational character1 would be enabled to support with more honour and better remuneration the clergy--who1 feeling themselves 7as their education should command7 independent of obligation to their auditory1 would preach the noblest and highest precepts of their creed1 and urge a better worldly bearing4 ,to this advantage1 which would be an indirect although certain result of a proper administration of the funds1 would be added a beneficial influence on the head of the clergy--who1 being the leader of highly educated gentlemen1 would find it impossible to govern1 unless possessing the same learning and acquirements2 and thus we should ensure an elevated clergy1 to which the most wealthy might with honour aspire4 ,in the execution of a scheme which depends greatly upon the majority of the community1 for whom it is intended1 taking not only a clear and comprehensive view of their present position1 but upon their becoming deeply1 and daily more deeply1 interested in the amelioration of that position--which relies upon extending to all the feelings of a part1 and will be successful in the highest degree whenever anything like this unanimity of feeling prevails--the power of a well-directed press must be admitted not only to be great1 but the necessity of it in a measure to be indispensable4 ,what has been effected for mankind at all periods1 since it has become within possibility to move the springs of feeling and of volition by this more than electric force1 after having illuminated the mind by floods of light from the concentration of opinions1 the wisest and most just1 is matter of notoriety to all3 and it cannot be necessary1 at this time of day1 to enumerate those great events1 whose earliest origin being traced to some important want of the human race1 or to some one of the great and abiding principles of our nature1 yet owe their consummation wholly to the facility by which mind communicates with mind1 enabling the truth of those principles to be tested by the universality of their reception1 and by which the objections of prejudice and ignorance being destroyed1 truth and justice themselves are at last brought into action-- ,immutable1 immaculate1 immortal4 ,with an ,anglo-,jewish press devoted to the propositions here advocated1 and to the general cause of ,judaism--prepared to vindicate the ,jews at all times from the aspersions of interested and prejudiced writers1 enabling all of us to understand the wants of our community--capable by the force of its reasoning or the keenness of its satire1 of improving the manners1 tastes1 habits1 and pursuits of all--placing us before the eyes of our ,christian fellow-countrymen in our own just characters1 to correct the false impressions they may have received--with a power such as this pressing upon the general consideration1 a large and liberal scheme of charity and education1 and enforcing the wise decisions of our central ,council--with such a press might we not reasonably hope that a few short years would behold-- ,the ,jew an honored name6 ,a journal to subserve such purposes ought necessarily to be placed on an independent footing3 and it would1 therefore1 become the immediate duty of the ,council1 on its formation1 to look to its establishment or to its support4 ,it is admitted that a journal exists2 but the apathy which meets the efforts of individuals among the ,jews to benefit their brethren1 has extended itself to this3 but it still might be made available for all the ends we seek1 by means within the powers of the ,council1 which would yet leave the press perfectly unfettered4 ,it cannot come within the province of this pamphlet to state at length what the contents of such a journal ought to be2 but1 besides those general objects already stated1 it might be made the vehicle for affording a large amount of statistical information on the numbers1 callings1 and education of the ,jews--the incomes and expenditures of charitable societies and ,synagogues4 ,it should1 by extracts from our authentic historians1 etc4 make us better acquainted with the knowledge of the past1 and at all times1 by researches into the constitutional principles of this nation1 and by asserting the just right of human kind1 convince ,englishmen that we are their ,,countrymen1 and that1 by birth1 we are as much entitled to the privileges of our country as the proudest noble who traces his pedigree from the ,conquest4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i cannot conclude without imploring the ,jews to shake off that terrible apathy and coldness which have from time immemorial grown upon them1 which have hitherto depressed their energies1 and left them the sport and passive creatures of circumstance4 ,if they have sunk into a state of listlessness1 in the first place1 from the oppression which their ancestors endured in past times--and if they have continued in that state1 from a variety of causes1 some of which are faintly shadowed forth in the preceding pages1 ,i yet hope1 and most devoutly hope1 that the hour and the day are arrived for the first step towards regeneration to be taken4 ,the mists of prejudice1 it is indeed evident1 are slowly giving way before the power of truth2 and it remains for our own exertions1 well directed1 under the blessing of the ,deity1 to enable us to stand forth before the world at large1 in the clear noon-day light1 in the possession of intelligence and virtue1 and honoured and respected accordingly2 demonstrating that in ,england1 integrity1 patriotism1 and good conduct1 meet their reward1 when known1 under whatever creed they present themselves4 99 99 99 99 99 999999 ,as the object of the writer of this pamphlet is to ensure the co-operation of all those ,members of the ,jewish community who agree with him in the desire of attaining the objects suggested1 he solicits their communications to be addressed ,f41 at ,g4 ,galabin's1 ,printer1 #ia1 ,bartholomew ,close4 ,london1 ,march1 #bith1 #ahdd4 ,,footnotes3 ,a ,by false compassion we injure the community3 industry will go to ruin2 sloth will predominate2 men will no longer depend on themselves1 but1 having from their own conduct nothing to hope or fear1 they will look to their neighbours for support2 they will first abandon their duty1 and then be a burden on the public4--,tacitus4 ,j4 ,wertheimer ,co41 ,printers1 ,circus ,place1 ,finsbury ,circus4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------- ,typographical errors corrected in text3 ,page #bh3 supppose replaced with suppose ---------------------------------------- -------------------