Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-04-10
.TOR PRINTING.
From the New York Tribune.
The Jews Quarter i'm Prague.


One of the most remarkable localities in Eu-
rope is the 'Ghetto,' or Jews Quarter in Prague.
Untouched for centuries, and until late years un-
disturbed by the visits of Curious Christians, it Is
one of those rare spots where the very form and
spirit of antiquity have not yet given way to mod
ern enterprise and change. Some description of
its physognomy and the curious Hebrew traditions,
of which it is the source, will be interesting to the
readers Of The Tribune.
The Ghetto lies in the northern port of Prague,
not far from the Moldau. Approaching it from the
Christian part of the city, one generally sees a
groupe of Jew porters sitting at the entrance. In
these crooked, dwarish, and antiquated men, the
enormous strength which they exhibit in their pro-
fession, would not be suspected. One of the grey
haired, shriveed and wrinkled porters, almost
crawling in his gait not unfrequently carries, for
a mile or two, immense chests and Golfers or the
whole furniture of family. With the exception
of Amsterdam, there is no city in Europe, whose
Jewish population is accustomed to such severe
physical labor
The BreitegaSSe (Broadway) is the principal
street of the Ghetto Here everything is dark
and forbidding; below gateways and stairways
were lantern would not be out of place at noon
day; above, roofs of hundredold sants shooting o.
yer the high rows of houses on each side and FORM
ing narrow, airy bridges for pigeons and sparrows.
Each story has Its separate family, for more than
1000 souls are clustered together in the 'Ghetto;
the few favored Hebrews who live in the other
parts of the city being obliged to pay large sums
for the privilege. The confusion, noise and move
ment in the street, account of the crowded state
of the quarter, is marvel to behold, and impress
ses one with somewhat of the same feeling with
which, when child, he looked into a fantastic
picture book. At the Jewish festival of 'Purim,'
when Israel celebrates its delivery from the hands
of Haman, the Ghetto is half fairy city, half
Gipsy camp. Stately Judiths and Esthers, chant
ing the love-songs of Schiller with the winning
tone of their dialect, go in masks from house to
house, while the old women in gilded caps, the
sturdy beggars. the crpples and cheese-rabble $50
called seem more like masks than actual settlers
A dscordant, continual cry, which might be taken
expression of either Joy or wo peas from the
brilliantly-hghted synagogues; screaming cooks
run against each other with their shallow pans of
that national Jewish dish, which is older than the
Egyptian pyramids, and which the Bible alludes to
as the 'fesh-pots of Migraim.' In the garrets the
children Of the beggars hold jubilee over the
strongly-spiced dishes which have been sent them
in charity; in the third story the dealer in old
clothes tells his family about the old times when
was dangerous for Jew to 90 outside of the Ghet-
to on Good Friday; but in the first story all is bril-
lance and Partisan perfume, and the rich Israe-
ltes, dressed in the latest STYLE 90 through with
their dances and tG6LeauG viUantS
The Ghetto of Prague is little world in itself.
rich In traditions and monuments of the past Its
origin goes far back into the times of the Pagans.
Long before the days of King Herod-according
to tho current legends-there lived in Palestine
three virtuous men of the race of David, to whom
God revealed the future in dream In order to
spare their descendants the sight of the desoation
of which Judea was to be the theatre they took up
the pilgrims staff, and left the Promised Land in
company with their wives and children The i'm
age of the many-branched candlestick in the Tenn
pie at jerusalem, with all its burning lights, ap-
peared in the air before them as guide Thus
they came further to the West During their long
pilgrimage they did not cease to praise the Lord
by dilgent study ofthe Talmud, and this preserved
them from all danger. Whenever the little cara
van was attacked, its members began that curious
pantomime which accompanies the reading of the
Talmud, with clapping of hands. agitation of body
and loud outcries; whereby both savage beasts and
wild Pagans were alarmed, and took to flight
Once however, the Sabbath was violated the first
star had appeared in the sky, one Friday evening,
when boy among them broke sapling in the
WOODS, to cut staff The image of the burning
candlestick Immediately vanished; the cariyan fell
INTO confusion, went astray and separated 1t so
happened that part of the pilgrims reached Toledo
IN Spain, another part of the town of Worms. and