Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-08-27

THE BRITISH JEWS.
by THE REV. join MILLS.

Tug Asian mystery is II subject ON which there
has been not little romantic speculation that the
same kind of mystery lies at our own doors-that
forms of life as ancient as the Pyranlids-that
cyclopedia of thought and emotion rs strange rs
anything to be found IN the pages of Paulo or the
story of the Aztec citics--may he found in the
/ Minories uT lloundsditch is circumstance ON
which few perhaps give themselves time to reflect.
Yet so it is. Within n minutes walk of the Ex-
change, under the shadow of c great cdifcc which
is the scat of our Eastern empire dwclls a race of
men whose story is bound up in a marvellous way
with that of all mankind yet who live in state of
permanent isolation from their follows, following
law which almost antclatcs civilization itself, and
spurning in their pride and tcnacty of purpose
every light OF more recent ages as for them un-
availing or superfluous. If we pause to consider
it will probably strike us as strange that the cir
cumstancc has not inspired u deeper interest. A
living jew faithful to the rite of his fathers, is an
historical document of the most remarkable kind.
lie is witness for past modes of thought. He is
proof of the enduring power of such institutions
as happen to be in harmony with national charuc-
ter lie is a guarantee certain and involuntary, of
the truth of the leading lines of the worlds his
tory for nearly four thousand years.
Most readers have read in Mr.. Dsracli's novels
of the poor child of Israel going forth to some
Whitechapcl market in search of "thc palm leaves,
the myrtle, and the weeping willow" with which
he is commanded by the ancient law to decorate his
humble dwelling in the fall, and to celebrate even
amidst the filth and fog Of London the harvest of
the vine. In his adherence to this ancient law the
Hebrew dcfcs time and place alike. lie makes his
bowcr i'm a ward in HOundsditch as his fathers built
their bowers in the sunny gardens of Palestine ages
before the captivity of Babylon. lie treats his
child Just as Abraham treated the children of his
house. lie still says his prayers in the old Chodee
pdtois, though he does not comprehend ono word of
what he utters In the service Of his festival he
wears cabalistic garb the form of which remains,
though the meaning has long been lost. lie holds
lii deadly crime to light the lamp with his own
hand He is inspired with hopes and actuated by
passions to which all mon else are strangcrS-and
in the lowest depths of poverty and degradation he
nurses in his soul tho consOling thought Of future
return to material prosperity and intellectual sway
Had some Vaudeville fallen in with such people,
his accounts of them would scarcely have helped 60
sustain his reputation as II truth-tocr--had a
Stephens found them clustered round some ancient
temple of Mexico, scientific and literary missions
would have been sent out to study their manners
and modes of life. Yet the London Hebrew, the
living riddle of tho world, was until now being
all but unknown to the other dwcllcrs in the great
city.
Mr. Mills, the writer of the able and interesting
work before us, says, that there are about 80 00C
Jews in the United Kingdom of these % 0OC
!; reside in London and its suburbs They are divided
M into two grand parties Its is the with almost
az all religious bOdics-Christians, Mohanmcdans
10 Buddhsts and Coniucians These parties are, the
- and Portugal, aud the AshkcLasim, the immigrant,
= from Germany and Poland. The Ashkonasim arc
" the most numerous--and from this branch of Israc
70 have sprung nearly all the Hebrew poets and wri
ii ers who in modern times have contributed TO the
n. intellectual almovements of Europe. The Sephardim
l. however, affect to he Of purer blood and higher
v rank in the enation-Sidona, as will beremembcrcd
. claims to be of the Sephardm
~ 1t has not been easy however, to close the syna
is gogue against the searching and subtle spirit o
~ of reform. of late years there have appeared ever
~ in Israel sceptcs and protcsters tho great poin
n of the dispute being thus far, the divine authorit,
70 of the Talmud or oral law, together with somI
II; minor differences about long rituals and other mat
ot ters not quite in harmony with English habits Or
10 these grounds of appeal new synagogue has beer
- built-and some members of the Sephardim ant
no the Ashkcnasm' have been drawn away to the Re
he formed Congregation
IL After thus much Of preliminary remark, we turr
Il to Mr. Mills pages for few curious extracts ant
be Illustrations On the oldest and newest Of all sub
-. iects-loye and marriage-he writos:-
~ There is great antipathy among the Jewisi
no people to cclibacy The Rabbins teach that ever
~. jew ought to marry, and that early. This i
b founded upon tho command in Genesis j. %: "B
Il, fruitful, and multiply. and replenish the earth
in The proper age generally recommended is from Ba
nr Mitsyah to eighteen. This rule, however is no
M marry at similar age to that Of their Gcntil
ho neighbors. The restriction in intercourse amon
w the two sexes and other circumstances in Jewis
~, society have given rise to class Of persons cale
III ShddchrRim, whose business it is to act as match
M; makers The ShddchaH, after selecting the parties
nv and settling the affair in his mind makes tn
~ first proposals to the parents, guardians dnd
a approved of on both Sides the young couple begi
IIc tfer courtship. The ShadchaH is not 50 much i
INF request formerly, as he yet is in coul
ON tries ON the continent; most marriages here ar
re from mutual affection.
bo The law of divorce among the Jews is very cur
mo Gus, and very much against the weaker scx-nor
nd perhaps than even Milton would have desired
ba Every Hebrew has a right to put away his wifi
re Mr.. Mills, however, says;--
nd The British jews, as far rs we have learned, a,
Ter not allowed to divorce their wives unless from lac
nd of love and sympathy, they should lead quarrc
ng and miserable e or that she be proved guilt
of adultery.
What follows would be difficult to reconcile wit
the laws of England;
lb- There is another method of diyorccmcnt, whic
ib- is called Gc{ Rgai TRd conditional dyOrocemen
This is usually done when a husband goes to an