The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-10-30
ISraelltleS in the United States.


Among the multitudinous peoples that
make up the American public, there is
none more surrounded with Interest than
that portion comprising the children of Is
raei. In very few years the insignificant
part which they once constituted has ncreas.
ed to perhaps over quarter of million,
mostly, it is believed of German birth. and
at the resent time they have syuagogues
in all Of our larger cities, 20 which, in oiedi
ence TO their ancient laws, the devout
throng at festive seasons such as that which
they have just celebrated. They are among
the most frugal Of our city population, aud
in most instances exhibit n capacity and
emulation for good citizenship unexcelled
by any class among US. In the city Of
Baltimore they have -four synagogues, and
large number Of those who adhere to the
ancient customs are scattered through our
midst. Adhering rigidly to the landmarks
OF faith that was founded in holiness
when the Chaldean worshipped the "host
Of heaven" in the alluvial plains of Meso.
pota'nia and Egypt groveled in itsnfancy
around the muddy idols of the Nile. they
possess a bond of union which, while it ex
emp,s them from degenerating into faction
TO be used politically or socially by the dc.
signing of other organizations, facilitates
that united and intelligent action in mat
ters Of their own welfare which has been
taught them by the prosecutions Of past
ages, resulting alike from the lawlessness
OF clamoring mobs, and the harsh hand of
avarcious despolism. In this is possibly
TO be found the reason why the children of
Israel have so truthfully discerned and
firmly resisted the Establishments of any
political party which tended 10 bring them
as class into a conflict of national preiu.
dices. We can bear cheerful testimony
that they avoided any such alliances in our
midst, and If we may be allowed 10 argue
from their conduct here what, by parity of
reasoning, it must be elsewhere, there is no
class of our people, comprising so large "A
proportion of adopted citizens, who exercise
Tue franchise legally vested in them with a
mere sing.e aim TO the welfare of the coun.
try which has opened its doors TO their per.
secuted race, and which they have chosen
rs the home Of their adoption
But our Object in pursuing these renec.
tions was not TO utter a pan, gyric on our
Hebrew fellow citizens, but to place before
the reader brief glimpse of their condi,
tion in the United States from contem.
porary journal, the New York Express.
That paper remarks:
Hidden away, as it were, behind the
great mass Of our Christian inhabitants.
there Is very large population of Jews;
people shut up almost in themselves, pre-.
serving their own customs, prac.icing their
own sublime and glorious religion, and
keeping up quietly, but faithfully, the cere
monies aud traditions that have come down
to them for their forcfnlhers Observing
their Sabbath. when all the rest Of our
population is hu>iy engaged in traffic and
business. the Jews have but few Christians
rs visitors 10 their places of worship; and
the synagoGues remaining closed upon
Sunday, when people SO disposed usually
investigate the re!i -ious ceremonies of their
neighhors, but small portion of our cit.
zens comparatively know anything about
the very interesting Jewish ceremonial law
and practices"
The number of Jews in tie United
States exceeds quarter of million, and
III the State of New York there are about
forty thousand, of whom nearly seven
eighths reside in the Empire City. 1hi,
estimate is arrived at not by any census
the taking of which is forbidden in the
Jewish law-but by the amount of umleav.
cned bread consumed at the season Of the
Passover. At that time for one week. no
jew Is permitted to eat leavencd bread
The Passover bread S baked in large pub
lie ovens, and is dealt out TO all appl, inr
families at the rate OF FIVE pounds for every
man, woman and child. BY the law they
are all obliged to eat il, and we understand
that but very fcw-pe,haps no, FIVE hu dred
IN the whole countrv-ueglect TO fulfil their
obligations in this particular Therefore.
by the amount Of Passover bread consumed.
II Is very easy 10 compute the number Of
the faithful children Of Israel in the coun.
try"
In New York city the Jews possess
twenty svnagogues, besides one in vii.
Iiamsburg and one in Brooklyn. Several
OF these synagosucs, for size and archiectu.
raj beauty, will bear comparison with the
churches of the Christian denominations
The principal ones are situated in Crosby.
Green, Norfolk, Wooster. Clinton ami East
Twelfth streets. In West 2sth street there
Is u large aud we'll conducted Jewish Hos
pital. and ably taught schools are attached
To several of the Synagogucs- Baltimore
american.
1HE CsNTRAL SUN.-All scientific men
have maintained that there must be a cen.
traI point, If not centra. sun, around
which the whole universe revolves Maed
Ier, who is unques,ionably one of the great
est astronomers ever known, has given this
subject his special attention.: and he has
come TO the conclusion that. Aloyane, the
principal star in the group known rs the