The New York herald., 1870-12-19
ISRAEL IN RUSSIA.
Condition of the Jews in the Mus
c0vite Empire.
Penal Llws and Contradictory Provincial Re-
striotions- The Law and the Word, and Is
raelito Republican Rule-The "Kagal,"
It's Influence and Authority.


lKniga Kagala).r "Hebrew Local and Universal
Secieties-Q eyreskiya bratsva myesniya vsemir-
niyal: by ]. Braphmann, (WilnaLu makes the iol-
lowing editorial remarks the subjects referred TO
above -
II Is singular that no recent traveller IN Russia
thought OF telling us something about the Rus
chiefly concentrated In Poland and the Western
Governments. Their condition is curiousiy anoma-
within fifty yersis OF the frontier and in other dis
tricts they form thlrtyhve per cent OF the popula
on, and possess all the property and wealth sf the
place IN khaTkof TILL shert time ago, no Jew
was allowed TO remain, while In Yeiisavergrad,
which you will reach IN day, your driver
will reply To your 1nterrogatories by telling you tnat
" you continue 10 call MIN o Jew (zhtd instead OF q
Hebrew he can have you fined TWENTY-FIVE ruDles.
While Rabbinlcal schools are closed In Odessa the
drst synagogue Is being opened at MOSCOW; waiie
poor hebrews In some OF the smaller towns are pro-
high in the confidence OF the government as maker
OF railways ana Is prevented from buying the most
magnificent palace IN St. Petersburg only because a
lingering scruple forbids the sale OF the family
chanel 10 Jew. The Jews IN Russia, hampered py
contradictory enactmenis and restrictions, have
almost created an tDlpe1unt Ia afapeyto, and have
their own customs their own dress, their own laws
and even their own language-at least the mixture
OF corrupt German Polish. Russian and Hebrew,
which they all speak, is known as the lsracllte
language, and can be heard to advantage at the
Jewish theatre AT Warsaw Everybody In Russia
has regarded The Jews with such contempt ana ln-
dilerence that tie revelations OF Mr.. Braphmann-
himself CnrisranlZed Jew-on Hebrew laws and
CUSTOMS supported by auGneDtlC uOcuneutS from
the archives OF Wilma, have excited great aston
lshment and have at once reopened "the Hebrew
question: winch has been for some time rising III
Importance. some Russian liberals propose various
remedies and measures; some, who cali themselves
very liberal, think the Jew should have no c1vn
rights, while others, WIN whom we nenese S;,s our
remedy-aDoIish all "istlnctions and educate the
Jews equally with other Russian subjects and there
can be no Hebrew question.
With the Hebrew question In Rnssia, however, we
have at present nothing to do and the DOCKS OF Mr.
the pecullarites OF the Hebrew Law and lie actually
Existing in Russia, derived from the Tamud and the
ancient Judaic law. The line OF Schiller,
Die Juden blden elnen staat i'm Staate,
has been wonderfully realized in Western Russia
and Poland, where the Jews have formed and pre-.
served 10 this day in every city or town Tanuical
municipal republic, OF very aristocratc kind, III
which the patrician caste have arbitrary and des-
p0uc power over the plebelans. This government
carried on oy TWO institutions, Tue hasal o.
kDeder- Hakagal, the communal government, and
the DIN, the Talmadical Court, which is par
tally recognized by the Russian laws. The govern
men Is indeed elective, but Doth electors and elected
must have obtained certain rank III the cominu-
nifty, gained nOminally by proficiency in the learn
Ing Of the Talmud, and often granted III reality to
rich men for money consideration. The haeal not
only directs the schools aud Internal government OF
the community but supervises ana regulates all the
Affairs OF Hebrews with the non hebrew population,
lorbdding or allowing them, as 1t considers best Tor
their interests This power is completely arbitrary,
and there can be no appeal from IT, The authority
81 all external laws ana regulations Is denied and
said 10 be not binding on Hebrews and theT are
court in disputes with each other, even when the
Russian laws coincide with the Hebrew. The
Kagal, however, does not scruple 10 have recourse
TO the external authorities when necessary and
practicable TO assist 10 in Its objects. The Kagal
claims to have authority over the whole territory
and population OF the district. Nom Hebrews are
there, ana In possession OF property only as In
iringers OF the rights OF the chosen people OF God
The Kaga grants or sells the right OF living IN the
district TO new conner. and wiylout the necessary
paper q Jew coming from another district would
md it impossible 10 1--we or support himself The
~ al 'Eg |.
mud, free wilderness, or, as Rabbi Joseph Kuiun
says "a sort OF free lake, in which only that He
from the KagaL Thus regarding the property Of
non- Hebrews as rne general property OF the commu-
nifty the Kaga sells TO Jews the right to occupy this
property, and draws mp bills OF sale and
receives money from them Mere than that.
IL sells the right TO erpioter individuals, TO lend
them money and TO get hold OF their property.
Things of this kind seem almost incredible, although
Mr., Braphmann quotes In fu formal acts one sell
ing the right to the shop OF Russian merchant,
another part OF the city lands with the buildings
that may hereafter be erected by the government
aud another q whole Franciscan convent After
such a sale no Other Jew can interfere without the
permission OF the purchaser, and should Jew pur.
chase or get hold OF real estate belonging to Chris
ian, which had not previously been disposed Of by
The kagal, he would have to buy again from the
Kagal before his rights would be recognized by
he Rabbinical Court or by his fellows.
Besides Its power OF fixing the residence OF Jews
the Kagal claims the right TO interfere with their
exercising it, regulates even the details OF their do.
life; fixes the number OF persons that can be
present at marriage or festival. the musicians that
n Cn nv paoyou, aiu nauy o.noi pet., 1niiisa.
Une y, l's Ttea'es. @ poWers , s ~ ~ ING ~ pu'cncrag
pn ~ Con nae M 20, S, hat @ r,,; ~, 10 - ca m.n
@ II, H., I'll o' ~ ntui. III ~, ,. ~ ni,te nv ~
~ & m ie ne, piuoep's y. & nv iam "a ,uu.es, anu
~, ,ha ronrior. ,ns,,n.t s sinJ oa, a
Sen % tIen e. rnh -, ,,s " ,r, r peOpi0 uo hos M
the act,ra IN .ory,son ~ ,ha % g., @ @
Thev are the p,ara nar,c,ia- as ,bu e;,cr ~
nn mo-, si,1on pnaa tmnas 90 ' o,rmn1 ,a
nnrnnses' IN fay ues neon rncoontzaa onn cnn
nrmed by the Russian laws, and the government
yra,ad not ~, aaat Vii, ,nrs 80 ha aIia ~ w ,ano
gnnd the deacienc,ss in tho a,ovarnment ~ oxaa NJ
few,sh cnnmunir1aa Ma douhr nor, ~ th,e
tax comes from CHRISTIANS. Tne Eapal il also
suthoriged nv lnyy n innose a fay IN All lnnAra
SOLD in tayerns and dran shons Kent py hebrews
m country villages This tax OF course fails on the
consumers. fhe nurchasers arc ali peasants and
there are no other dramshops Another cnrians m
stance of a tax on the wnole population for the
benefit OF the Jews "a found in wilma In the
Jewish quarter there has long been permitted n ta
on proyislons for the kagal: and a few yea apo
the X a0al Succeeded IN the cIry auIhori
ties to remove the public iish market to that quar-
Ter Tins laying the excise on the whole cornmunitv
Thiu tax Az 1ss- woa farmaa ont Nv rha ctn 800,