The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-09-30
PRACTICAL CHARITY.
The Hebrew Orphan Asylum-A Practical
System Of Valuable Instruction.

The Hebrew Orphan Asylum-A Practical
System Of Valuable Instruction.
Sand II thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen In
decay with thee, then thou shalt relieve him. yea
though he be stranger ana sojourner, that he
may live with thee" These words found In Levitt
Gus XIV, IS. constitute the fundamental rule by
which the management OF the Hebrew Orphan Asy.
lum Of this CITY Ia guided in ts good and noble work
OF charity The Asylum Ia situated on Seventy
seventh street and Third avenue In large building,
erected In 1862 ct cost OF about fort, thousand
dollars, upon ground donated by she city for that
purpose, and is owned and managed by the Hebrew
Benevolent and Orphan Asylum Society OF the City
OF New York.
THE HISTORY OF THIS SOCIETY
shows how great and beneacent charities often grow
from small beginnings 1t was on the sth of April.
1872, corresponding with the Moaic year g. 5S2 that
ten gentlemen Of the jewish faith organized the
"Hebrew Benevolent Society OF the City OF New
York." Mr.. Daniel Jackson being chosen its FIRST
president. In the second article Of their bylaws
they declared their objects 10 DO o relieve the SICK
succor the poor. support and comfort the widow,
clothe, educate and maintain the orphan" These
objects to be attained by the establishment of
well regulated system Of relief to the poor ana
Jewish orphans ana by establishing and supporting
home for the aged and INDECENT" The nrst two
OF these three purposes have been fully carried OUT
the last however has not yet been reached butt u
not lost sight OF.
In 1882 the society applied to the Legislature for
charter and special act for that purpose intro
duced by Mordecai Myers member Of the Assem-
bly, from New York, and passed on the sth DAY OF
February and this charter was finally accepted BY
the society on the nth Of March OF that year.
In January 1s48. German Hebrew Benevolent
Society" Was organized and also received q charter
from the Legislature. This society proposed the
erection Of q hospital and appropriated $1,000
towards It, but the plan failed at The time. Soon,
however, an agitation commenced for the consolida
ton Of the two societies. and 1t was at last
mated in April, 1850, when 1t was declared by
unanimous vote that the hospital fund now belong
ing to the "German Hebrew Benevolent Society,
shall DO appropriated for the establishments OF an
orphan asylum and home for aged and INDECENT
Jews This was the beginning OF the present
asylum.
On April IL, 1850, the Legislature passed supple
mertary act to the charter or Incorporation author.
izng the society to hold real and personal property
OF the annual income Of not exceeding SIS 900. CIV
ing tho corporation all the powers and authority
conferred upon she New York Juvenile Asylum by
TIC beVerul uCtS passed. lii 1901, 1903 1904,
towering courts magistrates and police Justices Of
the city to commit during their minority Jewish
children to the and custody Of the society," and
also authorizing the city Of New York to convey
land to the society, In fec otherwise for an asy-
lum. And on the 18th OF February, 1870 another
act was passed changing the name OF the corpora
ton to 'sThe Hebrew Benevolent and Orphan Asy-
lum Society Of the City Of New York."
Thus has the society gradually risen to its present
condition. This Is also seen by comparing the
financial statements Of previous years with the
present. While for the year ending April I. 1862 the
year before they moved into the present building
their entire expenses for the asylum were only 1885,
and the number Of orphans In the institute At The time
was thirty-siX, VIZ, twentyslx Dogs and ten girls,
the expenses for tho same object during the year
being on that cared for at the asylum 1857 or
pnans, OF whom liz were boys and fOrty-twO girls.
About the same number of children are ut the nsti
tute now.
THE ASYLUM BUILDING
was erected, as has been stated, In 1858, the Com
mon Council donating TO That object not only the
lana but sAso the sum Of 900 out Of the city
inches on Tnird avenue, and extends through the
| same width along the sOutherly line OF Seventy
seventh street 70 TO- Lexington avenue. the asylum
space being kept ~ flower garden There a main
building with two wings fronting ON Seventy
street, 100 feet long by depth OF sixty feet There
are three stories, basement and sub-ceIar. and
lott under the roof. The material is brick, with
half feet high the principal stories fifteen feet
fourteen feet and thirteen feet respectively In the
basement are the kitchen, laundry, chdrens
dining room, play room, superintendents dining
room, sewing room and store rooms. The first
story contains the school room, lecture room where
Is also the sArk" with sacred scrolls Of Scripture
the Thora, reception room, directors meeting
room, the superfntendent's sitting room and the
library. In the second and third stories are two
large dormitories, with windows on three sides
containing forty single bedsteads, OF ron each with
baths, Mushrooms, nurses rooms and closets adjon
IN a n tr6 OF and
be completely shut OF FROM the rest OF the building
in case OF contagious disease. There Is but one
patient among the orphans at the asylum at present
The principal halls are fifteen feet wide, ana the
corridors eight feet There Is playground, paved
with concrete, where apparatus for gymnastc exer.
cises Will shortly be erected.
The library contains about 500 volumes OF miscel-
laneous character, works OF nction travels ana his
tory predOminating. IL Is source OF regret with
the managing directors that SO few OF our book
sellers and publishers ever think OF this asylum for
1t 10 surely commendable object to provide useful
reading matter TO these poor orphans during their
hours OF leisure. The New York book making FRA
good. One special feature Of this asylum is i the
dentists room," where an experienced OdontO
logue attends once week to look after the teeth Of
tho children ana keep them in good condition.
Another praiseworthy arrangement has In view TO
keep the memory Of their parents alive among the
parent all the children are taken to the lecture
room, and the particular one the memory
Of the ceremony advances to the platform and
prays for the repose OF the soul OF It's departed
cestor and Is Joined by all. For general instruction
the children are sent to Grammar School No. 3d. on
East Seventy ninth street, where they are dis.
tributed through all classes and rate among the
highest grades for proficiency. At the asylum even
ing school Is held on five days OF every week. where
the Hebrew language and the Bible arc the subjects
Of tuition
HIGHLY PRACTICAL FEATURES.
The most valuable features OF this charitable in
stitutiOn remain yet to be told. They have been
introduced but lately, have already achieved very
beneficial results, and will BIO read or with interest
BY ALI These features are comprised In the estab
llshment or =
''sCHOOL OF INDUSTRY
In which those boys who willing receive instruc
ton in some trade, that when they discharged
from the asylum they are perfectly skilled and
petent mechanics. Formerly they we're appren-
ticed out, but this has been discontinued and In
stead OF sending the orphans out into the world to
learn trade they are taught 1t In the asylum.