The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-05-19
The Jawa of England.

A6c UuWS VA ou6AoAShs
Tue Langham Magazine gives most
lihteresting accounk in Its last issue. of
| the Jews IN England, ffom whom oar
Iown jews chiefly descend:
Tue Jews of AEngland, it appeaTs, con-
stitute three. 1distinct bodies, called re-
spectlvely the Sephardim, or Spanish
and Portuguese Jews; the Ashkenazhn,
OF German and Polish jews, and West
London Congregation OF British Jews.
It must be understood that these COM
lnanttfes do not form distlnct scots; at
most, they are only distinct septs.
There is no difference between them
in dogma, creed or belief, and, with very
few exceptions, which will be explained
further On, they practice the same re-
ligious observanoes, with no more dis
Similarity than may be seen between
/ any two parish churches. In ftct, the
disagreements separating these Jewish
bodies are OF less imPortanee than the
University of views existing In the bosom
OF the Church of Englan leaving out oil
the question the serious discrepancies
1diyidlug the Establishment from other
sects of Christianity.
| Nevertheless, for reasons that Will be
understood hereafter, each OF the three
Jewish communities OF Great Britain
possesses a cOmplete autonomy in reil-
| gious, educational aud charitable mat
| ters. Each one is governed by It's own
laws, by It's own secular authorities ana
by its own spiritual chief. Each one re-
1tieves it's own poor when needed, mar
ries its own sons and daughters, and
buries its -own. dead.
| Yet the members OF the various bodies
! live in amlty and concord together,
4 working harmoniously in the cause Oh
l charity, education and progress, ana
heartily cooperating in continual Efforts
to raise physically and mentally the
/ condition OF their race. Tae hrst Jews
who came to this country from Hoi land
during The protecJorate OF OAver Cron :
well and under the reign oil Charles |,
/, were descended from Israelites VINO had
emigrated thiLher from Spain and Portu-
gaI. They called themselves Sephar-
II dim. from o Hebrew word signlfying
Spaniards.
!; They were mostly men OF wealth and
ancient lineage; men, for that period, OF
) reti nemeut and education. They found
/ ed a synagogue, brought over raDb
ll from Holland, and established q jewish
S congregation with stringent laws. a
r constitution was framed, which was
o handed from father to son, and which
} exists to the present day, with only suci
changes as were rendered imperative DJ
~
y exigencies of modern notions.
: Tne Portuguese Jews were the Tories
j. of Judaism; they felt as uchreluctanct
= 10 introduce even the most moderate
i. reform as the Wellington Ministry II
Il Granting Catholic emancipation. Per
q hans they were guided by spanish ira
n uitions: certainly for long time the.
It were averse to popular governme mt
n Their authorities ruled with kindl
a vet very tight hand, and the JEWS
i elders could not lightly look over dis
u obedience.
4. Inc restrictions imposed by their ow
III chiefs upon tile Jews on their Pe-estat
" Iishment in England may have bee
9. necessary in those days, but woul
d sound somewhat strange in our ears.
le is certain that until our own times yer
II little latitude was allowed by the Po
/ tuyugse elders to those under thei
7 1 guidance; by an unbending rigidity tie
ii loaf from their community such Ii a
1t as Isaac D'Israeli, and they contribute
k to the rise OF q scnism among their ow
III body. Yet there were glorious men
e. their way, those ancient sephardil
elders.
ly Nvble-minded, generous, philanthror
NJ ic andiin most Instances truly devol
stj men. and firm believers in the tradition
TO OF their race, they stand out before us
II figures OF the old French uuguenots-
Id honorable, loyal and stanch to their r.
We ligion, even 70 the verge OF intolerance
TO From such families have descende
lumilies that have become pa
IL OF the landed gentry OF Gre,
Britain, 70 the old records
'iBeyis Marks Synagogue do we trace IL
IS: history OF Bernal, Ricardo, Lope
Ip- Basevi, Uzielli, Disraeii, Laus Ia
ri among the dark, earnest, unbending 9
oil ders Of the Sephardim do we lind til
u ancestors of the late Sir Culling Ear
70, lev, of Gen. d'Aguilar, OF the iate s
al Francis Head, OF the late Lord Galwa,
he and OF others it were too fong to nam
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