The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-03-15
THE JEWS IN AMERICA.
CBoston Post.l

CBoston Post.l
The increase OF the Hebrew popula-
tion of the United States did not be-
come sufficiently rapid to be marked
until after 1850, so that the phenome-
non ftheir immigration into the coun-
try is an affair of but II quarter of
century. Basing present estimates of
their numbers on the census of 1870,
they are now reckoned to be not less
than 25o,000 strong in the whole coun-
try. In 1850 there were but $1,000 of
them. Considering that the depression
of business and the depreciation in all
kinds of property have involved COM
merce and trade more than any other
interests, and remembering that the
Jews are welded by long habit to
trade above every other interest or
vocation, it will be ut once understood
why immigration from this source has
fallen away as it has for the last three
or four years. The life of the Jews in
the United States, wholly separate as
it is from the common life in one sense,
is a fact OF sufficient singularity to pro-
woke a study of its own; and in II re-
cent issue of the North American Re-
view we note the first of a series of artic-
les on this most interesting subject,
written by distinguished member of
that race, Gustav Gottheill, in which
are to be met numerous timely illuStra-
tions of their life and character so far
as both are modified by circumstances.
The sketch of the radical Jewish char
acter is as clean-cut as cameo profile,
and helps one to understand the secret
of the success of this peculiar people in
| the face of unrelieved adversely.
The preliminary tribute paid by the
i xx-rito,. f.>I Il &c nl
in its temper and style. He admits
that s'their more recent settlement in
this country affords probably the most
instructive phase In the modern de
velopment of Jewish history" The
Hebrew in this country finds larger
measure of individual liberty than ht
had ever enjoyed anywhere before
Their congregations number 400, anG
their institutions and societies 157
making in all 557 organizations. The
membership is estimated to be about
10000, and the value of the property
held by them not far from $S,OO0,O00
There are fourteen public institutions
under the exclusive control of Jews
some of them being unsectarian in
their benefits. These institutions are
not connected with the congregations
But there are other hospitals supported
|
above enumeration. There are numer
GUS societies devoted to the care of thu
sick all over the land, the principle OIL
which they are based being that of mu
tual helpfulness. There is not plac
/ in the Union, says this writer, wher
even a handful of Israclites dwell tina
r has not it's charitable society. Th
united Hebrew charities of New Yor
eXpend $4,000 annually for the SUI
: port of the poor. Mayor Ely recent
:. made the statement that while til
: Jews form ten per cent. of the pol
y ulation of that city, they contribut
i less than one per cent. lessto the crimiI
d al:classes. Out of 5000 persons in til
a various public institutions, only 33 al
Jews. There is common opinio
that the Jew possesses the magic art {
securing wealth, but it will be foun
j that the only secret of his prosperit
a consists in his "genius for patienc,
courage, diligence, economy and cor
secration of earnings to the comfort an
elevation of his family" 1t is n secre
: with which it would be well for the res
of us to become more familiar.