The Jewish advance., 1879-12-19
JOttings from the Diamond
Fields.


Fields.
A correspondent Of the CHronic1r
writes from Kimberley Diamond Fields
under the date OF October 18th, as
follows:
We have just completed celebrating
the month Of Tishr which cmbodics the
whole Of our most sacred holydays. and
not in any place Of Her Maiesty $ do,
minions have they been more faithfully
observed than in the Diamond Fields.
A jew recently coming here from
home would hardly recognize that, COM
paratively speaking he was in a desert
The synagogue which has accommoda
tion for 25O people was 50 dehsely
crowded that there was not sufficient
sitting room for the whole Of the CON
gregants; this in great measure is due
to a great many Of our coreligionists
either trading or residing in the outly-
ing districts coming in to celebrate the
holydays The service was conducted
IN a most decOrOus manner, having the
assistance Of an amateur choir, under
the able leadership of Mr. d. n Defries.
! think our executive have been reading
the letters of your esteemed correspon-
dent Memo, and acting upon his sug-
gestions, have excluded some Of the
''plyut," which to my mind is rather
premature, until such time as our re-
spected and venerable Chief Rabbi
should authorize that which is unnec-
essary to say For instance, those
beautiful parts between the Twp were
excluded, and that of little moment re-
cited quite agree with Memo; the
days OF the piyut are numbered, but un-
til such time in my opinion, it would be
far better to retain the present form of
service, than cause a commOtiOn in the
synagogue by one asking Of the other to
find out the place in the machsor, or
Nhat does the Chazan mean by skipping
many pages. But reverting to the
Eheme. even to the Essrug and Luz
threugh@the exertions of the Rev
bbinowitz of Cape Town, who
impor them from home, we were en-.
kablea anctify our Create RS name in,
u .nafFef befitting tire occasicn d Of f' 'cefe-
bra 5ing Succoth The offerings were
mulificent, and [ think, far exceeded
any synagogue in England ct which our
wealthiest brethren are members. At
tached to the synagogue we have a be-
nevolent society for the purpose of be-
slowing benefits on the needy sick, and
assisting those who are willing to assist
themselves. | am sorry to say, our re-
sources are severel strained as every
mail steamer brings us single men, aye,
and married men with families, who emi-
CRATE with the idea that money is picked
up here IN the streets, whereas, on their
arrival they are astonished to find liv-
ing on the Fields is of Il very precarious
nature, except for those who came in
the early days, and have already made
for themselves a good standing, backed
up with plenty Of the needful, or who
are, in other words, capitalists. | do
sincerely hope those Of your readers
who crave to come to the so-called Land
of Diamonds, will, as the old proverb
observes, not throw away dirty water
before obtaining clean. CLEAN from
your valuable Journal that the Jewish
Board OF Guardians have instituted an
Emigration Fund. | would press this
particular matter on their notice. All
men come here with the idea of accu-
mulating money. | find even this ex-
tends to the clergy, as we still lack, or
| should say, our children require,
Jewish school. | dc, Mr. Editor, ask
you to plead our cause, for there are
many members who cannot or will not
afford to pay the eXhorbtant charges
for the religious education of their
children, | shall propose, and sincerely
trust you will hel p me to impress on
our community the necessity OF having
a Sabbath School, so as to enable the
rising generation to be educated in the