The Jewish advance. (Chicago, Ill.) 1878-1881, 1881-09-16
Correspondence from Abroad. n
TUNIS.
(To be conttnued.)


military men, and speculators, all from
their several points of view, are study
ing the condition Of this regency, until
recently almost forgotten, and which
has OF late caused so much ink to be
split, mingled, alas! with human blood.
AS Jewish organ, you no doubt deem
it your duty to your readers to make
them acquainted with the material and
moral situation of our $4,000 coreligion-
lists in Tunis. with the progress which
they have made during century, with
their institutions, and with the improve
ments which the new regime has intro
duced among them. [ propose likewise
to refer to the share which the Jews
took in recent events, a share often i'm
portant, sometimes highly honorable.
and most often above criticism.
Jews are to be found in every town of
the regency with the exec ption of
Kairouan. 1t is said that a fourishing
community formerly existed in that
town, and quite recently letter was
published (by M. B, Goldberg, of May
ence) which the celebrated Rabbi
Sherira Gaon wrote to the Rabbins of
that community. Nowadays, as, indeed,
for a long time past, Jews are not ad-
mitted there. With this exception, the
whole of the regency is open to them.
and the list Of Jewish communities in
scribed on the rabbinical registers con-
tains 73 names. The most important
nd-numerous is~that Of the city of
Tunls, which numbers nearly $4,000
souls. 1t is divided into two sections,
one OF which, the most numerous, has
been settled in the country upwards of
800 years, whilst the other, consisting of
nearly 1000 souls, is formed from the
descendants of the exiles from Spain.
Each OF these sections has it's own ad-
ministration, it's own Rabbis, and even
separate cemetery. After that of Tunis
the most important community is that
in the island Of Djerba, also very ancient
(Maimonides speaks of it in one of his
letters, and comprising population of
5000. Then come those of Sfax, Susa,
Mehadia, Monastir, Mocanin, Beja, Kef,
Gabes, Nafta, &c, all of them admin
istered under the control of that in
Tunis, which exercises supreme iuris
diction over them.
The community is administered by
Caid, appointed by the Government of
the Bey, who most frequently is his own
treasurer. The Caid has the supreme
administration of the community, he is
at the head of the hierarchy, and even
takes precedence over the Grand Rabbi.
He appoints the administrators of every
kind, suggests to the Bey the names of
suitable persons for the post Of Dayan.
these being likewise appointed by the
Bey, and he presldes by virtue Of his
office over the Beth Dim Every docu-
ment in order to be valid must either
bear his signature or contain a statement
of the Scribes that it had been approved
by him. Until 1858, the year when the
performance of certain compulsory
task was abolished, it was the Caid who,
by order of the Bey, designated the
names of Jews who were to be subjected
to this task.
Below the Caid and under his orders
are Grand Rabbi and several Dayanim,
whose function is to decide in cases of
dispute arising among the Jews, on
civil, commercial or criminal matters.
The sentences of these rabbinical judges
is executed by the Caid, to whom the
local authorities lend a strong hand.
the Caid may inhict fines aud imprison-
ment or the bastinad0, the latter privi-
lege has, however, recently been abol-
ished
A large number of Jews in order to
| be freed from the exactions of the local
authorities and of the Caid, have placed
themselves under the protection of the
foreign powers. Those who have re-
manned under the authority of the Bey
are amenable to the local authorities.
In 1878 the Regional Committee in
Tunis of the Alliance Israelite Uni
verselle succeeded in causing the