The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1881-05-25
a STRANGE Mission.

Rabbi Joseph Misrachi visits New York on
an exceedingly strange mission. 1t is no less
than to solicit aid for repairing the tomb of
Queen Esther and Mordecai, whose story is
written in the Bible. This tomb is in the city
of Shushan, Persia, of which Rabbi Misrachi
is a native. The Jews have jealously guarded
the tomb for nearly two thousand years. The
graves are marked by the tomb and two pill
lars, one on each side, but after this immense
Lapse of time the structure is gradually falling
away, and it is to repair this decay that Rabbi
Misrachi started out eighteen months ago to
Journey round the world. Since his arrival
here he has been zealously at work for his
cause with his co-reigionists here, especially
with the pastors eff the temples and synagogues.
He brings testimonials from every city he has
visited in the eighteen months he has been
travelling since he left Shushan, Persia. He
brings credentials from the Sasoon family OF
Bombay, members of which have been made
baronets by Great Britain. Leopold Roths-
child, of the famous Rothschild family mar
ried a near relative of this family. The Sa-
soons are among the wealthiest banking
houses in the East and the fact that Rabbi
Misrachi has credentials from them is looked
upon as strongly confrmatory of the genuine
ness of his claims, as was pointed out by a
distinguished Hebrew of to-day. The latter
also remarked that the Australian and other
papers had published interesting sketches OF
his mission and travels, and if he was an i'm
poster it would have been announced before
now, so long has he been before the public in
his iourneyings. The Hebrews here say that
though his credentials bear the marks OF
genuineness it is pity that his journey was
ever undertaken, as they have no doubt that
if the attention of the Alliance Lsrdelae Uni
rerSele had been called to the matter the re-
quisite funds for the repair of this tomb would
speedily have been forthcoming. He has not
succeeded in collecting funds, the very strange
ness of his mission doubtless being in his way
He speaks only Persian, Turkish, Hebrew and
few English words. He is about forty years
Of age. His dress is of the Arabic style, q
red and white turban, black gown, white
undergarment, or wrapper, trimmed with bull
lion and with gold beads. His journey here
was by way of Bagdad, Babylon, the Persian
Gulf, thence by steamer to Bombay, India, and
from there to Melbourne, Australia, where he
was Hospitality received by the Jewish COM
munity, and from there he sailed for San Fran
cisco. He has halted at many cities in his
Journey from San Francisco here, and brings
testimonials from congregations of every city
ho has visited. He will visit the great cities
OF Europe His journeyings are quite elab'
orately recorded in his diary. Hebrews of this
city, of eminence and erudition, say that the
tomb in question is as well established as any
historical matter looming up from such an inn
mensity Of distance in the past. There is sucl
tomb and as the tomb of Esther and Nor
decai it has been guarded by the lsraeites fol
so many centuries that no record exists show
ing the contrary. The mists cannot be cleared
by anything IN Perian history, But the toni
and the conmes-old tradition are facts, - ~
I. Telc9ran