The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-28
JEWS IN JERUSALEM.
Most OF Them Are Desperately Poor an
Surrounded by Suunlor

Most OF Them Are Desperately Poor anu
Surrounded by Suualor.
The most of the Jcrusaiem Jews are
poor, and nine tenths of them are sur
rounded by dirt and squalor. l took 4
little Greek boy for guide ono day and
mado tour through the Jewish quar-
ters. My Greek could talk half n
dozen different languages. and we went
through section after section of tho
city in which thousands of these Jews
lived. Their houses were OF stone and
they had been dug out OF rock-lilsc
cave. Whole families wore living in
one room OF the size OF a hall-bedroom,
ana low OF these rooms had any win
dows. Many Of them opened out on
little courts, and found up to flights
of stairs six families living in as
many cavo-likc rooms around dirty
little close square. Outside of zach
room was little pen in which
there was rude stove for the burning
of charcoal, and in these little box-like
pens. only large enough for woman to
turn around in, all the cooking Of the
family was done. Through the center
court ran we'll, which was tho prop
erty of the whole community There
were no sanitary arrangements of any
Kind, and the smell Of filth was dis
gushing. On the doorposts OF each of
these rooms was tackled 4 piece of
parchment six inches long, on which
were Hebrew characters asked
what these meant, and Was told that
they represented the name of jehovah
and the ten commandments These
.InwS hn f,it
this parchment protects them from in
Jury. They wear tho ten command
mcnts tied around their arms, under their
clothes. and at times OF worship they
bind philacterios about their foreheads.
l was introduced TO some of tho
families by my little Greek guide, as an
American gentlemen who was inter
estod in the Jews, and | was cordially
received in every case. l was asked to
enter thor homes. and l found that tho
furniture OF these rooms consisted of n
small bed and a ledge along the wall
to DO used for chairs. Many of tho
family sleep nightly on each floor. and
only tho older people have beds. In
this speak, of course, OF the poorest
OF Jerusalem Jews. The wcalthier in
somo casos, live better: but even amonr
tho wealthy, dirt and squalor is com
mon. Some of the richest Of these peo-
pie are msers. They stint themselves
in order that they may leave a great
amount of property, and during my
stay. dirty, ragged old Israelite called
at tho consulate. lie wanted the Amer
lean Consul to make his will, and he
loft his estate to found synagogue.
The consul asked him what his estate
amounted to, and found that he had
five or six good houses in Jerusalem
that brought him in big rent
There arc 100 jewish synagocues in
Jerusalem, and if these Russian Jews
go to the Holy Land as they intend,
synagogucs will spring up all over tho
country. The Jewish synagogue Of tho
Holy City is different from that Of
America. The service is longer, and
people, think, are moro dovout. Tho
Eabbis arc gorgeously clad, and tho
Jerusalem Rabbi has more power than
any American preacher. He is the gov
crnor Of his congregation, and he does
their business for them. The Turks al
low him to settle most of the suits,
which arise between tho people of his
congregation, and he is lawyer. iudge
and governor. +. G.. Carpenter in Ma
tional Tribune.