The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-07

. OF IT0eln8 tne Jew III THO eyes VI WIG Nii ''-'
world from the depreciation which Tor
CENTURIES had attached to his faith, Not
from conviction, but attracted ny the
hope Of brilliant careers or grand alliances
hundreds OF Jewish families in Berlin,
Vienna. K8nigsberR aud elsewhere nomi-
nally accepted Christianity.
As regards the number Of converts from
Judaism TO Christianity, Or. lie Roi, In his
work nm missions, has estimated That they
: amounted to about ?o4 $40 during the nine
tenth century. 0s these, 72,24o trans
ferrcd their allegiance to Protestant ism,
$500 to Roman Catholicism. and H,5OO to
the Greek Church In Russia The number
Of conversions reached the highest point
at the close of the nineteenth century,
when. under the name Of Anti-Semitism,
all the medieval fury OF Jew-hatred was
revived and the Jews Of Continental Europe
we're made to feel that, In spite OF their
full and hearty participation in the political
life and intellectual progress Of their re-
spective countries, they were yet regarded
~ aliens. Having in their worldly pursuits
allowed their religious sentiments TO fall
to the freezing point, and finding them.
selves disappointed in their social aims ana
aspirations. many opulent Jewish families
took the step which opened TO them the
door OF admission into the highest social
circles
VI.
Mr.. /. Broyde. the contributor OF the
article on Constantinople, recalls the 1ac'
that, with the accession Of the iconocastic
emperors the Jewish community in the
capital Of the Byzantine Empire underwent
terrible prosecutions Indeed, during the
reign Of Leo the lsaurian-as well as later
under Basil lit actually ceased to exist
the Jews having been forced either to emf
CRATE or to embrace Christianity Inc
Byzantine capital. however, being the great
commercial centre Of the time. had such
attractions for the Jews that the slightest
relaxation In the prosecutions brought
thither masses OF new settlers. 1t became
the principal seat Of Judaism as soon as Leo
vi. $685. ei y had restored religious freedom
TO the Jews although their social condition
continued to be scarcely tolerable. BenJa-
min OF Tudela, who visited Constantinople
in ll7o, bears witness to the oppression
which the Jews suffered at that time.
A new era for the Jewish community
began with the fall Of tho Byzantine Empire
in i4S3 The Ottoman conqueror. on en-
terinx his new capital, granted to the Jews
equal rights with all his other non-Mussul-
man subjects, assigning to their Chief rabbi
q seat on the divan next to the spiritual
chief OF the Greek Church. Foreign Jews
were invited to get tie in suburb OF the city,
and two Jews we're elevated to high official
positions, one being appointed Minister OF
Finance, and the other Physician to the
Sovereign. Mr. Broyds would describe
the sixteenth century az the Golden Age
OF the Jews in Constantinople. Sultan
Byaxid ii. U4sl-l5I2) welcomed the opulent
and cultivated Israelites who were e1iled
from Spain; and these gave great impulse
to the material and intellectual life OF the
Jewish community in the Ottoman capital.
II has been estimated that the number OF
Spanish. Portuguese and Italian Jews who
settled in Constantinople up to 1874
amounted to 5000, and that the whole Jew
ish population numbered 30 600.
There were forty -four synagogues. repre-
sentlng "a many separate congregations,
each OF which ret aimed it's own customs,
rites and literature One OF the lsraelite
fuRitiyes, Joseph Nassi was created Duke
OF Naxos by Selim IL. Other Jews became
conspicuous IN the politics of The Turkish
Empire toward the close Of the sixteenth
century. A physician, for instance, named
Solomon ben Nathan Ashkenazin a native
Of Poland, held. about 1880, the Office OF
Ottoman Ambassador at Venice. Jewess
ma med Esther Kieia. was powerful at
Court being the favorite Of the Sui
tana, BAHIA, wife of Murad III. Q574-s5)
! The community generally was prosperous
| The wholesale trade, the collection OF
| customs, the mercantile marine and the
coinage were mainly in Jewish hands
| Moses Almosnino relates in his description
of Consta Mt inople that Jews owned the
/ largest houses. and had gardens and kiosks
equal to those Of the Grand Viziers. Many
! easily earned livelihood by teaching lam
! guage., and by acting as interpreters.
The happy state of the Jewish COM
| munity in Constantinople came TO an end
! In the seventeenth century The ever
] growing weakness of ,he Sultans and the
! INCREASE of religious fanatoism on the
mart of the Mussulmans made the Jews
| the prey OF the soldiery, who often set
| hre To the Jewish quarters in order TO
plunder during the confusion Another
! factor which contributed largely to the
material and intellect ual ruin of the Jewish
| community was Messanic agitation.
The scenes OF disorder witnessed in the
Jewish quarter during the stay of a pseudo
Messiah in the city alienated from the
Israelites the good will Of the Sultan, who
! saw in the movement not purely religious
! phenomenon, but a rebellion against his
! authority. Moreover, their business af-
fairs being neglected during the prevalence
| Of the Messianic chimera, the Jews were
supplanted by the Greeks and Armenians
and they never recovered their former
position. 1t ia true, that, from time to
time. there would emerge some rich and
influential families, members of which
might hold official positions. but the ma
jority remained In restitution and igno-
rance We learn from Mr.. Broyde that
there are now in and around Constantinople
about 81, ono Jews in a total population OF u
million, ritnally, they are divided into three
classes. viz: Sephardm, numbering 81 900
Ashkena zir,. 5000, and Karaites. 500. There
are forty Synagogues. In conformity with
the Constitution Of the Jewish nation,
granted in 1895 by the Ottoman Govern
1 ment the Jews OF Constantinople arc
governed by Chief Rabbi and two assem-
blies, the civil communal council and the