Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-06-24
JEWS IN JERUSALEM
DOUBLE In 25 YEARS.

of Chicago Record-Herald.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the laws of
the Ottoman empire forbid persons Of
Jewish birth to own property or do
business or even live in Palestine,
there are between $4,000 and 10000
OF that race resident in Jerusalem
alone, and their number is gradually
increasing. The colony has doubled
during the last twenty-five years. and
now constitutes about threefourths oil
the population OF the holy city, not
withstanding the regulation prohlDlt-
ing immigration, and most OF the new
comers are entirely or In part depend
ent upon the charity of their American
and European brethren They come
chiefly for sentimental and religious
reasons, but a considerable number
are engaged in business and have been
eminently successful. They, more than
the other races. are oppressed by
taxation and blackmail. The local oil
ficials usually require them to pay
one-tenth of all they produce as taxes
and often seize one-half or two-thlrds
of their crops, or any property oi
value that can be attached.
1t is very difficult for a Jew TO
do business In Palestine for this rea-
son. The local authorities feel at
liberty to help themselves to any
thing he has. He has no protection
in the courts or from any other source,
because, technically, he has no right
In the country, and hence the police
officials can rob and blackmail him
without mercy. This is said to be one
of the reasons why the Jews live in
such wretched houses and such squalor
all over Palestine. Some rich men
have been able to protect themselves
by paying blackmail. One Jew in Je-
rusalem is credited with several mil
lions OF dollars, which he has made
contracting with the government, max
ing loans and speculating in various
ways. He has the confidence OF the
authorities, and 1t is said that they
prefer to trade with him rather than
with any other person. For reasons
that may possibly occur to the MIND
of the reader other competitors have
no chance with him in obtaining con
tracts. And in private enterprises also
Notwithstanding their oppression and
the outrages inflicted upon them, the
Jews are gradually pushing the Mos
lens and Christians out of the way.
In Christian street, where they were
not allowed to set foot a few years
ago, they control three-fourths of the
business places. Even now they are
prohibited from approaching the far
ther end of the street, which leads to
the Holy Sepulcher. There is no
law against it, but the fanatics would
beat or kill them.
During the last fifteen years Jewish
families have not been allowed to
buy land. They are not allowed to
hold property. Much Jewish property
is held by trustees to evade the gov
Jews in the names of Turks, and they
obtain the privilege by bribing the Of
ficials, as it is supposed that they
bribe the custom house inspectors to
admit them to the ports.
Notwithstanding the fact that their
very existence is forbidden, the Turk,
ish government requires them to Sc
lect one of their number. who, for
conveniece, shall represent them in
all the official intercourse that must
necessarily occur between the govern
or and the governed. And no event
in, ts1. Mo Ire, ala
exceeds in interest the election oi
the chief rabbi of Jerusalem, which
occurs every generation, for the office
is for life.
into two great sects. The Sephardim
are generally descendants from the
Jews that were expelled from Spain
in the fifteen century and settled in
the European and African countries
bordering the Mediterranean. The
the different countries of Europe
Russia, Roumania, Austria, Hungary
Bohemia and Germany. The former
speak Spanish almost exclusively, and
the latter the language of modern Eu-
rope. Hebrew is the language Of the
synagogue.
The Ashkanazim sect usually reg
lister at the consulates of the countries
from which they came, but the Sep
hardin having no country, place them
selves directly under the protection of
the Turkish government and In their
official relations are represented, as
have said, by the chief rabbi, the
highest ecclesiastical authority of the
Jewish community. He speaks also
for the shkanazim sect, although they
have a chief rabbi of their own. at
present the Rev. Samuel Salient, who
has held the office for thirty years.
He is very old and almost blind, but is
one of the most learned of living men,
and is universally admired for his
high character and great ability.
The chacham bashi, or chief rabbi,
for the last fourteen years has been
another learned and venerable man,
Rev. Jacob Saul Elyashar, who died
several months ago at the ripe age of
50. His predecessor, Rev. Mr.. Pane
jer, died in 1892, at the age of 92. The
late incumbent was a man of fine ap-
pearance and administered his office
with imna rtialitv .ltypify and ability