The Jewish charities are highly honourable to the body, for they allow
none of their people to live or die in a parish workhouse. It is true
that among the Jews in London there are many individuals of immense
wealth; but there are also many rich Christians who care not one jot
for the need of their brethren. It must be borne in mind also, that not
only do the Jews voluntarily support their own poor and institutions,
but they contribute--compulsorily it is true--their quota to the
support of the English poor and church; and, indeed, pay their due
proportion of all the parliamentary or local imposts. This is the more
honourable and the more remarkable among the Jews, when we recollect
their indisputable greed of money.
If a Jew be worn out in his old age, and unable to maintain himself,
he is either supported by the contributions of his friends, or out of
some local or general fund, or provided for in some asylum, and all
this seems to be done with a less than ordinary fuss and display, so
that the recipient of the charity feels himself more a pensioner than
a pauper.
The Jews’ Hospital, in the Mile-end Road, is an extensive building,
into which feeble old men and destitute children of both sexes are
admitted. Here the boys are taught trades, and the girls qualified
for respectable domestic service. The Widows’ Home, in Duke-street,
Aldgate, is for poor Hebrew widows. The Orphan Asylum, built at the
cost of Mr. A. L. Moses, and supported by subscription, now contains
14 girls and 8 boys; a school is attached to the asylum, which is
in the Tenter Ground, Goodman’s-fields. The Hand-in-Hand Asylum,
for decayed old people, men and women, is in Duke’s-place, Aldgate.
There are likewise alms-houses for the Jews, erected also by Mr. A.
L. Moses, at Mile-end, and other alms-houses, erected by Mr. Joel
Emanuel, in Wellclose-square, near the Tower. There are, further, three
institutions for granting marriage dowers to fatherless children;
an institution in Bevis-marks, for the burial of the poor of the
congregation; “Beth Holim;” a house for the reception of the sick
poor, and of poor lying-in women belonging to the congregation of the
Spanish and Portuguese Jews; “Magasim Zobim,” for lending money to aid
apprenticeships among boys, to fit girls for good domestic service,
and for helping poor children to proceed to foreign parts, when it is
believed that the change will be advantageous to them; and “Noten Lebem
Larcebim;” to distribute bread to the poor of the congregation on the
day preceding the Sabbath.
I am assured that these institutions are well-managed, and that, if
the charities are abused by being dispensed to undeserving objects, it
is usually with the knowledge of the managers, who often let the abuse
pass, as a smaller evil than driving a man to theft or subjecting him
to the chance of starvation. One gentleman, familiar with most of these
establishments, said to me with a laugh, “I believe, if you have had
any conversation with the gentlemen who manage these matters, you will
have concluded that they are not the people to be imposed upon very
easily.”
There are seven Jewish schools in London, four in the city, and three
at the West-end, all supported by voluntary contributions. The Jews’
Free School, in Bell-lane, Spitalfields, is the largest, and is
adapted for the education of no fewer than 1200 boys and girls. The
late Baroness de Rothschild provided clothing, yearly, for all the
pupils in the school. In the Infant School, Houndsditch, are about 400
little scholars. There are also the Orphan Asylum School, previously
mentioned; the Western Jewish schools, for girls, in Dean-street, and,
for boys, in Greek-street, Soho, but considered as one establishment;
and the West Metropolitan School, for girls, in Little Queen-street,
and, for boys, in High Holborn, also considered as one establishment.
Notwithstanding these means of education, the body of the poorer, or
what in other callings might be termed the working-classes, are not
even tolerably well educated; they are indifferent to the matter.
With many, the multiplication table seems to constitute what they
think the acme of all knowledge needful to a man. The great majority
of the Jew boys, in the street, cannot read. A smaller portion can
read, but so imperfectly that their ability to read detracts nothing
from their ignorance. So neglectful or so necessitous (but I heard the
ignorance attributed to neglect far more frequently than necessity)
are the poorer Jews, and so soon do they take their children away from
school, “to learn and do something for themselves,” and so irregular
is their attendance, on the plea that the time cannot be spared, and
the boy must do something for himself, that many children leave the
free-schools not only about as ignorant as when they entered them, but
almost with an incentive to continued ignorance; for they knew nothing
of reading, except that to acquire its rudiments is a pain, a labour,
and a restraint. On some of the Jew boys the vagrant spirit is strong;
they _will_ be itinerants, if not wanderers,--though this is a spirit
in no way confined to the Jew boys.
Although the wealthier Jews may be induced to give money towards the
support of their poor, I heard strong strictures passed upon them
concerning their indifference towards their brethren in all other
respects. Even if they subscribed to a school, they never cared whether
or not it was attended, and that, much as was done, far more was in
the power of so wealthy and distinct a people. “This is all the more
inexcusable,” was said to me by a Jew, “because there are so many rich
Jews in London, and if they exerted and exercised a broader liberality,
as they might in instituting Jewish colleges, for instance, to promote
knowledge among the middle-classes, and if they cared more about
employing their own people, their liberality would be far more fully
felt than similar conduct in a Christian, because they have a smaller
sphere to influence. As to employing their own people, there are
numbers of the rich Jews who will employ any stranger in preference,
if he work a penny a week cheaper. This sort of _clan_ employment,”
continued my Jew informant, “should never be exclusive, but there
might, I think, be a judicious preference.”
I shall now proceed to set forth an account of the sums yearly
subscribed for purposes of education and charity by the Jews.
The Jews’ Free School in Spitalfields is supported by voluntary
contributions to the amount of about 1200_l._ yearly. To this sum a few
Christians contribute, as to some other Hebrew institutions (which I
shall specify), while Jews often are liberal supporters of Christian
public charities--indeed, some of the wealthier Jews are looked upon
by the members of their own faith as inclined to act more generously
where Christian charities, with the prestige of high aristocratic
and fashionable patronage, are in question, than towards their own
institutions. To the Jews’ Free School the Court of Common Council of
the Corporation of London lately granted 100_l._, through the exertions
of Mr. Benjamin S. Phillips, of Newgate-street, a member of the
court. The Baroness Lionel de Rothschild (as I have formerly stated of
the late Baroness) supplies clothing for the scholars. The school is
adapted for the reception of 1200 boys and girls in equal proportion;
about 900 is the average attendance.
The Jews’ Infant School in Houndsditch, with an average attendance
approaching 400, is similarly supported at a cost of from 800_l._ to
1000_l._ yearly.
The Orphan Asylum School, in Goodman’s-fields, receives a somewhat
larger support, but in the expenditure is the cost of an asylum (before
mentioned, and containing 22 inmates). The funds are about 1500_l._
yearly. Christians subscribe to this institution also--Mr. Frederick
Peel, M.P., taking great interest in it. The attendance of pupils is
from 300 to 400.
It might be tedious to enumerate the other schools, after having
described the principal; I will merely add, therefore, that the yearly
contributions to each are from 700_l._ to 1000_l._, and the pupils
taught in each from 200 to 400. Of these further schools there are four
already specified.
The Jews’ Hospital, at Mile End, is maintained at a yearly cost of
about 3000_l._, to which Christians contribute, but not to a twentieth
of the amount collected. The persons benefited are worn-out old men,
and destitute children, while the number of almspeople is from 150 to
200 yearly.
The other two asylums, &c., which I have specified, are maintained at
a cost of about 800_l._ each, as a yearly average, and the Almshouses,
three in number, at about half that sum. The persons relieved by
these last-mentioned institutions number about 250, two-thirds, or
thereabouts, being in the asylums.
The Loan Societies are three: the Jewish Ladies Visiting and Benevolent
Loan Society; the Linusarian Loan Society (why called Linusarian a
learned Hebrew scholar could not inform me, although he had asked
the question of others); and the Magasim Zobim (the Good Deeds), a
Portuguese Jews’ Loan Society.
The business of these three societies is conducted on the same
principle. Money is lent on personal or any security approved by the
managers, and no interest is charged to the borrower. The amount
lent yearly is from 600_l._ to 700_l._ by each society, the whole
being repaid and with sufficient punctuality; a few weeks’ “grace” is
occasionally allowed in the event of illness or any unforeseen event.
The Loan Societies have not yet found it necessary to proceed against
any of their debtors; my informant thought this forbearance extended
over six years.
There is not among the Jewish street-traders, as among the
costermongers and others, a class forming part, or having once formed
part of themselves, and living by usury and loan mongering, where
they have amassed a few pounds. Whatever may be thought of the Jews’
usurious dealings as regards the general public, the poorer classes of
their people are not subjected to the exactions of usury, with all its
clogs to a struggling man’s well-doing. Sometimes the amount required
by an old-clothes man, or other street-trader, is obtained by or for
him at one of these loan societies. Sometimes it is advanced by the
usual buyer of the second-hand garments collected by the street-Jew. No
security in such cases is given beyond--strange as it may sound--the
personal honour of an old-clothes man! An experienced man told me, that
taking all the class of Jew street-sellers, who are a very fluctuating
body, with the exception of the old-clothes men, the sum thus advanced
as stock-money to them might be seldom less in any one year than
300_l._, and seldom more than 500_l._ There is a prevalent notion
that the poorer Jews, when seeking charity, are supplied with goods
for street-sale by their wealthy brethren, and never with money--this
appears to be unfounded.
Now to sum up the above items we find that the yearly cost of the
Jewish schools is about 7000_l._, supplying the means of instruction to
3000 children (out of a population of 18,000 of all ages, one-half of
whom, perhaps, are under 20 years). The yearly outlay in the asylums,
&c., is, it appears, 5800_l._ annually, benefiting or maintaining about
420 individuals (at a cost of nearly 14_l._ per head). If we add no
more than 200_l._ yearly for the minor charities or institutions I
have previously alluded to, we find 14,000_l._ expended annually in
the public schools and charities of the Jews of London, independently
of about 2000_l._, which is the amount of the loans to those requiring
temporary aid.
We have before seen that the number of Jews in London is estimated
by the best informed at about 18,000; hence it would appear that
the charitable donations of the Jews of London amount on an average
to a little less than 1_l._ per head. Let us compare this with the
benevolence of the Christians. At the same ratio the sum devoted to the
charities of England and Wales should be very nearly 16,000,000_l._,
but, according to the most liberal estimates, it does not reach half
that amount; the rent of the land and other fixed property, together
with the interest of the money left for charitable purposes in England
and Wales, is 1,200,000_l._ If, however, we add to the voluntary
contributions the sum raised compulsorily by assessment in aid of
the poor (about 7,000,000_l._ per annum), the ratio of the English
Christian’s contributions to his needy brethren throughout the country
will be very nearly the same as that of the Jew’s. Moreover, if we
turn our attention to the benevolent bequests and donations of the
Christians of London, we shall find that their munificence does not
fall far short of that of the metropolitan Jews. The gross amounts of
the charitable contributions of London are given below, together with
the numbers of institutions; and it will thus be seen that the sum
devoted to such purposes amounts to no less than 1,764,733_l._, or
upwards of a million and three-quarters sterling for a population of
about two millions!
Income Income
derived derived
from voluntary from
contributions. property.
12 General medical hospitals £31,265 £111,641
50 Medical charities for special
purposes 27,974 68,690
35 General dispensaries 11,470 2,954
12 Preservation of life and
public morals 8,730 2,773
18 Reclaiming the fallen and
staying the progress of
crime 16,299 13,737
14 Relief of general destitution
and distress 20,646 3,234
12 Relief of specified distress 19,473 10,408
14 Aiding the resources of
the industrious 4,677 2,569
11 For the blind, deaf, and
dumb 11,965 22,797
103 Colleges, hospitals, and
other asylums for the aged 5,857 77,190
16 Charitable pension societies 15,790 3,199
74 Charitable and provident,
chiefly for specified classes 19,905 83,322
31 Asylums for orphans and
other necessitous children 55,466 25,549
10 Educational foundations 15,000 78,112
4 Charitable modern ditto 4,000 9,300
40 School societies, religious
books, church aiding, and
Christian visitings, &c. 159,853 158,336
35 Bible and missionary 494,494 63,058
------------------------
491 Total 1,022,864 741,869
In connection with the statistical part of this subject I may mention
that the Chief Rabbis each receive 1200_l._ a year; the Readers of the
Synagogues, of whom there are twelve in London, from 300_l._ to 400_l._
a year each; the Secretaries of the Synagogues, of whom there are also
twelve, from 200_l._ to 300_l._ each; the twelve under Secretaries
from 100_l._ to 150_l._; and six Dayanim 100_l._ a year each. These
last-mentioned officers are looked upon by many of the Jews, as the
“poor curates” may be by the members of the Church of England--as being
exceedingly under-paid. The functions of the Dayanim have been already
mentioned, and, I may add, that they must have received expensive
scholarly educations, as for about four hours daily they have to read
the Talmud in the places of worship.
The yearly payment of these sacerdotal officials, then, independent
of other outlay, amounts to about 11,700_l._; this is raised from the
profits of the seats in the synagogues and voluntary contributions,
donations, subscriptions, bequests, &c., among the Jews.
I have before spoken of a Board of Deputies, in connection with the
Jews, and now proceed to describe its constitution. It is not a
parliament among the Jews, I am told nor a governing power, but what
may be called a directing or regulating body. It is authorized by
the body of Jews, and recognised by her Majesty’s Government, as an
established corporation, with powers to treat and determine on matters
of civil and political policy affecting the condition of the Hebrews in
this country, and interferes in no way with religious matters. It is
neither a metropolitan nor a local nor a detached board, but, as far as
the Jews in England may be so described, a national board. This board
is elected triennially. The electors are the “seat-holders” in the
Jewish synagogues; that is to say, they belong to the class of Jews who
promote the support of the synagogues by renting seats, and so paying
towards the cost of those establishments.
There are in England, Ireland, and Scotland, about 1000 of these
seat-holders exercising the franchise, or rather entitled to exercise
it, but many of them are indifferent to the privilege, as is often
testified by the apathy shown on the days of election. Perhaps
three-fourths of the privileged number may vote. The services of the
representatives are gratuitous, and no qualification is required, but
the elected are usually the leading metropolitan Jews. The proportion
of the electors voting is in the ratio of the deputies elected.
London returns 12 deputies; Liverpool, 2; Manchester, 2; Birmingham,
2; Edinburgh, Dublin, (the only places in either Scotland or Ireland
returning deputies), Dover, Portsmouth, Southampton, Plymouth,
Canterbury, Norwich, Swansea, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and two other places
(according to the number of seat-holders), each one deputy, thus making
up the number to 30. On election days the attendance, as I have said,
is often small, but fluctuating according to any cause of excitement,
which, however, is but seldom.
The question which has of late been discussed by this Board, and
which is now under consideration, and negotiation with the Education
Commissioners of her Majesty’s Privy Council, is the obtaining a
grant of money in the same proportion as it has been granted to other
educational establishments. Nothing has as yet been given to the Jewish
schools, and the matter is still undetermined.
With religious or sacerdotal questions the Board of Deputies does not,
or is not required to meddle; it leaves all such matters to the bodies
or tribunals I have mentioned. Indeed the deputies concern themselves
only with what may be called the _public_ interests of the Jews,
both as a part of the community and as a distinct people. The Jewish
institutions, however, are not an exception to the absence of unanimity
among the professors of the same creeds, for the members of the Reform
Synagogue in Margaret-street, Cavendish-square, are not recognised
as entitled to vote, and do not vote, accordingly, in the election
of the Jewish deputies. Indeed, the Reform members, whose synagogue
was established eight years ago, were formally excommunicated by a
declaration of the late Chief Rabbi, but this seems now to be regarded
as a mere matter of form, for the members have lately partaken of all
the rites to which orthodox Jews are entitled.