Page:A Tour Through the Batavian Republic.djvu/267

Rh to the ordinances of the Mosaic law, and containing also apartments for the use of the rabbins, who daily attend to expound the Hebrew law and the Thalmud. The Jews of Germany and Holland, whose creed varies from that of their Portuguese brethren, have also a noble synagogue, and in different quarters of the city there are other temple's where the superstitions of the Hebrew worship are celebrated. The number of Jews in Amsterdam is supposed to amount to eighty thousand souls: I know not on what calculation this estimate is founded, but I am inclined to believe it rather exceeds, than falls short of, reality.

Beside their commodious temples of worship, the Jews of Amsterdam have a theatre, where dramatic pieces are performed in the Hebrew language. This place of entertainment unfortunately was not open, or I should have visited it with much curiosity; nor could I obtain any information respecting either the nature of the pieces which are acted in it, or the performers. The external appearance of the building is as mean as can