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Rh The Editorial Board desires especially to thank the for the unfailing tact and matchless generosity with which he has met all their wishes and smoothed away many difficulties. Pioneer work on this has been, the need of encouragement to perseverance under adverse conditions was repeatedly felt by all concerned, and this encouragement has been continously extended to us by our respected chief. Our thanks for courteous considerations are also eminently due to, vice-president of the ; to , its treasurer and general manager, for his organizing skill; to , literary editor of the Company and member of the American Board of Consulting Editors of this world; and to , chief of the manufacturing department, and his assistant,. , to whom the important section of the history and literature of the Jews in Russia has been entrusted, has faithfully discharged his difficult task.

We are indebted for much valuable cooperation and watchful care to the restless energy of, the Secretary of the Editorial Board, to whom was entrusted the general office supervision of this work in all its stages, and whose executive ability, practical knowledge, and experience have been most useful. , by his thorough knowledge of Arabic, has been of the greatest service to the work; while, formerly of "The Forum," as chief of the subeditorial staff of the , has rendered intelligent and attentive service in the preparation of the copy for the press. , who has been connected with the work almost from the beginning, has been of great assistance to the office-staff in various departments, and especially in verifying the Hebrew. Hearty thanks are due to all the members of the office-staff—translators, revisers, proof-readers, and others—for their faithful, painstaking service in their respective departments.

For editors have felt a special sense of responsibility with regard to this work, in which for the first time the claims to recognition of a whole race and its ancient religion are put forth in a form approaching completeness. They have had to consider susceptibilities among Jews and others, and have especially solicitous that nothing should be set down which could hurt the feelings of the most sensitive. They consider it especially appropriate that a work of this king should appear in America, where each man's creed is judged by his deeds, without reference to any preconceived opinion. It seemed to them peculiarly appropriate under these circumstances that should appear under the auspices of a publishing house none of whose members is connected with the history or tenets of the people it is designed to portray. Placing before the reading public of the world the history of the Jew in its fullest scope, with an exhaustiveness which has never been attempted before—without concealing facts or resorting to apology— hopes to contribute no unimportant share to a just estimate of the Jew.

, May 1, 1901.