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385 Algeria Algiers

THE JEWISH EN'CYCLOPEDIA

385

recognized by the state. Suoh in the twentieth century is tlic .situation of llic Jews of Algeriii. They Hie French citizens, and since IH7(I they have made praiseworthy etforts to show themselves worthy of their new status. Their cliil(hen attend the schools anil colleges of Als;eria, and every year a number enter the larjje schools of Paris. Within recent years a strange phenomenon lias manifested itself active anii Scmitisni atlcnilcd liy moh violence and bloodshed. The |iolitical aiiti Semitic party had but one aim, to oppress the Jew, to driv(' him, if ixwsible, from the Kecent country. To that end pamphlets were written, speeches were made, special Riots.

—

jiaper.s, like "

F/Alirerie

l'''ran(,aise "

and

"L'Anti-Juif, " were started, anti Jewish sonjis were

composed, lentrthy books were wiitlcn'; all means were devised for makini; the lifeof the Jew uidia|ipy. Jewish merchants were boycotted, indijrcnt Jews could not avail themselves of the free hos])ital service open to others, attempts were made to render tlic'in ineliirible to jiublic ollice. and if Jewish ehildicn were not actually kept out of the pulilif^ scliools, they dill not receivethcsame treatment asihe others. Durinir February, 1M!»T. an .association of students made public manifestations airainsi u Jewish professor rcccnlly installed at. Ali;icrs; but the signal for uideashini; jiopular hatred was a common brawl at Jlostjnianeni, begun by a party of cyclists from Oran, and ending in violence, i)illage, and the complet<' sacking of the synagogue (May 18, 1897). The evil spread, and the sjime scenes were enacted

at AVn-Tedclis. Oran, Ain Temouehent. and sev"Abas lesjuifsl" " Mort au. eral other |)laces. Juifs!" rang through the whole province. Jews were unsafe on the streets: stores and homes were plundered and many of them were wounded. From til is time manifestations continued to be made, disturbances very freipiently occurrid, and street brawls were the order of the (hiy. Justice, to put it mildly, was tardy the police were lenient to the anti Semites, and iilTendcrs against Jews received ridiculously Hopes were founded on the new small ]ienalties. governor-general, l.cpine, wlio assumed ollice at the end of 18!)7; but his policy was not sutliciently Strong, and ecpially violent riots occurrcil in Algiers in January, 18!»S. The leader was Max lU'gis, Other elected mayor of Algiers in Xovember. lHii,s. outbreaks occurred in July, 1H98; February, Ai)ril, and September, 181)!l, and the anti Semilis were victorious in the electinns nf Mav and November, 1898. I!y December, ^m. here "was a sensible im|>rovemenl Jonnarl, the new governor-general, in ids reply to the grand rabbi's address of welcome, declared himself against anti Senutism, but the antiSenutes were victorious in the municipal elections in all three provinces. It is dillicult to assign causes for the jiiculiar and Some violent character of .-Vlgerian anil Seniilism. useribe it lo jealousy created by the Creinieux delint the leaders of the movemenl were not cree, natives who might be alTected by such jealousy. It may be due to social condilions in Algeria. There is a large element of foreign adventurers of ndxed nalionalities who were too rapidly natundi/.ed and who. disjippointed in their hopes of making fortunes ijiiicklv. were ready to accept the teachings fif clericalism and to turn against thi' easiest victimsof their passions. The natives simply followed the lead of these agitators. The religious organization by consistories is simi.Since July Id. 18(11. the con lar to that in France. sistories liave received li'gal recognition, and are managed by a rabbi and six laymen elected tiy the

I



I. -•'.-J

Jews themselves

for eiglit years. The constitution of the consistories is settled by the ordinance of Xov. 9. 184.), which defined all functions, tixed the amount of sums to be spent, and specilied the purposes of expenditures. The decree of Dec. 31, Religion l><lt."), and still more that of Aug. 23, ls!),s. limited the power of the consisand Re-

ligious Or- lories, whose number was augmented ganization. that cacli might embrace a smaller sphere. The coiisistoiy of .Vlgiers includes, besides live congregations in Algiers, fourteen outlying communities, one of which, .Medeah, has a nibbi; the consistory of Constantine includes twenty -one communities, of which IJoua hasarabl)i; and the consistory of Oran embraces thirty-eight, including the (ominunity of TIenicen. Up to IH.jti the census of the natives in Algeria was made by the military administration and gave only approximate tigures. From ISIJO to 1870 there was no increase in population among the Jews, but after 1881 many came from jAIorocco and Tunis, in order toenjoy the fuller liberty conferred on Algerian Jews by the Cremieu.x di'crce. However, after 189.5 the tribunals struck from the list of Vital voters many such .lews. Leroy-BeauStatistics. lieu gives the population of native .lews'in 1S91: Algiers, l-t.89.'i: Oran, 19,794; Constantine, 12,.'^7."(— that is, a total of 47,.")(j4 out of a |)opulation of 4,l9,."il). Hazell's "Annual" (London) for 1900 gives the Jewish population The average number of births a year for as 50,000. the years 1891, 189'^, and 189:5 was 2,G98, oro(i.72to 1,000 souls: the number of deaths was 1,812, or 38 to This is a comparatively large death-rate, due 1,000. to great mortality among infants.

BiBMOiinAniv ill

I..



the liarlKiry

Ailiil.<(i»,

Stitte.s,

Tin'

KIT.');

/'n'.vciit State n/ the Jew» Monfmi. Ixturia tte^itt Stati

fVAliicri^ 7'iojwt, 7'/-i/«»h'. c 3f'»nH-cn. Ixmdun. 17K4 ; L. Reyiiler, De I'f^nnnniie PuIilUiiie 1 1 Iturtile ttrtt Aratiettet deti Jnift*^ IKiO; It. Juii^iiiann, Cotitttwe:*^ Mteurs et Csagen

1837: HeloVse HarUxh. Leitre nir V6tnt I'Altjenc, 1S4(I : Jouiiny I'tiiminn and Dr. GolJselielder, Lettres nur V^jtiU des Jnifx en Alui'rie, In Arch, tsr. Sept. anil (let., imo: J. C. K., L;Mtrt. . . stir leu Inrni'iites inilitinieit de VAIuerie^ 1S70:

lies

ilcn

Alfii'rliiiK.

Juifn

i/i;

diaries l)u IJouzel, Lea

Inditinieit Inrneltte.t de VAIoiTie^ 1S71 : .A. ('n'inUMix, Itefutiilinn de ("/vj-jxiw' den Mnlifn, 1S71, p. -"7: .1. M. Ilaililey, Le Lli're d'Or dex luriii'liten Al{iri'ie iiK, 1S7»: Cluirles llous-sel. I^it Juifs et leu Mttsuliiiaiis. In lleriif ilis Deux Minnies, .Auk. 1'>. Is7.'i; I'uul (ialTarpl, L' Aloi'rie. ISKt; .Maiirlie Walil, his Juifs d'AIni'rie, ISSil: J. Wevl, Les Juifs Pintiy's Fritnciiis aur Kehelles dn Levant et en Itarharie srnis les Hi'vnes de

Louts XIV. et lie Lmils XV.. In llei: X't. Jhmvji. IHSit. xll., xlv.: De iinimnumt. Histinre dWIyrrie sinis la Itinniniitiitn 'I'lirc/ue, 1SS7: I'nnI I,fniy-lii-aulleii, /,'.ll{)>nV i-( /i» Israelites d'l nan, lli. IKSil, xlll. S.VMl: llarmV, Les Juifs de 'heinren. In .s'liiii'f nii-» il'iiii 1'i>|aiik (In the erlifln and innswjuenii'a at ttii' li TIeniien. I'arls. DelsltMt. Kssai sue la aturalis4ttiitn t'nllecrree Creinlenx tii-e lies Juifs Indioenis. 1H<»I; l-'n-(fliT. Les Juifs Alui'riens, Ijnr I'assi'; Leuri'nsent, Lrur .Id iiir Jiir(ilii/nf, IKVi; L. Kon-st, f.'ii'. Isss. onllie iin-wiil sltnallnn uf llie Jews: Durleii, L .lii'ii'i,ii(iKiii> .llyerif ii. In /(< iv .s'iM-(i'<'.. ISWI; Jan.. Keb.. Manli. liKKi; AiionyAnli^uifs d'.iluer, ISHli: Anltiony iniiiw. ;/(Kiii'rr des Wlllcln. .Iiii.ini; tin Ilerlirrs nf .llyrrtd, <U. ill. (.inti-.sViiiItlsui ill .Ui/i'iKi. l/'iidmi. lull. ,,. ,, lie

^

ALOIERS

.

Ma.

seaport of northern Africa; capi The tal of the French colonial province of .lgeria. origin of iis Jewish community, like that of all .Vlgerian



.

lommunilies.

is

shrouded

in ob.scurily.

Doubt-