Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 1.pdf/463

415 THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

415

territorial committees. In certiiin countries, notably Franci' and the United States, tlie local commiltees are in direct corri'Spi)n<len<'e with the Or^auiza- Central Committee. In (jermany. IIol-

tion.

land. Italy,

and

Iliinirary. supervisiiij;

the local conmiittees, there are terriritorial committees, whose spheres of action are sometimes very extensive; but both territorial and local oonnnittees, except on rare occasions, arc restricted in their actions totli<' carry iiiir out of the resolutions pa.S-Sed by the Central Committee, to .securinj; new subscribers, and to .solicitinj; and colleeting donations and assessments for the society. They an-, as it were, the executive and propagating agent-sof the institution.

During

whole existence, the Alliance lias had as.sessineiits and donations of its members; and even today these contributions represent an important portion of its receipts. The amuial dues beinir lixcd at the minimum rate of frs. (§1.13), and by far the greater number of its

as chief source of incoiuc the

subscriptions not exceeding this amoiuit, it retiuired nearly 'J2, out) subscribers to make uj) the l.'iS.Tl!) frs. derived from this source in IH'.IS. The number of members increased contiiuiously (mtil ISS4, when their annual contributions amounted to •J'.id.lllH) frs. From that period, this income has grsidually diminished from year to year; and a vigorous elfort would be necessary to increase it. There are many cau.ses fortius falling olT: Anti Semitism compels great Siicrilices in France, in Germany, and elsewhere; many

benevolent societies and institutions have since been established; and to these causes mvist be added a certain false shame which holds many aloof from local

their coreligionists.

Since its organization the.Mliance has published reports or "Bulletins" upon its progress and upon its work. Hegininng with theappeaniiice Publica- of the first "Appeal" in 1S(!0. until the tions. year l.S(i2 these " Bulletins " were issued every twoor three months. They contained extracts from the minutes of the meetings of the Central Committee, information on the coiidilion of the .lews in various lands, a description of all the work in which the Alliance was participating or iti which it might become intcrested.and.tinaliy.astutemenlof rcc<'ipts and expenses. From 1.'<(!."> to 1H!):{ the " liulletin " was publislie<l semiamuially. When the society had grown considerably two" Hulletins" becnine necessary. Accordingly, from March. 1S93. a monthly " IJulletin " has bicn issued, di'signcd for the commit ti'cs, for the |irinci|)al coworkers, "an<l for all those willing to [lay an additional yearly subscription." Thesemi-aiuuial " iUiUetin " givesan abstract of the monthly issues and a staleineiil of receipts and expenditures; this is sent to all subscribers. In 1W<7 it was thought that, in view of the monthly " Rulletin," the semi annual publication might be discontinued and an anmial report substituted. The

monthly luiil aiuiual "Hulletins" appear in French Some issues have also been jiuband in (icniian. lished in Knirlish. llilirew. and lluniraiiaii. In lss,"i. on the occasion of the twenty fifth anniversary of its the Allian< e published a history of its itsinciption. This history has been translated into (lernian. Knglish. Anibii-. Dutch, and I,a(lino. or.Iuda'o Spanish so that subscribers of nearly every country can read it in their own tongue. The Alliance had hardly biin established when demonstniled the broad spirit animating its it foiunlers by opening a subsiriplion for the Chris lians of I.elianon who wiri> being peisceuliil by the Druses and dying of hiuiger. Iloth Crenueux and Sir Moses Montetiore appealed to the generosity of

exi.stenee.

work from



Alliance Israfelite TIniverselle

their coreligionists in behalf of these victims of Mussulman fanaticism and a provisional committee took up their initiative and contribuli-d General elhciently to the mitigation of this Activity, undeserved sulTering. About the

siime time the Alliance emleavored to procure the restoration to his father of the .lewisli Kdgar Mortara. In coinitries where liberty of conscience and equal rights aie ikjw deeply rooted in the national institu-

child

tions,

it is liaid to realize that the .Jews have enjoyed these benefits only for the last thirty years. In lS(iO, certain Swiss cantons still refused foreign .lews the right of residence and the right to hold projierty; the canton of Aargau denied e(|ual civic rights to its own .Jewish citizens. The liberal press of both France and Switzerlaml energetically .seconded the steps imdertaken by the Alliance' to remove these vc-stigesof iMi'dievalism. Nothing was accomplished,

however, until 1807, when

and Holland, havingbeen

Fraiici'. Italy,

Uelgium,

by the Alliance of the contiiuiance of this unfair treatment of citizens of .Jewish faith, refused to renew their treaties w ith Switzerland uidess absolute equality were guaranteed to the .lews. The activity of the Alliance tlius far had been of a sporadic nature exerted from time to time in favor of eeitain bodies of .Jews. 'I'here were countries, however, wIktc this action was unremittingly exercised for a long series of years and where ii still continues at the jiresent day. distinction must be made between cotnitries under Christian domination and those luider ^lussulman intluence. The situation of the .Jews of Humania and Servia called for the action of the Alliance from the day of its foundation. For seventeen vears, Rumania, u]) to the treaty of Merlin in ls7s, the -Mliance had worked luiceasjngly to succor the unhajipy .Jews of those countries." In isiio Ifuinania seemed to lie ripe for civilization. The French press ('specially had become infatuated with this small nation of Latin race and language, which declared itself permeated with the spirit of purest liberalism. .Jews had been excluded from the enjoyment of political rights; they were considered as aliens, although a great majority of them had been liorn in the country and had never belonged to any other nationality. The mend)ers of the Central Committee of the Alliance, several of whom had the op])ortimity of making the accnuiintance of Kiuuanian statesmen in Paris, saw no reason to doubt the good disposition of Uumania. The reigning prince himsi'lf. Alexander .lohn(('uza). in IStU received the suggestions of the coiiwnittee most graciously, and re(picsted his representative at Paris to place himself in conununicaljon with the Alliance. In IStit! Ciemieuxwenl to liucharesl.and was heartily welcomed by government otliciids. .Alinislers and deputies vied with one another in exjiressions of regard. He wa.s formally conducted to the Chamber of Deputies, and the mcmbiTs thronged aroimd him to lisli-n to his elo(|Uent words., vote was just then biing taken on the adojition of the constitution which contained an arlicle aeeoiiliiig all civil and political rights to the .lews, and Cri'iiueux to(ik his departure from liuchanst with the conviction that the emancipation of the Uumanian .lews was an accomplished fact. Scarcely had he left the cily, when a riot broke out in w liich the synagogue was stormed and sacked. This was the first step in a policy of violence, injustice, and persecution which has prevailid ever sim c. It was followed by various prohibitions against living in villages; against owning houses, lands, or vineyards in rural distriels; against dealing in liipior; against nc}litied

A