Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 1.pdf/466

418 Alliance IsrafeUte TJniversello

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

418

combat

Whenever the accusation has been brought forward the Alliance has intervened, either to save the accused Jews, to indemnify tho.se who had sulfered from the accusation, or to enlighten the judges and public opinion on the inaidty of the charge. Such intervention coidd not always be open an<l direct for fear of exciting fanatical passion, but it has never been lacking. Declarations from churchmen, from scholars, from men of eminenee and autborily, have been elicited consultations anil expirt opinion by physicians and ])liysiologists have been procured and collected; and dozens of pamphlc'ls and books with hundreils of iievs|)ai)er articles published, in the untiring effort to counteract this odious slander. Ol^ all the enterprises of the Alliance its educational system is undoubtedly the most jirosperous and benelicial. Travelers who visited Education- .Morocco. Turkey, and Tiuiis in the al Activity; earlier part of the <cntury were lameiitably impressed by the low intelSchools, lectual status of the Jews there and the ah.sence of all modern culture. The oidy thing the children learned was banly to read and write Hebrew. Under the distressing influence of a life shut up in narrow Ghettos, the physical and spiritual force of the race had graiiually diminished. Their mode of life and their jirejudices restrained them from all serious manual labor, so that the Jews of Mohammedan countries were restricted for the means of subsistence to peddling and the more wretched trades. Schools were the only remedy for this state of affairs. The founders of the .Vlliance had this fact in view even before they actually turned to the task of imjirovenient. As soon as there were funds at command, in 1H2 it was decided to devote them to the erection of a school at Tetuan (.Morocco). In 18(i4 anotber seboiil was opened in Mcjrocco, at Tangiers, and in isti.-j a third at Bagdad, Since then this educational work has been developed steadily; to-day itcover,'^ Bulgaria, European Turkey, Turkey in Asia (from Jaffa to Aleppo and Bagdad), Egyiit, Tunis, and ^Morocco. The begiiuiing of the e<lucational work was made in Kuinania. and it now extends as far as Persia. Proixress has l)een rapid since 1879. In 1880, the number of schools was 34; in 1890, .54; and in 1809, 94— .IS of which were boys' and 36 girls' schools with an atten<lanee of 24,000 children. This development of the educational work of the Alliance has l)een rendered possilile maiidy through the munificence of Baron de Hirsch. The curriculum can not Ix- uniform in all these schools: in eaeh.it has to be accommodated to the special needs and eireinnstalK'i'S of the Jews of the jiarticular cotmtry. Thus in the schools of Tunis instruction in French occupies the first place, in Bulgaria the language of that country, and in both European and Asiastic Turkey room is made in the curriculum, in some places for Turkish, in others for Araliic. Partieidar prominence and attention have long been

the prejudice concerning ritual murder. This cruel and absurd accusation, which origi nated in Europe in the Middle Ages, was in more recent times the peculiar fancy of the Greek Orthodox nations, such as the Slavs, Greeks, and Bulgarians. From the Christian world it extended to the Mohammedan, and finally in these later years lias made its appearance in more western countries: in 1882 in Hungary (the Tisza-Eszlar affair), and in 1899 in Bohemia (the Polna incident). No detailed account will be given liere of all the lawsuits and investigations undertaken during the last forty years; but it must be said that no superstition fias ever been combated by the Alliance with so much perseverance and wannth as this monstrous blood-accusation.

given in certain .schools to English and German to the former in I?agdad. Egypt, and Morocco. The Alliance has a large school in Constantino])le, where the instruction is carried on in German, and this language is also taught in other schools of Constantinople and in Smyrna. Adrianoplc, Salonica, and .lerusiilem. Of other subjects taught, Hebrew naturally occupies a ])rominent place, together with the study of the Jewish religion and history. The geography and history of the country in which the school is situated arc taught; while arithmetic, elementary geometry, physics, chemistry, and drawing complete the curriculum. In Mohammedan countries more particularly than in others instruction for girls is extremely necessary.

punishment on those guilty of crimes against Jews. Owiii;; to the vigilance ami untiring protests of the Central t'oniinillec. the powers assemlileil iit theCongress of JIailiiil in IWD guarjinteeil ollicial protection to a certain numlier of communities containing The Alliance was represented by resident Jews, MM. Netterand V'ene/.iani. who successfully iileaded the cause of humanity liefore tlie as.sinililed diploIn energetic resolutions pro])osed by France mats. and Italy, the congress did not conline itself to a mere guaranty of protection for Jews and Christians, but demanded of the sultan of iMoroceo that A reply full religious liberty be granted to them. from the sidtan's government, dated Sept. 18. IHHO, assured the [xnvers Jhat this request would be granted. The Jews of Morocco are very poor; the (thettos in which they are coiu pel led to reside are in a ileplorably unhealthful condition, which often breeds The Alliance has friMjui-iitly come to epidemics. their aid, not alone by establishing schools wliieh are thriving to-day, but also by enabling them to improve the Jewish quarter. See Mono<('o. Persia is in a still more liopeless condition than Morocco if that be possible. The people there are fanatical in the extreme, belonging to Persia. the Shiite sect, which <htests everything that is not Mohammedan. From its foundation the Alliance has .striven to iiiteicst France and England in the fate of the Jews of this country; in addition, it has endeavored repeatedly to give them material aid. In 1873, when the shah of Persia, Nasr-cd-I)in, journeyed through Europe, committees of the Alliance waited tipon him with memorials in behalf of his .Jewish suljjects. The shah gave a veiy friendly welcome to these representations, but unfortunately the real jiower in Persia is vested in the hands of the priests. The government's influence is very limited, and the prieslsare ingenious in devising ways to humiliate and maltreat the Jews. They are forbidden to clothe themselves in European garb, to draw water from the public fountains, to purchase their provisions in the markets Murders and at the same time as Mohanunedaus. other organized acts of violence are numerous. The Alliance has sent frequent assistance to these muchtried

communities, but with only temporary results.

In 1898 the Central Committee decided to establish a school in Teheran. One of the Alliance's best teachers in the East was selected as its head, and he was received very cordially by the ministers of the shah, Muzaffcr cd-Oin. and members of the diplo niatic corps. The school was hailed by the Jews of Teheran with a gratitude and an enthusiasm that can be easily understood. The foregoing may serve as a rapid sketch of the protective action of the Alliance over its coreligionBefore approaching the .second ists. Ritual portion of its program, a word must

Murder,

be

.said

touching

its efforts to



—