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352 Avig-dor, Jacob

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Avignon

pseudonym

"Wanderer," D'Avigdor published which he was well qualified, being himself an intrepid rider to hounds. DAvigdor was a warden of the Spanish and Portuguese synagogue, and served on several committees. He was chief of the Chovevi Zion Association, in which movement he' took the keenest interest; joining this in 1891 he helped to consolidate it, and was instrumental in bringing it into connection with similar associations on the Continent. He was a member of the council of the Anglo-Jewish Association from 1871 until his death. He married a daughter of Bethel Jacobs of Hull, by whom he had one son and five daughters. The son, Osmond d'Avigdor Goldsmid, inherited the Goldsmid estates on the death of Sir Julian Goldsmid. of

many hunting

stories of merit for

Bibliography: Jewish Chronicle; Jewish World, Feb.

15,

1895.

352

returned to Paris, and became a personal friend of Napoleon III., who conferred upon him the title of duke. The countess took a deep interest in the communal institutions of the English metropolis. She was at one time president of the Ladies' Committee of the Jews' Leaf and Dumb Home, and honorary secretary of the West End Charity; also a member of the committees of the Jewish Convalescent Home, of the workhouse committee of the Jewish Board of Guardians, and of the West End Sabbath School. Both the Bayswater schools and the Jews' Deaf and Dumb Home owed their inception principally to her

advocacy. Bibliography Jewish

Chronicle, Nov.

and

13, 1896.

G. L.

j.

AVIGNON"

Capital of the department of Vauformerly seat of the papal court. cluse, France The first settlement of Jews in Avignon goes back



G. L.

J.

AVIGDOR, JACOB:

Chief

("hakam

rabbi

from 1860 to 1863 born 1794 died 1874. He was a capable Talmudist and conversant with several foreign languages. Avigdor bashi

")

at Constantinople





was instrumental in organizing several institutions in the Turkish dominions, among them the Assembly of Jewish Notables, which latter has introduced many beneficial regulations. In 1863 a fanatical rabbi, Isaac Akrisch, who had excommunicated Count Abraham de Camondo, succeeded in so inciting the people against Avigdor that in July of that year he was compelled to resign his office. He was subsequently elected "Rab ha-kolel," or spiritual leader of the community, and retained the office till his death. Bibliography: Franco, Histoire des Ottoman, pp. 161 et seq.

Israelites

deVEmpire

M. K.

s.

AVIGDOR, JULES

member

D': Banker, and

of the Piedmont Parliament born in Nice died at Paris February, 1856. He was a grandson of Isaac Samuel d'Avigdor, secretary of the Paris SanheHe was the first Jew elected drin See Sanhedkin. by his Catholic fellow -citizens to the lower house of Parliament, February, 1854. He was, however, at the same time also Prussian consul at Nice, and as





such ineligible to Parliament



his election, therefore,

was annulled by the house, but he was returned again by an overwhelming majority, and, having resigned the consulship, was admitted. Avigdor, equally devoted to his religion and his country, died in the prime of his life, and by his own last request was

interred at Nice.

M. K.

s.

The Synagogue (From

RACHEL,

Communal worker

at

COUNTESS

D'



London, England; born Sept.

died Nov. 5, 1896. She was the second daughter of Sir Isaac Lyon and Isabel Goldsmid, and was privately educated by some of the most eminent teachers of the time, including Thomas Campbell, In June, 1840, she was married to Count the poet. Salamon Henri d'Avigdor, son of the d'Avigdor who was a member of the Great Sanhedrin assemShortly after their marriage, the bled by Napoleon. count and countess d'Avigdor went to London, where were born their three sons and one daughter. Her husband, from whom she eventually separated, 19, 1816;

Avignon.

probably to the second century of the common era, a few years after the destruction of Bethar by Hadrian. In 390 they were already sufficiently numerous to take a leading part in a revolt against Bishop Stephen. As usual almost everywhere, they congregated in certain portions of the town, known later as the Jewry, or " Carriere des Juifs. " It lay at first on the banks of the Rhone, along the slope of the Rocher, and exactly opposite the papal Early palace its narrow lanes are still called History, the " Reille Juiverie " and the " Petite Reille. " There are still shown the remains of an ancient building declared, with or without reason, to have been the first synagogue. But in the course of the thirteenth century, this quarter, having become too crowded, was demolished by Louis VIII., and the Jews were allotted a new and more spacious location in the heart of the city, corresponding with the present Place de Jerusalem and the Rues Abraham and Jacob. This location was covered with buildings, four, and sometimes five, stories high, and was intersected by narrow lanes, for the most part unclean, and lacking air and light. Two

AVIGDOR,

at

a photograph.)