Anfrlo-Jewish Association
Angyal, David
THE JEWISH EN'CYCLOPEDIA
The
present vice-presidents nre the chief rabbi. Dr. H. Aillcr: Jlr. Ellis A. Friiniilin (who is iilso treasurer), Mr. Alfred G. IlenriL|iies. .Mr. Ikiijaniiu Kisch, Sir Philip JIajrnus. Mr. F. I^. Moeatta, Sir George FaudelPliillips, Lord Kotlischikl. Mr. Leopold de Hothsehild, Sir Edward Snssoon, MP. Mr. Heubeu D. Sassoon, and Mr. Leopold Sehloss. These names, as well as the list of members of the Council, show that the govcrniiij: body of the Au^lo-.Iewish Association contains within its ranks representatives of every section of religious thought in the Jewish communities of England. On two important occasions the association has In the very first year of not acted independently. its existence it was called upon to lake up the cause Hut in view of of the persecuted Ji'ws in Rumania. the fact that it had not then secured all the support, {•itlicr personal or tinaueiiil. that it re(iuircd. the Council thought it desirable to assist in the formation of a special " Uumanian Committee." consisting mainly of its own members, and with The Sir Francis Goldsmid. a vice-president Rumanian of the association, as its chairman, and Russo- As a consequence of the appointment Jewish of this committee, a great meeting Committees, was held at the Mansion House early in 1^72, when Lord Shaftesbury, the bishop of London, many members of Parliament. and representatives of almost all the great city houses concurred in a cry f)f righteous indignation against the oppression of the Rumanian Jews. About four years later the association, at the request of the Rumanian Committee, resumed charge of the duties jireviously undertaken by that cominittee. It is scarcely necessary to add that down to the present time the condition of the Rumanian Jews has never ceased to occupy the attention of the as.sociation. Again in 1882. when the persecution of the Jews in Russia attained such dimensions as to arouse general indignation, the association assisted in the formation of a special Russo-Jewish Com.mittee. representing all sections of the community. A]iart from these two great occasions, in which, for the reasons alreadj- stated, the association did not, as a body, take an active part, there have been, during the past twenty-nine years, innumerable cases in which it has interposed, usually with success, on behalf of victims of oppression or persecution. These cases have been of the most varied character. Sometimes it has been to quell au actual rising of a fanatical populace against the Jews, sometimes to nip in the bud an anticipated emeute; at one time to rescue from jirison, or to procure a fair trial for Jews falsely accused or the victims of a vindictive or fanatical official; at another toobtain redress for a man unjustly punished, or compensation for a family de|irived of its head in some religiotis broil; to procure the revocation or miti,iratiou of degrading regulations affecting Jews, or the removal of a hostile governor or other ollicial. Not a single year has passed without the association being called upon to take action in one or more matters arising out of injustice, oppression, or persecution; but it is some satisfaction to find that, apart from the standing grievances in Rus.sia and Rumania, cases of official persecution in which
government connivance may be suspected tend become more and more rare.
to
In this department of its work, the association times received the most ready and cordial cooperation from the Foreign Office, quite irrespective of the party politics of the government in office for the time being. In many instances, indeed, communications from the Foreign Office have been lias at all
602
the means of calling attention to cases upon which action has been subsequently taken. In adililion to this, the educational field of the Anglo-Jewish As.sociation has been largely extended, and only awaits increiLsed resources for its further develoiiment, With the exEduception of schools under its own con-
Bombay, Jerusalem(the Evelina de Hothseliild School for Girls), and Mogador (Morocco) the Council employs its energies in the direction of education by lielping to maintain schools of the Alliance Israelite Universelle in various parts of the East. Striking testimony to the efficiency of several of these schools is to be found in the fact that Moslem and Christian parents of high standing have sent their children as paying jiupils. It may be roughly estimated that the association has assisted in the education of no less than 40,OUt> children. In the year 1899, the number of children receiving education in schools subveutioned by the association was 9,418; viz., 5,666 boys, 3,497 girls, and 355 infants of both sexes. The total of the subventions amounted to £3,848 cational
trol at
Work.
($14,340).
Before the association had been many years in existence an arrangement was made with tlie London Committee of Deputies of British Jews with the view of jireventing the po.ssibilily of the two bodies acting independently of each other in matters involving applications to the British government. Tlie importance of some such arrangement was at once recognized, and a formal compact was entered into in 1878, which has ever since been adhered to, and has resulted in luiiformly harmonious action. Tills compact has indeed been cariied out beyond the mere letter, for the two bodies have on several occasions acted jointly in presenting addresses to foreign potentates. In the year 1893. the late Baron de Hirsch presented the Anglo-Jewish Association with 3,600 fully paid-up shares of £100 each in the Jewish Colonization Association, which he had then formed for the purpose of carrying on iiermaneut ly the work he had initiated for removing Jews Jewish Col- from countries where they were per.seonization cuted and settling them in lands where
Assoelation.
they could live under haiipier auspices. Shortly before his death in 1896, the baron (who had in the meanwhile be-
come a vice-president of the as.sociation) gave this body another proof of his confidence by reipiesting it to accept a further number of shares to be held in trust for the Alliance Israelite Universelle, which is not competent by French law to hold shares in a public company. few weeks later the baron increased the holding of each institution in the Jewish Colonization As.sociation by 995 shares, making a total for each body of 4,595 shares, from which, however, no pecuniary lienefits accrue to the holders. The AngloJewish Association is entitled to one representative on the Council of Administration of the Jewish Col-
A
onization Association, and this position was held in 19(10 bv the president, Mr. Claude G. Montefiore.
M. D.
ANGLO-JEWISH HISTORICAL, EXHIBITION: An
exposition held at the Royal Albert London. England, during April. May. and June, 1887, in which were collected and shown most of the antiquarian remains illustrating the history of the .lews in England, together with a collection of objects of ecclesiastical art and miscellaneous Jewish Hall.
antiquities. The idea of the exhibition originated with Isidore Sinelman. who enlisted the cooperation
