Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 198, 5 January 1866, Page 3

LATE AD VERTISEMENTS. DISTRESS IN THE HOLY LAND. THE following communications have been received by the Jewish Congregation, Dunedin, from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, London : — London, August 24th, 5625. To Joseph Mayer Montefiore, Esq., the President, (pro tern.) and to the Committee of Deputies of British Jews. Gentlemen, — A cry of anguish, a tale of woe, has reached our ears from the Holy Land, and filled our hearts with deep sorrow and commiseration. "Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish ; the lament of Jerusalem is gone up." Our fears have, alas been but too faithfully realised. The accompanying letter, received from Jerusalem (a translation of which is subjoined) gives a harrowing picture of the distress that unhappily prevails in the Holy City. No words of ours can add force to the plaint, which a succession of dire calamities has wrung from our brethren. Intelligence has also reached us that the other cities of the Holy Land are under trouble and affliction. When the drought and the locusts visited the land, they held then- peace. But now " two things have come unto them — desolation and destruction," the consuming famine and the plague that wasteth at noonday. Can we, dare we, lend a deaf ear to the „wail that has been pressed forth from " Zion — Zion, the afflicted, tempest-tossed, that had no comfort?" " She looked for peace, and no good came : and for the time of healing, and behold, terror!" Now, when our brethren cry unto us that we may help them to save life, must not all our feelings of humanity respond to the appeal ? It is surely the holiest duty of our brethren in a happier land, who have hearts full of kindness and sympathy, to come forward to the help of the distressed that dwell on the hallowed soil, with which our past history and future glory are so inseparably connected. We therefore ask for your powerful co-opera-tion, that this aid may be rendered efficiently and without "delay. We venture to suggest, that you weuld issue an Appeal to ah the Congregations in the British Empire, calling upon the men and women of Israel to come forward with feeling hearts and helping hands to the succour of their Brethren in the Holy Land. You may rely ;upon our most gladly assisting you in any measure which your wisdom may devise in promoting the fulfilment of this most urgent and sacred duty. We have the honour to remain, Gentlemen, Yours very faithfully, N. ADLER, Db. MOSES MONTEFIORE. [Translation.] Jerusalem, the 10th of Ab— Aug. 2, 5625. "The daughter of Zion is wailing, spreads forth her hands in supplication, and laments amid her sufferings!" To the Heads op Iseael, who seek the welfare of the City of God, and mourn for her desolation j to the Rev. the Chief Rabbi Dr. Adler ; and the illustrious baronet, Sir Moses Montefiore. The covenant of life and peace be with them. Hearken unto us, our brethren ; listen to our plaint ye that are merciful ! This is the cry and supplication of all the Congregations of Jerusalem, both of the Sephardun and Ashkenazim. We are all, our women and children, in sore distress and grievous afflction. Behold ! when the heavens were shut up in the winter, and there was no rain, the provisions became dear, and water scarce. Then there came locusts, which laid waste the laud, so that the harvest of the field perished. And then there came a famine. And the famine was sore in the land, so that we said, How shall we have strength to bear the infliction of this grievous scourge ! And* now woe unto us, there is death ! for the anger of the Lord has been kindled, and a fearful epidemic of Cholera is raging in all the towns and villages around us most terribly. The fatal disease commenced its ravages on the coast of Egypt, raged furiously in Alexandria and other cities j multitudes has the destruction that wasteth at noonday cast down — 'yea, many strong men have been slain by it. After that it advanced with intense virulence to the city of Jaffa, and devastated her j all her gates are desolate, her inhabitants afflicted. The corpses of the dead are lying in the streets unburiea, and ths living flee on every side, ao that there is terror and silence in the noisy harborcity, Tho disease is advancing with incense rage to 'the fawns an 4 villages situated between tfatt'a.