Page 4 Advertisements Column 3

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 212, 5 February 1866, Page 4

Notice. DISTRESS IN THE HOLY LAND. TlfcE foUowing communications have been received by the Jewish Congregation, Dunedin, from' the Board of Deputies of British. Jews, London :^— London, August 24th, 5625. : To Joseph MaJ*er 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 fiUed 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 accoinpanying letteri received from. Jerusa-< lem (a translation of which iB subjoined) gives a harrowing picture of the distress that unhappily prevails in the feoly 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 their ; 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 affiicted, 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 oiu* feelings of humanity respond to the appeal? Itis surely the holiest duty of our brethren in a happier land, who have hearts fuU of kindness and sympathy, to come forward to the help of the distressed that dweU on the haUowed 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 aU 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 1 Holy Land. i You may rely upon our most gladly assisting „ you in any measure which your : wisdom may devise in promoting the fulfilment of • this most 1 urgent and. sacred duty. We have the honour ta remain, .* - Gentlemen, Yours very faithfully, ' N. ADLER, Db. MOSES MONTEFIORE. [Tbanslation.] Jerusalem, the 10th of Ab— Aug. 2, 5625. "The daughter of Zion is wailing, spreads forth her hands in suppUcation, and lamerits amid her sufferings !" To the Heads op Isbael, who seek tho welfare of the City of God, and mourn for her desolation ; to the Rev. the Chief Rabbi Dr. Adler ; and the fllustrious 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 suppUcation of aU the Congregations" of Jerusalem, both of the Sephardrm 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 larid, 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 saidj How shaU 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 aU the towns and vfllages around us most terribly. The fatal disease commenced its ravages on the coast of Egypt, raged furiously in Alexandria and other cities ; multitudes has the destruction that wasteth at noonday castidown — yea, many strong men have been slain by it. After that it advanced with intense virulence to the city of Jaffa, arid devastated her ; all ' her gates are desolate, her inhabitants afflicted' The corpses of the dead are lying in the streets unburied, and the Uvinf* flee on every side, so that there is terror and silence in the noisy harborcity. The disease is advancing with intense rage to the towns and vfllages situated between Jaffa and Jerusalem. The . gates of Jerusalem are closed ; none can go out and norie come in ; the city is in a state -of siege. The inspectors of Quarantine surround it. We do not groan for the disease of provisions nor for the grievous famine, but we supphcate you to aid and help us in saving hves. Unhappily, the disease has reached us ; there is great terror and fear in the Holy City. We are obliged to appoint meu in every street, provided with the needful medicaments against the epidemic. The men who are charged with this duty act very diligently, and have, thanks to the Almighty, been enabled to restore to health, aU that were attacked by this malady. But in order to save hves we were obbged to act regardless of expense. Whence, however, have we the -means to employ these precautions ? .And, besides, there are so many poor and indigent who need bread, without any one to deal it unto them. ShaU they be aUowed to be in want at such a time aB this, when it is danger of death to go* about weak andhungering ? Alas ! it is a time of great calamity for Jerusalem. We therefore, feel emboldened to lift up our voice and to pray to you to go forth to the help of your people, your brethren. It is not the • time to be silent. We implore you to assemble your Congregations, and to speak to their hearts, that they may aid those that are afflicted by famine lest, God forbid. Behold, our strength fafleth us to cry unto you ; if we had the power, we would call to you with words that could move the whole world, for we are in great distress. Oh,: arise and mercy uppn Zion ! Those that have compassion upon her wfll meet with compassion from the Most High. The humble prayer of the heads and Rabbis of the Congregation of Sephardim and,, Ashkenazim, inthe Holy City of Jerusalem.David Chaban (Haham Bashi)7 Samuel Salant. Meyeb Auebsagh. Joseph Sundel -SalanTj Jacob Teomin. Jacob Beblin. Benjamin David, of Willna. ■ Moses Leb Mebel. Meyeb Manikscht. Meyeb Batz. . . . Nissan Dbuckeb. .*•• . Selig HansdObp. '■•■"' Eleazab Noach. * ■' SUBSCRIPTIONS in AID OF THE ABOVE wfll be thankfuUy received by the foUowing gentle'.nen :— HENRY HART, Stafford-street, Chairman A. MYERS, Princes-Btreet, Hon. Treasurer B. L. PARJEON, Daily Times Office, Hon. Sec, And by the Members of the Committee. Or at the Oilice of this Paper,