A MUNIFICENT GIFT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1688, 19 January 1888, Page 3

A MUNIFICENT GIFT.

The Pesther Lloyd recently announced that Baron Hirsch had given 100,000,000 f to be distributed among the Jewish communities of Europe and the Jewish charities, in proportions corresponding to their necessities. The news was contradicted, and in this form it was inaccurate. These are the facts:—“ About three months ago,” says the Paris correspondent of The Times, “ some days before the departure for Copenhagen of ;the Emperor of Russia, Baron Hirsch sent a letter to the Czar, in which he offered the sum of £2,000,000 to found in Russia primary schools for the Jews, and £40,000 to be at the disposal of the Czar for works of charity. The Czar wrote a note on the letter, and requested the Russian Minister of the Interior to report verbally upon it on his return to Russia. The offer thus remained a dead letter for three months. During this time those who knew of it asked if Baron Hirsch, justly offended by this delay, would not withdraw his promise, and if such a delay did not subject this great and generous idea to the risk of not being realised. Happily these fears are at end. On the return of the Czar he heard the verbal report of his Minister of the Interior, and signed the acceptance of the gift. The £2,000,000 have been or are to be paid into the Bank of England, and Baron Rothschild and Baron de Worms, who are appointed trustees, and who will be replaced in case of death, will receive the interest of the sum so deposited. It is estimated that with the annual interest of about £IOO,OOO it will be possible to open 1000 schools, receiving 50,000 children, who will thus be rescued from ignorance and a bad example. Never has such a munificent gift been made by a rich man in his lifetime to the destitute.