GREAT JEW MEETING.
On Saturday evening last, a large and influential meeting of members of the Hebrew nation assembled in the Synagogue, Great Saint Helen's, for the purpose of taking into consideration the recent article in Punch, in which that illustrious individual, remarking upon the fact that Jews were somehow or other mixed up in most cases of fraud, chicanery and imposture, strongly counselled the respectable and wealthy portion of the community to take such measures, as might tend to destroy an argument especially useful to those whose bigotry resisted the admission of the Jew Englishman to the civil rights of a Christian Englishman.
Among those who were present we noticed Baron Ingots, Sir Aaron Montechristo, Mr. Alderman Fitzdavid, the Rev. Rabbi Haphtorah, Professors Bereshith and Bara, and others, as representatives of the higher classes; and Messrs. Abrahams, Isaacs, Jacobs, Ikey, Barney, Clo, O. Clo, Behemoth, Gonoff, Shobbus, Fence, Sheeney, Tango, &c. &c. on the other interest. The former class had not deemed it desirable to bring the ladies of their families, but in the body of the meeting we remarked Mrs. and Miss Ikey, Mrs. Behemoth, Mrs. and the Misses Shobbus (11), Mrs. and Miss Sharon, Mrs. Tusks, and other distinguished Mosaic ornaments of private life.
Mr. Alderman Fitzdavid was voted into the chair, and a disposition to disturbance among the less select part of the meeting was speedily suppressed by the worthy Alderman reminding them, in a firm but good-humoured tone, that "he happened to be a magistrate." A young gentleman in the crowd appeared to take this remark as personal, and left the meeting somewhat abruptly, immediately after which it was noticed that Mrs. Sharon was compelled to borrow her daughter's pocket-handkerchief.
Mr. Alderman Fitzdavid then read the article from Punch, and said that the Hebrews were deeply indebted to that periodical. It had never shrunk from fighting their battles, or from pointing out their errors, and he was convinced that no right-minded Jew could mistake Mr. Punch's meaning or mistrust his goodwill. There was no doubt that the great mass of the Jews in England worshipped gold with a devotion which made them blind to better things.
A Voice. Vot's better, my dear, ceptin' dimonds; eh, vot.
Mr. Alderman Fitzdavid would tell them. Honesty was better, and straightforward dealing, and liberality. Why had the word Jew become synonymous—
A Voice. Eh? vot. There's a proud vord. Dictionary, s'elp me! Aint he ambitious? Synonnymouth! Lor!
Mr. Alderman Fitzdavid. Synonymous with—he would not say cheat, but with a sharp practitioner, in the mouths of their Christian fellow-subjects?
A Voice. All prejudith, my dear; all blinded prejudith, whereof it behoves them to be ashamed. (The speaker was here removed by Policeman C 146, in order to an arbitration in regard to a gold snuff-box just annexed by the former.)
Baron Ingots said that he was urgent to remove this reproach from Israel. He looked to education as the remedy, but then the Jews had already ample provision of well-conducted schools. There was something wanting besides mere book-learning.
The Rev. Rabbi Haphtorah would not preach to them, but he, in common with all who endeavoured to do good by instruction, felt painfully that the spirit of modern Jewism counteracted the effect of the noble Hebrew rules of life. What was the use of his proclaiming "Covet not," when the lesson of every day was "Covet everything, and get as much of it as you can."
A Voice. The Christians as talks is so much better, isn't them?
Sir A. Montechristo. That was no answer. Besides he was bound to admit that there was a large portion, though only a portion, of the Christians, who did look to better things than mere gain. It was a disgrace to the English Jews, considering their limited number and great advantages, that they did not present a practical refutation of the charges of their enemies.
A Voice. Hear him! Vy, he could buy up streets full of Christians as easy as I'd buy a net of oranges. (Blandly.) D'ye happen to vant any fine oranges, Sir Hairon? Proud to vait upon yer at yer ouse—knows it vell. Not a Lord in the land—not the Dukey Vellintons himself has got a finer. Now.
Professor Bereshith dwelt with much earnestness upon the contemptible character of the greedy and avaricious man, and upon his inevitably low station in the scale of society; but his speech was interrupted by Mrs. Behemoth, who insisted on forcing her way to the chairman, in order to get him to buy a ring which had come into her hands rather promiscuous, and was just fit for his finger. The horrible clamour which the energetic matron made, on being put forth from the meeting, tended to bring matters to a conclusion. Other speeches were delivered, in which the Hebrew gentlemen expressed their sincere desire to improve the condition of their humbler brethren, but the latter did not seem very grateful or much inclined to co-operate. A resolution of thanks to Punch, and of hope that he would continue his exertions for and among the Jews was carried, and the meeting was broken up.