APPENDIX. No. I. PROGRAMME OF THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION PURSUED IN THE RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS OF THE ISRAELITISH UNIVERSITY of leghorn, IN THE YEAR 1839. INSTITUTION FOR MALES. RELIGIOUS AND MORAL INSTRUCTION. Elementary Schools. 1st School-Formation of syllables, exercise on the vowel points, and the reading of the Hebrew tongue. The current reading of the principal prayers. (The system of mutual instruction.) 2d School-Catechetical instruction, moral and religious: a first or elementary class, and a second or superior class. 3d School-Reading and translating the prayers. The reading of the Pentateuch, and some chapters of the Prophets (on,) with the tonic accents (.טעמים) Italian rendering of Hebrew vocables. Rules for the vowel points and tonic accents. More Advanced Schools. 1st School-Complete and progressive reading of the Bible, Rudiments of Hebrew Grammar. Religious duties Hebrew text, read and translated, of Maimonides pan, Part I., abridged. Hebrew text, read and translated, of Jarchi (~~) on Hebrew text, read and translated, along with the 2d School-A course of Hebrew grammar. 3d School-Oral and written translation of the Bible. Selections and moral illustrations of the same. 522 APPENDIX. HIGHER RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. Preparatory School. 1st Class-The first Book of the Pentateuch, with Jarchi's Commentary translated and illustrated. The four first historical books of the Bible, with grammatical and philological comments, i. e. the book called Fortress of דור ומצודת ציון David, and Fortress of Zion.) 2d Class-Continuation and conclusion of the Bible, with grammatical and philological comments, (as before.) Introduction to rabbinical and theological studies i. e. an abridgment of the קיצור הליכות עולם) Talmudical work called "Everlasting Ways.") The ritual of Caro-rules regarding the prayers (vol. i. p. 1.) Literary School. Select treatises of the Mishna. (The Mishna of rabbi Bartenora.\ Higher Hebrew Grammar. Translation of Themes from Italian into Hebrew.* Rabbinical School. Talmud-select treatises, with illustrations (such as 7, "Blessings before meat;" na, “Sabbath;", "Festivals.") Maimonides-select illustrations (such as minion mibano, “forbidden meats.") A complete course from the Rituary of Caro, with illustrations. * As a specimen of the way in which they teach the scholar to write Hebrew, we subjoin the following. The master of the class took up a book that was lying by him, and read the following sentence in Italian. "I counsel thee to read with the pen in your hand, and to write on the book the useful and new ideas. This is the best means, of imprinting them in your minds; and farther, being in this way able always to find them, they will be helpful to you in your conduct when they are good." A lad, in the course of a few minutes, thus rendered the passage into Hebrew, using the current Hebrew hand : אני יעץ אתכם לקרא בספרים עם החרט בידכם ולכתוב בספר המחשבות מועילות וחדשות זה הוא הדרך הטוב ליסרם בלבבכם ומלבד זה נשאתם רוצים למצוא אותם לעולם יהיו מועילות על מעשיכם בשהם טובים The commentaries of the Mishna (such as ww, “New Year;", "Feast of Tabernacles.") Opinions of the rabbis on questions regarding ceremonies. Elementary Schools. CIVIL INSTRUCTION. 1st School-Formation of syllables and reading. Penman. ship, Arithmetic, the four first rules and fractions. (The system of mutual instruction.) 2d School-Instructive readings. 3d School-Drawing. Geometrical figures-principles of ornament and architecture. More Advanced Schools. 1st School-Penmanship and Orthography completed. Higher Mercantile Correspondence. 3d School-The French language. 4th School-Elements of history, geography and cosmography. 5th School-Lessons and exercises in vocal music, as used in the sacred songs of the synagogue. INSTITUTION FOR FEMALES. I. Religious and Moral Instruction. Formation of syllables, exercises on the vowel points, and Reading of the daily and common prayers, in Hebrew. The Catechism. Daily reading, in the assembled classes, of moral and religious books, with illustrations and applications. II. Civil Instruction. Formation of syllables, and reading of Italian. (The system of mutual instruction.) Instructive moral readings. Penmanship. Arithmetic. III. Instruction in the Common Domestic Arts. 1. Sewing, knitting, &c. 2. Embroidery, and works of the needle. A Kreutzer, of a Zwanzig, less than a half-penny. A Polish Gulden, A Preuss Gulden, = 6d. = 2s. We may subjoin a specimen of the endless coins which annoy and perplex the traveller. lowing note of the value of coins was given us of money. 133 Duckisly, at value of 935 piastres, 80 Rubbi Zenzerly, 928 We give the following as one out of a thousand specimens of Jewish credulity.-Rabbi Simeon is said to have lived in the second or third century. One day when some of them were met together, a rabbi named Pupas, who had visited Rome, related to his friends the wonders he had seen,-dwelling especially upon the works of public utility, such as the bridges, the baths, and the highways. Rabbi Simeon was much displeased at his commenda APPENDIX. 525 tion of the Romans, saying, that all they had in view was self-exaltation. Upon this, rabbi Pupas, deeply offended at being contra. dicted, went to Rome and informed against rabbi Simeon. He was, accordingly, summoned to Rome; but for a long time escaped the vigilance of the police. On one of these occasions, when the police were in close pursuit of Simeon (who was in company with his son Eliezer,) God revealed to him a cave, in which was a fig. tree and a spring of water. In this cave, both of them took shelter, and were nourished twelve years on the fruit of the tree, and refreshed by the spring of water. During this long time they were instructed in the cabbala by the prophet Elijah. On coming out of the cave at the end of twelve years, so absorbed were they in the study of the cabbala-the only true way of knowing God—that they looked on every secular pursuit as profanity, unworthy of men created in the likeness of God. By their frowns they consumed many towns and villages, with hundreds of people, and the cattle that were ploughing in the fields within their sight. On this, God commanded them to return back to the cave, lest the whole world should be consumed by them; and there they remained other twelve years. During this period rabbi Simeon composed the Book of Zohar, still enjoying the instruction of the prophet Elijah. On leaving the cave the second time, the frowns of rabbi Eliezer were as destructive as rabbi Simeon's had been the first time, but the blessing of rabbi Simeon restored all that rabbi Eliezer laid waste. They hid the Zohar, in the cave, where it was found 400 years after, the roll being as fresh as if written only yesterday. Pilgrimages are performed to the rabbi's grave at Marona every year by Jews from all parts of the world. They remain at it three days, spending the time in mirth and festivity. Often hundreds of pounds worth of shawls, dipped in oil, are burned in his honour. Vows are made to him, and prayers presented for deliverance from any misfortune. Even in the time of the late earthquake, hundreds came to pour out their prayers over his grave. No. IV. JEWS OF CORFU. Communicated by a Resident there. (See page 392.) The number of Jews in the island of Corfu is about 2000. They all reside in a particular quarter of the town, but are not separated from the rest of the population by any enclosed wall, as is the case at Rome, Ancona, and other places in Italy. They have two synagogues, and two small oratories There is some trifling dif ference in the ceremonies performed at the two synagogues, but not such as to prevent a Jew, who is in the habit of attending one of the synagogues, from frequenting and worshipping at the other. The Jews at Corfu I consider a very unfavourable specimen of their race. They are, in general, filthy in the extreme in their |