Rabbi I. Raffalovich, Chief Rabbi of Brazil, has, according to the information contained in an official report to the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society, returned from a tour of inspection of the interior of Brazil. He spent seven weeks, mostly in southern provinces of the country and succeeded in organizing a number of local committees which will take care of the Jewish immigrants coming into that country. In other places he strengthened the existing organization.
In Rio Grande arrangements were made with the local Jewish community to undertake the immigrant aid work, to meet the incoming steamers, receive the immigrants, secure work for them and also to render service to those immigrants going to Uruguay or Argentine. A loan kassa is being founded so that the new arrivals may be helped to buy tools, etc. Skilled artisans will find good opportunities there. The same also applies to Polotas.
In Porto Alegro, Rabbi Raffalovich addressed several mass meetings and aroused the interest of the local Jews in the matter of Jewish immigration. A loan kassa is being organized here also.
Arrangements for aid to Jewish immigrants were also made in Cachoeria, and in Sante Maria. In the latter place the immigrant aid activities are in charge of the local Jewish Ladies Society. A loan kassa will be organized here as well as in Crizalta. In these and other places, Chief Rabbi Raffalovich found possibilities for Jewish immigrants, particularly for skilled artisans, and the local Jews are prepared to render every assistance.
In Curityba there is room for Jewish merchants who could buy the cereals grown by the Polish colonists and sell them in the cities. In Ponta Grossa Jewish merchanics and blacksmiths can secure remunerative employment.
During the last six weeks there arrived in Havana, Cuba, 216 Jewish immigrants. This increase is largely due to recent immigration restrictions in Mexico. As a result the Cuban government has become more stringent in its examinations of the new arrivals, many of whom are temporarily detained.
The Jewish Center succeeded in having the women and children discharged to it, and then the men, with the exception of fifteen who were detained. Those who cannot be finally admitted will be aided by the Jewish Center to go to other South or Central American countries.
The number of marriages among immigrants is increasing. On May 14, on the steamship California, no less than 12 brides arrived in Havana from America in order to become the wives of their bridegrooms who had come from the other side. Twenty Jewish girls who were married in the same period to their American bridegrooms were provided for in the Home for Girls maintained by the Center. These girls came from Lithuania, Poland. Russia and Palestine. The bridegrooms were American citizens.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
