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Page 32 The Southern Israelite JEIVISH BELGIUM By SYLVAN RUSS MURTIASHAW SHOE REPAIR SHOP vv 1221 Main St. Tel. S700 COLUMBIA, S. C. NICKS SHOE SHINING and HAT CLEANING PARLOR vv 1206 Main St. Tel. 6074 COLUMBIA, S. C. ♦ ♦ Announcing! HAMMACK’S DRUG STORE -8- J. S. Hammack, Pres. U Treas. '‘You Will Find It Here" 911 Gervais Phone 8825 COLUMBIA, S. C. ♦ ♦ BLUE BIRD Trucking Corporation CONVEYORS OF FINK FURNITURE — BONDED — Local and Long Distance Hauling White Drivers Only 2008 Taylor Tel. 8921 COLUMBIA, S. C. COLUMBIA BROKERAGE & STORAGE CO. Household Goods Storage BONDED WAREHOUSE 831 Gervais Tel. 8133 COLUMBIA. S. C. M. MATTHEWS SYSTEM James \V. Matthews, Owner High Grade Groceries Store No. 1—1732 Main St. Ph. 8211 Store No. 2—2715 Divine St. Ph. 9528 COLUMBIA, S. C. Although there is no realization of it, Belgian Judaism which, say alxmt sixty years ago, had only an extremely small number among it, out of a total popula tion of 7,(XX),(XX) inhabitants, is now slow ly, but surely, gaining the importance of a considerable factor that will soon have to be reckoned with ( if not numerically then at least from the moral and spiritual point of view). Backed up by some 70,000 Jewish in habitants, this, the smallest community of Western Europe, lias for some year? past, offered the gratifying spectacle of a con siderable development, which could not leave anybody indifferent who is inter ested in the Jewish problems of our days and in the future of the Jews. Within hut a few years Belgian Juda ism, made up chiefly of elements im migrated from Russia, Poland and Hol land, has in fact succeeded in strengthen ing itself and organizing itself into pow erful, fully-alive and whole-heartedly de voted groups, wlv) in a good many re spects arc already at this time cited as models for organizations of a similar character existing in the Jewish centers of the rest of Europe. Thanks to the spirit of tolerance and of perfect democracy in which, in this free and without hindrances up to our thoritics, as well as the inhabitants, take inspiration, a steady Jewish immigration has, since about 1880, been left practically free and without hindrances upto our days—a very rare thing, to be sure—with the result that Belgian Judaism lias been able to grow and to prosper to the point where in a short time it now peoples great metropolitan centers, such as Brus sels and Antwerp, with heavy Jewish populations, of 40,000 and 45,(XX) souls, respectively, an economically prosperous population, which has known how to gain for itself the esteem of the authorities and of the Belgian people, while at the same time conserving its own national identity which it has been able to concili ate with a sincere devotion to the well- being of the country that was so hospit able, so generous with regard to the Jew ish immigrant. It was not such a very long time ago that Brussels, with its 5,(XX) and some odd Jews, was still able to be cited as a fort ress of assimilation, which, in imitation of the Parisian Jews and under the di rection of the hanker Philipson, the de ceased president of the Icane, recognized hut few ties binding it to world Judaism. Today, under the influence of a new immigration, and thanks particularly to u HALTIWANGER'S Ladies’ Ready to Wear and Millinery 1441 Main Street Phone 8510 COLUMBIA, S. C. M the powerful inspiration of the Jewish community of Antwerp, Jewish Brussels has been compelled not only to relinquish the moral direction of Jewish affairs in Belgium to this living and active Jewish agglomeration of Antwerp, but also to become itself at the present time a Jewish center to which no event affecting the Jewish world is foreign. Little by little new elements have caused a beneficial influence to filter through in to the midst of the supreme organism which, according to the Belgian Constitu tion, runs the cultural affairs and which is called the “Central Jewish Consistory of Belgium,” and at the present time Belgian Judaism has a Grand-Rabbi in Brussels, who associates himself closely with the different manifestations, both religious and national as well as philan thropic, of which Belgian Jewry has in recent times offered such shining ex amples. Philanthropically speaking, the Jewish community of Antwerp has in fact one of the most remarkable charitable or ganizations in the world. One single Fed eration, with its own sole budget, en compasses the activity of some twenty Jewish associations, whose task ranges from the keeping of the vacation house for feeble Jewish babies to the superin tendance and protection of Jewish immi grants, which Antwerp secs arrive yearly by the thousands, on account of the situa tion of its port. This latter organization has particularly won for itself an almost world-wide repu tation due to the perfect operation of its services in connection with passports, aid, shelter and embarcation, and the efforts of its members have met with full recog nition and appreciation in the fact that a competence in the matter of immigra tion questions has been officially recog nized to them both in the ministries of Brussels and in the international gather ings of Geneva. And it is to the probity and competency with which this Jewish organization per forms its task that the great influence enjoyed by its representatives attached to the Belgian authorities is due, enabling them to intervene most effectively in be half of our Jewish brethren whenever the necessity therefor arises. The Jewish national and cultural move ment itself finds nowhere else any more enthusiastic and more zealous support than among our Jewish brethren of Bel gium. The latter have always and more par- VARN’S DRUG STORE Edgar H. Vam 2525 Main St. Tel. 4237 COLUMBIA, S. C. PETER’S DRY CLEANING CO TELEPHONE 3933 1412 Main Street COLUMBIA, S. C. ELLIOTT & DAVIS Stephen Elliott Claude P. Davis Fire and Auto Insuran Real Estate Bonds of All Kinds Arcade Bldg. Phone 5206 COLUMBIA, S. C. Owings Tire & Vulcanizing Works WM. Y. OWINGS—OWNER VULCANIZERS AND DEALERS U. S. TIRES AND TUBES 1315 Taylor Tel. 9701 COLUMBIA, S. C. CENTRAL ICE CREAM & CANDY CO. “Best by Test’’ In Our New Up-to-Date Ultra Modern Plant 1005 Main Tel. 3178-3179 COLUMBIA, S. C. CLARK HEATING COMPANY Joe W. Clark Heating and Plumbing Contracting 1226 Washington Tel. 6672 COLUMBIA, S. C. CAROLINA DRY CLEANING COMPANY “If it can be cleaned we can clean it' Quality Is Our Mon > 1608 Barnwell Phone 156 COLUMBIA, S. C.