The Treatment of the Jews in Algerian History

The following quote was taken from The North American Reveiw, Vol. 22; New Series Vol. 13, Boston, 1826. It is a summary of a book written by the U.S. Consulate to Algeria for ten years in the early 1800s, Mr. Shaler. The article is titled, "Shaler's Sketches of Algeriers."

In the city of Algiers are about five thousand Jews, whose condition is far from being enviable.

"They are governed by their own laws in civil cases, administered by a chief of their own nation, who is appointed by the Bashaw; as Algerine subjects they may circulate freely, establish themselves where they please, and exercise any lawful calling throughout the kingdom; and they cannot be reduced to slavery. They pay a capitation tax, and double duties on every species of merchandise imported from abroad; as elsewhere, they practise trade in all its branches, and are here the only brokers and dealers in money and exchanges; there are many gold and silver smiths amongst them, and they are the only artificers employed in the mint.

"Independent of the legal disabilities of the Jews, they are in Algiers a most oppressed people; they are not permitted to resist any personal violence of whatever nature, from a Mussulman [Mulsim]; they are compelled to wear clothing of a black or dark color; they cannot ride on horseback, or wear arms of any sort, not even a cane; they are permitted only on Saturdays and Wednesdays to pass out of the gates of the city without permission; and on any unexpected call for hard labor, the Jews are turned out to execute it. In the summer of 1815, this country was visited by incredible swarms of locusts, which destroyed every green thing before them; when several hundred Jews were ordered out to protect the Bashaw's gardens, where they were obliged to watch and toil day and night, as long as these insects continued to infest the country.

"On several occasions of sedition amongst the Janissaries, the Jews have been undiscriminately plundered, and they live in the perpetual fear of a renewal of such scenes; they are pelted in the streets even by children, and in short the whole course of their existence here is a state of the most abject oppression and contumely [verbal insults]. The children of Jacob bear these indignities with wonderful patience; they learn submission from infancy, and practise it throughout their lives, without ever daring to murmur at their hard lot. Notwithstanding these discouraging circumstances in their condition, the Jews, who through their correspondence with foreign countries are the only class of Algerine society possessing any accurate knowledge of external affairs, meddle with all sorts of intrigue, even at the risk of their lives, which are not unfrequently forfeited in consequence. ... During the times of prosperity of the Regency, several Jewish houses of trade rose here to great opulence, but of late years, through the intolerable oppression under which they live, many wealthy individuals have been ruined [read, plundered], others have found means to emigrate, ... so that they appear now to be on a rapid decline even as to their numbers. It appears to me that he Jews at this day in Algiers, constitute one of the least fortunate remnants of Israel existing." (pp 65-67 of Shaler's book)