South and Central America.— While Jews are to be found in all the more prosperous cities of the South American continent, their numbers are very small, except in Argen tina, where agricultural colonies exist, swell ing the Jewish population to 110,000. Brazil has 4,000, and there are about 8,000 scat tered in the other states. A few are found in Panama, with an old cemetery; there is a small community in the City of Mexico. The Dutch colonies have supplied most of the 300 Jews in Dutch Guiana and Venezuela. Jews of German descent are the leading jewelers at Lima and Santiago. The only synagogues (2) are in Buenos Aires; in Argentina many of the Russian colonists have found their way to the chief cities. The imperial purchase of land for colonization by Baron de Hirsch in-, eluded over 17,000,000 acres. Their present condition is fairly reassuring, but they require continual support and they cannot be regarded as entirely successful.. Moiseville, the oldest of the colonies, in the Santa Fe province, is the next prosperous, with 1,200 settlers, and a good outlook for the future. Mauricio, in the prov ince of Buenos Aires, is less favorably situated and has 1,100 colonists. Clara, in Entre Rios province, is the largest, with 5,000 souls, who dwell in 19 villages. The future success of these colonies will depend on the independent character of the colonists. The equipment is thorough and has cost millions. In Santiago, Chile, there are many Jewish merchants of prominence but no organized congregation.
West Indies.— Jewish activity in these islands was early displayed and is still con tinued, although fluctuating from time to time, and declining sadly in some places. At Saint
Thomas, once the seat of an important Jewish J community, hardly 50 survive. Jamaica shows a similar decline, with its diminished commer cial importance. Its former historic settlements at Spanish Town, which had two congregations 60 years ago, Montego Bay, Falmouth and La covia have passed away. Kingston has one fair-sized congregation since the merger of the two existing in 1900. The Jews hold positions of prominence in various lines but lose many of their best material through emigration to England or the United States. The hurricane of 1831 brought about a decline in the pros, perous Barados community whose numbers have dwindled to hardly 20. Curaqoa has an influential body about 1,100 in two congregations, including lawyers, physicians, druggists, merchants, members of the executive and colonial councils, judges, bank presidents and officers in the militia. The Jews of Suri nam number 1,500 and occupy a promi nent position, being large property-owners, Bibliography.— For the present status of the Jews, see Jewish Year-Books, issued annu ally in London and Philadelphia. as well as annual reports of Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Deutsche Gemeindebund, Alli ance Israelite, Anglo-Jewish Association, American Jewish Historical Society and similar societies. E. Adler's 'Jews in Many Lands' (Philadelphia 1905) throws light on the con dition of the Jews in the East and in scattered, communities.