tain instruction
during three hours each week. The pupils who frequent the
gymnasium also attended whilst I was there the schools
thus organised, and I had an opportunity of ascertaining
that a considerable number of them were well versed in
various branches of science and secular education. The
girls' schools are in a most flourishing state, and your
Excellency will be pleased to hear that the pupils excel
in the knowledge of the Russian, Polish, French, Hebrew,
and German languages, in addition to their knowledge of
geography, Russian history, and arithmetic. With respect
to the Talmud Tora schools (your Excellency having
expressed so zealous a desire to advance the study of the
Hebrew language and its literature), I feel much pleasure
in assuring your Excellency that I examined a great number
of pupils, and their knowledge of Hebrew was surprising.
Sometimes they were addressed in that language, and they
translated it into German, or _vice versa_; on various
occasions they continued to recite any sacred text in the
Bible after the first word of the chapter or verse was
given to them. At Warsaw also I found the schools
organised upon the principles laid down by His Imperial
Majesty's Government in a flourishing state. The pupils
are well versed in the Russian, Polish, French, Hebrew,
and German languages, independently of their knowledge of
geography, history, arithmetic, and composition. I was
equally satisfied in inspecting the girls' school. Like
those at Wilna, these schools may be regarded as models,
for they are upon an equality with similar establishments
in my own country. The school of industry I also found to
be a most excellent establishment, which, in the course of
time, will confer great benefits upon the rising
generation. With respect to the Talmud Tora schools, in
which a knowledge of Hebrew language and its literature is
exclusively taught, I beg leave to assert that there is
not any school in the most distinguished Hebrew
congregation in Europe that deserves to rank higher than
those established in Warsaw and Wilna. Of the various
Hebrew schools which I visited in the smaller towns on my
route, I was frequently surprised in a most agreeable
manner. At those where I expected it the least the pupils
were well acquainted with the Hebrew language and its
literature, and on many occasions wrote in my presence
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