The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-08-07


wealthy, dirt and squalor lie common. Some @
the richest of these people are misers. The
stint themselves in order that they may leav
great amount of property and during m,
stay, dirty, ragged old Israelite called at tn
Consulate. He wanted the American Consul &
make his will, and he left his estate to found
synagog. The Consul asked him what hi
estate amounted 10, and found that he had fiv
or six good houses in Jerusalem that brough
him in big rent.
There are $50 Jewish synagogs In Jerusa
lem, and If these Russian Jews go to tho HOLY
Land as they intend, synagogues will spring u
all over the country. The Jewish synagog O
the Holy City is different from that of Amer
lea. The service is longer, and the people,
| think, are more devOut The Rabbits are COR
geously clad, and the Jerusalem Rabbi has mor
power than any American preacher lie is thu
governor of his congregation, and he does thei
business for them. The Turks allow him tC
settle most of the suits, which arise between
the people Of his congregation, and he is lawyer
judge and governor.
The Jews of Jerusalem have been largely
supported by charity given by their people il
| different parts of the world This has, to .
! certain extent, made them population of beg.
! CARS, and il has had very bad effect upor
| them. lt is said that certain classes of the
Jews change their sect according to the size oil
! the appropriation. and some 90 from one soup.
]
! have done great deal for tho Holy Land in
the way of charity. The RothsChilds and Sir
! Moses de Montofore, the aged jew philanthro-
| pist who died few years ago, have spent for
tunes in establishing schools and farms for
/ Palestine Jews. i visited one of their largest
industrial schools on the outside of the walls of
! Jerusalem, and drank a glass of sherbet and
! ate some preserves with the manager There
are carpenter shops, tin shops, and foundrics
connected with this school, and | saw bright
/ eyed Jewish boys learning trades in its various
rooms. i visited the art department, and saw
that the Jerusalem Jew has decided artistic
temperament, and we may yet have Scriptural
scenes painted by great Jewish painters.
found boys running the establishments that
turn out the olive wood which comes from Je-
rusaIem in the shape of tables collection plates
and paper-knives and was told that the boys
were very quick 10 learn and anxious TO i'm
prove. The Rothschilds have seminary for the
education of Jewish girls, and their farms are
the finest in Palestine.
The jew was great farmer in the times of
the SCRIPTURES. You see everywhere in travel
ing through Palestine the evidences of scientific
farming. The hills of old Judea were all
terraced, and wall after wall of vines rose in
steps from the valleys TO the summit of the
mountains. The remains of these terraces are
now to he seen, though the rains of Is centu-
rles have almost denuded the limestone rocks
OF their earth, and the mountains now are only
used for grazing. Palestine was formerly a
weil-Woodcd country. and 10 will probably
become fertile again If trees are planted 1t
produces the finest fruit in the world, and the
oranges Of Jafa are equal to those OF the In
dian River in Florida. When these million
Russians get 10 Palestine they will probably
rccultlvate the hills, and an increased rainfall
Will make the country again "land flowing
with milk and honey"
One Of these Jewish farms is near Jaffa. It
has 200 pupils, and il contains something
like $4,000 acres. There is one on the plains
OF Sharon, which, by the way, are as rich to-day
as when the Philistines grew fat on them in the
time OF Goliah, and il has tens of thousands Of
vines aud olive trees. The Jews are contin-
uaily acquiring more property in the Holy
Land, and while was in Jerusalem the Roth
schihs bought another tract of land 10 add to
their school
1t is only within the last few years that the
Sultan has permitted the Jews to come 10 Pal
estine. 1t was for years the policy Of the
foreign governments represented at Jerusalem
10 ard the Turk in expelling the Jews, and
there was provision that the Jews could only
remain acertain time in Palestine The Ameri-
can Consul protested against such restriction.
The other diplomats from Europe Joined In
with him, and now the Jew is practically as
free IN the city OF his fathers as the Gentle
Under this freedom the Jewish population has
wonderfully increased. a half century ago
there were only 1900 Jews in all Palestine,
and there were only 81 Jewish families in
Jerusalem. Now, about 10000 out of the $1,000
people IN Jerusalem are Jews, and il these
Russian emigrants are allowed to come in il
will not be long before they push the Moslem
population out. Already they collect the taxes
along the road from Jafla TO Jerusalem. These
taxes are iarmed out 10 the highest bidder and in
cases OF business and speculation the Jew will
beat the Turk every time
The Jews themselves believe that Palestine
will again come into their hands They TINS
read the promises Of the Bible, and there are
thousands Of these Jews Of Jerusalem who
have come here to wait the day when the Lord
will descend to earth and take his chosen peo-
pie out Of the hands Of the Turks and again
build up their city. Upon the ruins Of Solo.
mons Temple now stands the great Mosque Of
Omar, which IS 10 the Mahometans the hottest
place outside Of Mecca. great wall of stone
surrounds this temple plateau, and this wall
ls believed by anliquariaus to have been part
OF the old temple wall. Inside of this wall a
Jew can never come and though it be the ho-
lest Of holy places 10 him, he can never look
upon IT. Turks in uniform guard the gates,
and only secured admission through a letter
70 the Sultan'g Governor Of Jerusalem who
sent me with guard Of Turkish soldiers 10 20
through. IL u the custom Of the Jews how
ever, 10 50 on certain days Of every week 10 a
place outside this wall, and there leaning with
their heads against the stone, they wall over
the loss Of Jerusalem, and pray God to give
BACK the land 10 His chosen people. This Is
known as the Jews wailing place and when |
visited IT found about 90 men in long gowns
and like number Of Jewish women with
shawls over their headg, weeping aud praying.
Many q the men had white boards and the
curly locks IN front Of their ears were Of gpun
silver. Others had boys with them. Some
were IN their prime, and the teaTs-genuine
tears-ran down the faces Of all, and some of
them were c0nyulscd with sobbing as they
leaned there and prayed. The wailing of one
old Jewish woman rings in my ears 10 this day.
ana the whole cut an impression into nv mem
DRY that can never be ehaCed. Each OF these
persons had a wcll-thumbed Hebrew Bible In
ms hand, aud from time 10 time the party
broke out into sort Of chant in which an old
patriarch led and in which the others Joined.
THIS chant Was one Of mourning over Jerusa-
lem. IL walled over the great Jews who were
dead, and for the temple that was in the hands
Of tic heather. A IL reached It's end the feel
ing u the mOurncrs seemed 10 be more intcnee.
The tears flowed faster The women kissed
the stones OF SOlomOn's Temple, and the men
threw their hands against them in a frenzy Of
feeling. ] tg0k a scat on q stone at one end of
the walliuR place and watched with wonder
these people wailing for their nation. | asked
Tor translation Of one Of the chants, and
from - take the following, which showg bet
ter than anything else the feeling that these
Russian jews have ia going IA Ie rusa lam aud