The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1897-12-24
JEWS IN PALESTINE.
There Are Now Twenty-three Colonies in
Agricultural Districts.


agricultural Districts.
When the prosecutions of the Jews be-
came severe in Roumania, in 1879, they
naturally turned to the Holy Land, and
in the following year two agricultural
villages, Zichron-Ja'ako and Rosh-Pi-
nah, were established. These colonists
suffered many privations and hardships
at first, for few Of them knew nything
about agriculture, as they had been mer-
chants and mechanics in their former
home; but gradually they adapted them
selves to the new life. and at present
these villages are most prosperous. There
of land belonging to Zichron-Ja' akob.
The chief products are wine, sesame and
barley, fruits. honey and silk. The lat
est improvements in agricultural meth
DDS have been adopted. The village has
bought and uses in common a steam
plow and stea m-mill. 1t has it's own wa
terworks; the streets Of the town are
plants, and large cellars for the storage
of wine. Near it, and almost a part of
the larger settlement, is Tantura, where
thirty families live, supporting them
selves chiefly by laboring in large glass
factory, but also cuItivaJing the soil to
some extent The 400 colonists of Rosh-
Pinah cultivate over 1900 acres of land.
bSSiuSS tHt UNIVERSAL VIE anu mulberry
tree, they pay special attention to aca-
cia trees, the blossoms of which are used
in the large .perfumery factory here.
Here. too, is the center of silk manu-
facture, the silkworms from the other col
onies being brought to the steam mill of
Rosh-Pinah for spinning and weaving.
Doubtless colonization in Palestine would
have advanced very slowly had it not
been for anti-Semitic prosecutions. The
year 1881 saw Russia in the throes of
Jewish oppression, and some of the ex-
lies turned hopefully towards Palestine,
The abandoned land of Pethach- Thikvah
was reoccupied, and 4 new colony, Ri
shon fZiOn, founded in 1892 Both of
these colonies are now thriving, making
more than half million gallons of wine
every year, besides having 10000 null.
berry trees for the silkworms and thou.
sands of trees bearing figs, apples, pome.
granates. almonds and oranges Organi.
cations were now started in Russia itself
to aid In opening more settlements. A
society of the students of the universe.
ties Of Odessa, Moscow, St. Petersburg
and Harkov was formed, which result.
ed, IN 1881. in the colony Galarah. OF
hatra, where some hundred students cul
tlvate the vine and fruits and manufac.
ture cOgnac. It has become an intelIec
tual center. producing more than one val
liable contribution to letters and science
written in classical Hebrew. An inter
national Russian society was also formed
Ohave Zion Friends of Zion). whose
chief purpose is the support of the Pales
tlnlan colonies. Hardly year passes
without the foundation of one or more
colonies. until now there are twenty
three of these agricultural settlements
There are about GOOO colonsts, who
rave 100000 acres of land under cuI
tlvatlon. While the chief products
arc wine, silk and fruits, each col
ony has some specially. Jessud- Hama
alah, for instance. cultivates roses fo]
the manufacture Of perfumery; Meron
has 1900 olive trees: another devote.
SPECIAL attention to cattle-raisng, ant
those east of the river Jordan raise larp,
quantities Of wheat.-Harper's Weekly