The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-28
FACES ARE TURNING
TOWARD PALESTINE
Houston Rabbi Talks of Jew
ish National Fund
TO AID THE OPPRESSED
Money of Zionists Is Being Used to
Colonize on the Soil Where
Their Ancestors
Lived

Lived
Rabi II. 3. Lieberman of Houston,
Tex. who is now visiting Birmingham,
will remain here until Tuesday He Is
the travelling representative of the Jew
ish national fund.- and is one of the best
known rabbis in the south.
Rabbi Lieberman is a native of Odessa,
Russia. and was educated in the Holy
Land, but received his rabbinical train
ing under the late ZodolS Hachon in
Paris, France He has been stationed at
Houston for five or six years. where he
Is at the head of the Congregation
'Adate Yeshurim." He is a settlement
worker in the interest of the Jewish I'm
migrant Information bureau of Calves
ton. With regard to the Zion movement,
Rabbi Lieberman said yesterday:
Some of our Jewish brothers may have
heard that there is a Jewish national
fund in existence, but very few of them
know of its aims and what 1t has ac-
eomplished since 1t was established.
THE Jewish national fund was found
ed in December. 1901, at the Fifth Zion
congress, held in Bazel, Switzerland, by
the late Professor Shapiro. professor of
mathematics at the Heidelberg university
In Germany.
The object of this fund is to acquire
land In Palestine and its vicinity, which
shall be the permanent property of the
Jewish people of the world It's aim is
4 to get for this people that which any
civilized nation would deem the greatest
of its treasures. and that home In the
| Holy Land
THE Jewish national fund also is based
| on the principle OF self help. The land
purchased with the national fund is to
be leased to Jewish farmers. The owner
| ship and increased value will belong to
the Jewish people forever, and will serve
as permanent home for every Jew who
may be In need OF same.
American Jews Are Satisfied
IT do not know, nor do l believe, that
any American Jews will ever go back
to Palestine. l don't believe they could
find better government than they have
here, and therefore they would not be in
need of using land of the Jewish national
fund. But l do believe the time is COM
ing when many of our poor. oppressed
and prosecuted brethren of Russia, Rou-
mania and other European countries
will re-establish their homes within the
Holy Land, and for them the Jewish ma
tional fund appears as saving angel.
THE fund has promoted agricultural
| colonization 1t owns large estate in
Palestine consisting of many acres of fer
| tile land. 1t Is located where the Jordan
| flows into the Sea of Tiberius. The Pales-
tine Land Development company has es-
| tablished near this sea a model farm
| where a number of Jewish workmen,
mostly immigrants of Roumania and Rus
| STA, receive a thorough training as farm
| ers and are afterward aided by the fund
to settle the soil of this company. 1t
| owns plots 'Hudi and en-Schemen.
| These settlements border on the line of
| the railway between Jerusalem and Jaffa.
Olives are cultivated there. Gan Samuel,
another colony, Is devoted to the cult
walton of oranges and citron fruits. Re-
Gently workingman's colony, under the
cooperative plan of F'rans Oppenheimer
of Berlin, has been established.
1.-THE fund has promoted rural and urban
| settlements in order to raise the prestige
VI tne jews III IditStiltt ana 10 Improve
the hygienic conditions of their dwellings,
The Jewish national fund has granted
| loans of 100000 francs to Jewish building
| societies. With the use of these funds
the beautiful Jewish quarter, Tel-Avib.' in
Jaffa, and the district of Herzelia,, in
Haffa, have been created.
Work Accomplished
The fund was granted through the
| Anglo-Palestine company, the Jewish
| bank In Turkey loan of 220, 900 francs
| on long and easy terms to various agri-
| cultural cooperative. societies within
| the Jewish colonies.
| 1T also has granted long term cred
its to the workmen's colony (Petach
| Tikwah) and to the Farm Laborers' So
ciety The fund has built workmen's
dwellings at the cost of 35. 900 francs
| to facilitate the settlement of Jewish
laborers from Russia in Palestine col
onies. 1t has granted to the Jerusalem
School of Arts and Crafts-the Bezalel
10000 francs to settle Jewish work
men of filigree atelier with their fam
lilies on national fund land at Ben
Shemen. Each family has a cottage
with plot of land for gardening. Do
nestle industry Is thus established in
the open country and connected with
agricultural pursuits.
Public Utility Work
1.-THE fund has promoted institutions
of public utility and has provided
the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts
in Jerusalem with two large we'll sit
uated houses. This school, founded in
1905, now employees several hundred
Jewish men and women, and has opened
up new sources OF industry for the Jews
of the Holy Land who have heretofore
been existing upon aims. 1t has pro-
vided the newly erected gymnasium In
has given to the Jewish archaeological
institute Of Haffa 100, 900 francs for the
purchase of thersite.
"The Jewish population of Palestine now
is 100000 There are 80 agricultural colo
MES with about 1900 workers.
THE above figures seem small to us
but when we consider that only 10 years
ago there were but 5000 Jews living In
Palestine and only Il colonies of which
seven were soil possessions of Baron
Edward de Rothschild OF Paris. we must
admit that the Zion movement has
achieved wonderful results in the way
| of restoring the Jew to his historical oc-
cupation and the right to toll on the land
Of his Biblical ancestors
Fulfilling Prophecy
"The national fund behind this great
! work therefore, should appeal to every
| lew. whether he lives In America, Europe
| or Asia. whether he Is Zionist or not
| for every true son Of Israel should anil
must lend his aid to the fund In carry
] ing out the word promised by the AL
| mighty God. through his prophet. who pro-
claimed that Israel would be restored to