The Denver Jewish news., 1919-03-05
Life In The Holy Land
As 1t Is To-Day
(Continued from Page One. }


their own spiritual development in the
land of Israel. One mad son i'll
the agricultural department of the
Uni versity of California another in
Cornell University, and all were keen
to learn from cur expert how they
might improve their methods and i'll
crease the yield of their farms. As
evidence of the aesthetic life of the
community 1 might add that our hos
tess had left carly i'll the afternoon
for long drive to Jaffa in order
that she might attend concert.
rare treat during war time. made pos
sible by Colonel Storrs. the military
Governor of Jerusalem. who had Sc
cured furlough for n young Russian
Jewish violinist. serving in the Eng
lish army, in order that he might raise
funds for the establishment Of u school
OF music in Jerusalem, by giving II
series of concerts i'll the cities of the
land. Immediately ut the conclusion
of the concert. our hostess drove home,
arriving at five in the morning 10 be-
gin the work of preparing our break
fast and the luncheon which we were
to take with us. She declared that.
if the opportunity offered. she would
return at once to Jaffa for another
concert witrout resting. so great had
been her enjoyment of the previous
evenings program. At Castinieh, an
other of the colonies, we found a group
of Young men and women of the la
boring class who had established them
selves on a communistic basis. Tho
the colony is still young, they showed
with great pride eucalyptus grove.
well along in its third year, and fields
from which au abundant harvest of
grain was being gathered. At Ruch-
amah. far to the south, amid tile most
barren, deserted wilderness. | found Il
stockudcd group of buildings. designed
TO protect the Inhabitants against the
incursiOns of nonad Arabs. Its groves
of almond and eucalyptus. while very
Young, showed good development but
the fact that fingers in my mind about
This colony is not its productivity but
the spirit Of its men. Only three out
of more than thirty. remained there.
not by their own choice. hut 10y the
election of their comrades. that they
might stay behind to watch the prop
crty and to attend the crops. while
! all the rest enlisted en- masse in the
\, Jewish battalion of the British amy
in order tolavcnge the injuries inflict-
ed upon them by the Turks and to do
their share lin the liberation of the
| land from under Turkish misrulc
Life in the cities Of Palestine is
similar to that al other oriental lands
wlicr. Islam las ruled. The bazaarS
of Jerusalem and Jaffa resemble those
Of .\lgiers. Alexandria or Cairo. The
mosques with The religious edificcs of
Christian and jew. No structure can
comparc in beauty or dignity or sol
emnity. however. with the great mos
que of thc DONE of the Rock, com
monty called The Mosque of Omar. II
occupies the site of the ancient He
brew temple AMI takes its name from
the rock over which it rises, tradi-
tionally reputcd to be the scene of
Abraham's intended sacrifice of Is,lac.
and from which Mohammed is hclicv-
cd by the Faithful to nave made his
ascent to Heaven. Jerusalem has all
the color aud variety of oriental life
with, in addition. not only the usual
occidental population of monks and
priests and nuns and merchants and
layiucn of every class and race, but
also the many military representatives
of France and Italy and. chief of all.
the Brtish-from the Homcl,nds. the
Domnioms the Colonies including the
picturesque Indian troops and the su-
prcmcly useful Egyption Labor Corps.
According to one English officer with
out the Egyptian Labor Corps and the
Ford car. Jerusalem never could have
been taken.
The results Of centuries of Turkish
missovernlucnt are everywhere in evil
deuce. The ruined and deserted ter
races of the countryside find their
counterpart in the absolute lack of
proper water supply and sanitation hi
the cities. Alter centuries. during;
which Jerusalem was dependent upon
the annual rainfall. of the winter season
for all It's water during the entire year.
the British. within six months of their
occupation. introduced t, constant sup
ply OF portable water to II large part
OF the city, The streets were made
absolutely clean and the beginnings
Of sewage system were instituted.
Justice Tor the first time in centuries
rcigis ihrllout the laud. The courts