The Denver Jewish news., 1921-10-26
Out of Ex,pt TO Jerusalem.

finite distance behind by the crossing
of the narrow Suez Canal. At the
squalid Customs House of Kantara
the first sign of Judaism emerges in
the slim figures of few Palestin-
ian Jews returning TO Jerusalem. They
stand grouped together, n patch of
dark colour in their narrow black
coats, their broad hats shading finely
cut features in pale faces, softened
little by the two silky brown curls that
hang on either cheek. A pair of blue
eyes raised, unseeing and absorbed,
lave the inscrutable depths of mystic
ism and faith. Faith-that is the key
note of the Jewish spirit, which finds
expression in the breaking of stones
on the roads of Galilee. and drives
men to leadership of am almost des-
perate cause. Yet their hope does not
seem unfounded when the express
from Kantara slips out of the FL
Arish desert into the fertile coastland.
The land is cultivated sparsely enough.
1t Is Arab cultivation, and the Arab
is co be seen here and there plouglrnS
with donkey or OK or camel and ms
primitive wooden plough. His method
scarcely turns the soil but he seems
to get good results from his crops, tho,
of course, he supplies only minimum
needs. 1t is difficult as yet to come
to definite conclusion as to the re-
: g l,ta nd "a
deeper ploughing introduced from the
West by the Jews. But the superior
ity of the Jewish cultivation is made
clear when the first colony. Rehobot, is
created by the immigrants own efforts,
and stands like an oasis in the desert.
Here are whitewashed farmhouses,
with red-tiled roofs, Nesting in the
midst of eucalyptus groves. vineyards.
almond groves. orchards golden with
oranges, high hedges of mimosa. low
partitions of cactus-a true Garden OF
Eden-and they have learnt here to
lie down the ever-advancing sand
dunes There are miles of land en-
croached upon and buried by the sand,
which would he fertile If they could
bc reclaimed
From the railway Junction OF
Ramleh Il good motor road runs right
across the Philistine plains up into
Judaca, and so into Jerusalem. Both
the Plains of Saroua and Aialon are
81 q Lao,
ground belongs to big Arab landowil-
ers. In January the earth is fresh
with young green crops. and the I'M
cultivated hilIoclls rirtous with scarlet
ancmones. Bcswecn the plains. Oh
rising ground, is perched an Arnh vii
lage, the mud huts liuddlcd close to-
gcther with the usual climbing ef-
feet.
\ small inn kept by Jews marks tie
entrance to the gorge which runs up
in to the Judaean hills. Babel Wad-
the Gates of the Valley. The road be-
comes chen steep ascent between pur-
pie hills. the lower slopes silver with
olive-trces, and here and there an
Arab shepherd pastures a hock of
black goats. 4 great country for brig
ands. those sheer wild hills and val
leys. where at night the jaclial sinks
along the road, his eyes cleaning in
the sharp-cut moonlight, and an oc-
casional camel caravan, or single cam
el traveller. crecps forward. now sill
~. tn,
The turn of some valley.
On the topmost ridges the Philistine
plains can be seen, stretching like n
vast swelling Lake. and beyond them
is the flashing rim of the sea.
ON this coast road 20 Jerusalem
there are couple of small Jewish col
onics. living ut close quarters with
the Arab villages. One of the newest.
Dilb is Il real pioneer settlement. Its
workers, for the most part from Rus
sia and the Ukraine, are of all SORTS
and clusscs-studcnts doctors, peas
ants. They have built wooden huts, III
which they live. The women, both
here and working ON the roads. seem
in better health than the men. broad
shouldcrcd. stout and strong. Some of
the boys look pale and thin. some of
the men wear glasses, and pinchcd
features still bear obvious marks OF
scholarship. The huts aIe divided in
10 sleeping cells. small. clean, furnish
cd with bare necessities y common
and kitchen. worked by
the women in regular shifts, completes
the settlement These new laboureurs
de tcrrc and stonc-brcakcrs form an
experiment. They come in
from the fields mt noondny, carrying
picks. shovcls and spades. brown Win
the sun, shining with sweat, laughing
and singing. aud if You care to glance
tnI,lps thplr