The Denver Jewish news., 1925-09-17
The Youth of Jerusalem

II Is TO be doubted that these youths
will remain content with their present
mode OF existence. II Is inconceiyabe
that the Impact of the new life In Pal.
estine will not stir their souls with new
desires, new ambitions. or course, there
will remain that irreducible minimum
who, whether because of any one of
several reasons, viii cleave fast TO the
old way, will go through life as did
their sires and their grandsires who
Will never be able or willing to rec.
ognize the great changes, spiritual and
physical, that have come into the land
and the lessons they teach. But am
convinced from what / saw in Pal.
estine, from various talks | had with
these young men and with others that
ultimately many of them break away.
The younger fellows especially.
In which direction will this break
lead them? VIII 1t lead them into
the new life in Erez Yisroel? Or, will
the break lead them away from every
thing Jewish? The revolt against re.
preston, especially self-repression is.
in too many cases, fraught with ugly
consequences. The "R,ndist' move
ment in Russia, the irreligious youth
In Amerlca-how have they been re-
cruited? What il the genesis of an
epikoroth?
I talked to some of them. | tried
to penetrate to their souls. They are
not easy to talk to, because they are
bewildered. They are bewildered by
the phenomena of Jewish life in Je-
rusalem since the entry of Allenbys
army.
Before the war their lives We're Sc
| rene, and they had very little to worry
about. They were living the cnly life
they knew. And only those who were
very, very poor were lured from the
straight and narrow path by the ''goy-
ish' schools of the Alliance and the
lea. :. tThe havoc wrought by these
schools is long story. Suddenly
there came into the land the forces Of
reconstruction. Suddenly came Jews
who scorned the easy way, who dug at
the rocks with their fingers. who make
a religion of work and sing as they
labor in the broiling sun-Jews with
unbearded faces, Jewesses with bobbed,
uncovered hair. The impact of this
new Jewish life has bewidered them.
| Before them this new life spreads
a life in which they have no part
Jews come to admire and rejoice and
encourage. The youth of Jerusalem
are hardly noticed and then mainly in
Multiplying, half-contemptuous way
| they who had been led to believe that
| they We're the chosen, the precious of
Israel. The blouse and cap are honor
ed. The kapota, the shtreimel looked
upon with something akin to derision,
Something is wrong. But what? It is |
hard life but joyous life. this new
life that is unfolding and maturing be:
zim know how to laugh-the ChalutzimI
know how to sing. And in this joyous
life these ear-locked youths have no
part. 1t Is Jewish life-that they
realize. Jewish life, youthful Jewish
life of which they never dreamed. They |
wonder
Come let us go for walk Let us
20 for a walk along Jaffa Road on
Shabbos afternoon. when the sun casts |
long, oblique shadows, and the cool
evening breeze sweeping down from
the hills make living a delight. 1t is |
II spectacle to thrill the soul of any
Jew-the living, electric flood of youth, |
pouring, in either direction, along this |
historic roadway in the long, sweet, |
sabbath twilight. Even the Arabs and
| the Christian tourists pause TO watch |
and to delight in the spectacle. Look
at them. these fortunate sons and
daughters of Israel as they troop along
| in armlocked twains, or joyous groups, |
Gaze, gaze and thrill until there is n
clutch in your throat, an overbrimming
of your eyes, upon this Shabbos pa
rade of Jewish youth, bronZed, 1.-THE,
muscular, with head erect and radiant
eyes. Hearken to their laughter Have
Continued on page 2)