Evening star., 1942-10-26
Mrs. Mohl Tells
Pa1estineWork
Among Refugees
University Women's
Group Aids in
Intending Lives
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.

BY GRETCHEN SMITH.
How university women graduates
seeking haven In Palestine have
been able to turn from professions
for which they were educated and
which have no openings in the Holy
Land to original ways of gaining a
livelihood are revealed by Mrs. En-
manuel Mohl, whose husband is the
director of war production in Jeru-
salem.
Returning to the United States
list year to visit her son Emmanuel
Mohl, jr., an engineer with the Navy
Department at Greenbelt. Md. Mrs.
Mohl arrived the week before Pearl
Harbor, after q three-month jour-
ney on an Egyptian steamer. With
American nationals prohibited from
leaving the country after the open
ing Of war, Mrs. Mohl has remained
here since, having to content herself
with the limited news which occa-
sionally reaches her from her home
across the seas.
Founded University Group.
Second to her concern for her
husband during her absence is that
for the many organizations and ac-
tivities in which she is interested,
chief among these being the Pales-
tine Association of University Wom-
en- which Mrs. Mohl founded in
1882.
AT that time there was no organ
ization in which women of all coun-
tries living in Palestine were repre-
sented," she explained. Il had lived
in Palestine since shortly after the
last war and I knew there were
many interesting and educated
women there. University women
have much in common and when we
had organized the Association of
University Women. we numbered
women from over 60 different uni
versities, from 18 different coun-
tries. These included Christians,
Jews and Arabs"
The banding together of these
educated and cultured women of
different nations and creeds has
contributed largely to better under
standing among the Jews, Arabs
and Christians of Palestine, Mrs.
Mohl asserted.
During the disturbance between
1886 and 1885," she said, I'VE kept
our work going without any breaks.
We really were living under war
conditions during those years." she
continued, "and every one knew that
the different uprisings were financed
by Italy and Germany. Many re-
ports claimed it was a civil war of
the Arabs against the Jews but
there were as many Arabs killed
then as there were Jews. 1t was
really a 'gangster' war with the
worst elements hired to make
trouble
Many Women Physicians.
Many of the university women
who fed to Palestine are physi-
clans, Mrs. Mohl said, but with so
many physicians already practicing,
it has been impossible for them to
enter their chosen profession.
"One objective of the Palestine
Association is to find university
women in need and help them to
readjust their lives" she continued.
Upon canvassing the country, we
found women with university de-
grees employed as cooks, dishwash-
ers or selling cigarets. They were
doing almost anything possible to
make living"
The federation assisted numerous
women physicians in training for
other vocations, she said. @.
Many were taught needlework as
they were skillful with their fingers.
Teachers were needed in the train
ing schools and they found employ
ment as needlework teachers. Others
were given scholarships in English
and were taught to instruct in that
language in the different schools.
There are three important Ian
guages in Palestine" Mrs. Mohl
continued. Hebrew, Arabic and
English"
Two other university women were
cited by Mrs. Motl for carving out
unusual careers-a Viennese doctor
who brought from Austria the Sc
cret of herb pack" used effec-
lively In curing cases of rheumatism
and neuritis, and an Englishwoman
who has developed a prosperous
business growing herbs and flowers.
Other women who hold degrees
from the universities of famous pre-
war institutions are now engaged
as nurses, medical clerks and welfare
workers, she added.
Mend Shattered Lives.
"One of the most important
efforts Of the Palestine Association
Is to seek out university women
whose spirits have been broken by
their experiences, she declared,
Many have their morale shattered; !;
they need rest and relaxation which
means pure relief and we have
helped many in this way"
The American Association of Uni
versity Women has contributed
$4,000 to help carry out the work of
VIZ oASoVAlAC dSoOSldtlOll, she pOlIlL-
ed out
Mrs. Mohl also discussed the mod
ernlzation of Moslem women. recall
ing how 20 years ago the training
school for women in Palestine had
only Christian women as teach
ers and students. That is all
changed now" she said, "and there
are many Moslem women at the
school because the Palestine govern
ment is anxious for Moslem
teachers"
Asked whether the Moslem wom-
en- were entirely liberated from the
life of seclusion which prevailed for
many centuries, she said that a
few older women and some of the
"spinsters" still jealousy guard the
old customs, including yelling their
faces when outside their homes.
THE young Moslem women still
wear veil." she added, but it is
merely Shnrt thin uyb;fa chiHo,,