Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1912 — A HOLY LAND TOWN [ARTICLE]

A HOLY LAND TOWN

Tel-Abib, near Jaffa, Built by Rich Russian Jews. Planned on the American Style. Its Houses Are Fitted With Modern Conveniences and Its Wide Streets Well Paved. ** No new colonies were founded in Palestine this year with the exception* of Klnereth, a large farm founded by the I’alestlrie Land Development com pany with jtjjve assistance of the.national fund, Jfyhich employs many Jew Ish laborers It is hoped that these laborers will become independent colonists by and by. Work was also begun preparing the land for the co-operative- colony of Dr. Oppenheimer, which was named Merhablah. A large number of new olive trees were planted this year in the Hazel forest, says the Maccabaean. The Agndath Netalm obtained its character from the Turkish government and is continuing to cover new land ddth all kinds of plants. Thus more and more of the arid Palestinian soil is being reclaimed to hew life. Jewish immigration Into the .cities of Palestine is much more evident. Wealthy Jews from Russia are visiting Palestine in large numbers. It is true that not all of them find the pos sibilities in Palestine which they anticipated, but many of them, who are more enthusiastic and whose desire to settle there is strong, succeeded in finding various activities and they settle there.

These Jews, who have been used to a life of comfort in Europe, have joined some of the old settlers and have founded a new suburb, a new town really, near Jaffa, which they named Tel-Ablb. This town, built on the American style, inasmuch as it sprang out as if by magic within one year of the sand of the seashore, is very beautiful. It is well planned, has wide paved streets lined with trees every house is fitted up with water pipes and bathrooms, and they are built in a specified oriental style, surrounded by a garden. It is in all something of which the Jews in Palestine are justly proud. The Arabs and the European Christians were astonished at the remarkable achievement of the Jews, and their envy is genuine. All the residents of Jaffa, Christians as well as Mohammedans,* take their holiday walks in Tel-Ablb The gates of this suburb are closed on Saturdays to prevent the entrance of vehicles, although tjiq- majority of its Inhabitants are not religloust but the Jewish sabbath is accepted by all as a holy day of rest The atmosphere in Tel-Ablb is naturally entirely Jewish, and the Hebrew language in its beautiful oriental accent is heard on every side. On the main stret, the Herzel street, that leads to the sea, was built the Gymnasia Ibrith, (the Hebrew high school) of Jaffa, a fine building in oriental style. A cornerstone was recently laid In the same suburb -for a large synagogue, which will be own ed by the Jewish community of Jaffa Tel-Ablb was built through the assistance of our national fund which granted a loan for this purpose of about a quarter of a million of francs, to be repaid with interest in Install ments.

A similar suburb is now being built, with the help of the national fund, in close pr%dmlty to Tel-Ablb. Jerusalem, too, has a few new Jewish suburbs around the old,, town built mainly by Jewish teachers for their personal use with the help 'of the "Hllfsverein.” of Germany. In Halffa also lot are being acquired by Jews for building purposes around the site of the Jewish Technical institute and "a suburb on the plan of Tel-Abib is projected there.