Letter from Jaffa
(From Our Correspondent.)
Under date of February 25, our correspondent writes: "Heer Jacobus Kann, of the Hague, vice-president of the Jewish Colonial Trust, accompanied by his secretary, arrived at Jaffa the day after Mr. Wolffsohn's departure. Herr Kann is here to make a careful study of industrial conditions. A great deal of his time is spent at the office of the Bank, where he has met, by appointment, business men of various kinds. He will remain in Palestine about three months."
“Mr. Wolffsohn left Palestine last week en route for Constantinople During his stay at Jaffa he was the guest of Mr. Levontin. At the reception held in his honor he remarked that he hoped the time would come when Jewish visitors in Palestine will not be the objects of admiration as they are now. Mr. Wolffsohn received an ovation in the colony of Rechoboth, and ın the other colonies, with the exception of Rishon le Zion, which received him coolly, probably because there are quite a number of territorialists there. On the ı5th of Shebat, when trees begin to bloom in Palestine, Mr. Wolffsohn planted the first tree of the Herz! Olive Grove in Hedarah.”
"The first British Zionist society has been formed in Jaffa to aid English-speaking Jews when they arrive in Palestine. The members of the committee are Messrs. Wainer, Frumkin, Resnik, and Mrs. Wainer. Moses Levene is the secretary."
"The failure of the Spanish orange groves, which were recently destroyed by hail, as reported in Jaffa from Liverpool, will double the price of the Jaffa fruit. The farmers of Petach Tikvah are overjoyed."
Our correspondent also reports the organization of a committee, representing all elements of Jews in Jaffa, which has undertaken
the onerous task of directing all matters concerning the welfare of the Jewish community. Our correspondent does not say whether this committee is the same as the Palestine Zionist Collegium.
Our attention ıs called to the school Gymnasia Evrit, established six months ago in Jatffa. which promises to fit young men to enter a university, and consequently is entitled to the name of High School. This school is maintained by the fees of the pupils, and it has a reserve fund of tive thousand francs. In addition it receives support, to the amount >»f about two thousand francs, from the Actions Committee and the Odessa Committee. Interviewing Dr. Mattman, the principal of the school, on our behalf, our correspondent was told: “The Gymnasium is hampered by the indifference of Jewish parents, who prefer to send their boys to Beirut or to the school af the Dominican monks rather than to our school, which has no authorization to grant dıplomas.”
Dr. Mattman therefore suggested that influential American Zionists form themselves into a committee, to be called the Palestine American Education Commission, which should endeavor to obtain rights and the privilege as an American institution to grant certificates and diplomas. These remarks were elicited from Dr. Mattman when he was told of Dr. Lewin's intention of establishing a high school in Palestine. L.
As we go to press it appears that Roumania has begun to follow in the footsteps of Russia; its legal oppression is now supplanted by the violence of Hooligans. Harrowing speeches, frantic appeals, relief funds, will fill the center of the Jewish stage, and the lessons of previous pogroms will not be heeded.