cal implements. The same industries are also springing up in Haiffa, where the Jewish population is yet very small. In Jerusalem, the Bezalel Trade and Art School has developed very satisfactorily. Its rug department was enlarged for the manufacture of very large rugs. The silver and filigree work, as well as brass work, advanced considerably, and this branch is now employing more than triple the number of workingmen than the preceding year. This year the Bezalel established, near Lud, on the land and with the help of the National Fund, a small colony of Yemen Jews engaged in the work of silver and brass articles for Bezalel. This colony is a little garden city, half city and half village. Each workingman gets a tract of land on which he raises vegetables and flowers, thereby enabling his wife and daughters to assist him in earning a livelihood. The husband also helps in the field work which reacts very favorably upon his physical development. Aside from this, the Bezalel—which cannot accommodate as large a number of workingmen as it could employ in its various branches—is now giving out raw material to its graduates to work out at home and they are paid for by Bezalel. Thus, there are now many families in Jerusalem who live on what they earn from working at home for Bezalel.
Commerce is developing among the Jews in Palestine very well. Many of the newcomers are placing themselves in business relations with their native countries in Europe and America and establish entirely new lines of business. There has increased especially the number of Jewish drug stores, book stores, modern printing plants, stores of ready-made clothing, and barber shops on the European style. All these were naturally established for the needs of the Europeans and are patronized almost entirely by them. The Anglo-Palestine Co., is of vital importance to all these new undertakings, as well as to many of the old ones. The business of our bank is constantly increasing, and with it increases its activity for the development of commerce in Palestine. This year the bank opened a new branch in Safed. According
to latest information, this branch is doing very well and will probably cover its expenses during its first year. It may therefore be hoped that this branch will help to improve the material condition of the Jews in this ancient City. During the last year the Anglo-Palestine Co., did very well and is about to declare a dividend of over 4% aside from Reserve Funds.
During the least year, a number of new schools and kindergartens were opened. Many of the old style schools and Talmud Torahs that have previously objected to the Ibrith B’Ibrith method, have now begun to introduce this natural and modern method of teaching, and the sound of Hebrew in the Sephardic accent in the mouths of the children is full of life. The children induce their parents to talk to them in Hebrew, the language which they understand best. The Kindergartens have really made Hebrew a living language in Palestine. This is also much evident in the business world. The German bank in Palestine deemed it necessary to print its annual report and balance sheet in Hebrew, and its bank is pure German, established not by lovers of Israel.
The last year is also the first year for the entrance of Jewish young men in the Turkish army. It is to be regretted that not many were ready to do their duty te their country and government, but one who knows even but few of the causes that prevent them from doing it, as, for instance, the poor physical conditions in which the Turkish soldier is placed in the barracks, and the ignorance of the Jewish young men of the Turkish language, which is used in the army (our young men understand Arabic, which is the language of Palestine), he will not wonder that not more than forty answered the call for military service. But they who came, did so gladly and readily and they are good soldiers. One of them was promoted within a very short time to the rank of sergeant, and the officers are very much pleased with them. This is then the first time, after two thousand years, that Jewish soldiers in Palestine stand ready to give their lives for the protection of that country.