Purim in Zichron Ya-acob
E ARE nearing Zichron Ya-acob. Here is the Arab village Tantura, standing at the very shore of the blue Mediterranean. It is the Dor of our Bible, where Solomon’s officers had headquarters. It is also interwoven in the story of the Mil arrahaeanc /
But in me it recalls a nearer past, nay, a yesterday: it is the place where Baron Rothschild's yacht threw anchor when visiting Palestine.
What glorious memories come rushing into my mind! A beautiful sunny morning ‘it. was, when all the young men and. girls of Zichron ‘Ya-acob rode down two by two to greet the great Jew.. What a riot of colors the eye had to feast upon! Everybody: dressed in white ‘plouses with soft Zion-colored..ties floating in the air..as the horses galloped on. What a clatter of arms and spurs, what melodies 01 Hebrew-songs, sounds 0% virile Palestinian Jewry, songs that were not heard since. the ‘days of Bar-Kochba! And.as.I close my eyes I can evoke ithe face of the old man who dreamt of the regeneration of Palestine, and who for thirty years clung to his ‘dream. And how he cried. that: morn- "ing when beholding the little army of new Jews, real Jews that came to show thim his dream realized.
I have reminisced enough; it is time ‘to proceed on our trip.
We are in the plain of Sharon now. And as in the time of Solomon we can pick the beautiful white חבצלת haba- zeleth. If you love flowers, here is the place where you can have them to your heart’s desire, all growing wild in God’s own garden. As far as the eye can reach, waves of narcissus bow and play and smile; blushing anemones (we call them in Hebrew כלניות kalanioth— little brides) bring the deeper note in the field of white. Modest cyclamens are looking to the ground and their open petals give them the appearance of little nuns. A harmony of colors and a delight of sweet fragrance! Such as when you look upon, you cannot help remembering the lyrics of Solomon the great lover; you feel the thrill of the country and you render thanks to be part of it.
Nearer and nearer is Zichron Ya-acob. We are already on the white road built by the colonists. On both sides of the road thick hedges of accacia throw a soothing shadow. Their little blossoms of golden hue sweeten
the air, and you are under a spell, half dreaming. A peculiar feeling of joy and sadness, exquisite sadness, surges in your blood.
The sun is slowly touching the blue waters of the Mediterranean. Everything is fiery gold. On the hill you perceive the white houses of Zich-
ron Ya-acob peeping out from amidst thick vegetation. Haughty and whispering stand the Eucalyptus trees, a vanguard of the new Jewish civilization. Into the land of desolation the Jew has come, and from far Australia he brought this tree to purify the marshy air. And as you climb up the hill, vineyards greet you from everywhere, on terraces and plateaux, upon the lev the grape is growing a From amidst the gr you to notice him. It and p
Do you blame me for feeling proud, for pointing out to you all that my dear pioneer people have done? Shall I not be thrilled when I can stand with head high and say: in this country we have built and contributed to the development and welfare of the place. And nobody can ever deny that we have done it.
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The spirit of יום-טוב—yomtov—has taken hold of the village. The streets are so clean; children run about all dressed up. I wonder whether you understand their talk; you do if you know Hebrew—not Yiddish. Zion's flags are Zichron Ya-acob waving upon almost every door. Young girls dressed in white are promenading around the Synagogue which is the "corso" of the village. Once in a while you see a group of young men who have on a white blouse with a Zion-blue tie—evidently a uniform. Stop one of them and inquire what the uniform is for, and he will answer with pride: "I am a Gideonite!" And if he is not too busy he will tell you that to-night, Purim-night, is the great night for the Gireonites. They are having the best נשף (neshef—so cial) in the village.
Your curiosity will lead you to more questions and you will find out that the Gideonites is the name of the young men's organization; that before belonging to it one has to prove unlimited courage and endurance, a willingness to sacrifice everything for the welfare of the village and the country.
You will find out that the neighboring Arab villages know that it is good to be the friend of the Gideonites, that their enmity is not a thing to pooh-pooh.
And as you stand in the street watching the people go by, light footed and happy, you will notice how the faces
*Miss Aaronsohn is the sister of Aaron Aaronsohn, of the Palestine Agricultural Experiment station. The present article was written by her in English. She began to learn English only one and one-half years ago, when she left Palestine. Her native tongue is Hebrew.—Ed.