100 YEARS AGO IN PALESTINE

100 YEARS AGO IN PALESTINE

Rare film shot in Israel Palestine in 1913. (Palestine was the name given to Israel by the Romans after the Bar Kochba revolt -- "Frobinyakih Syria and Palestine"). And anyone who believes that there was "a Palestinian" state, see the video link.

The original film, "Jewish life in Israel," was produced by Middle Odessa in April - May , 1913, and was shown to the 11th Zionist Congress in Vienna in August 1913. The film was restored by Jacob Gross (Israel) and Eric Leroy (France), in 1998 in cooperation with the National Center for Film CNC in France and the Jerusalem Cinematheque. Research and text: Jacob Gross, Narrator: Yoram Gaon, processing music: Eli Aharoni.

"The First Graduating Class of One of the Yishuv's Great Institutions, the Gymnasia Herzliya" Israel Daily Picture

We are again thankful to the Marks family for sharing pictures of their Jewish "Palestinian" family from the start of the 20th century, including the picture above of Rachel Churgin's graduating class.

Earlier this year we featured the Marks' pictures of Pvt. David Blick, an American who joined the British Jewish Legion to fight the German-Turkish army in Palestine.  Blick was one of 500 Jewish Americans and Canadians who fought for the liberation of the Holy Land.  According to Blick's biography, "While camped in the area of Rishon LeZion [see here photos related to the battle for Rishon in 1918], he met and later married Rachel Churgin of Yaffo. They were forced to leave Eretz Yisrael by the British." 

Students from the Gymnasia visiting Rachel's Tomb (circa 1920,
Wiki Commons)

The Hebrew Gymnasia Herzliya was formed in 1905 and was the first Hebrew-language school in modern history.  We suggest that the date, 1900, written in the caption of Marks' photo of the school's first graduating class is mistaken by 10-15 years, considering that Rachel married David around 1919. [He was discharged from the British Army in 1920.]

The Gymnasia produced several of Israel's prominent leaders, such as Moshe Sharett, Israel's second prime minister.

Gymnasia Herzliya (circa 1920, Library of Congress)

Its first building, constructed in 1909, stood as a Tel Aviv landmark for half a century.  It was torn down in 1959 to make way for the Shalom Tower.

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2013/11/100-years-ago-in-palestine.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook