.4
Friday, September 12, 1947
DETROIT JEW ISH CHRONICLE
Page Eight
Water Piped to the Negev
Mecining
of Negev
Explained
toditOr II
GA Z
i. AUNAIAA
per cie fin NAN
•P
r
56
eta
PlAA DAROm
Waterless Area
in South Eretz
RAFA
\1 7
By MORDECHAI RUDENSKY
YEARS the Negev
1 N has RECENT
often been mentioned in
• MISNAIAA
MANUA
MIVTANIM
MAT/CM/A
MAIM
,
• S N O v A s
It kumAL
C3
•
OYU LOTH 7 4 „,,,
\
ALLIA4IM
connection with the future de-
velopment of Palestine. It oc-
(f)
cupied an important place in the
6.=•.....n.R A IL WAY
7.‘
deliberations of the United Na-
wAY
tions Palestine Commission. The
.,...04•••WATIA PiPI•LIPE
history of this region is, there-
rconstruc ted
fore, of vital importance.
ASLUJ
(fAnned:
It
The word Negev has a double
It
meaning in Hebrew: South and
•NOY SETTLEMENT (1946/47.
dry land. Both are correct in
A frAILISNLD ffITUNINT
relation to the Negev region. It
wiLL. Supp4yirtc9 pipe • 644
(XPEOIMINT 4 L STAMN
is situated in the southern part
AI flAV011rynclir COrtitruCt ■
44,aclercon4tvction 4*
INAIPING11,4rA;N
1111
The dam at Revivim: — Above: The water-fitted ehanaerwith
ItMAy0i• iplanmic
of Palestine and most of it con-
123 PUMP/NO AYAVON plANAINI
the flood.gale open. Centre Enormous quantities of water
Below One of the lake.
sists of desert dry land.
rushing down Into the reservoirs.
1333 DAM •Not GOAN IIM000o•
Bite reservoirs formed by walled•in fields.
' The area of the Negev is quite
Photon by the Jewleh National Fund and C
lame. It has close to 11,900,000
in the Negev.
dunams of land, approximately 45
the acquired soil. Then the Jew- Fund
At present there are already 36
if sufficient sweet water could be
ish National Fund stepped in and colonies established in the vari-
percent of the area of western only 18,000, among them a score
discovered, the area would ac-
took over most of the land and
Palestine.
of Jews.
ous regions of the Negev and
commodate not only the Pales-
continued to redeem large areas. many more are in the making.
In spite of the vastness of the
tine
population,
but
would
be
Another historical place, Beer
At one time it was possible to
region, only about 80,000 people Sheba, has been revived only dur- capable of absorbing even large
There, as in other parts of Pal-
purchase land in the Negev at
live there in a semi-nomadic life. ing the last 50 years. Its popu- scale immigration.
estine,
will come true the old
a
very
low
price.
Now
we
are
Only a small percentage of them lation now numbers a f ew . thous-
The British government, in- compelled to pay much higher promise of God to Joshua "Every
are cultivating the soil.
and and only ten Jewish fam-
stead of following the advice of prices, but the sedemption is place that the sole of your foot
Little or complete lack of water
ilies. .
shall tread, that have I given
its emissary, included the Negev, continuing uninterruptedly.
is characteristic of most parts of
unto you."
_the Negev. Therefore, the Negev" The main population of the in its shameful White Paper of
When the British administra-
was looked upon as an arid area, Negev consists of two bedouin 1939, in the prohibited zone A.
tion,
after
the
first
World
War,
* * *
where it is hard for plants, ani- tribes, the Esasmer (about 60,000)
offered 25,000 dunams of land
and the Theier (about 20,000),
mals and men to live.
in the Negev for the Jewish
FRIENDLY IVITII ARABS
• • *
Best wishes to ell for a Happy
the latter dwelling in the region
Legionaires, the offer was turned
ONE
OF
THE
FIRST
pioneers
and Joyous New Year.
of
Beer
Sheba.
down
because
we
didn't
know
RUINS ARE STUDIED
to penetrate the Negev was Moshe how to tackle the problems there.
Their main occupation is rais-
TRAMPING OVER the sand
Smeliansky of Rehovoth, who is
Now things have changed radi-
dunes in the Negev, you very ing sheep and planting of barley, connected with the soil of Pal-
in
a
very
primitive
way.
Both
often come across ruins, of cities
Mr. and Mrs.
estine for over 50 years. Smelian- cally. The projection of the
and hamlets. In fact, archeolo- these tribes did very little to im- sky made friends with the Arabs. Jordan Valley Authority will help
.e.'d giSts have unearthed remnants prove the land. On the contrary, He is known among them as solve the problem of irrigating
DANIEL TEMCHIN
of a highly developed civilization. they impoverished the soil by Chavadjah Mussah — Lord Moses. the Negev.
When studying the history of destroying the trees, the wells and
and Family
In the year 1943, in the middle
There is a great area of land of the second World War; a few
Palestine we find that the Philis- the water reservoirs.
* * *
tines lived in the fortified cities
in the region of Beer Sheba which settlements were established on
2752 W. Boston Blvd.
was redeemed by Smeliansky and the soil of the Jewish National
of Beer Sheba, Gaza and Ash-
the Arabs named it the "Vaadi
kelan in the Negev, and that for COLONIES NEARBY
-generations, the Jews were corn-
WHEN THE JEWS finally woke of Chavadjah Mussah."
,. pelled to defend themselves ag- up 70 years ago to the impor-
Smeliansky succeeded in inter-
ainst their oppressors, the Phil- tance of reviving their ancient
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL
istines. In the days of Joshua, homeland, a number of the first esting Jews from South Africa,
IIAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL
the Negev was apportioned to the colonies were established in the Belgium, Holland, Great Britain
tribe of Judah, the strongest and southern part of Judea, such as and some refugees from Germany
one of the leading tribes in Israel. Rishon Lezion, Rehovoth, Gedera, to invest money in the purchase
SHERWOOD
Not long ago an archeologist Ruchama, etc. These colonies of land in the Negev.
discovered a document written were not far from the Negev.
He succeeded in contracting
BEN
and
ELI
SINGER
DINING ROOM
by a Jewish king in the days of Many of the pioneers were dream- close to 95,000 dunams of land in
the Prophet Jeremiah to his gov- ing of conquering the Negev.
the Negev. However, when the
Lounor's Market
ernor in the city of Lochiah.
second World War broke out,
When the mandate . over Pales- many of the purchasers were un-
From the contents it is evi-
19010 Livernois at 7 Mile
dent that the Negev was then tine was entrusted to Great Bri- able to meet their payments and
tain,
at
the
end
of
the
first
World
UN. 2-9801
prosperous and densely populated.
there was danger of their losing
7575 W. MeNICHOLS
In a later period, in the days of War, the British thought that the
the Maccabees, the whole region Negev was not fit for coloniza-
of the Negev, up to the Egyptian tion because of lack of water.
Where it vas discovered after
border, was under Jewish rule.
deep boring, the water was salty
* * *
and unsuitable for drinking and
ONCE RICII LAND
irrigation purposes.
THE TRAVELERS OF the
The agricultural experts of the
Middle Ages describe the cities
mandatory power estimated that
of the Negev as the richest in
BONDED CLEANERS
maximum of 1,500,000 dunams
Palestine. Gaza, the site of the a
of land could be made available
Samson epic, had a larger popu-
ANDLAUNDRY /
for colonization purposes. Sir
lation: than Jerusalem.
John Simpson, head of the Fif-
Even at the end of the nine-
teenth Royal British Commission,
teenth century Gaza had a popu-
3221 PURITAN \I
in his report to the government,
lation of 45,000 people, thrice as
pointed out that the problem of
UN. 1-5100
much as Haifa in these days. A
water for the Negev had not been
few thousand Jews dwelt there. sufficiently investigated and that
Today the population of Gaza is
Rosh Hashonah
GreetinAs
1947
5708
Leshono Tovo Tikosevu
THANKING YOU
IN SINCERE APPRECIATION
OF YOUR VALUED
PATRONAGE
Mr. and Mrs.
SIMON .KLEIN
AND SONS
To Our Many Friends and Patro
R E X
17672 STOEPEL
Extend
Rosh Hashanah Greetings
to our Relatives and
Friends.
from
7.‘
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UN. 1-5442