Class _ [look PRESENTED l!Y REPORT OF MR. S. HOOFIEN TO THE JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE, NEW YORK, CONCERNING RELIEF WORK IN PALESTINE :: :: •• •• •• 1917-1918 \ REPORT of i£? MR. S. HOOFIEN to the JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE of the AMERICAN FUNDS for JEWISH WAR SUFFERERS NEW YORK CONCERNING RELIEF WORK IN PALESTINE FROM AUGUST 1st, 1917 TO MAY 31st, 1918 Gift Publisher INTRODUCTION At the very outbreak of the war in 1914, American Jewry immediately recognized that conditions in Palestine would demand the forwarding of large sums of money from Amer- ica to take the place of those which previously had been sent by the Jews in the various belligerent countries. As early as December, 1914, an appropriation of $25,000 was forwarded to a committee of Jews in Jerusalem for dis- tribution. To date $1,746,485.86 has been expended by the Joint Distribution Committee for General Relief in Pales- tine and for the continuance of the soup kitchens estab- lished by Mr. Nathan Straus, those established by Miss Theresa Dreyfus ; the Health Bureau ; the sending of food- stuffs by the U. S. Collier "Vulcan" ; forwarding medicines by the U. S. Collier "Sterling"; the Hadassah Medical Unit, etc., etc. The appropriation at the present time is at the rate of $70,000 per month, i. e., $60,000 for General Relief, $4,000 each for the Straus and Dreyfus Soup Kitchens, $2,000 for the Health Bureau. When the United States became a belligerent, new ar- rangements for the continuation of the distribution to Pal- estine had to be made. The United States Government was in entire sympathy with the efforts of the Joint Dis- tribution Committee and arrangements were made through the State Department by which Mr. S. Hoofien, a subject of Holland, the Resident Manager of The Anglo-Palestinian Bank at Jerusalem, was made the Distributing Agent of the Joint Distribution Committee. The report which is printed in this volume was received in America in October, 1918, through the courtesy of Major Theodore Waters, upon his return from Palestine where he had been one of the American Red Cross Commission sent to that country. Dr. Solomon Lowenstein of New York was sent by the Joint Distribution Committee as its special representative on the American Red Cross Commission. He has just returned after a thorough investigation of the situation. His report will soon be available. In the meantime, the report of Mr. Hoofien explaining in detail the purposes to which he ap- plied various appropriations of the Joint Distribution Com- mittee, amounting in all to nearly $500,000, dur- ing the period from August 1, 1917, to May 31, 1918, is presented to the public. It will be found a most enthralling recital of the conditions as observed by Mr. Hoofien, who by reason of his long residence in Palestine and the com- manding position he occupied, is well able to describe them. Until the relief work was taken over by the Zionist Re- lief Commission, Mr. Hoofien was in sole charge of the work, and his report will doubtless receive very careful study, not only at the hands of American Jewry, but also by all those who are interested in the future of the Holy Land. It is not proper to express any appreciation here, of the value of the work which he has done in the sacred cause of humanity in behalf of the Jews of the Holy Land, with whose situation, aspirations and hopes he manifests such whole-hearted sympathy and appreciation. It must be remembered that during the time about which Mr. Hoofien writes, Palestine was part of the Turkish Em- pire and that while the United States has not declared war against Turkey, that country was an ally of Germany. The success of the Allies of the United States in their cam- paign in Palestine, was followed by the establishment of the Zionist Relief Commission in Palestine by the British Gov- ernment. New York, November, 1918. II GLOSSARY A ASHKINASIM — Orthodox Jews ] whose ritual and pronunciation of Hebrew follows the Polish- i Russian custom. B BATE-DYNIM — Ecclesiastical Courts. C CHALOOCAH — (Hebrew-Divi- sion) The division of the money sent for the support of those in Palestine who have gone from certain cities in Russia, etc., or who, by other associations, are entitled to a share of the money sent from a certain country, dis- trict, town, etc. (See Kolel.) CHANUKAH — Feast of Dedica- tion. CKASSIDIM — Ultra Orthodox Jews, who observe the Minutae of the Ritual. CHEDER — An Elementary He- brew School. CONSULAT D'ESPAGNE, Section Secours — Spanish Consulate, Relief Section. D DAYONIM — Judges. DIASPORA — The Exile. Since the destruction of the second Tem- ple, the Israelites have been scattered throughout the world — in exile. DOORRH — Coarse flour made from the very poorest quality of wheat grown in Palestine. II HAHAMIM — Learned men. HAKONSOOLU HASSEFARDET MACHLEKAT HASSI-YOOCA — Section of the Spanish Consulate for the distribution of Relief Funds. HALOOKA — (See Chaloocah.) K KOLEL — (See Chaloocah.) A kolel is a community formed from those emigrated from a city or country; e.g., Kolel America — The community formed of those who have emi- grated from America. M MATZOTHS — Unleavened bread, eaten during the Feast of Pass- over. MELAMDIM — Teachers. MITZVAH — (Hebrew) A com- mand — i.e., "One who fulfills a command shall be blessed;" i.e., colloquially, Mitzvah — a bless- ing. MOOTESSARIF — A Turkish Chan- cellor. N NESS CHANUKAH — A Miracu- lous Chanukah — (See Chanu- kah.) O OKE — A Turkish weight — 6.4 lbs. P PEKIDIM AND AMARKALIM BEERETZ HAKODESH — A committee in Holland that contributes funds to Palestine. PEROOSHIM — Orthodox Jews. PIASTRE — About 4 cents ($0.04). R REB MEIR BAAL HA-NES — A Rabbi of the 2nd Century, who was reputed to have performed miracles. The giving of doles in his name is a custom since the middle ages. S SAMOVAR — -Russian teakettle. SCHNORRER — A persistent beg- gar. SEPHARDIM — From Sephard, Spain. Originally, refugees from that country whose ritual and pronunciation of Hebrew is still maintained. SHABBAS — The Sabbath. SHOMRIM — Watchmen — i.e., overseers. SHEMEETA — The seventh year after the planting of a field or orchard, the produce of which year must not be sold, but dis- tributed among the poor. STREIMEL — A hat trimmed with fur, worn only on the Sabbath and Holy Days. T TALMUD TORAH — An Elemen- tary Hebrew School. TALMIDEY HAHAMIM — Men highly learned in Talmudic Lore. Y YESHEEVA — Hebrew High School. "YOOX" — A share or portion. Ill CONTENTS A Page Administration Expenses 23 Aged, Support For 36, 37 Agent, U. S., Cairo 3 Aleppo 5, 13 Alexandria 11, 15 Allenby, General 9, 22 American Consul at Jerusalem 5 American Relief Fund Committee, 17, 26, 42 American Relief Fund Committee in want 26 Americans in Jerusalem 45,46 Amsterdam Administration 22,37 Amsterdamsche Bank 5 Anglo-Palestine Co., Ltd. 2, 3, 13. 14. 16, 23 Appendices 50-137 Appendices, Detailed Index VII Arrest of Colonists 8 Association, Hebrew Women's 41 Austrian Troops Evacuate Jerusalem 9 Autonomy, Institutional 41 B Baal Ha-Ness ( Reb. Meier) 26 Ballobar, Count de. . .0, 7, 9, 12, 13, 28, 45 Bank, Amsterdamsche 5 Baruchaff 9 Beggar System 25 Beham, Dr 7,10 Beneviste, Abraham 23 Bentauwim, Air 21, 22 Blumenthal Orphanage 36 Bogus Institutions 40 Bread Distribution ... 28, 31, 32, 33, 36, 39 Bread Scarcity 26, 27 British Rule 10 British Soldiers, Reception to 46 British Transport Facilities 14 British Troops Enter Jaffa 10 Cablegrams Intercepted 6 Cairo Special Relief Committee . . .10, 16 Cairo Special Relief Committee Sends Food la Cairo U. S. Agent in 3 Central Administration 41 Central Administration Problem ... 6 Chachmischivili, Mr 7 Chalooka 25, 26, 29, 30, 49 Charcoal 12 Charity System 26,40 Chedera S Cholera 35 Clothing Sold for Food 13 Cohen, Isaac 23 Colonies, Judean 17, 18, 20 Colonists Arrested 8 Colonists Sent to Damascus 8 Colonization Association of Paris.. 15 Commission, Zionist, 11, 13, 14, 15, 20. 21. 22, 23, 2 1. 36 Committee, American Relief Fund, 17, 26, 42 Committee, Cairo, Special 10,15 Committee. Reduced to Want 26 Committees in Palestine 8,10,17,19 Communal Expenses 46 Constantinople 11, 12, 13 Constantinople. Netherlands Minister, 5,14 Constantinople Press Propaganda . . 6 Consul, American, Jerusalem 5 Council of Jewish Community 11 Count de Ballobar 6,9,12,13,29 D Page Damascus, Arrested Colonists in.... 8 Damascus, Exiles in 45 Damascus Grain Market 32 Damascus Jews 5 Damascus Prisons 9 Death Rate 35 de Ballobar, Count 6, 9, 12, 13,29 Diaspora 25 Disengoff, Mr. M IS Diskin Orphanage 36 Distribution of Bread to Aged .... '.'■'.> Distribution of Bread to School Children 28, 30 Distribution of Bread to Orphans, 31, 32, 36 Distribution of Food to Prisons ... 44 Distribution of Food to Institutions, :'.!), 42 Distribution of Food to School Chil- dren 33 Distribution of Matzoth 30, 47, 4S Distribution of Money, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 31. 45 Distribution of Money Reorganized. 29 Distribution of Money to Americans 45 Distribution of Oranges 40 Distribution of Proportions at Out- set 17 Distribution of Proportions, New... 18 Distribution of Rice 31 Distribution of Wheat 10, 30. 33 Djemal Pasha Opposes Relief 0.7 Doctors 43 E Economic Conditions, Jerusalem. 25, 20, 38 Economic Conditions As to Orphans, 33, 34 Egypt 10, 15 Egypt, Wheat from 33 Eisenstadt. Mr. M 3 Elyashar, Rabbi Nissim 8, 10, 11 Employment Problem 48 Evacuation Committee, Jaffa 9 Evacuation of Jaffa 17, 18, 19 Evacuation of Jerusalem 9, 13 Exiles of Hama 23 Expenses, Administration 23 Expenses, Communal 40 F Fellaheen 11 Fever, Spotted, in Jerusalem 19,35 Finance 11 Flour 31 Food, Clothing Sold for 13 Food, Sent to Cairo 15 Food, Distribution in Institutions. 39. 42 Food, Distribution in Prisons 44 Food, Distribution to Schools 33 Food, Requisitioned by Turks 32 Food. Rise in Price 13. 14, 20 Food Situation, Report to Military Governor 33 Free Loan Department 44 Funds, Public Control of 41 G Galilea 8, 18, 19, 22 Galilean Colonies 8 Galilean Colonists Court-martialed. 8, 17. 22 Galilean Committee 10, 13, 21 General Activities of Hooflen 48 General Distribution of Funds 28,29 German Troops Evacuate Jerusalem. 9 IV CONTENTS— Continued Page Glazebrook, Dr. Otis A 5,22,28,29 Glazebrook, Dr. Otis A., Assisted by Doctors and Laymen 9 Glazebrook, Dr. Otis A., Chooses Administrator of Funds 8 Glossary Ill Gluskin, Mr 17 Grain Market, Damascus 32 Grasovsky 9 Greek Exiles in Hama 23 Greeks Expelled 45 Greeks, Funds Spent for 45 H Hahani Bashi 16 Haifa 17, 19, 21 Haifa Remittances 21 Hama, Greek Exiles in 23 Health Bureau 6 Hebrew Women's Association 41 Hebron Community 15, 17, IS, 20 High Cost of Living 26 Holland 17 Horowicz, Rabbi 22, 37 Housing Conditions 27 I Income Through Loans 14 Institutional Autonomy 41 Institutional Sub-Committees 41 Institutions, Bogus 40 Institutions, Straus 12 Interest on Loans 23 Introduction I, II J Jabneel S Jacobson, Mr. S 22,23 Jaffa 22, 23 Jaffa, British Troops in 10 Jaffa, Committee 8, 10, 17 Jaffa, Evacuation 17 Jaffa, Evacuation Committee, 9, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 Jaffa, Freed 10 Jerusalem, American Consul 5 Jerusalem, Americans in 45,46 Jerusalem, Anglo-Palestine Co., Ltd. 2, 3, 13 Jerusalem, Arrest of Prominent Men 9 Jerusalem. Charity System 26,40 Jerusalem, Cholera in 35 Jerusalem Committee 7, 11, 12, 17 Jerusalem Council 11 Jerusalem Death-rate 34, 35 Jerusalem Distribution of Funds, 18, 19, 20 Jerusalem Economic Conditions. 25, 20, 38 Jerusalem, Evacuation of 9,13 Jerusalem, Liberation of 2 Jerusalem Local Committee 10, 19 Jerusalem Population 35 Jerusalem Prisons 9 Jerusalem, Relief Work in 25 Jerusalem Spanish Consul, 6 7, 9, 12, 13, 28 Jerusalem, Spotted Fever 19 35 Jerusalem, Wheat Purchase for 16 Jewish British Soldiers Reception.. 40 Jewish Colonial Trust 3,5,14 Jewish Colonization Association, Paris 15 Jewish Community. Council 11 Jewish Relief Work in Palestine, 5, 15, 18 Jews cf Aleppo 5 Jews of Damascus 5 Joffe, Rabbi 10,11 Judean Colonies 17,18,20 Katzenelson, Mr. Bendev 11 Kfar Saba 17.19 Kinnereth 8 Kolel Money 26 Kuebler, Mr. John 7 Ii Letter, S. Hoofien 2, 24 Letters Not Forwarded 14 Lewin, Mr. Alter 7 Liberation of Jerusalem 2,12 Lif schitz 9 Loans 13, 16 Loans to Individuals 44 Loans to Institutions 44 Loans, Interest on 23 Loupo, Mr 11 Lowenstein, Major 3 M Matzoth 17 Matzoth, Difficulties to Obtain 16 Matzoth, Distribution of 30,47,48 Medical Help 42, 43 Medical Help Association 21 Meier, Reb. Baal Ha- Ness 26 Messha 8 Metulla 8 Meyouhas, Mr 9,10,11 Military Authorities Sell Rice 15,16 Military Governor, Report on Fund. 33 Millers and Traders Co-operate 32 Minister, Netherlands, Constanti- nople 5 Money Borrowed 13 Money Distribution . .17, 18, 19, 21, 28, 29 Mortality Rate 34 N Nahoum, Rabbi 10 Nama 23 Nazareth Prisons 9 Netherlands Minister, Constanti- nople , ... 5, 14 Notes, Changing of 11,12 O Old Clothes Market 27 Oranges Distributed 46 Organization Conditions 5,27 Orphanages 35, 36 Orphans, Problems Pertaining to, 33, 34, 35, 36 P Palestine Committees 8, 10, 17,19 Palestine Communal Workers 6, 11 Palestine Jewish Bank 13 Palestine Persecutions 8 Palestine Political Conditions 7 Palestine Zionist Office 37 Paris, Jewish Colonization Associa- tion 15 Passover Distribution of Matzoth . . 47 Passover Wheat Difficulties 16 Permits for Travelling 8 Petach Tikvah 8, 9 13, 20. 21 Political Conditions 5, 27 Population, Jerusalem 35 Prisons, Jerusalem 9 Prisons, Nazareth 9 Prisoners, Food Distribution 44 Problems Pertaining to Orphans 33 CONTEN TS— Continued K Page Rabbis, Situation 37 Rabbis, Salaries 37, 38 Rainleh 8 Reb. Meier Baal Ha-Ness 26 Reception to British Soldiers 46 Reforms 42 Relief Fund, Accounts Audited 3 Relief Fund, Accounts Given to Zionist Commission 3,11 Relief Fund Administration Assist- ed by Count de Ballobar 7 Relief Fund Administration Offices in Spanish Consulate 7 Relief Fund Allotments 18 Relief Fund, American Committee, 17, 26, 42 Relief Fund Committee Members in Want 26 Relief Fund Opposed by Djemal Pasha 6,7 Relief Fund Remittances ... 12, 13 28, 45 Relief, Jews in Aleppo 5 Relief, Jews in Damascus 5 Relief Work in Jerusalem 25 Relief Work in Palestine 5 Remittances . . . .12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 21, 23, 28 Remittances, First 11, 13, 14, 49 Remittances, How Used 6 Remittances, .^100,000 Cancelled 3 Remittances for Aleppo and Dam- ascus 5 Remittances Returned 22 Remittances to Dr. Rupin 6 Remittances to Samarian Colonies.. 21 Reorganization of Fund Distribution 2 ! .t Reorganization of Relief Committee. 10 Reports, Military Governor on Food. 33 Rice Sold by Military Authorities. 15. 16 Rishon 8 Roads Improved 27 Rosh-Hawaad IS Rosh Pinah , 8 Rupin, Dr., Remittances to 6 Sailed 8, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 29 Salaries, Rabbis 38 Samarian Colonies 17, 21 Samarian Colonies Remittance 21 Scarcity of Bread 26, 27 Schatz 9 Schocher, Mr. Seev 8, 14, 46 Sephardic Orphanage 36 Slutzkin, Mr 11 Soldiers. British, Reception to 46 Soldiers Families and Widows Sup- port 39 Spanish Consul, de Ballobar 6 Spanish Consul Receives Funds ...9,45 Page Spanish Consulate Approves Relief, 7, 12, 13 Spanish Vice-Consul 8, 22 Spitzer, Mr 7, 10, 11 Spotted Fever 19,35 Storrs, Col. R 33 Straus Institutions 12 Sub-Committees, Institutional 41 Support for Aged 37 Support for Soldiers' Families and Widows 39 Support for Temporary 36 Syria 8,23 T Tagger, Mr 11 Talmud Torah 37 Tel-Awiw 18 Telegrams, Van Nierop 6 Telegrams Regarding Remittances.. 5,6 Temporary Support to Needy Cases. 36 Thon, Dr 9,10,11,13,37 Tiberias 17, 19, 21, 22 Ticho, Dr 7, 10 Transport Facilities, British 14 Travelling Permits 8 Troops, British. Enter Jaffa 10 Turkey, Remitting Gold to 12 Turkish-Sinai Pierced by Allenby.. 9 Turks Requisition Food 32 U United States Agent, Cairo 3 V Van Nierop. F. S 5,6,17 Vice-Chairman. Slutzkin 11 Vice-Consul, Spanish 8 W Wadi Sarar 22 W aitz, Dr 11 Wallach. Dr 7,10,11 Weingarten Orphanage 36 Wheat Distribution 10, 14, 16, 30 Wheat, Price of 26 W heat, Purchase 16 Wheat Scarcity 31 Widows and Families of Soldiers... 39 Women's Association 41 W omen's Work Shop 21 Workers, Communal 11 Z Zichron 8 Zionist Commission. 11, R!, 14, 15. 20, 21, 22, -2:), 24, 36 VI APPENDICES Page A. Orphans Statistics, April 30, 1918. 50 Receipts and Expenditures. 50, 51, 52 Receipts and Expenditures (Jeru- salem) 53, 54 Detailed Accounts 1. Joint Distribution Committee as to $95,000 55 2. Exchange 55 3. The Previous Administration... 55 4. Sundry Creditors 55 5. Jerusalem Branch Account, Cur- rent Money (Turkish paper cur- rency) 56 6. Jaffa Evacuation Committee 56 7. Jaffa 56 8. Judean Colonies 57 9. Hebron 57 10. Samarian Colonies 57 11. Haifa 57 12. Galilean Colonies 57 13. Tiberias 58 14. Saffed 58 15. Greek Exiles in Hama 58 16. General Expenses 58 17. Interest and Commission 58 18. Sundry Debtors 59 19. Stock in Hand 59 20. Cash Balance 59 21. Jerusalem 59 22. Individual Donations 59 23. Sundry Debtors 59 24. Jerusalem 59 25. Jaffa Evacuation Committee 60 26. Jaffa 60 27. Judean Colonies 60 28. Hebron 61 29. General Expenses 61 30. Interest and Commission 61 31. Sundry Creditors 61 32. The Zionist Commission 61 33. Cash 61 34. Count De Ballobar 62 35. Central Administration 62 36. General Distribution 64 37. Special Support 69 38. Support of Charitable Institu- tions 72 39. Talmud Torah Teachers and Talmudic Scholars — Jerusalem Receipts and Expenditures of the Special Department in 1917. 73 40. Greek Exiles in Hama 75 41. American Exiles and their Families 75 42. Medical Help 76 43. Loans to Institutions 76 44. Loans to Individuals 77 Page 45. Sundry Expenses 78 46. Office Expenses 78 47. Count de Ballobar 78 48. The Central Administration 79 49. The Jerusalem Wheat Syndi- cate, Jerusalem 80 50. Loans 80 51. Creditors 80 52. Food Distribution to Schools.. 81 53. Food Distribution to Charitable Institutions 86 54. Food Distribution to Orphans.. 88 55. Food Distribution to Prisoners. 88 56. Food Distribution to Talmud Torah Teachers and Talmudic Scholars 89 57. Special Support 89 58. American Exiles and their Families 89 59. Medical Help 91 60. Loans to Institutions 92 61. Loans to Individuals 92 62. Sundry and Office Expenses 92 63. The Jerusalem Wheat Syndi- cate (Vide Appendix 49) 93 64. Central Administration 93 65. Sundry Debtors 95 66. Food Distribution to Schools. 96 67. Food Distribution and support to Charitable Institutions 102 68. Food Distribution to Orphans. 106 69. Old Aged Support 106 70. Widows' Support 106 71. Soldiers' Families Support 107 72. Food Distribution to the Gen- eral Poor 108 73. Oranges Distribution to the General Poor 10S 74. Rabbis Support 109 75. Talmudic Scholars' Support and Talmud Torah Teachers' Sal- aries 109 76. Support to Individual Cases 123 77. American Exiles and their Families 125 78. Medical Help 131 79. Loans to Institutions 131 SO. Loans to Individuals 132 81. Passover Distribution 133 82. Communal Expenses 135 83. Jewish British Soldiers' Re- ception 136 84. Sundry Expenses 136 85. Office Expenses 136 86. Loss of Exchange 137 87. Creditors 1917 Paid in 1918.... 137 88. Sundry Stocks of Food-Stuffs.. 137 89. Cash Balance 31st May, 1918... 137 VII REPORT OF MR. S. HOOFiEN TO THE JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE NEW YORK CONCERNING RELIEF WORK IN PALESTINE FROM AUGUST 1st, 1917 TO MAY 31st, 1918 The Joint Distribution Committee, New York. Gentlemen, Enclosed you will find at last my final report. You will, I hope, excuse the delay, caused mainly by the fact that clerical forces are now very difficult to be had and that my time is very fully occupied. I have only little to add. I am sure that you will admit that I have given you a fair quantity of details in the Appendices but this is not sufficient, of course, to give you a perfect control. I have therefore had the general ac- counts audited by Mr. M. Eisenstadt, Chief- Accountant of The Anglo- Palestine Company, Ltd., of Jerusalem, and I have handed over all accounts and the correspond- ing vouchers of the Jerusalem Branch in good order to the Zionist Commission which will be able to check them. I have handed over the Relief Administration and I con- sider the period of my active participation in this kind of Relief Work as closed. Still I hold myself entirely at your disposal for any advice or assistance it may be in my power to give you as, of course, also for every further information on the period covered by my report. I should have liked very much to have been in more regular communication with you. Apart from a few tele- grams, arrived for the larger part after I had already finished my work, I have never had any written commu- nication from you. I feel bound to say that I particularly regret that you have not found a way to communicate with me during the three or four first months after the libera- tion of Jerusalem (December 9th, 1917) nor to send me any remittance. I have, as you know, found the most indispensable means myself for your account but I could not, of course, spend much borrowed money in the way, one deals with a fixed budget. If I had had much communication and remittance I should have been able to organize Relief Work under the new favorable conditions in a much more effective way than it has now been in my power to do and very much severe suffering would have been avoided. It is this suffer- ing, which I can never forget, which causes me to make you the present remark. It appears that an instruction given in January of this year to the American Agent in Cairo to pay me the countervalue of $100,000 has been afterwards cancelled by you. If it is not asking too much from you I should be thankful if you would explain to me why this was done. I may, perhaps, mention that though the fact that I have received only one of your $100,000 remittances I have re- mained a debtor to The Anglo-Palestine Company with about £17,500 — and I should feel very much obliged for a special remittance, addressed direct to The Anglo-Pales- tine Company through the Jewish Colonial Trust, London, as already telegraphically suggested by you, in order to cover this debt. I have had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Major Lowenstein and have discussed general conditions with him. Will you please address all communications to my ad- dress in London, c/o Jewish Colonial Trust. In closing this letter I can only repeat that I am very sincerely thankful to you for the confidence you have shown me and for the opportunity you have granted me to help you in your noble work. Yours very faithfully, (Signed) S. Hoofien. Jaffa, July 31st, 1918. The Joint Distribution Committee, New York. Gentlemen : I have the pleasure to submit to you herewith a report and ac- count concerning my activity as your representative for Jewish Relief Work in Palestine during the period August 1st, 1917, to May 31st, 1918. I have sent you a short report on my work during the first months by my letters of December 27th, 1917, addressed to the manager of the Jewish Colonial Trust and to Mr. F. S. Van Nierop, Amsterdam, through whom you had sent me your first remittance and I think I may trust that this report has reached you. It had, however, only a provisional character and was not accompanied by any account so that the present report has to cover once more the whole period of my activity. Organization and Political Conditions On June 8th, 1917, I was asked by wire through the medium of the Netherlands' Minister at Constantinople if I were prepared to take upon myself the control and distribution of American Re- lief money for Palestine Jews. I replied in the affirmative although I knew that the task would not be an easy one under the circum- stances but it was clear that no other course was open to me than to fill the gap left open by the American Consul at Jerusalem, Dr. O. A. Glazebrook. I accepted under the condition that I should not be held bound to antiquated instructions. During two months no reply came. On August 7, 1917, I was informed by one of the Jerusalem banks that they held an amount of Ltq.33,402 at my disposal "to be used as per instructions of Mr. F. S. Van Nierop, Manager of the Amsterdamsche Bank, Amsterdam." I waited a few days and then wired to Mr. Van Nierop in order to let him know that I had received the money but no instructions. I also wrote him and I continued to wire and write at very frequent intervals without re- ceiving any reply. But on August 27' I received a wire from Mr. Van Nierop, which had remained nearly three weeks under way, in which he asked me if I had received his telegram and the countervalue of $95,000 and asked me what I had done with the money. I was also invited* to make proposals regarding further remittances and I was asked if the Jews of Damascus and Aleppo were in want of relief. I, of course, replied to this wire and I 6 Joint Distribution Committee of the afterwards learned from Mr. Van Nierop that he had received most of my wires and letters and had wired and written me several times, but, with the exception of the above mentioned telegram, none of these messages reached me. Cablegrams Intercepted They were all intercepted on their way. Many months after- wards I succeeded to trace Mr. Van Nierop's original telegram, which contained your instructions, in one of the files concerning my person with the Turkish secret police. The word "Health Bureau" contained therein had aroused the greatest suspicion and caused considerable telegraphic correspondence between Constantinople and Jerusalem, as it had been read or interpreted "Herald Bureau" and it was thought that I was managing or supporting a bureau of American political press-propaganda in Palestine! In the meantime my position grew awkward. The Jerusalem Committee's cash balance was nearly exhausted. The funds re- mitted to me were urgently wanted and I did not feel free to dis- pose of them. Large sums for other purposes and a few payments to individuals or individual institutions passed through my hands at the same time and how was I to know that the Ltq. 33,000 remit- tance was to go for general relief purposes? In fact it appeared afterwards that a small part of it was assigned to some special purposes. Mr. Hoofien Takes the Risk As, however, the crying needs of the country overrode in my mind all formal doubts I did not feel that any other course re- mained open to me than to take the risk, particularly after I had been informed by Dr. Rupin that, according to his information, the money received by me actually came from you. Your written instructions in the matter have never reached me and only on October 15, I was verbally informed by the Spanish Consul, Count de Ballobar, who returned from Constantinople, that the remittance of $95,000 was to be used in the following way: $40,000 for a monthly budget 50,000 for an extra budget 5,000 for the Straus institutions I had in the meantime already begun to distribute part of the money as I shall explain below. Djemal Pasha's Opposition The first and largest problem to solve was that of the legal form of the Central Relief Administration. The previous Jerusa- lem Committee had been dissolved by the authorities and its promi- American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 7 nent members had been court-martialed. Dr. Glazebrook had then managed to continue the Administration under the auspices of his Consulate. But now that diplomatic relations with America had been broken off and the Government — particularly the Syrian pro-consul, Djemal Pasha, looked with a very evil eye on any- thing American — how was I to handle the Administration ? Large amounts had tq be paid out, accounts to be kept, thousands of people to be received and large food-purchases to be made. Count de Ballobar Helps In this plight I was fortunate enough to find in the Spanish Consul at Jerusalem, Count Antonio de Ballobar, a true friend of our cause and of humanity. Dr. Glazebrook, when leaving Jerusalem, had handed over to Count de Ballobar the Relief Fund Administration. I arranged with him that all things would re- main as they were and we came to the following agreement. The relief work; would form a branch of the activity of the Spanish Consulate and be carried on by a special department of it, under my direction. This arrangement, at first a personal one between the consul and me, was afterwards approved by the Spanish Min- ister and officially announced by the Consul to the local authorities. We took the firm "Consulat d'Espagne — Section Secours" (Hakonsoolu hassefardt, Machlekat hassi-yooca) and a private of- fice was given to me in the Consulate. The general offices for the Jerusalem Relief Work could not find room within the premises of the Consulate and were housed next door. This arrangement has worked very satisfactorily until the end of the Turkish rule in Jerusalem and particular thanks are due to Count de Ballobar who during a very trying time has stead- fastly stood by us, ably assisted by the honorary Vice-Consul of Spain, Mr. Jona Kuebler. When I set to work I had before all to consider the question of the local Committees. Dr. Glazebrook had been assisted in his local work in Jeru- salem by a committee consisting of Dr. Wallach, Dr. Ticho, Dr. Beham and Messrs. Spitzer, Alter Lewin and Chachmischwili. Old Jerusalem Tnese gentlemen had gathered wide experience Committee an< ^ nac ^ introduced some useful reforms so that, not being, for the reasons explained above, in a position to form a regular local committee, I invited these gentle- men to continue to act as my advisers. Mr. Alter Lewin had in the meantime been expelled and Mr. Chachmischwili found his time too fully occupied. He too, was afterwards expelled. The other gentlemen accepted and I owe a large debt of gratitude to them for their cordial co-operation and sound advice. I invited 8 Joint Distribution Committee of the a prominent member of the Sephardic Community, Rabbi Nissim Elyashar to join the Advisory Committee. In particular cases I also invited other members of the Com- munity to assist me and among them I must particularly mention Mr. Seev Schocher who has devoted much time and energy to the branch I consulted him on, the support of the Yesheeva-Scholars. I left all the other local committees as they were (with the ex- ception of Saffed) without any change, as all these committees worked quite satisfactorily and there was no reason to change Oth Local anything. The Committee for Jaffa and for the Committees Judaean Colonies were formally considered as only one although they worked absolutely inde- pendently. I separated them formally without changing anything in their personnel. There did not exist any Saffed Committee, recognized by the American Consulate when I took over the Relief Administration. And although I was on some occasions applied to by local gentle- men, I could not find my way to recognize any committee. On the contrary I found that the only sound way to deal with Saffed relief was that which Dr. Glazebrook had already chosen, viz. : to have it administered by a special delegate. I had had the intention to set things going in Jerusalem and then at once to proceed to Galilea. But already a few weeks after I had entered office, political conditions became much worse than they had been ever before. The persecutions, details of which have certainly in the meantime come to your knowledge, were started. In Zichron and Chedera, shortly afterwards in Rischon and Pe- tach-Tikvah and then in nearly all the Galilean Colonies, Kinne- reth, Messha, Jabneel, Rosh-Pinah, even Metulla, a large number of colonists were arrested and part of them were sent to Damascus for court-martial trial on all kind of charges. All the Jewish villages were searched for recruits who had not reported in due time and hundreds of them were caught and brought to Jerusalem. Every tenth of those who had been caught in Rischon was to be hung on the market-place of the village. The evacuation order regarding Petach-Tikvah which had been suffered to get into oblivion was suddenly renewed and partly executed in the most barbarous way. Travels Without a Permit Under these circumstances relief was more than ever needed but communication was more difficult than ever before. Travelling permits were nearly regularly refused, particularly for Galilea and to persons of any importance. The Spanish Vice-Consul who left for Galilea with a regular permit was stopped in Ramleh and brought back to Jerusalem. So I had to take the risk of going to Petach- American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 9 Tikvah, with or without a permit as the case might be, there to confer with the members of the Jaffa Evacuation Committee and with Galilean people. In these conditions October went by. The Jerusalem prisons were full of Jewish recruits, some dozens of colonists and Shomrim were awaiting trial in the prisons of Nazareth and Damascus and Petach-Tikvah was in a continuous state of semi-evacuation which came well nigh to an official pogrom. Most of the prominent members of the Community, particularly my friend Dr. Thon and I, were guarded night and day by the secret police, our corre- spondence intercepted, our houses watched, our servants inter- rogated, we ourselves were followed wherever we went. Evacuation of Jerusalem In the first days of November the Turkish Sinai Front was pierced by General Allenby's troops and Jerusalem was in a sud- den panic evacuated by the German, Austrian and part of the Turkish troops. Nothing happened to the civil population and it was generally hoped that nothing would happen. But after a few days the Turks decided to make a stand in the mountains round Jerusalem. Turkish troops came back to Jerusalem and a Turkish Commander-in-Chief of the garrison was appointed whilst the Ger- mans and Austrians continued to leave the city. Everything eat- able, if not carefully hidden, was requisitioned and the mills were closed — a most remarkable measure in a city which was in expecta- tion of a siege. They were afterwards allowed to reopen but closed again and dynamite cartridges were laid in their engines, in order to blow them up when necessity should arise. At the same time a number of prominent members of the com- munity were arrested, first among them Dr. Thon and quite a number of our best men. Grasovsky, Schatz, Schiller, Lifschitz, Th Baruchoff, Meyouhas and many others. I, too, Arrested was i nv ^ed to "come and see the Mootessarif" which is the Turkish polite formula for arresting gentlemen of standing. The long-expected invitation reached me in the Spanish Consulate and with the kind permission of Count de Ballobar I lived in the Consulate and did not leave it. At the same time the Consul remonstrated with the Mootessarif and after long negotiations he obtained a delay for my expulsion and that of Dr. Thon and Mr. Meyouhas. This delay was once more extended but was definitely to expire on Sunday, December 9th, the first day of Chanukah. I had arranged as far as it was possible, for handing over the whole relief administration and the nearly empty treasury to the Spanish Consul. In the night, however, be- tween Saturday and Sunday the city was surrendered and on 10 Joint Distribution Committee of the Sunday morning, 9 o'clock, when I would have had to report to be sent to Damascus, there was no official to report to and the British troops were entering the city on the Jaffa Road, a "Nees-Chanu- kah" as good as one could wish. British Rule Under the British rule the work of the Relief Fund has, of course, been quite free and has met with the full sympathy of the authorities. I had at once to reconsider the problem of organization. All the Galilean committees and the Jaffa Evacuation Committee had van- ished out of the sphere of my activity. .Jaffa had been freed a few weeks before Jerusalem and those who were left there had already come into direct contact with Egypt and have not returned within the relief organization, directed by me, so that I could con- centrate all my efforts on the main point, Jerusalem. There was no need, of course, any longer of a single leader who had only an advisory committee with him and I at once invited the members of the advisory committee — or more correctly those left of them — to consider themselves as the directing local committee of Jerusalem under my chairmanship. Dr. Beham and Dr. Ticho, two gentlemen who have served on the committee with conspicuous zeal and success and have had quite particular merit with regard to the organization of medical help, were among those who had had to leave the city before the liberation. Dr. Wallach, Mr. Spitzer and Rabbi Elyashar accepted my invitation. This committee was, of course, too small under the new circumstances and when the mili- tary authorities invited me to propose to them a committee which would have to distribute a certain quantity of wheat among the Jewish poor, I proposed to them the above named gentlemen and Messrs. Meyouhas, Rabbi Nahoom Joffe and Dr. Thon, thus making the committee representative of all elements of the popu- lation. Efforts to Communicate with the Joint Distribution Committee Failed Weeks went by and I did not succeed, notwithstanding my con- stant efforts, in getting into any contact with you. In the meantime the Special Committee for the Relief of Palestine Jews which had been formed in Cairo after the evacuation of Jaffa, began to send some delegates to Palestine with the intention of organizing relief work. As I feared that some friction or mis- understandings might arise between the Committee and the Pal- estine Relief workers I went to Egypt and arranged matters with them and I came back to Palestine together with all the members of the Special Committee. They, together with most of the promi- American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 11 nent communal workers in Palestine, formed, pending the already announced arrival of the Zionist Commission, a Provisional Special Committee with its main seat in Jaffa and branches in Jerusalem and Cairo. This Provisional Committee as such has not done any practical work and the main result of the conference was that a much enlarged Jerusalem Relief Committee was appointed; it contained all the already existing members: Dr. Wallach, Dr. Thon, Mr. Meyouhas, Rabbi Joffe, Mr. Spitzer, Rabbi Nissim Elyashar and myself, and Messrs. Bendev Katzenelson, Dr. Waitz, Tagger, Loupo and Slutzkin as new members. I retained the chair and Mr. Slutzkin came over from Alexandria, where he had during three years done such useful work among the refugees and acted as Vice-Chairman. This new committee has worked out a large programme and introduced many reforms. In the meantime a Council of the Jew- ish Community of Jerusalem had been formed and when the T Zionist Commission took over the relief work Council Formed ^ was decided that Jerusalem Relief would be directed by the Council of the Community through its various sub-committees in conjunction with and under the control of the Zionist Commission's Relief Department. I have therefore, on June 1st, handed over the administration to these committees and the Jerusalem Jewish Relief Committee which had been formed only a few months before has been dis- solved but nearly all its members serve on the various sub-commit- tees of the Council of the Community which are now in charge of relief work. Finance During exactly the first half of the period under report the currency of the country was the Turkish Pound; during the sec- ond half the Egyptian Pound was legal tender as it is now. The difficulties created by the inflated appreciation of the Golden Turkish Pound which was alone accepted by the Fellaheen in payment for the prime commodities of life, are probably sufficiently known to you so that there is no need to dwell at length on them. I am sorry to be under the necessity once more to emphasize the well-known fact that the useful effect of your remittances was only part of that which it might have been, had it been possible to send gold. When I received your first remittance I regretted much that this large amount had not been sent to Constantinople, there to be held at my disposal. A large part of the relief money has to be used for such commodities which were only obtainable against pay- ment in gold. The changing of notes against gold, although prac- tised by everyone in the country who had notes and wanted gold, 12 Joint Distribution Committee of the was officially prohibited and apt to endanger the very existence of an institution. (The notes-and-gold question had played a large role in the authorities' proceedings against the previous com- mittee.) After some hesitation I made up my mind to send back half of the amount received to Constantinople where I could have it changed into gold with an official permit of the Ministry of Fi- nance. This was done and I received a countervalue in gold which, calculated in notes at the Jerusalem rate left a profit of no less than Ltq. 4449. 1875. The only radical solution, however, was to arrange for the direct remitting of gold into Turkey from a neutral country. I very much pressed the point with Count de Ballobar, when the latter went to Constantinople, and on his return he told me that the matter had been satisfactorily arranged and that further remit- tances would arrive in gold. In fact I was verbally informed a short time before the liberation that such a gold remittance was on its way to me but it has never arrived. Your remittance amounted to Ltq.33,402.0000 (Representing the countervalue of $95,000) Out of this amount I paid the counter- value of $5,000 to the Straus Insti- tutions as per instructions, with. . . 1,725.0000 Leaving a net balance of Ltq.31,677.0000 which appears in the accounts. My second source of income during the first period was the above mentioned exchange profit Ltq. 4,449.1875 From which I had to deduct some losses in exchange to the amount of 324.5850 Leaving a net income of Ltq. 4,124.6025 I had an unexpected small source of income from certain assets of the previous Jerusalem Committee. This committee had, a short time before it dissolved, bought a large quantity of char- coal in order to distribute it among the Jerusalem institutions. The charcoal was stored in the committee's stores which were then promptly closed and sealed by the Jerusalem authorities. It took the Spanish consul infinite time and labor to get some de- cision concerning this charcoal and when it came it was to the purport that the charcoal was to be requisitioned at a nominal price in favor of the Government officials and their families. I American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 18 received through the Spanish consulate in several instalments and without any specified account the amount of Ltq.382.0000 and I had to take what I could get. The previous committee had maintained a large loan depart- ment and a considerable number of pledges were kept at the sealed offices. After long negotiations we at last — as always, through Count de Ballobar — got the permission to collect small loans and give pledges back. The two amounts mentioned in the account are Ltq.372.16 and Ltq.307.25, and have at various times been col- lected in this way making a total income out of assets of previous Jerusalem committee of Ltq. 1,061. 41. But these various sources of income, large as they were, did not cover the wants of five months of relief work. In the first days of November the treasury was empty. The first half of your remit- tance had been spent and on account of the second half, which I had sent to Constantinople, only about one-third had arrived in gold and was spent, too. Then the military evacuation of Jeru- salem began and there was every reason to fear that we should be cut off for a certain time from the Galilea committees, from Pe- tach-Tikvah and the Jaffa evacuated and from Constantinople. Jerusalem, needs became more crying than ever. The price of all food-stuffs rose to an unheard of level and people were selling their shirts in the street. Remembering your information that the $95,000 remittance was to be considered as a budget of $40,000 for one month and $50,000 as an extra budget and your telegram inviting me to submit proposals for further remittances, I took upon myself the responsibility of borrowing for your account. / felt that in the position in which I found myself, you expected me to do every- thing in my power to save the situation and pull Palestine and particularly Jerusalem Jews through in some way or other. If I had had to close our office in November I am doubtful if the British troops would have found any considerable Jewish popula- tion to liberate. Happily, I found the institutions which were prepared to help me. The Anglo-Palestine Company, the Jewish Bank of Palestine, with which I am connected, opened me an unlimited credit, the amount of which, Ltq.12,261.26, appears from the accounts. The Zionist Palestine Office, too, advanced me large amounts and I have particularly to thank Dr. Thon for his liberal support dur- ing those trying days. The messenger, carrying the balance of our Constantinople gold, who had been held up, to my utter dis- tress, at Aleppo, owing to the military situation, was after a week or so allowed to proceed on his journey and this put me in a po- sition to repay a large part of our debt to the Zionist Palestine 14 Joint Distribution Committee of the Office. But a balance of Ltq. Gold 2,428.50 remained. I had re- quested the Netherlands' Minister at Constantinople every time that I received a loan from the Zionist Palestine Office to pay the same amount out of your remittances, addressed to me, to the Zionist Palestine Office's representative in Constantinople and I had afterwards been informed that an amount of Ltq. Gold 500 has in this way been paid. This amount appears therefore in my account as a remittance from you. There remained in this way a balance to the favor of the Zionist Palestine Office of Ltq.1,982.50 and this amount has been received by me in gold. Letters Not Forwarded My letters requesting the Netherlands' Minister to pay this amount in Constantinople have not been forwarded and have been handed back to me. Since then I have received no remittances in gold so that I was not in a position to repay the money as I have received it. The mode of payment has therefore remained under discussion between the Zionist Palestine Office and me and mean- while the Zionist Palestine Office appears as a creditor in our accounts with the above amount of Ltq. Gold 1,982.50. A small amount of Ltq. Gold, 68.725, had remained from the previous administration with the Spanish consulate. It was paid into my treasury and appears in the accounts. I entered the second period with an empty treasury and with debts. The first private telegram which left the city (with the kind help of the military authorities) after the liberation, was my wire to the Jewish Colonial Trust in which I requested them to ask you for remittances. But I remained without reply to all my wires and letters. As the Turks had absolutely drained the city of food-stuffs and the British transport facilities were fully occu- pied with the army's wants the food situation became once more very critical indeed. I had to procure food at any cost. The Zionist Palestine Office, being itself cut off from its resources, was no longer able to help me but The Anglo-Palestine Company continued to grant me further credits. I took flour on credit from the millers. I took wheat from the Government's stores on a guarantee of The Anglo-Palestine Company. Mr. Schooner laid out at frequent occasions out of his own pocket the cost of the sup- port which he managed for me and at one time I owed him up to about a thousand pounds. The Government assigned an amount of £2,500 for a free distribution of wheat. Half of this amount was allotted to the Jewish Community and distributed by a committee under my direction. This saved the situation for another week and I took £250 out of this fund as a contribution American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 15 to our general relief work. The remainder was distributed in kind. At last remittances began to come first in kind and afterwards in cash. You have twice remitted $80,000 during this second period but only one of these remittances appears in my account with its _^ countervalue of £16,008. The second remit- Arrived at I/ast tance nas > as I have been informed afterwards, been paid in Egypt into the account of the Zionist Commission and will appear in its accounts. Out of sources, unknown to me, the Special Committee for the Relief of Jews in Palestine at Cairo has remitted me once £5,000 and once it remitted £3,000 to its Jerusalem delegate whose ac- counts were afterwards incorporated into our administration so that this remittance appears now also in my account. The Alexandria Jewish Palestine Relief Fund remitted us through Mr. Gluskin £450 and the Jewish Colonization Association of Paris through the same medium, £787.30. From the Special Government Committee for the Distribution of Relief among Jerusalem Jews we received, as quoted above, £250. This amount was originally intended as a loan but when afterwards the Special Government Committee became incor- porated into the general Jerusalem Relief Committee the loan be- came a donation. Cairo Sends Food The Special Committee of Cairo has at three different occasions sent us large consignments of food. The first of them was a consignment of 50 tons of sundry food- stuffs, for the large part flour, which was originally intended for Jerusalem but by some error went to Jaffa and was stored there. I could, only after some time get hold of part of this consignment for use in Jerusalem and then only at heavy costs for transporta- tion on donkey-back, etc. Part of the consignment has remained in Jaffa and has been taken over by the Jaffa Committee, and five tons of flour had been promised by the Special Committee to the Hebron Community and have been put by me at the disposal of the Military Governor of Jerusalem to be handed over to the Hebron Committee. One hundred and fifty tons of rice have been sent by the Special Committee to Jerusalem but unfortunately they have been con- signed to the Military Governor who had sold them to the char- itable institutions and relief committees of the Jerusalem zone of which the city of Jerusalem with its Jewish population forms only a part. Out of these 150 tons only four tons have been de- livered to me free of charge and for the balance of 146 tons I have 16 Joint Distribution Committee of the received its proceeds in money. The total proceeds of the rice consignment amounted to £3,663.688, slightly more than was in- vested in it in Cairo for its purchase, so that we have after all not lost. But we wanted food and not banknotes and the disappoint- ment was a very grave one. The third consignment was that of 120 tons of wheat for Pass- over use. This consignment has a whole history : I had, long be- fore Passover, in view of the very critical food conditions, drawn the attention of the authorities to the Pass- Difficulties over wan ^ s » but; week after week elapsed and there were no prospects of getting any matzoths at all. When I went to Cairo I succeeded with the ener- getic help of the Special Committee, to secure the necessary quan- tity, 120 tons; 90 tons for Jerusalem and 30 for Jaffa. Two different qualities of wheat were to be combined by the bakers, all the bags were sealed by the Haham-Bashi and the consignment was forwarded in due order. But instead of getting to Jerusalem it got to a certain railway terminus and there it remained and was not to be moved. It got mixed up with other wheat, it got lost, it got wet, which is the worst thing that can happen to Passover wheat — 'but it did not get to Jerusalem. Four weeks before Pass- over the bakers had not yet started to work, which is an unheard of thing in the Holy City. We got other wheat from the Govern- ment's stores, we bought wheat in the market, every day we made all kinds of complicated transactions, we brought delegations of Rabbis into the stores to state if the wheat was or had been wet, we sent people down to the terminus, we got wheat up to Jerusa- lem, whether it was ours or not was not always quite clear, and in short, a few hours before Seder Eve the last matzoth was dis- tributed. The millers and bakers had worked day and night for a whole month and Jerusalem has probably never eaten matzoths which have cost so much preparation. I have received during the second period a small private dona- tion of £9.50. On account of the Loan Department of the previous Jerusalem Committee an amount of £27 was collected. From sundry debtors I collected £236.842. I owed to The Anglo-Palestine Company at the end of the period under report, apart from the large amount mentioned before, a further amount of £6,444.738. These are the resources out of which I have financed the relief work during the ten months of my management. The fact that I had to deal with two currencies and two kinds of one of these cur- rencies, has obliged me to render you these separate accounts : — one in Turkish pounds, a special one in Turkish golden pounds, and a third one in Egyptian pounds. American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 17 Distribution The fixed proportion for the distribution of relief money be- tween the local committees of Palestine had been from the outset the following: — Jerusalem* 50 per cent. Jaffa 12 " Judaean Colonies 10 " Samarian Colonies 3 " Haifa 3 " Galilean Colonies 4 " Saffed 13 " Tiberias 5 " 100 After careful consideration of the present situation I decided to make some slight changes in this proportion. You had let me know (I never received this instruction by writing) that you ex- pected me not to make any important change without your knowl- edge but you will, I hope, agree that the changes made by me are not of such importance that I should have had to consult you before. Moreover, I wrote at once of them to Mr. Van Nierop who con- stituted for me the only channel to reach you. I may here, per- haps, add that I have as long as overland communications with Holland existed, constantly written to Mr. Van Nierop on all that was going on and I hope that these reports have reached you. First of all I had to set aside a round amount for the most pressing need that existed at the moment, that of the Jaffa evacu- ated. Their situation was indeed appalling. The rainy season was drawing near and the eucalyptus huts of Kfar Saba, which looked picturesque enough and quite idyllic in summertime could not be expected to offer any shelter against Palestine winter rains, not, indeed, against any rain or bad weather at all. People were shiv- ering from fever, starving and dying and constantly being chased from right to left. So I decided not only to slightly increase the proportion of the regular Jaffa Committee but to assign an amount of about Ltq. 5,000 out of the extra budget for the Evacuation Committee. Evacuation of Jaffa You know certainly from previous reports that even after the evacuation of Jaffa all the communal organizations of this un- happy city had submitted and amongst them the American Relief Fund Committee. A Central Evacuation Committee had been ♦ Including Hebron and Motza. 18 Joint Distribution Committee of the formed, the indefatigable Rosh-Hawaad of Tel-awiw, Mr. M. Dis- engoff at its head, and to this central committee the local relief committee handed most of its funds, keeping only a small part of the money at its own free disposal for special purposes. In view of the ever increasing distress in Jerusalem I increased its portion by a further 5 per cent., freeing it at the same time of the contribution for Hebron. These are the main changes. It followed, of course, that I had slightly to reduce the portion of the other districts and as in Galilea (with the exception of Saffed) the situation was much bet- ter than in Judea, this reduction was only just. As for Saffed, its population being in reality smaller than was assumed at the time of fixing the original proportion and the cost of living being there much cheaper, it could bear the small reduction I imposed upon it. The following distribution table was then drawn up: — Total amount received for relief pur- poses Ltq.31,677.000 Profit on exchange 4,408.000 Ltq.36,085.000 Reserve for special emergencies and ex- penses 1,085.000 Ltq.35,000.000 Jaffa Evacuation Committee 5,000.000 Ltq.30,000.000 Old pro- New pro- portion portion in per in per cent. cent. Amount Jerusalem 50* 55 Ltq.16,500.000 Hebron 1.25 375.000 Jaffa 12 13 3,900.000 Judaean Colonies . . 10 8.50 2,550.000 Samarian Colonies . . 3 1.75 525.000 Haifa 3 1.75 525.000 Galilean Colonies . . 4 2.50 750.000 Saffed 13 11.75 3,525.000 Tiberias 5 4.50 1,350.000 100 100.00 Ltq.30,000.000 The figures shown in the accounts are, however, far from cor- responding with the above return and I shall in the next chapter of this report, when treating of the individual committees, show the reason of these discrepancies in every case. * Including Hebron and Motza. American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 19 THE LOCAL COMMITTEES Jerusalem 1917 Ltq.31,355.960 Ltq. Gold 2,551.225 1918 £33,285.279 The bulk of the money spent by me has been spent in Jerusalem. During the first months of my administration, Jerusalem got its proportionate part of your first remittance and when this was ex- hausted and I had to continue the relief work I was already cut off from Jaffa and Galilea, so that all the further money went into Jerusalem. After the liberation I remained, of course, cut off from Galilea and Jaffa claimed only a small part of the funta* ar- riving through me. The Jerusalem relief work is the only local work which has been conducted under my personal direction and it is, of course, at the same time the most important one. I have therefore added the Jerusalem accounts and a special report on the local work in Jerusalem to the present report. For this reason I abstain here from all detail and refer to the special report. The Jaffa Evacuation Committee 1917 Ltq.4,000.000 1918 £916.956 The second amount, although entered in 1918, has been paid for my account during the year 1917. I am not able to present any specified report on the use made of this money by the Evacuation Committee as most of the mem- bers of this committee with all its books and records are on the other side of the lines. The amounts handed to the committee by me represent only a small part of their total income and will have to be accounted for in their final account. The conditions of the evacuated during the months April-July, 1917 (which are not covered by the present report) were bad enough, but during the months August-December, 1917, they be- came abominable. The poor people who had sought refuge in Petach-Tikvah and Kfar-Saba were continually driven hither and thither. Every day brought a new decree, a new order for evacu- ation. A fire destroyed a good number of the poor Kfar Saba huts ; in the rainy season they became, of course, uninhabitable. Spotted fever broke out in several places, hundreds of "recruits" were arrested, there was no end of suffering. The local Governors of Haifa, Saffed and Tiberias tried on several occasions not to admit refugees or to drive them away if they had settled. 20 Jomt Distribution Committee of the The amount granted by me had been asked for and has been used for the purpose of preparing a stock of grain. I have at several times travelled down to Petach-Tikvah to con- fer with the Evacuation Committee and have looked into their methods of working. As their means were insufficient, their work could not, of course, be quite adequate, but it was all that it could be under the circumstances. Jaffa 1917 Ltq.1,947.500 1918 £5,405.514 The Jaffa Committee has remained unchanged during the whole perilM under report. During the first half of it, it handed over, as stated above, most of its funds to the Evacuation Committee. During the second half of the period under report it did not re- ceive from me any remittances in cash and only its share in the consignments in kind. The other amounts booked to the debit of Jaffa in 1918 have all been spent in 1917 and could for technical reasons be entered only in 1918 as explained in the relative Ap- pendix to the Expenditure Account, 1918. The further relief work in Jaffa during the year 1918 has been defrayed out of sources that have not passed through my hands. The Jaffa Committee will prepare a report on its whole activity during the war, including the period covered by the present re- port and present it to the Zionist Commission and through it to you and the general public. Judaean Colonies 1917 Ltq.2,237.500 1918 £666.341 Nearly all that has been said above about Jaffa applies equally to the Judaean Colonies. This committee will present its report in the same way as the Jaffa Committee. Hebron 1917 Ltq.375 1918 £950 This small community of not more than some 700 souls has suffered heavily from the war. Nothing definite could be done for it, to my great regret. During the first period the political cir- cumstances did not allow any organization and during the second period I never was sure enough of my budget to arrange any modern activity on a well-established basis. Such an activity has only been projected by me, and the Zionist Commission's Re- American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 21 lief Department has now taken the matter up and is arranging for a women's work-shop, a medical help organization, etc. During the period under report the money had chiefly to be spent for general distribution on the old lines, reports of which will be handed to the Zionist Commission. Samarian Colonies 1917 Ltq.605.440 I do not possess any account or report from the Samarian Colonies' Committee. The first remittance to them was made on September 13th, 1917, and the last was made in the month of November by the Zionist Palestine Office's branch of Petach- Tikvah when I was already cut off from Samaria as well as from Petach-Tikvah. Haifa 1917 Ltq.1,525.000 This committee, too, received its funds in the months of Septem- ber and October. It received a certain amount in advance on ac- count of future budgets in order to prepare a stock of grain. No account could have possibly reached me before communication was cut off. Galilean Colonies 1917 Ltq.750,000 The remittances were made in the month of October, after I had succeeded in finding out that the committee was in action. Most of the members and among them their very active chairman, Mr. Glikin, were in prison. No account could possibly have reached me before the cutting off of communication. Tiberias 1917 Ltq.1,350.000 Saffed 1917 Ltq.2,565.000 I am in the peculiar position that I cannot tell how much has been used for Tiberias and how much for Saffed. The only cer- tain thing is that the two above-mentioned amounts have been re- mitted to Tiberias for the two cities of Tiberias and Saffed during the months of October and November, 1917. I shall explain: I had just remitted Ltq.600 to the Tiberias Committee in Octo- ber when I heard that its chairman, Mr. Bentauwim, had been ar- rested under some fantastic charge. I had then to suspend re- mittances for a few days, as I did not know if there was anyone 22 Joint Distribution Committee of the left to receive them. I gave a further Ltq.600 to the Spanish Vice-Consul who went to Galilea but this gentleman was, as has been related above, sent back on the way and my remittance was returned with him. Towards the end of October I learned that Mr. Bentauwim had been released and I am at once sent a further Ltq.750. But afterwards I found out that this information was incorrect. In the meantime the situation of Saffed caused me much anxiety. You must long ago have received reports about the internal dis- sensions in this most unhappy community. It was absolutely im- possible to get a working committee together. Serious Long before I took over the Relief Administra- tion, Consul Glazebrook had already made up his mind to have done in Saffed with all local committees and to have relief work there administrated by an agent to be appointed by himself. He had designated Mr. S. Jacobson, an inhabitant of Jaffa, to act as his representative and I think that he has at the time reported to ycu on the matter but he was called away before he could make definite arrangements. During the interregnum of the Spanish Consul the matter remained in suspense. When I took over the administration I at once took the matter up and I agreed with the Zionist Palestine Office and with Rabbi Horowicz, the representative of the so-called Amsterdam Administration (Pekidim and Amarklim of the Holy Land), both of whom had also some funds to distribute in Saffed and would no more than I entrust any local committee with them, that we should jointly send a representative to Saffed. We also agreed about the personality of our agent, but before the latter could leave, the situation be- came such that it was quite impossible to send any representative to Saffed. Happily, Mr. Jacobson, the same gentleman whom Dr. Glaze- brook had wanted to appoint, was at that time in Tiberias where he acted as representative of the Jaffa Evacuation Committee. , , On November 11th, when the Jerusalem evacua- Jerusalem . .... Railroad Station n * ever was a ^ l ^s height, when the few trains Stormed leaving were stormed and the railway junction of Wadi-Sarar already threatened by General Allenby's forces, a special messenger of Mr. Jacobson managed to get into Jerusalem. Next day he managed to get out again and I gave him Ltq.1,585 for Mr. Jacobson, with the following instruc- tions : If my last remittances of Ltq.750 to Tiberias and Ltq.450 to the Galilean Colonies had been paid out, then he had to use the whole amount remitted for Saffed. But if not, then he had to use certain amounts for Tiberias and the Galilean Colonies. As far as I know the above-mentioned remittances which had been made American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 23 through The Anglo-Palestine Company have been paid out and the amount must have been used for Saffed. On November 18, I managed to get another remittance of Ltq. 1,000 into Mr. Jacobson's hands with the same instructions. I do not, of course, possess any account on the use of these re- mittances. Greek Exiles in Hama 1917 Ltq.741.50 In the month of September, 1917, it was announced that all Greek subjects were to be interned in the interior. Jerusalem Jews of Greek nationality belong nearly without any exception to the poorer classes but most of them exercised some profession which afforded them a small living. This was all of a sudden cut off and in Hama (Syria) where they were interned they lived in the blackest misery. It was decided to support them out of different charitable funds the principal of which was, of course, the Ameri- can Relief Fund. A small committee consisting of Messrs. Abra- ham Benveniste and Isaac Cohen was formed from among the exiles and to them the money was remitted. A special delegate was also sent to Hama in order to inquire into their position and needs. I have remitted to the above-named gentlemen a total amount of Ltq.741.50 between October 4 and November 6 for some 350 souls and they have, of course, not been able to send me an account of their expenses before the interruption of communications. Expenses and Interest As I worked during many months with borrowed money I had, of course, to pay some interest which appears in the account. As regards the expenses they would have been much less during the year 1917, if it had not been for the decreased buying power of the Turkish notes which, combined with the scarcity of all necessities after three years of war, forced me to pay in many in- stances ten to twenty times the pre-war value of things. Still, I venture to hope that expenses not exceeding one-half per cent, of the total amount which has passed through my hands will not be found exaggerated. I have left an amount of £50 in my hands as you will perceive from the Expenditure Account, 1918. This amount will be used for the preparing and auditing of the present report and accounts. Account will be rendered and the balance be handed to the Zionist Commission. The period covered by the present report has presented some difficulties unknown in previous periods, hard as they may have 24 Joint Distribution Committee of the been. I have tried to overcome them as best I could, always bear- ing in mind that I was expected by you and all our fellow-Jews abroad to hold out and to help our unhappy brethren in this coun- try to hold out, too. In the first period it was my task to get the Jewish population through the crisis in some way or other and by any means I could find. During the second period I had, with in- adequate means, to lay the foundation of a new relief work on broad and modern lines. The latter task has been now taken over by the Relief Department of the Zionist Commission, which has gone into it with unwonted energy and will doubtlessly under the present favorable conditions be able within a short time to relieve the situation in a way which previous administrations dared not dream of. I have already in the course of this report mentioned the gentle- men to whom thanks are due for their assistance and advice. With- out them I would not have been able to do anything. My principal thanks, however, are due to you, gentlemen, for the confidence with which you have honored me. It has been a privilege to me to be of some assistance to you in the fulfillment of the historic task which rests on your shoulders. Yours very respectfully, (Signed) S. HOOFIEN. Jaffa, July, 1918. Tel-Awiw. American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 25 RELIEF WORK IN JERUSALEM AUGUST 1ST, 1917, TO AUGUST 31ST, 1918 General Conditions The economic conditions of the Jewish community of Jerusalem and the influence exercised upon them by the war-events are suf- ficiently known and I shall therefore only with a few words, for the sake of completeness, refer to them. The Jewish community of Jerusalem is not self-supporting; it cannot be expected to be so and it would be unjust to reproach it with not being so. Far as it may be from being the religious centre of Judaism, it still is the community of the Holy City which itself stands in the centre of all religious Jewish thought and to which the eyes of Jews all over the world are directed and their hearts drawn. The unavoidable economic effect of this spiritual phe- nomenon is a steady influx of money into Jerusalem for all char- itable and religious purposes. The much quoted Jewish beggar who holds that the rich man has to thank him, whilst he has noth- ing to thank the rich man for, as he only affords the rich man an opportunity of fulfilling a "Mitzwah" — this Jewish beggar is neither very witty nor — after Jewish ideas — very paradoxical, and his pretention comes near enough to a simple statement of facts. It may indeed be reasonably questioned if Jerusalem's material need for taking 1 charity is larger than the Diaspora's Jewry's spiritual need to give it. Having gathered some ideas of the atti- tude towards Jerusalem among the Jews of many lands and having acquired now a rather intimate knowledge of Jerusalem conditions, I must frankly confess that I very much incline to the beggar's philosophy. We all are, and particularly orthodox Jewry is, under a deep obligation to Jerusalem which has been the object of our piety — a need of our own souls — and the victim of our charity for so many scores of years. We have every year sent our money to Jerusalem — not enough and not distributed in a way to lift it up out of the state of the most humiliating misery, but enough to buy us the right to look down on the Jerusalem Shnorrers. If it was badly distributed and had not the effect it should have had — must we complain of Jerusalem corruption or should not the Jews of the Diaspora before all consider that it was their money that was dealt with in this way and on them it was incumbent to see that it was better dealt with. I know of a European religious-charitable 26 Joint Distribution Committee of the organization, one of the oldest and most venerable among them all, which exists nearly a century without having sent only once in all that time one of its pious Zion-loving trustees to Jerusalem in order to see with his own eyes what was done with „ . * the money. The mythical Reb Meier baal Haness Collectors * s no ^ mere ly an invention of greedy Halooka-col- lectors ; he is a spiritual need even till to-day to large parts of our people. The Halooka and all that is bound up with it is a charitable system ; if such a system is defective, who is to be blamed and who should reform it, the receivers or the donors? Jerusalem's economic construction was, of course, bound to col- lapse at the outbreak of the war and the splendid efforts on her behalf during those war years are a partial paying off of the Jewish people's moral debt to Jerusalem. A second instalment will have to consist in a radical reform of the whole system and the third and last instalment — when time will have come for it — will be the com- plete stopping of charity from abroad ! The main divisions of Jerusalem charity are : a. The Kolel-money ; b. The special donations to the charitable institutions ; c. The donations through a few charitable administrations ; d. The donations for educational purposes. The larger part of all these sources stopped during the war and had to be more or less completely replaced by the Funds of the American Relief Fund. Conditions in Jerusalem during the last half of the year 1917 had become more appalling than they had ever been before. The prices of all commodities of life rose to a never dreamt of level. The poor population — and to this category belonged at least 85 per cent, of the total population — could scarcely buy any bread and even the small number of middle class families suffered severely. Suffice it to say that many citizens who during the first year of the war had honorably and unselfishly served on the various sub-committees now were reduced to accepting Without Bread amis themselves. A sack of badly ground home- grown flour cost twenty-five times the price of a sack of the best white Roumanian or Russian flour even during the first months of the war. An empty petroleum tin cost twice the price of a good wooden box with two full tins, before the war — an unestimable treasure during that last period. Meat was rarely seen, milk difficult to be had and at enormous prices only. Pota- toes had long been forgotten, other vegetables were to be had, but at war prices, too! Doorrha — a Palestine kind of maize — the most despised nourishment of the Fellah, out of which a bread is American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 27 baked which after one day is uneatable, fetched fifteen times the price of the finest flour before the war. People had sold all they could find in their houses. I have entered scores of houses where scarcely anything but a few rags to sleep on were left. Some garments still remained and they were sacrificed now. Never was the old garments market of Jerusalem so lively as for Fwd° W during that time. Beduins and Fellaheen from the whole South and East were the buyers, Jews and Jewesses were the sellers. Kaftans and shirts, the multi- colored Boocharian gowns, the furbrimmed "Streimels" — it was all thrown away to get a few Metalliks for dry bread — and what bread ! A blackish green stinking mass, full of straw, stones, chalk, repugnant to the eye and to the stomach ! I, who know the Jewish slums of Amsterdam, had hoped that at least the absence of the severe winter cold which makes the suffer- ing from poverty in a northern climate so fearful, would make the winter months somewhat more endurable. But this hope, too, was idle. Houses in Jerusalem bear so little account to climatic con- ditions in winter that even well-to-do people suffer from cold dur- ing the many rainy and stormy days of the winter months and the poor, of course, suffer much more. On rainy days the streets are — or were, at least, before the energetic British road-making set in — in an indescribable condition, one foot being F . the average depth of mud-sea on the Jaffa Road, at Schools The school children who had remained with scarcely any stockings or boots, had on many days the greatest difficulty to reach their destination. And reach it they must, for only there the bread on which they chiefly depended was distributed. At the same time political conditions went from bad to worse. I have pictured them already in my general report and I am bound to admit that for the masses of the population they made them- selves less felt in Jerusalem than in the colonies, as the Jerusalem masses were politically less suspected in the eyes of the rulers of the country. But the organization of relief work suffered severely from the continuous political uncertainty and from the exceedingly difficult postal and traffic communication, caused, not by material war conditions but by political measures. Organization I have given the most necessary details on the organization of re- lief work in my general report. I should like to add here only one thing, viz. : that although my report covers the period since Au- gust 1st, 1917, I have not taken any personal part in the relief work of Jerusalem during the month of August and the larger 28 Joint Distribution Committee of the part of the month of September, I have started my report from the above-mentioned date only because there is no other to report on it, the previous committee having closed its last report at July 31st, 1917. The work was conducted by the Advisory Committee, men- tioned by me in my general report and the means for it were provided by the Spanish Consulate out of the cash balance which Dr. Glazebrook had handed over to it and out of fresh remittances. I do not possess an account of this central administration but as I have to report on Jerusalem work since August 1st, I had to ac- count for the amounts received from the Spanish Consulate which will be found in the Jerusalem Receipts accounts. Finance As said above, the Jerusalem relief work has been financed out of two sources during the period under report. At first the Spanish Consul, Count de Ballobar, handed over to the Advisory Committee in the course of the months of August and September all the money he had still available, Ltq.8,665.300 in ordinary money and Ltq.2,698.625 in gold. During the months of September, October, November, and December, I paid into the Jerusalem treasury Ltq.16,150.688 in ordinary money and Ltq.5,085.437 in gold. The other small sources of income appear from the report. BRANCHES OF ACTIVITY In giving now a detailed report on the different branches of Jerusalem relief work I shall roughly follow the accounts and beg to pay some attention to the annexed appendices in which I have tried to furnish part of the large statistical material. General Distribution It will be remarked that this heading, which appears with a very large amount in the accounts of 1917, does not figure at all in those of 1918. I should like to explain this fact, the only one for which I venture to claim some credit. The previous administration had spent its funds mainly on two large branches started by it: the distribution of bread to the school-children, orphans and institutions and a periodical general money distribution to all the poor. This bread distribution is with- out any doubt the most useful thing which any relief administration has undertaken during the war. I firmly believe that it has saved thousands of children's lives. I found it fairly well organized when I entered the administration and all I have done is to continue to organize it. It will remain a lasting credit to those who have started it. American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 29 Differs from Qn the other hand I could not possibly agree Glazebrook ^[^ ^ S y S t e m of general distributions started by Dr. Glazebrook and his advisers and I have taken upon myself the large responsibility to discontinue them. The system was an exceedingly simple one. A list was made of all the poor of the community, containing about 23,000 names. Those were divided into three categories: (1) the utterly desti- tute, (2) those whose income was insufficient to defray the mini- mum cost of living, and (3) those who suffered temporarily from war conditions. A fixed amount was assigned to every soul be- longing to one of these categories. In the first distribution the categories (a) and (b) got 40 Piasters and (c) 30 Piasters. In the second and third — (a) got 40, (b) 30 and (c) 20 Piasters. Certain special amounts were allotted to the Rabbis and the Tal- mudic scholars and then everyone came to the office and took his share. Such a distribution, the third one, was in course in the months of August and September when the first remittance was put at my disposal and the Advisory Committee had to apply to me, al- though I had not yet entered office, for an advance as the money at its disposal did not suffice to complete the distribution. It was, of course, out of the question to stop such a distribution in the middle, confining its benefits to the fortunate bearers of names beginning with one of the first letters of the alphabet and nothing remained to me than to see the Advisory Committee through and when I had entered office, to finish the general distribution myself. I was, however, opposed to it and have not started a fourth general distribution during the period of my administration. My reasons were the following: Even in so miserable a community as Jerusalem was in war-time there is a difference between poor and poor, there are different categories of sufferers and some reasonable attempt at differen- tiation must at least be made. The scheme of (a), (b) and (c) is simple but it is too simple, too rough. Human beings may not be dealt with in that way. But this is only a practical argument the value of which might, perhaps, be contested on practical grounds. There is another still more forcible moral reason rigidly to do away with all general *x i^vi c „+~~. distributions of the kind. Such a distribution Halooka System . . jg not must necessarily pauperize the whole population, Pauperization ^ drives ou t the last vestige of shame and it favors the feeling that such support constitutes a right which everyone is entitled to and which may and must be claimed without any humiliation. A small merchant of Saffed would be afraid to lose his commercial credit — I have seen cases 30 Joint Distribution Committee of the with my own eyes — if it were known that his "yoox" in the Halooka had been reduced and if he willingly gave it up he would certainly be considered a complete fool, a squanderer of his children's for- tune. If modern institutions continue to work on the old lines of gen- eral distribution they strengthen these ideas which they are called to combat. In short : there must be some special cause for support. The simple fact of living in a Holy City and not being rich should not constitute a claim on charity, not even on war relief ! I have myself held two general distributions but in both cases I was forced by quite exceptional circumstances. In the month of January when the food situation had become very critical the military authorities handed me a certain quan- **.. titv of wheat with the instruction to distribute Distribution •> . . . , it among all the poor of the community and as only a very small part of it had any food-stuff in stock, nothing was left to me than to resort to the old lists. The second case was a similar one, that of the matzoth distribution. The city was without any wheat for matzoth. To all fairly well-to-do people we sold the matzoth, to the whole rest of the population we had to give it or they would have had to remain without it ! A money distribution, however, has not been held by me and instead of it I tried to differentiate some special categories which wanted and merited support. Bread Distribution to School Children As already explained above this branch of activity has been started by the previous committee and I may only claim to have extended and partly reformed it. The motives of the committee in devoting a large proportion of its means to this purpose are clear. As it could not hope to do enough for the whole city, it chose to do at least the best it could for those whose wants were greatest, and above all, whom it was most important to preserve, our children. I wholly shared this point of view and I have put a large part of my energy and means into this work. The following return gives an idea of the extent of the distribution : Bread Distributed Month in Rotals 1917 August 5,969.74 *Ltq.607.695 September 6,722.16 617.697 October 6,512.62 646.671 November 11,049.80 1,125.820 December 10,024.59 1,078.536 ♦During 1917 the currency was Turkish rounds (Ltq.), in 1918 the currency was Sterling Pounds ( f ). American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 31 Bread Distributed Month inRotals 1918 January 8,063.50 £750.074 February (1) 6,331.06 534.530 March (2) 5,292.59 508.090 April 8,674.87 867.087 May (3) 10,392.79 1,039.279 (1) In addition to this: rotals rice 1,219.08 140.500 (2) In addition to this: rotals rice 1,226.25 110.860 (3) In addition to this: rotals rice 1,643.50 147.915 The quantity assigned to every child was three-quarters of an okia, i. e., 180 grams. The rotal, mentioned in the above returns, weighs 2,888 grams. The number of the school children fed by us amounted in the average to about 3,500 during the first three months, but when after the feasts the new school year began, all the children of Jerusalem who had still remained in the streets, streamed into the schools and a few large girls' Heders were set up with the avowed purpose of letting the children have their share in the bread distribution. The number of children rose to about 5,700 and remained since then on this level. The variations in the quantity actually distributed are not caused by any variations in the want but depended only on our power to procure the necessary wheat. In a few exceptional cases we admitted to this distribution those institutions which have a mixed character, half school and half work-shop, like the Bezalel Art School and some lace work-shops, etc. The bread distribution to the schools together with the other bread distributions, necessitated every week some hundred sacks of flour. During the first months, September and October, there was no particular difficulty in procuring this flour. It was mainly , T ,_„ . a question of paying for it and as I was still rich. No Wheat or ? r j o ' Flour Could s P r °blem, too, was easily enough solved, r or Be Obtained the month of August the previous committee had handed over the whole bread supply to another charitable administration but as this trial did not work satisfac- torily it took the matter back into its own hands and I, too, re- tained it in my hands. I had all the millers compete with each other, preventing, as best I could, the formation of a trust against me, and then I concluded some monthly contracts, taking the risk of a rather improbable fall in the prices and I had no longer to care for the matter for four weeks. But when evacuation times came it all changed. There was no longer any wheat or flour in the market, as nobody dared to show his stocks which already were small enough. The Fellaheen ceased to bring their wheat to Jeru- 32 Joint Distribution Committee of the salem and the lively little grain market before the Damascus gate was empty. What should I do? I had hardly any stock. It would, of course, have been good politics to buy wheat when it was cheapest in July, August and September and keep a stock for a whole year. But experience had taught us the danger of such politics, as we have had no power to protect such a stock, which was sure to attract the eyes of the authorities, against military or civil requisitioning and then we should have lost our wheat and our money. I called all the Jewish millers and _ _ _ rs traders and demanded from them that they should Cooperate with stand by me and find me the necessary wheat. Mr. Hoofien ^ sen ^ P eo pl e ou t to buy wheat wherever they could find it. I concluded contracts for five and ten sacks, I had even the smallest quantity hunted after and so, day after day, I succeeded in getting my flour together. It was a question of life or death toi the larger part of the children who depended almost exclusively for their nourishment on our little piece of bread at noon. The worst was that people got nervous as they had perhaps some reason to be. The thunder of the can- nons drew nearer and nearer, the commander of the garrison had a proclamation stuck up, in which he announced that he would defend the Holy City, holy to the two creeds ( !) the Moslem and the Christian, till the last drop of blood, and he invited everyone who did not control a sufficient stock of food or who was afraid j. . of the battle to leave the city at once. He also Requisition announced his intention to requisition food-stuffs all Food-stuffs m case °^ necessity. Then began the arresting and expelling of so many leaders of the com- munity, the further searching for recruits and a general evacua- tion was, probably not without good reason, generally feared. The Turks announced that they would defend every stone of Jerusalem, machine guns were introduced into a few houses in the outskirts of the city and a battery took position before the Moshav Sekenim, the Old Aged Home. An anti-aircraft battery was placed right under my windows and bored large holes in the clouds without any consideration for the good citizens' nerves. Now our bread had to be baked by some thirty to forty bakers, most of them women, and to be distributed Distributed in among seventy-five schools and institutions. It 75 Schools and cost us some enC ° rt to keep the necessary order Institutions anc * discipline amongst all concerned, but we managed to keep the whole thing running. Even when the battery in the immediate neighborhood of the Lunatic Asylum, the Old Aged Home and the Shaare Zedek Hospital, fired its last shots and stray shells were here and there exploding, these institutions continued to get their daily supply of bread. American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 33 This bread distribution was the main reason why I so deliber- ately fought out my fight with the Governor regarding my ex- pulsion. After the liberation the situation became for a short time even more strained than before. My former activity in Jaffa as chairman of the local food board and my recent activity in Jerusalem had made me a kind of an expert in Palestine urban food supply matters and thus it came that two days after the lib- eration I had to supply the Military Governor of Military Jerusalem with a report on the food situation in Governor which I had to lay full stress on its most alarm- ing character. I was then appointed secretary to the Food Supply Committee and chairman of the Jewish Food Committee, but as there were nearly no supplies in the accessible part of the country, no supply committee could do great things. It was only after the energetic present Military Governor, Colonel R. Storrs, had obtained a supply from Egypt that it was possible to organize in some way Jerusalem food conditions. In the meantime it was, under such circumstances, more diffi- cult than ever to procure the necessary wheat for our distribu- tion. I regret to say that on one or two occa- Substituted sions I, indeed, failed to get the necessary quan- for Wheat ^ity together and the distribution in the schools had to be interrupted for some two or three days. Afterwards I was able, when there was no wheat to be had, to replace it by rice. During the last months the position has become less critical and although it is even now far from easy, still there is every hope that the necessary quantity will always be available. A glance on Appendices Nos. 52 and 66 will show that we have distributed food among the children of about fifty schools of every description. Our point of view was that we gave the sup- port to the children, not to the schools ; so we did not ask for the programme or curriculum of the school nor for the soundness of the education it afforded. The schools were for us only a medium to reach the children and our only concern was to control that our bread got really into the right hands, that it was well baked and distributed in due time. Under prevailing conditions this was already difficult enough. 'The bread distribution in its present form is, of course, a tem- porary measure. It needs a careful revision from time to time and in the same ratio as a little prosperity returns, it may prob- ably be cut down. Orphans One of the most difficult and costly problems which Jerusalem relief work has been confronted with as a consequence of this war, 34 Joint Distribution Committee of the is that of the orphans. I must add at once that the problem has not been solved and that till recently no attempt at a satisfactory solution could be undertaken. The seriousness of the problem will be clear at once when one takes into consideration that the miserable economic conditions necessarily caused a high mortality and that the children whose parents died in poverty were absolutely thrown upon their own resources, as their relations were too poor to charge themselves with a new burden and the existing orphanages had scarcely any income or means left. Jerusalem, and Palestine in general, has scarcely any reliable statistics, and I am therefore not in a position to give any official statistical returns in order to prove my contentions about the high mortality rate. But as I would not remain completely without any positive knowledge about actual conditions I have had some sta- tistical enquiries made during the month of October, 1917, in the registers of the various Chevra-Kadeesha (Burial Societies). Those of most of the Sephardic Communities and of the Ashkenasic Perooshim yielded some clear results ; from the Ashkenasic Chas- sidim it was impossible to get reliable data and the same applies to part of the Yemenites and the Georgeans. So I am not able to give a general figure for the Jerusalem Community as a whole, but still the data collected by me* give a sufficiently clear idea of the mortality rate, particularly as the second group of figures, collected quite independently from the first, very effectively and satisfactorily controls it. Mortality Rate Within the Set-bardic Community (With the exception of part of the Yemenites and the Georgeans) Number Average Mortality Year Death Cases Population Rate per 1,000 1913/1914 442 16,000 27.6 1914/1915 450 14,600 30.9 1915/1916 1,319 13,700 96.3 1916/1917 936 13,000 72.0 Mortality Rate Within the Perooshim Portion of the Ashkenasic Community Number Average Mortality Year Death Cases Population Rate per 1,000 1913/1914 307 11,500 26.7 1914/1915 362 10,200 35.5 1915/1916 816 9,600 85.0 1916/1917 679 9,100 74.6 I owe particular thanks to Mr. Joseph Meyouhas for kind help in this matter. American Fimds for Jewish War Sufferers 35 In order to arrive at the mortality rate I had to fix not only the number of deaths but the average population during four years. There are no exact data concerning this matter but my experience in the food supply department enabled me to arrive at fairly exact estimates of the present population and these estimates, together with the number of deaths, the estimated birth rate (for which also I possess some material which is, however, not complete enough to publish) and the estimated emigration, enabled me to fix with approximative accuracy the average population during and before the war. The figures assumed for the average population may be considered as a maximum, those of the deaths as a minimum, so that the ensuing birth rate is a minimum, too. I have collected figures for the years: 5,674 (1913/14) the year before the war, 5,675 (1914/15) the first year of the war, 5,676 (1915/16), and 5,677 (1916/17) the second and third years of the war. The terrific mortality of the year 1915/16 is partly due to the epidemic diseases of that year (cholera and spotted fever). The previous administrations had not been able to cope in any effective way with the orphan problem and towards the end of 1916, when there was practically no local relief committee the mat- ter had grown into a grave public scandal which the Streets struck even the Turkish authorities. Every- where little Jewish children laid down and died in the streets, little families of two, three and four huddled to- gether under the parental guidance of some ten-year-old older brother or sister. Most of them had not any shelter for the night and they slept in some corner on the pavement. The Governor of Jerusalem notified the Jewish Community that the authorities would take the matter up and provide for the chil- dren if the Community did not do it. Thereupon it was resolved to gather all the orphans who had not any relatives to look after them and put them in an orphanage. But it was impossible, of course, to procure suitable accommodation, beds, etc., for all those children and the condition in the orphanage where they had been put was a very bad one. Most of them slept on mats in the open air, as there were no rooms and no beds Established ^ or * nem an ^ they were still clothed in the rags in which they had arrived. When I took over the administration, I first of all rented a large house for the or- phanage, which afforded suitable accommodation and gradually I helped it to acquire the necessary beds and garments. I also arranged for a Talmud Torah within the orphanage, as till then the children had practically remained without any education. I could not, however, do anything definite as my own precarious position prohibited me to do the only radical thing; to take the 36 Joint Distribution Committee of the whole matter in the hands of our fund and either set up an or- „ ._., phanag-e of our own, or have the children edu- Own Position , , t . , .,. • i j l £ .i Precarious cated m private families picked out tor the pur- pose. Moreover there were no families available in which the children would have got the proper care and the ideal solution, the educating of the children in the country, in the col- onies, could not be dreamt of under the prevailing political condi- tions. I could not think of sending orphans to a colony which every day might be evacuated, or find itself in the battle line. So I continued the bread distribution to those orphans who lived with their relatives, which the previous committee had in- stituted; I also supported all the orphanages with a daily ration of 2 okias of bread (480 grams) for every child, and also with some pecuniary support, as appears from the accounts. When new cases were discovered, the children were sent to one of the four orphanages : Diskin, Weingarten, Blumenthal or the Sephar- dic Orphanage, in most cases to the Blumenthal Orphanage and the public nuisance in the streets was completely stopped. The public was very much gratified, the children were more or less happy, but I myself remained exceedingly dissatisfied. Under the new conditions I could not at once change the system. I could only have the children in the orphanages fed a little bet- ter and looked after, but the time had not yet come to send chil- dren into private houses, for the above-mentioned reason, that there were not yet any families who could properly receive them and of the starting of a large orphanage of our own I dared not think. Only after a few months, when at least a limited number of families had returned to such a standard of living that orphans might be trusted to their care, the newly organized Jerusalem Re- lief Committee started the selection of families which were pre- pared to receive orphans and this work has been continued by the Zionist Commission's Relief Department. The quantities of food distributed among the individual or- phans and the orphanages appear in the Appendices Nos. 53, 54, 67 and 68. Temporary Support Given When we stopped the regular distribution, we had of course, to do something in all those hundreds of cases of need which pre- sented themselves every week, or which came to our knowledge through our officials, the members of the Advisory Committee or other collaborators. All those cases were judged on their merits, investigated and, if necessary, small donations were granted to meet the most pressing needs. The system was, of course, a rather defective one and T chose it only because we had American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 37 not the means to at once arrange the division of the necessitous population into different groups and we had to create some pro- visional substitute for the general distribution. But from the outset our whole endeavors were directed to the limitation of casual support to those cases where some special need called for special attention. The Appendices Nos. 37, 57, and 78 show the details of this department of our work. Rabbis, Talmudic Scholars and Talmud-Torah Teachers The previous committee had already, at the time of its general distributions, devoted some particular attention to the very bad situation of the Rabbis and all the Jesheeva-Scholars and to that of the Melamdim, the Talmud Torah Teachers, and it had granted them some small extra donations. But it was obvious that these donations did not go far to meet the wants of the classes men- tioned. After a careful investigation of the situation I came to the con- clusion that before all others, the situation of the Melamdim had to be provided for. I cannot in this report, and I could not par- ticularly at the time the matter was before me, enter into the question of Jerusalem Talmud-Torah education being* all that it should be or not — I had simply to accept the fact that this is the education which part of the Jerusalem population wished their children to enjoy and that there was no institution at hand which would have filled the gap if the Talmud-Torah Schools had had to be closed for want of teachers. And such was the situation. The Melamdim were reduced to a state of misery, unendurable even for Melamdim which is saying much. They died so fast, that if something radical was not done there was little hope to carry the year's course to its regular end! After long deliberations with representatives of the Talmud- Torah Schools, with Rabbi Horowicz, the representative of the Amsterdam Administration and with Dr. Thon, a scheme was drawn up for the payment of a regular weekly support, on the lines of a minimum salary to all the Melamdim. The Amsterdam Ad- ministration and the Zionist Palestine Office contributed a certain part of the expenses, by far the largest part of which was, how- ever, borne by the Relief Fund. The whole matter has always been considered by me, much more from the point of view of the children, than that of their teachers. If we had not saved the situation, some fifteen hundred children would have been thrown into the streets without any education at all and this I thought it my duty to prevent at any cost. Once the matter with the Melamdim settled I had to give atten- 38 Joint Distribution Committee of the tion to the situation of the rabbis. The question is a difficult one to tackle in a city like Jerusalem, where rabbis, to say the least, are not lacking. But there was a small number of rabbis who might justly claim particular consideration. They were the mem- bers of the Bate-Dynim, the official Dayanim and some Sephardic Hahamim who held official appointments or situations. These gentlemen represented the Community ; they devoted their time and energy to its religious and part of its worldly affairs, many of them did a good hard day's work. It was only right that the Com- munity should pay them for their work and this Salaries of ., ■,., . , if a p • 1 t ^ in f° rmer y e ars — out of money flowing in of Relief from abroad ! Now, as my treasury was prac- Treasury tically the only one into which money from abroad flowed, it was this cash which logically had to pay their salaries. So I was told. I would not discuss the logic of the reasoning, but I took the fact into consideration that those gentlemen provided for the spiritual wants of the Community, which, particularly in a city like Jerusalem, were not less urgently felt than the material wants, and those wants had to be paid for. So, after careful consideration together with the members of my Advisory Committee and other advisers, I fixed the minimum sal- aries for the members of the Perooshic, Hassidic, Sephardic, Moroccan, Bookharian and Yemeneet Bate-Dynim and for some other rabbis who held official positions. There then remained the question of all the other Hebrew schol- ars in general, the Yesheeva scholars and the Talmidey-Hahamim, the rabbis who did not hold any special office. This question is, in a city like Jerusalem, an economic question of the first order. It does not concern a few people in some corner where they are out of touch with practical life, it concerns a whole class of the population. Among the Ashkinasim alone some 700 families with about 2,800 souls belong to this class. The Yesheeva people were starving. I could not preach them : "Go and work and earn your living," for I should have had to fear their reply: "Give No Work Could lls wor ^' or a ^ l eas t show us work." That was Be Obtained ^ ne curse °f the situation, that there did not ex- ist any work and that it was impossible to create it under the prevailing economic and political conditions. So noth- ing remained for me than to fix for all those gentlemen, too, a small weekly support. Once more I should like to point out that this support (Rabbis, Melamdim, Talmidey-Hahamim and Ye- sheeva-Scholars together) concerned quite an important part of the Jerusalem population, together not less than 5,000 souls. For details I beg to refer to the Appendices Nos. 39, 56, 74 and 75. American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 39 Support for the Aged In the year 1918, when we could begin to form further classifi- cation of the destitute, we first of all devoted our attention to the old, aged men and women, who were without support from their children. Till then I had in all cases where some old man or woman had urgently to be provided for, had them enter into one of the Old Aged Homes and took upon our fund to provide daily ration of bread for them, apart from the pecuniary support of the institutions. But there was a limit to the capacity of these homes and it was also much to be questioned if it was desirable to continue to increase the number of inmates of such institutions. So a regular weekly support to about 800 old people was ar- ranged for, the details of which appear from Appendix No. 69. Support for Soldiers' Families and Widows In the same way we carefully listed all the widows who were in need of support and for whom no work could then be pro- vided and also the unhappy wives of those poor people who had been forced into the Turkish ranks. There were about 2,000 widows and nearly 500 soldiers' wives to be provided for. For details I may refer to Appendices Nos. 70 and 71. Food Distribution and Support to Charitable Institutions As this is a report upon only a certain period of the relief work and not a general report on the situation of Jerusalem, I do not consider it my duty (tempting as the task might be after an ex- perience of a year's work) to write a descriptive report of the situation, the merits and defects of each of the many Jewish charitable institutions of Jerusalem. Some general remarks will, however, I hope, be allowed to me. Jerusalem institutions have for years been very much criticized and very justly so. But it would be very mistaken to condemn them all together, without attempting to distinguish between them. There are, first of all, some very few institutions which are directed by committees abroad and managed by officials appointed by those committees which are really directing committees and not paid or honorary representatives of the Jerusalem managers. These institutions are managed on general European lines, not worse and presumably not much better than any average insti- tution somewhere in Europe or America. But they are exceptions. Most of the institutions are of local nature. They are to be divided into two groups : the institu- tions of a more or less communal character with a committee at 40 Joint Distribution Committee of the their head ; and the one-man concerns, with only one leader, with- out any responsible committee or only a fake committee. There is a third group which I must mention, too, for the sake of com- pleteness: It is that of the non-existent institutions which are managed by swindlers with printed stationery, seals and post- office boxes, people who in every civilized country T t" t . would have fallen under some paragraph of a Institutions . . r & r . criminal law, as we may hope that they will do in Palestine in the future. The war has already done away with most institutions of this kind and the seals of their "committees," "chief-rabbis," "congregations," "councils," etc., have become useless. There is a certain danger that this begging industry will revive but under new conditions it will not be difficult to crush it. Now, as regards the real institutions, those which have a com- munal character may perchance be bad — as they are in some cases and the one-man concerns may perchance be good — as they very rarely are — but the fundamental difference between them remains untouched by these casual qualities. The base of the communal institutions is a sound one and that of the one-man's concerns is thoroughly unsound. Those institutions which are managed by a committee need only some reforms which, simple as they are, it was impossible to en- force before the war but which the present situation offers the very opportunity to introduce. They must be put under a certain measure of control of the community, their accounts must be published and controlled and the appointment of their committees must be cither in the hands of the community, or in an effective way in those of the donors of the funds upon which they subsist. For the one-man's concerns I am not able to suggest any reform even if they are good. There is no room in charity for private undertakings which appeal to the public for the means of their support without granting it an opportunity to control the man- agement and its accounts. If a man wants to devote his life to some branch of charity and if there is need for his charity, then he will certainly merit the fullest respect and en- Recomnieiids , -n l -c \ l 1. r „ , . courag-ement. JJut it he wants to remain tree Control of & . . Cl T'tablfl from suspicion, he will have to have his financial Institutions management, at least, independently and publicly controlled. This is not the case now in Jerusa- lem, and it opens a door to corruption which could be at once reso- lutely and definitely closed ! For both of these reforms, both those of the communal insti- tutions and those of the one-man's concerns, the time has now come and they should not be delayed. The war has created a concentration of relief money which was unknown before the war. The institutions depend therefore very American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 41 largely on one administration and this administration has it in its power to claim at least the minimum of public control as men- tioned above. Moreover, the country is now under an administra- tion which, although it may be prepared to grant every possible freedom, still will feel a responsibility to watch over public morality in financial, affairs, a responsibility which the former rulers did not assume. The present centralization of funds has tempted many Pales- tine reformers and perhaps some of our friends abroad, too, to ~ think that the ideal state of things would be for Opposes One n „ , , . ° c . , all money from abroad to go into one vast cen- Administration *ral administration, which should then assign their budgets to all necessary institutions and let the unnecessary ones disappear. I cannot uphold this view. Certainly, it would be desirable that all funds should go through one administration which would be responsible for the control of their use. This administration would quite as certainly have a very generous budget for general charity purposes (I do not speak of war relief now). But the institutions should remain free to apply _ .. A .. , to their own special friends and Jews abroad Institutional , , , • •. e . 1 .1 • Autonomy should remain quite as tree to earmark their donations for those special purposes which are near to their heart. Charity is a thing which wants specializing and individualizing if the human heart is to remain interested in it. It is a question of sound finance. A well-managed central admin- istration may get more means than a dozen of corrupt private in- stitutions but a dozen of well-managed, publicly controlled, special institutions, each under the direction of people who put their whole heart and energy into their special job, who can show their special work and results and appeal to the special friends of their institutions, such a group, particularly if it is united for the pur- poses of control, representation, etc., is sure to obtain more means than the best directed general administration which appeals for funds for general purposes. During the first part of the period under report, nothing or next to nothing could be done in order to exercise any control over the institutions. My administration, not by my own free will, I may say, was very much of a one-man concern itself and I could not create the necessary organization to attempt an effective con- trol of the institutions. But during the second period, the first steps toward such a control were made. The Institutional 1 1 v r '1.1. • a. j ■ i u local relief committee appointed a special sub- a~„~- +^» committee for the control of the institutions. In Appointed . .11 conjunction with the members of the newly created Hebrew Women's Association, this committee undertook before all, to control the internal management of those institu- 42 Joint Distribution Committee of the tions which was most necessary. In conjunction with the Council of the Community, new committee members in some institutions were proposed and appointed, and now that the work of the relief committee has passed over to the Council of the Com- munity, the latter is gradually taking into its hands an effective control over all the various institutions. Very gradually, I must add. Too gradually, perhaps ! But then it must be borne in mind that the forces of conservatism are strong in the Holy City and that some material interests stand in the way of the useful r .... reforms planned. Still it may be reasonably Improved hoped, that the end of the war will already find much order and organization instead of the chaotic conditions which prevailed at its outbreak. We supplied all the charitable institutions with a daily portion of two okes of bread (480 grams) for all their inmates and with pecuniary support according to necessity, the details of which may be seen from Appendices Nos. 53 and 67. Most of the institutions only subsisted, thanks to this support. So the American Relief Fund may justly claim that nearly the whole of Jerusalem's charitable system has been preserved by its support alone. The institutions, of course, could not expect to live in luxury, but all that was indispensable has been granted to them, particu- larly after the budget became a little more assured. Medical Help The want of medical help was very sorely felt during the war. Some of the Jewish physicians had left the country at the out- break of war, for different reasons, some had died and some were absent for other reasons. The remaining Jewish members of the medical profession therefore created a Committee for Medical Help which was subsidized by various institutions. From the outset, foremost among these institutions was, of course, the American Relief Fund, and in the course of time the subsidy of the American Relief Fund became nearly the only source of income of the Medical Help Committee, so that the latter may well be considered as a branch of the relief fund. In the course of April, 1918, the whole Medical Help Committee was reorganized and medical help became, formally, as it had been de facto, a branch of the relief fund activity. In this way it is continued now, pending the arrival of the American Medical Unit. The Medical Help Committee looked after all sick people, sent them doctors and nurses and distributed, in all cases of par- ticular necessity, rations of milk and bread, apart from the or- dinary bread rations. American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 43 These food-rations to the sick, were, indeed, the main feature of our medical help. The main cause of illness was starvation and the most important medicine was food. Scores of times I was told by our doctors : "Give us bread and give us milk and we are prepared to make you a present of all our drugs. A baby cannot live, neither on drugs nor even on good treatment. It wants milk." We did what we could with the means in our hands and we have at any rate had the satisfaction, that at no time has any Jerusalem Jew remained without proper medical attendance. Details of the work of the Medical Help Committee will appear from the special report of this committee. In order, however, to give some idea of the extent of our medical work, I want to give here some statistical figures concerning our activity during the month of May, when medical help was entirely in the hands of the relief committee. Doctors' Visits Night and Name of Doctor Day Special Visits Visits Dr. Mazie 53 5 Dr. Wallenstein 467 12 Dr. Jermans 341 Dr. Oplatka 190 Dr. Fabrikant 36 1 1,087 18 Prescriptions Dispensary Jemin Mosche 236 Oplatka 753 " Sichron Mosche 215 Hausdorff 500 " Rechowoth 831 Inner City 595 " Mean Schearim 548 3,678 Pecuniary Support Through Our Doctors Through Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Wallach £15.300 Mazie 3.100 Waitz 16.450 Kagan 16.000 Jermans . . Wallenstein Oplatka . . Fabrikant . 15.200 14.100 7.850 5.450 £93.450 44 Joint Distribution Committee of the Loans to Institutions and Individuals We have not opened, during the year 1917, a regular loan department, as there had scarcely remained any number of bor- rowers who could have taken loans for productive purposes and the ordinary public which took loans against pledges in order to buy food had nothing left to pawn. I do not know if I would have taken pledges, if they had had them. Indeed, when I looked at the long rows of sewing machines stand- ing idle in the relief committee's stores, at the scores of samovars, of clocks and other pieces of furniture which were certainly very sorely missed in so many homes, I felt very grave doubts whether the pawn-broking business should have been car- ried on by the Relief Fund Administration in the way it has been done. Still, a number of cases presented themselves where a private loan could fill a useful purpose and I judged therefore, without opening a special department, every case upon its merits and granted individual loans. In view of the very much reduced buy- ing power of the Turkish pound and the extraordinary circum- stances under which loans were wanted and Department granted, they had, of course, to be in the average much larger than was the custom before. After the reorganization of the relief committee, we appointed a special sub-committee for the loan department and started afresh the granting of small loans, for the larger part to small artisans and traders. The charitable institutions were assisted by us, not only by the regular support in kind and in money, as mentioned above, but at various occasions by considerable advances on their future in- come from abroad. When the situation of the institutions will be definitely settled, there will be room, perhaps, to take the conver- sion of part of these loans into subsidies, and into consideration. Details appear from Appendices Nos. 43, 44, 60, 61, 79, and 80. Food Distribution to Prisoners During the last months of the year 1917, we had to look after hundreds of Jewish prisoners, nearly all of them political or mili- tary prisoners, who were kept during many days or weeks in prison without any food being given to them. It is customary in such cases that the prisoners' relatives are allowed to provide them with the necessities, and on the whole, the treatment of the pris- oners, even of those gravely suspected, was not deliberately bar- barous (except in cases of "interrogatory," on the mediaeval lines of torture, which, however, occurred not in Jerusalem but in the colonies). Still, the sufferings of the prisoners were exceedingly American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 45 hard through sheer neglect. If we had not provided the prison- ers with food they would quietly have been allowed to starve. Details appear from Appendix No. 55. Americans and Greeks Expelled The matter of the Greek exiles has already been dealt with in the general report. The advisory committee to the Spanish Con- sul, had in the month of August already spent a certain amount on behalf of the poor Greek exiles when they went away, and had made some further remittances and this is the reason why an amount of Ltq.974 appears in the Jerusalem Accounts, apart from the amounts accounted for in the General Expenditure Accounts. There were a few Christian families between the band of Jewish exiles, and the advisory committee — wisely, I think, and certainly acting in the spirit of the donors of the funds in their hands — treated them in all respects like the Jews. The American citizens had lived quietly enough till a week or so after the first evacuation panic, when it was suddenly announced that they had to report at the Governorate in order to be sent away into the interior. Out of a number of several hundreds of Americans, some three or four reported within the fixed time. A notice was then stuck up, announcing that every American who did not report within 24 hours would be court-martialled on the charge of espionage and at the same time the city was carefully searched for hidden Americans. But an old oriental city is not an easy place to seek people who will not be found, and baksheesh- * tt ^ loving Turkish-Arab policemen are not the best Americans Hoped . 1 to . , r . , for British instruments lor such a search. Many Americans Occupation reported and others were found, but quite a num- ber took the risk of the court-martial in the hope of being liberated by the rapidly advancing British troops. The Americans were sent off in two batches, some of them taking their families with them and others leaving them behind. We gave them, within the measure of our then very small cash, money enough for their expenses on the road and the first time in Damascus till re- mittances could be made for them from Constantinople. Most of them had, moreover, some money of their own with them. When the second band left, I could not myself go to see them off, as I was confined to the Spanish Consulate for the reasons narrated above and the chief clerk of the relief office Avho was sent to distribute our support was arrested (after the distribution, fortunately) and sentenced to be expelled. He was kept under arrest for a few days, till we managed to get him out (once again through the good services of our friend Count de Ballobar) and have his case sus- pended. It remained in suspense until the liberation. We have afterwards supported the families of all the American 4,0 Joint Distribution Committee of the Jewish exiles. Details appear from Appendices Nos. 40, 41, 58 and 77. Distribution of Oranges The year 1917 was a Shemeeta-Year and one of our Jerusalem friends, whom I have had occasion to mention in the course of this report, Mr. Seev Schocher, presented us with the crop of his orange grove, as he might not sell it. We had to pay the cost of transportation, and distributed the oranges among all the poor. It is the only time that we have gone beyond the limits of the very minimum of necessity and I hope we shall be excused for it. The offer was accepted by the committee during my absence in Egypt, but I fully endorse the responsibility for its decision. So many years we had fed our people on dry bread and now that better times had come, there was such an immense longing for some little extravagance, something not absolutely necessary, that I really think we have done a good thing by responding to that call and bringing an ever so little tinge of flavor, an infinitesimal shade of luxury, into the lives of thousands of our down-trodden people and, before all, of their children. If we had invested the same amount in a few dozen sacks of flour, I do not think, that for once, the effect would have been equal. (Vide Appendix No. 73.) Communal Expenses As I have already explained, when speaking of the Rabbi's sal- aries, we had to provide for some general communal wants. In doing so we only carried on a tradition of the previous relief administrations. I must admit that I cut down those expenses, or our part therein, to their very minimum, as appears from Appendix No. 82, but below that minimum I Avould not go and the harm done by refusing these subsidies would have been out of all proportion to the very modest amount devoted to these purposes. Reception to Jewish British Soldiers In the course of March I was asked by the military authorities if the Jewish Community of Jerusalem would care to receive as its guests those Jewish soldiers who would get leave to celebrate the Passover feast at Jerusalem. I at once answered in the af- firmative, as, of course, everyone in my place would have been bound to do. The Community was still very far from prosperous, but yet it would have been able to arrange for a hundred or so Jewish families to receive two or three soldiers each at their homes for Passover. But when we began to arrange the matter, we were informed that the soldiers would not be permitted, for sani- tary reasons (there was much fear of a typhus epidemic then), to visit private houses and so we had to provide for them in a large American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 47 private residence, in the Bookharian Colony, belonging to a Book- hara Jew who was absent owing to the war. There we celebrated two Passover eves (as they were guests only and not permanently established) and entertained them during the Passover days. I took the not inconsiderable expenses upon our administration, not only because there was no other cash to draw upon for com- munal expenses of this kind, but for another reason besides. The visit of so many hundreds of strong and brave, well-clad and healthy Jewish soldiers immensely strengthened the self-con- sciousness of our Jewish population and gave a fresh impulse to their lives. It was just the thing they wanted after so many years of famine, humiliation, and sickness. When at Pentecost the visit was repeated in a somewhat smaller measure, I did not go into the same expenses and allowed only a much smaller subsidy, as appears from Appendix No. 83, which, however, together with other means collected within the Com- munity, allowed us to prepare a cordial reception to our dear guests. I am fully conscious that the expenses under this heading do not properly belong to war relief, but I am sure that — quite apart from our duty to exercise hospitality towards the boys who risked their lives for us, but as money used for the benefit of the Com- munity, these expenses are one of our best investments. Distribution of Matzoth for Passover Passover is and has always been an expensive feast for all Jews who keep it ! However poor a Jew may be — at Passover his chil- dren must have a pair of new shoes, a cap, a little Shabbes-garment or the house wants some new furniture. Besides food — and an ex- pensive kind of food — must be provided for a whole week during which nothing or next to nothing can be earned. During the war, Jerusalem Jews have learned to keep Passover without new shoes and new furniture — but not yet without matzoth ! Being at the head of the Community, and at the head of the re- lief administration at the same time, I was under the responsibility of providing matzoth for the whole Jewish population. And this at the time that one single ton of wheat played a large role in the food controller's calculations and the 120 tons wanted for matzoth were not to be found within the whole occupied territory. I discussed the problem on several occasions with the authorities and, thanks to the energetic help of the military governor of Jerusalem, I succeeded, during my stay in Egypt, in getting from the food controller of Egypt a special permit for the import of 120 tons of wheat from Egypt to Palestine. It was not enough but it went very far to cover our wants and we were able to pro- 48 Joint Distribution Committee of the cure the balance on the spot. I have already in my general re- port told the story of this Egyptian grain. We had, being the only corporation in the possession of wheat, not only to provide for the free distribution of matzoth but also to bake the matzoth for those who paid for it. We were hardly pressed for time. At Purim, when in ordinary years all the Pass- over wheat is already ground and part of the matzoth are baked, we only began to receive a few tons out of the 90 allotted to Jeru- salem out of the 120 brought from Egypt. But I got the millers and bakers to work day and night and they got through it in due time. The details of the distribution appear from Appendix No. 81. We distributed some rice besides (which was specially declared allowed for Passover use) and also wine for Passover use. General Activities Apart from all these above specified branches of activity, we on frequent occasions have, without or nearly without making actual cash outlays, interfered on behalf of individuals, parts of the Community or the Community as a whole, with civil, mili- tary and consular authorities, very often with good success, par- ticularly after the liberation. My position as head of the relief administration placed me, even before I was formally elected as such, de facto at the head of the Community, and so I had to rep- resent it on various occasions, to plead for its wants and to protect its interests. We have also tried to find work for all those who were fit for work. During the first period, our endeavors in this respect con- sisted mainly in the support of women's workshops. During the second period we succeeded now and then in getting some govern- ment work (road making, etc.) for our unskilled laborers. But much remains still to be done in this respect and the Zionist Com- mission is now giving particular attention to the matter. It will certainly be noted with some interest that apart from the unusual concentration of Jerusalem charity in the American Relief Fund, during my administration, a further step was made towards the unification of Jerusalem charities. In the month of October, 1917, I invited the representatives of the Amsterdam Ad- ministration (Pekidim and Amarkalim Beeretz Hakodesh) and the Zionist Palestine Office to some conferences, in which we dis- cussed most of the problems which were then before us. A prac- tical outcome of these conferences was the common scheme for the support of the Melamdim and Talmudic scholars. The Future Outlook I beg to be permitted to close this report with a few words on the probable future development. American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 49 We are already very far from the conditions of December, 1917. Children, swollen from starvation, are now no longer to be found, no orphans are begging in the streets, work is provided for many hundreds of women, the organization of relief work is steadily further progressing, the army brings some money into the coun- try and the small traders and shopkeepers profit from it. There is a little revival in general trade and private remittances are forthcoming from America, England, South Africa, etc. But we are still in war time and suffering from the war. The somewhat increased earnings are swallowed by the enormous in- crease in the cost of living and there is as yet no sound economic basis for real prosperity. War relief will have to be continued and there are particularly good reasons for continuing it, now that it is possible to administer it under favorable conditions. I have spoken of the reform of Jerusalem charity and I have ventured to point out that the duty to carry it through rests on the donors. Now is the time for it! Most of the donors in America are united. With those in other allied countries they could easily come to an understanding and it should be possible afterwards, when regular communication with Russia will once more be estab- lished, to arrive at an agreement with Russian Jews, too. The Jewish Community of Jerusalem is organized; there is also a Central Relief Administration which enjoys the confidence of , the government and the confidence of the donors. A reform of Jewish charity in Jerusalem should be carried through on the following base : (a) Honest administration and public accounts. (6) Use of charity money only for those who are in want of charity. (c) Use of all further funds either for constructive economic work, for educational and general cultural work or for purely re- ligious purposes. The Halooka, need not be entirely abolished. It should, how- ever, be thoroughly revised and brought back to its original idea, the support of Jewish learning in the Holy City, and its regional character should certainly be taken from it. All this can and should be done or prepared now. There is no reason to wait and there is large danger in delay. Our work, that of the American Relief Fund, has laid strong foundations for this reform and it would be unpardonable if we let the proper moment pass. I am under the impression that it belongs to the Joint Dis- tribution Committee to take the initiative in the matter. S. HOOFIEN. 50 Joint Distribution Committee of the APPENDIX A. A Few Statistical Figures About Orphans in Jerusalem (Situation of April 30th, 1918.) Number of Ashkenazic Orphans 1153 Number of Sephardic Orphans 1417 2570 Boys 1124 Girls 1446 2570 Aged 1 to 6 424 Aged 6 to 1 1 928 Aged 11 to 15 1078 Aged 15 to 17 145 2570 Both parents deceased 520 Father deceased 1714 Mother deceased and father absent 285 Both parents absent 51 2570 The above figures do not include the orphans cared for in the Orphan- ages. Cared for in the Diskin Orphanage 160 Cared for in the Blumenthal Orphanage 150 Cared for in the Weingarten Orphanage 89 Cared for in the Sephardic Orphanage 21 420 AUGUST 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1917. Receipts. The Joint Distribution Committee, as per Appendix 1 . . Ltq.3 1,677.0000 Exchange, as per Appendix 2 4,124.6025 The Previous Administration, as per Appendix 3 1,061.4100 Sundry Creditors, as per Appendix 4 12.7500 The Anglo-Palestine Company, Limited 12,261.2650 Ltq.49, 137.0276 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 51 AUGUST 1 TO DECEMBER 81, 1917. Expenditure. Jerusalem, as per Appendix 5 Ltq.31,855.9600 Jaffa Evacuation Committee, as per Appendix 6 4,000.0000 Jaffa, as per Appendix 7 1,947.5000 Judaean Colonies, as per Appendix 8 2,237.5000 Hebron, as per Appendix 9 375.0000 Samarian Colonies, as per Appendix 10 605.4400 Haifa, as per Appendix 11 1,525.0000 Galilean Colonies, as per Appendix 12 750.0000 Tiberias, as per Appendix 13 1,350.0000 Saffed, as per Appendix 14 2,565.0000 Greek Exiles in Hama, as per Appendix 15 741.5000 General Expenses, as per Appendix 16 335.0980 Interest and Commission, as per Appendix 17 196.9200 Sundry Debtors as per Appendix 18 834.8000 Stock in hand, as per Appendix 19 , 92.9500 Cash, as per Appendix 20 724.3595 Ltq.49,187.0275 AUGUST 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1917. Receipts in Gold. The Previous Administration of Relief through the Spanish Consulate Ltq.68.7250 The Joint Distribution Committee (its payment through the Netherlands' Minister in Constantinople) 500.0000 Zionist Palestine Office, loan 1,982.5000 Ltq.2,551.2250 AUGUST 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1917. Expenditure in Gold. Jerusalem, as per Appendix 21 Ltq.2,551.2250 52 Joint Distribution Committee of the JANUARY 1 TO MAY 81, .1918. Receipts. The Joint Distribution Committee $80,000.0000 £16,008.0000 Different Committees through The Special Committee for the Relief of Jews in Pal- estine: First Remittance £3,000.0000 Second Remittance 5,000.0000 8,000.0000 Consignments in kind through The Special Committee: 1. 50 Tons of Sundry Food-stuffs £2,102.2410 2. 120 Tons of Passover Wheat. . 4,066.0000 8. 150 Tons of Rice 3,663.6880 The Alexandria Jewish Palestine Relief Fund The Jewish Colonization Association Individual Donations, Appendix 22 The Previous Administration; collected on account of the previous Loan Department Special Committee for the Distribution of the Govern- ment Relief in Jerusalem Sundry Debtors, collected, as per Appendix 23 Proceeds of Stock in Hand, December 81, 1917 The Anglo-Palestine Company, Limited 9,831.9290 450.0000 787.3000 9.5000 27.0000 250.0000 236.8420 81.5700 6,620.9660 £42,808.1070 JANUARY 1 TO MAY 81, 1918. Expenditure : Jerusalem, as per Appendix 24 £33,285.2790 Jaffa Evacuation Committee, as per Appendix 25 916.9560 Jaffa, as per Appendix 26 5,405.5140 Judaean Colonies, as per Appendix 27 566.3410 Hebron, as per Appendix 28 950.0000 General Expenses, as per Appendix 29 222.4850 Interest and Commission, as per Appendix 30 674.3420 Sundry Creditors, as per Appendix 31 11.1900 The Zionist Commission, as per Appendix 32 121.0000 Cash, as per Appendix 33 50.0000 £42,303.1070 Audited and found correct Jerusalem, July 31st, 1918 (Signed) S. HOOFIEN (Signed) I. EISENSTADT American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 58 JERUSALEM. AUGUST 1 TO DECEMBER 81, 1917. Receipts. Balance in Cash on July 31, as per report of previous Committees Ltq.278.9670 Count de Ballobar, as per Appendix 34< 8,665.3000 Central Administration, as per Appendix 35 16,150.6880 Ltq.25,094.9550 Expenditure. General Distribution, as per Appendix 36 Ltq.l 1,537.7500 Special Support, as per Appendix 37 2,981.9200 Support of Charitable Institutions, as per Appendix 38 551.4000 Talmud-Torah Teachers and Talmudic Scholars, as per Appendix 39 4,066.5000 Greek Exiles in Hama, as per Appendix 40 974.0000 American Exiles and their families, as per Appendix 41 55.8500 Medical Help, as per Appendix 42 2,940.2500 Loans to Institutions, as per Appendix 43 1,006.0000 Loans to Individuals, as per Appendix 44 530.0000 Sundry Expenses, as per Appendix 45 133.7300 Office Expenses, as per Appendix 46 407.5550 Ltq.25,094.9550 JERUSALEM. AUGUST 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1917. Receipts in Gold. Balance in Cash on July, as per report of previous Committee Ltq.20.9640 Count de Ballobar, as per Appendix 47 2,698.6250 Central Administration, as per Appendix 48 5,085.4370 The Jerusalem Wheat Syndicate, as per Appendix 49 . . 372.0950 Loans, as per Appendix 50 12.2620 Creditors, as per Appendix 51 563.2100 Ltq.8,752.5930 Expenditure in Gold. Food Distribution to Schools, as per Appendix 52 Ltq.4,076.4190 Food Distribution to Charitable Institutions, as per Ap- pendix 53 1,490.7390 Food Distribution to Orphans, as per Appendix 54. . . . 1,574.6160 Food Distribution to Prisoners, as per Appendix 55. . . . 183.3070 Food Distribution to Talmud-Torah Teachers and Tal- mudic Scholars, as per Appendix 56 125.7530 Special Support, as per Appendix 57 5.2650 54 Joint Distribution Committee of the American Exiles and their families, as per Appendix 58. Ltq.138.9750 Medical Help, as per Appendix 59 73.4060 Loans to Institutions, as per Appendix 60 162.6050 Loans to Individuals, as per Appendix 61 15.1520 Sundry and Office Expenses, as per Appendix 62 242.2090 The Jerusalem Wheat Syndicate, as per Appendix 63 . . 222.0950 Balance in Cash on December 31 442.0520 Ltq.Gold8,752.5930 JERUSALEM. JANUARY 1 TO MAY 31, 1918. Receipts. Balance in Cash on January 1, as per account of 1917 Ltq.Gold442.0520 £387.9000 Central Administration, as per Appendix 64 83,285.2790 Sundry Debtors, as per Appendix 65 133.8200 £33,806.9990 Expenditure. Food Distribution to Schools, as per Appendix 66 £4,046.5850 Food Distribution and Support to Charitable Institutions, as per Appendix 67 3,575.1380 Food Distribution to Orphans, as per Appendix 68 1,273.8930 Old Aged Support, as per Appendix 69 765.7850 Widows' Support, as per Appendix 70 1,478.6560 Soldiers' Families Support, as per Appendix 71 1,322.1000 Food Distribution to the General Poor, as per Appendix 72 414.2700 Oranges Distribution to General Poor, as per Appendix 73 138.1600 Rabbis' Support, as per Appendix 74 519.3160 Talmudic Scholars' Support and Talmud-Torah Teach- ers' Salaries, as per Appendix 75 5,553.4080 Support to Individual Cases, as per Appendix 76.... 719.5480 American Exiles and their Families, as per Appendix 77 406.1750 Medical Help, as per Appendix 78 1,156.0930 Loans to Institutions, as per Appendix 79 1,656.9850 Loans to Individuals, as per Appendix 80 1,090.5500 Passover Distribution, as per Appendix 81 6,498.2180 Communal Expenses, as per Appendix 82 65.1500 Jewish British Soldiers' Reception, as per Appendix 83 . . 572.6600 Sundry Expenses, as per Appendix 84 860.6800 Office Expenses, as per Appendix 85 867.5010 Loss of Exchange, as per Appendix 86 204.4270 Sundry Creditors, as per Appendix 87 494.2200 Sundry Stocks of Food Stuffs, as per Appendix 88 . . . . 71.7910 Cash, as per Appendix 89 55.6900 £33,806.9990 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 55 APPENDIX 1. The Joint Distribution Committee. Their remittances $95,000 Ltq33,402.0000 $5,000 for the Straus Institutions 1,725.0000 Ltq.3 1,677.0000 APPENDIX 2. Exchange. Remitted back to Constantinople Ltq.16,534.6500 Expenses on this remittance 124.1625 16,658.8125 Received from Constantinople the countervalue in gold of Ltq.Gold3,533.0000 21,108.0000 Exchange profit 4,449.1875 Balance of Exchange profit and losses on various smaller transactions 324.5850 Ltq.4,1 24.6025 APPENDIX 3. The Previous Administration. Proceeds of Charcoal (Vide Report) Ltq.382.0000 Proceeds of Loan Department (Vide Report) 679.4100 Ltq. 1,06 1.4 100 APPENDIX 4. Sundry Creditors. S. Hoofien (as representative of the British Palestine Fund) Ltq.12.7500 56 Joint Distribution Committee of the APPENDIX 5 The Jerusalem Branch has received in current money. . Ltq.3 1,355.9600 And in gold Ltq.2,55 1.2250 at the rate of 6 15,307.3500 Ltq.46,663.3100 The Jerusalem Branch reports to have received in current money Ltq.16,150.6880 Gold Ltq.5,085.437 at the rate of 6 30,512.6220 Ltq.46,663.8100 The proceeds in Gold of Ltq. 16,65 8.8 125 current money remitted to Constantinople were, as per Appendix 2 Ltq.G.3,533.0000 Out of this amount various branches and expenses have used the amount of 998.7880 The Jerusalem Branch has got Ltq.G.2,534.2120 And it has got out of the Gold remittance 2,551.2250 Making a total of Ltq.G.5,085.4370 APPENDIX 6. Jaffa Evacuation Committee. 1917 Sept. 12 Remitted Ltq.3,000.0000 Sept. 27 Remitted 1,000.0000 Nov. 15 Remitted 1,000.0000 Ltq.5,000.0000 Nov. 16 Remittance came back as the messen- ger could no longer reach Petach- Tikvah 1,000.0000 Ltq.4,000.0000 APPENDIX 7. Jaffa. 1917 Oct. 16 Remitted Ltq. 1,560.0000 Nov. 18 Paid for their account 67.5000 Dec. 14 Paid them in Petach-Tikvah 320.0000 Ltq. 1,947.5000 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 57 APPENDIX 8. Judaean Colonies. 1917 Oct. 26 Paid for their account to prisoners in Jerusalem Ltq.10.0000 Oct. 26 Remitted 1,200.0000 Remitted 1,275.0000 Remitted 75.0000 Nov. 7 Paid for their account 10.0000 Nov. 18 Paid for their account 67.5000 Ltq.2,637.5000 Dec. 3 1 Remittances not paid out to them 400.0000 Ltq.2,237.5000 APPENDIX 9. Hebron. 1917 Nov. 6 Remitted Ltq.375.0000 APPENDIX 10. Samarian Colonies. 1917 Sept. 13 Paid to the Hedera Sub-Committee.. Ltq.200.0000 Oct. 12 Remitted 109.200^ Nov. 5 Payment for their account 54.^ Nov. 12 Payment for their account Dec. 24 Payment for their account Dec. 27 Remitted to them from Petach-Tikvah APPENDIX 11. Haifa. 1917 Oct. 12 Remitted / Oct. 12 Remitted . Oct. 12 Remitted Dec. 14 Remitted from F APP Galil 1917 Oct. 12 Remitted . . Oct. 29 Remitted . 58 Joint Distribution Committee of the APPENDIX 13. Tiberias. 1917 Oct. 12 Remitted Ltq.600.0000 Oct. 29 Remitted 750.0000 Ltq.1,350.0000 APPENDIX 14. Saffed. 1917 Nov. 11 Remitted Ltq.1,565.0000 Nov. 18 Remitted 1,000.0000 Ltq.2,565.0000 APPENDIX 15. Greek Exiles in Hama (Syria). 1917 Oct. 4 Remitted Ltq.350.0000 Oct. 15 Remitted 175.0000 Oct. 26 Paid in Jerusalem 4.0000 Nov. 6 Remitted 37.5000 Nov. 6 Remitted 175.0000 Ltq.741.5000 APPENDIX 16. General Expenses. Ltq.2.3550 Stationery, Printing 69.1600 41.9000 18.3000 Constantinople 41.7550 60.0000 111.6280 Ltq.335.0980 X 17. MMISSION. tted to various Ltq.107.3250 89.5950 Ltq. 196.9200 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 59 APPENDIX 18. Sundry Debtors. Zionist Palestine Office Ltq.270.0000 Sundry Individual Debtors 64.8000 Ltq.334.8000 APPENDIX 19. Stock in Hand. A small lot of Doorrha (low grade corn) Ltq.92.9500 APPENDIX 20. Cash. The Cash Balance of Ltq.724-.3595 has not been transferred to the 1918 Cash and has been handed over to the Zionist Commission. APPENDIX 21. Jerusalem. VIDE APPENDIX 5. APPENDIX 22. Individual Donations. An amount of Ltq.9.50 of Mr. Joseph Kamchi was sent to Jerusalem with the stipulation that if it could not be paid out to the payee it was to be used for the general poor. As it could not be paid out it was handed over to the Relief Administration. APPENDIX 23. Sundry Debtors. The Zionist Palestine Office £236.8420 Egypt. Pounds APPENDIX 24. Jerusalem. VIDE APPENDIX 64. 60 Joint Distribution Committee of the APPENDIX 25. The Jaffa Evacuation Committee. 1918 Jan. 1. Payment in Petach-Tikvah on Dec. 10, 1917, francs 1,022.5500 £39.4560 Payment in Tiberias on Sept. 30, francs 22,730 . 877.5000 £916.9560 APPENDIX 26. Jaffa. 1918 Jan. 1. Payment in Petach-Tikvah on Oct. 23, 1917, to the Kfar-Saba Kitchen, francs 1,818.4000 £70.1450 Payment in Jerusalem on Sept. 27, 1917, which had remained to the debit of the Jaffa Commit- tee with The Anglo-Palestine Co., Ltd., francs 38,731 1,491.7500 Payment of sundry amounts which had remained to the debit of the Jaffa Committee with The Anglo-Palestine Co., Ltd 1,575.1960 Payment of francs 4,000 for the account of the Jaffa Committee to the Vaad Hakemach 176.2280 Sundry payments to the Jaffa Committee in Pe- tach-Tikvah through the Zionist Provisional Office 539.2420 One-quarter of the Passover Wheat Consign- ment 1,016.5000 Jaffa part of the 50 Tons Food Consignment. . . 562.7570 5,431.8180 Paid back part of the Outlays for their account in 1917 26.3040 £5,405.5140 APPENDIX 27. Judaean Colonies. Payment of sundry amounts which had remained to the deb- it of the Judaean Colonies Committee with the Anglo-Pal- estine Company £692.6460 Pack back part of the outlays for their account 1917 26.3050 £666.3410 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 61 APPENDIX 28. 1918. Hebron. Feb. 28, Remitted £60.0000 Mar. 4, Remitted 100.0000 " 21, Remitted 190.0000 Apr. 21, Remitted 100.0000 May 21, Remitted 100.0000 " 24, Remitted 200.0000 " 81, Remitted 5 tons of foodstuffs 200.0000 £950.0000 APPENDIX 29. General Expenses. Telegrams £29.6300 Office Expenses, Postage, Stationery, Printing 0.8400 Travelling Expenses 141.4950 Sundry Expenses 45.0000 Salaries 6.0000 £222.4850 APPENDIX 30. Interest and Commission. Commission on Remittances from Constantinople £50.0000 Interest 624.3420 £674.3420 APPENDIX 31. Sundry Creditors. S. Hoofien (as representative of the British Palestine Fund) Ltq.12.7500 £11.1900 APPENDIX 32. The Zionist Commission. A Cash Balance of £121.0000 which had remained in the hands of the Special Com- mittee's representative in Jerusalem from their remit- tances of £3,000 was handed over to the Zionist Com- mission. APPENDIX 38. Cash. A Cash Balance of £50.0000 was reserved at the time of closing the accounts to de- fray out of the expenses of preparing and auditing the report and accounts, etc. This amount will be account- ed for to the Zionist Commission and the Balance will be handed over to it. 62 1917. Aug. 26. 26. 29. " 80. 81. Sept. Joint Distribution Committee of the APPENDIX 84. Count de Ballobar. Received Ltq.2,000.0000 1,000.0000 800.0000 600.0000 400.0000 Ltq.4,700.0000 8. 500.0000 6. 779.6000 7. 800.0000 9. 200.0000 10. 800.0000 11. 400.0000 12. 400.0000 13. 100.0000 14. 9.0000 16. 976.7000 8,965.3000 Ltq.8,665.3000 1917. Sept. 14. 16. 23. 24. " 27. " 30. Oct. 15. 15. 19. 19. 19. 21. 21. 24. 29. 30. 80. 80. APPENDIX 85. Central Administration. Received Ltq.400.0000 200.0000 800.0000 600.0000 1,500.0000 1,100.0000 Paid for acct. of Jerusalem Ltq. 150.0000 300.0000 200.0000 8.0000 25.0000 100.0000 29.0000 15.0000 108.0000 175.0000 10.0000 70.0000 Ltq.4,000.0000 Ltq. 1,1 85.0000 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 63 Nov. Dec. 5. Receive d Ltq.250.0000 6. Paid fc 400.0000 8. 200.0000 9. 700.0000 9. r acct. of Jerusalem 2.0000 9. ■I << ii ii ii 1.0000 9. ii ii ii •i •• 1.0000 9. n ii ii ii ii 1.0000 9. « ii ii ii ii 1.0000 9. •I ii ii ii i< 80.0000 16. Received . . . 100.0000 16. Paid fc 150.0000 16. 20.0000 16. r acct. of Jerusalem 150.0000 16. ii ii ii ii ii 150.0000 16. ii ii ii ii ii 269.5000 16. ii ii ii ii ii 420.0000 16. •I ii ii •i ii 100.0000 18. ii ii ii ii ii 135.0000 25. ii ii ii ii ii 269.5000 25. n ii ii ii ii 5.6000 25. ii ii ii ii ii 400.0000 25. ii ii ii •I ii 30.0000 25. ii ii ii ii ii 100.0000 25. •I ii ii ii ii 15.0000 25. ii ii ii ii ii 50.0000 25. ii ii ii ii ii 11.0000 25. Received . . . 100.0000 27. " 150.0000 30. 200.0000 30. 271.0000 30. 367.2500 Ltq.5,099.7500 3. «. Ltq.229.0000 273.0000 3. Paid fc 7. >r acct. of Jerusalem 23.1250 7. ii ii ii ii << 2.0000 17. 200.0000 27. Paid for acct. of Jerusalem 3,247.5000 27. " i ii " " 200.0000 27. " i ii •I ii 200.0000 27. " ■ ii ii ii 182.2500 27. " i ii ii ii 522.5000 27. " i ii ii ii 455.0000 27. " i ii ii ii 125.0000 31. " i ii ii ii 890.8500 81. 93.0000 fi 1 -1.3 oo fi0 UillOiAMt/U Ltq.16,427.9750 64 Joint Distribution Committee of the Dec. 7. 7. 7. 31. Paid back to the Central Administration or for its account Paid back to the Central Administration or for its account Paid back to the Central Administration or for its account Paid back to the Central Administration or for its account Paid back to the Central Administration or for its account Ltq.2.2500 2.5000 150.0000 21.8750 100.6620 APPENDIX 36. General DlSTRIBUTION. 1917 Persons Piastres Aug. 26. 1205 (J-) 50 Ltq .602.5000 " 27. 40 (J.) 20 8.0000 " 27. 108 (J.) 80 30.9000 " 27. 417 (J.) 40 166.8000 " 27. 308 (R.D.) ... 60 184.8000 ■« 27. 144 (T.H.R.D.) 50 72.0000 " 27. 88 (M.) .... 50 19.0000 " 27. 209 (T.H.&M.) 50 104.5000 «4 27. 840 (T.H.) ... 50 170.0000 " 27. 9 (T.H.) ... 40 3.6000 " 27. 196 (T.H.) ... 160.1500 " 27. 201 (T.H.&M.) 100.5000 " 28. 28. 28. 28. 470 204 40 41 40 30 20 50 188.0000 « 61.2000 <« 8.0000 " (M.) .... 20.5000 " 28. 6 (M.) .... 100 6.0000 " 28. 29. 83 47 40 50 13.2000 - (M.) .... 23.5000 " 29. 29. 29. 29. 29. 29. 80. 51 195 803 4 1 9 18 20 80 40 60 80 30 50 10.2000 « 58.5000 >• 121.2000 » 2.4000 •< 0.8000 « 2.7000 " (M.) .... 9.0000 " 80. 8 >evath. (M.) .... M.- 100 — Melamdim ( —Talmldey H 8.0000 J.~ -Jesht Talmud Tora R.D.- -Rabbis & Dayonlm. T.H.- ahamlm (Ta 277.2870 Ltq.16,150.6880 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 65 1917 Aug. Persons 80. 2 80. 85 80. 257 30. 613 81. 618 31. 170 81. 32 31. 95 31. 2 31. 9 31. 3 31. 33 31. 1 31. 10 31. 5 31. 4 31. 3 2. 557 2. 219 2. 4 2. 6 2. 113 2. 46 3. 525 3. 193 3. 29 3. 22 4. 528 4. 163 4. 69 4. 2 5. 16 5. 537 5. 268 5. 2 5. 10 6. 588 6. 393 6. 126 6. 14 6. 2 6. 4 7. 196 7. 164 7. 47 7. 22 7. 75 7. 12 7. 4 Piastres 120 Ltq.2.4000 17.0000 77.1000 245.2000 247.2000 51.0000 6.4000 38.0000 1.0000 2.7000 0.7500 13.2000 0.2500 10.0000 2.0000 2.0000 1.8000 Ltq.222.8000 65.7000 2.0000 2.0000 52.1000 9.2000 210.0000 57.9000 5.8000 10.5000 131.2000 48.9000 11.8000 0.5000 3.2000 214.8000 80.4000 1.0000 6.0000 235.2000 117.9000 25.2000 7.0000 0.8000 2.4000 78.4000 49.2000 9.4000 11.0000 80.0000 3.6000 0.8000 20 «« 30 <« 40 » 40 «« 30 « 20 >> 40 ■• 50 «« 30 « 25 « 40 » 25 » . . 100 « 40 «. 50 « 60 Sept. 40 Ltq.2,868.9500 30 •' 50 «« 33 ** (T. H. ) • 20 » 40 « 30 « 20 ,, (T. H. ) • 50 40 « 30 « 20 « 25 " 20 » 40 « 30 >> 50 « 60 " 40 >> 80 " 20 >' (T. (T. (T. H H H ) • ) • 50 40 60 40 " 30 » 20 ft (T, (T. (T (T ,H H .H H ■) • ■) • •) • •) • 50 40 80 20 66 Joint Distribution Committee of the 1917 Persons Piastres Sept. 9. 602 40 Ltq.240.8000 9. 221 80 66.0000 9. 39 20 7.8000 9. 9 100 9.0000 10. 479 100 191.6000 10. 199 30 59.7000 10. 62 20 12.4000 11. 288 40 115.2000 11. 170 30 51.0000 11. 44 20 8.8000 "11. 5 (T.H.) ... 50 2.5000 "11. 5 (T.H.) ... 40 2.0000 12. 647 40 258.8000 12. 223 30 66.9000 12. 17 20 3.4000 12. 7 10 0.7000 12. 18 (T.H.) ... 50 9.0000 13. 752 40 300.8000 13. 267 30 80.1000 13. 65 20 13.0000 13. 2 50 1.0000 13. 6 10 0.6000 14. 527 40 210.8000 " 14. 192 30 57.6000 14. 54 20 10.8000 Ltq.3,487.0000 16. 627 40 270.8000 16. 201 30 60.3000 16. 9 20 1.8000 16. 3 (M.) 50 1.5000 16. 2 (Soldiers). 25 0.5000 19. 584 40 233.6000 19. 248 30 74.4000 19. 45 20 9.0000 19. 1 80 0.8000 20. 672 40 268.8000 20. 214 30 64.2000 20. 16 20 3.4000 20. 10 10 1.0000 20. 4 (Soldiers). 25 1.0000 20. 2 (Soldiers). 100 2.0000 20. 1 (Soldiers). 200 2.0000 20. 20 (T.H.) ... 50 10.0000 " 20. 5 (T.H.) ... 40 2.0000 20. 4 (T.H.) ... 100 4.0000 21. 458 40 183.2000 21. 266 30 79.8000 21. 16 20 3.2000 J. — Jesheevath. M. — Melamdim (Talmud Torah Teachers). R.D.— Rabbis & Dayonlm. T.H. — Talmldey Hahamlm (Talmudic Scholars). American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 67 1917 Persons Piastres Sept. 21. 21. 18 40 Ltq.7.2000 0.9000 233.6000 75.9000 0.8000 1.2000 11.2000 2.0000 304.4000 123.9000 12.0000 1.2000 0.5000 308.0000 89.7000 16.8000 0.4000 25.5000 3 584 253 4 2 28 4 761 413 60 2 1 770 299 84 4 51 30 40 30 20 60 40 50 40 30 20 60 50 40 30 20 10 50 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 24. 24. 24. 24. 24. 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. (T.H.) ... " 27. 38 (T.H.) . . . 60 22.8000 27. 4 (T.H.) . . . 30 1.2000 28. 467 132 18 194 40 30 20 50 186.8000 39.6000 3.6000 97.0000 28. 28. 28. (T.H.) ... 28. 5 (T.H.) . . . 60 3.0000 " 28. 2 (T.H.) . . . 30 0.6000 28. 229 77 21 694 40 30 20 50 91.6000 23.1000 4.2000 347.0000 28. 28. " 28. (T.H.) . . . 28. 14 (T.H.) ... 60 8.4000 Ltq.6,808.2000 Oct. 2. 522 91 261 7 20 30 40 60 104.4000 27.3000 104.4000 4.2000 2. 2. 2. (T.H.) .. 2. 125 (T.H.) . . 50 62.5000 2. 5 (T.H.) . . 30 1.5000 3-4. 117 (R.D.) . . 60 70.2000 4. 299 (R.D.) .. 50 149.5000 4. 200 (T.T.&J.) 50 100.0000 4. 11 (T.T.&J.). 30 3.3000 4. 27 (T.T.&J.) 35 9.4500 4. 83 (T.T.&J.) 40 33.2000 4. 73 (T.T.&J.) 45 32.8500 4. 175 (T.T.&J.) 50 87.5000 4. 5 (T.T.&J.) 55 2.7500 4. 20 (T.T.&J.) 60 12.0000 4. 20 (T.T.&J.) 75 15.0000 4. 42 (T.H.) .. 70 29.4000 68 Joint Distribution Committee of the 1917 Oct. 4. 4. 4. 4. 4. 31. 31. 31. 81. Persons 2 (T.H.) 25 7 1 6 Piastres 130 80 100 . 160 50 (T.H.) . (T.H.) . (T.H.) . (T.H.) . Various, as per separate list 15 50 1 120 1 500 13. 14. 14. 14. 15. 29. 29. 29. 29. 29. 71 15 13 19 65 , 20 , 25 1 , 33 (T.H.) 18 40 30 20 50 40 30 20 100 50 40 Ltq.2. 20, 7. 1. 3 104, 7, 1, 5, 6000 0000 0000 6000 0000 5000 5000 2000 0000 ov. 5. 74 160 190 1 1 108 30 40 20 140 60 50 22.2000 5. 64.0000 5. 88.0000 5. 1.4000 5. 0.6000 5. (T. H.) .. 54.0000 6. 182 (T. H.) .. 50 91.0000 6. 5 (T. H.) .. 60 3.0000 6. 154 50 168 5 183 45 23 87 3 20 30 40 50 40 30 20 50 60 30.8000 6. 15.0000 6. 67.2000 6. 2.5000 7. 73.2000 7. 13.5000 7. 4.6000 7. 43.5000 7. (T. H.) .. 1.8000 8-9. 110 (T H.) .. 50 55.0000 8-9. 83 (T.H.) .. 50 83.2000 8-9. 25 (T H.) .. 30 7.5000 8-9. 14 (T H.) .. 20 2.8000 " 11-12. 27 (T.H.) .. 50 13.5000 " 11-12. 4 (T H.) .. 100 4.0000 " 11-12. 5 (T H.) .. 30 ♦1.5000 11-12. 8 45 29 50 40 30 4.0000 11-12. 18.0000 11-12. 9.3000 28 4 2 9 26 6 5 1 16 7 .4000 .5000 .6000 .5000 0000 .0000 0000 0000 5000 2000 Ltq.1,001.8500 Ltq.675.1000 J.- R.D.- -Jesheevath. -Rabbis & Dayonim. M.- T.H.- -Melamdim (Talmud Torah Teachers). -Talmidey Hahainim (Talmndic Scholars). American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 1917 Nov. Dec. 29. 29. 29. 29. 31. 81. Persons 12 10 Various (R.D.) 4 (R.D.) . Various (T.H.) Various (T.H.) Piastres 80 35 60 Ltq.3.6000 3.5000 20.4000 2.4000 22.3500 24.7000 Ltq.8 11.7000 47.0500 Ltq.l 1,537.7500 RECAPITULATION. According to the Amounts of the Individual Donations. Persons 27 i Ltq.2.7000 2069 20 25 30 413.8000 6 1.5000 6073 1,821.9000 14892 40 5,956.8000 148 50 60 80 100 120 140 500 petty do 74.0000 22 13.2000 2 1.6000 10 10.0000 8 3.6000 1 1.4000 1 5.0000 6 2.0000 1205 of Jeshe 603.5000 365 Melamdi 187.0000 420 Rabbis 8 245.5000 3896 Talmidej Sundry . t Hahamim .... 2.059.5500 9 [Donations (Soldiers) . . 5.5000 Sundry '. 129.20 1 1 S37 7fift0 J. 1 ,U O 1 ■ t U \J\J 29155 Persons Ltq.l 1,537.7500 APPENDIX 37. Special Support. 1917 Perse >ns August 22 100 Piastres each Ltq.22.0000 13 200 ' " 26.0000 1 220 < " 2.2000 3 300 ' " 9.0000 2 400 * " 8.0000 3 500 ' " 15.0000 1 800 ' " 8.0000 3 1,000 ' " 30.0000 1 1,200 ' " 12.0000 2 2,000 " 40.0000 Ltq.l 72.2000 70 Joint Distribution Committee of the 1917 Persons September 1 40 Piastres each Ltq.0.4000 42 25 10.5000 3 50 1.5000 18 100 18.0000 5 150 7.5000 18 200 26.0000 1 250 2.5000 5 300 15.0000 1 320 8.2000 1 400 4.0000 1 800 8.0000 1 550 5.5000 2 2,000 40.0000 Ltq.142.1000 October 1 25 0.2500 1 50 0.5000 10 100 10.0000 3 150 4.5000 10 200 20.0000 7 300 21.0000 1 400 4.0000 1 420 4.2000 2 1,000 20.0000 1 2,000 20.0000 1 2,500 25.0000 1 2,900 29.0000 158.4500 November 1 40 0.4000 295 25 73.7500 92 50 46.0000 64 75 48.0000 45 100 45.0000 1 150 1.5000 49 200 98.0000 10 300 30.0000 4 400 16.0000 2 500 10.0000 3 600 18.0000 2 1,000 20.0000 1 550 5.5000 1 2,000 20.0000 1 13,500 135.0000 2 900 18.0000 585.1500 December 70 25 17.5000 703 50 351.5000 2 40 0.8000 3 60 1.8000 54 75 40.5000 2 80 1.6000 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 71 1917 Persons December 313 100 Piastres 2 112 92 150 1 160 2 175 87 200 58 300 8 225 6 250 2 275 1 350 1 375 19 400 33 500 13 600 1 700 1 412 2 337 1 262 1 1 2 5,000 1,800 1,000 1 1 1,500 800 2 900 8 1,000 1 1,100 2 1 1,200 1,500 each Ltq.3 13.0000 2.2400 188.0000 1.6000 3.5000 174.0000 174.0000 18.0000 15.0000 5.5000 3.5000 3.7500 76.0000 165.0000 78.0000 7.0000 4.1200 6.7400 2.6200 50.0000 18.0000 20.0000 15.0000 8.0000 18.0000 80.0000 11.0000 24.0000 15.0000 1,864.2700 2254 Persons Ltq.2,922.1700 See Recapitulation herewith enclosed! 408 Persons 25 4 40 799 50 3 60 118 75 2 80 408 100 2 112 101 150 1 160 2 175 172 200 8 225 RECAPITULATION. Piastres each Ltq. 102.0000 1.6000 399.5000 1.8000 88.5000 1.6000 408.0000 2.2400 151.5000 1.6000 3.5000 344.0000 18.0000 72 Joint Distribution Committee of the 1 Persons 220 Piastres ea 7 250 2 275 1 262 88 800 1 850 2 837 1 820 1 875 26 400 1 400 1 412 1 420 88 500 2 550 16 600 1 700 8 800 4 900 17 1,000 1 1,100 8 1,200 2 1,500 6 2,000 1 2,500 1 2,900 1 5,000 1 18,500 1 1,800 2254 Less: Sur idry donations trar isferred eh Ltq.2.2000 17.5000 5.5000 2.6200 249.0000 3.5000 6.7400 8.2000 8.7500 104.0000 4.0000 4.1200 4.2000 190.0000 11.0000 96.0000 7.0000 24.0000 86.0000 170.0000 11.0000 36.0000 30.0000 120.0000 25.0000 29.0000 50.0000 135.0000 18.0000 Ltq.2,922.1700 30.2500 1917. Oct. Nov. Dec. APPENDIX 38. Support of Charitable Institutions. 4. Blumenfeld Orphanage Ltq.38.4000 81. Blumenfeld Orphanage 70.0000 Ltq.2,891.9200 8. Weingarten Orphanage Ltq.50.0000 30. Old Aged Home 10.0000 20. Old Aged Home Ltq.50.0000 20. Blumenthal Orphanage 25.0000 31. Yemenite Talmud Torah Or- phanage Ltq.20.0000 81. Lunatic Asylum 80.0000 Ltq.108.4000 60.0000 75.0000 100.0000 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 73 Dec. 31. Milk and Bread Distribution and Women's Workshop of the Jewish Women's Union Ltq.208.0000 208.0000 Ltq.55 1.4000 APPENDIX 39. Talmud Torah Teachers and Talmudic Scholars — Jerusalem. Receipts and Expenditures of the Special Department in 1917. Receipts. Received from the Amsterdam Administration "Pekidim and Amarkalim of the Holy Land" Ltq.465.000 Received from the Palestine Zionist Office 112.500 Repayment from the Talmud-Torah "Etz-Chaim".... 5.250 Received from Jerusalem American Relief Committee. . 3,766.500 Ltq.4,349.250 Expenditures. I. Talmud Torah Teachers. 1917. October 28: Talmud Torah Etz-Chaim Ltq.352.500 Talmud Torah Mea-Shearim 104.000 Talmud-Torah Haye-Olam 77.000 Talmud Torah Har-Zion 167.000 Yesheevath Bachoorim 12.000 November 1 1 : Talmud Torah Etz-Chaim Ltq. 182.750 Talmud Torah Mea-Shearim 52.000 Talmud Torah Haye-Olam 38.500 Yesheevath Bachoorim 6.000 November 22: Talmud Torah Etz-Chaim Ltq. 190.250 Talmud Torah Mea-Shearim 64.000 Talmud Torah Haye-Olam 54.500 Yesheevath Bachoorim 6.000 November 28: Talmud Torah Etz-Chaim Ltq. 192.000 Talmud Torah Mea-Shearim 58.000 Talmud Torah Haye-Olam 42.500 Yesheevath Bachoorim 6.000 Ltq.712.500 279.250 814.750 298.500 74 Joint Distribution Committee of the December 13: Talmud Torah Etz-Chaim Ltq. 18 1.750 Talmud Torah Mea-Shearim 56.500 Talmud Torah Haye-Olam 42.500 Yesheevath Bachoorim 6.000 Ltq.286.750 December 20: Talmud Torah Etz-Chaim Ltq.227.200 Talmud Torah Mea-Shearim 70.375 Talmud Torah Haye-Olam 54.375 Talmud Torah Har Zion 39.375 Talmud Torah Doresh Zion 37.500 Talmud Torah Yemenites 28.125 Yesheevath Bachoorim 7.500 464.450 December 30: Talmud Torah Etz-Chaim Ltq.274.875 Talmud Torah Mea-Shearim 84.250 Talmud Torah Haye-Olam 66.750 Talmud Torah Har Zion 47.250 Talmud Torah Doresh Zion 45.000 Talmud Torah Yemenites 33.750 Talmud Torah Hungarians 48.300 Yesheevath Bachoorim 9.000 609.175 Ltq.2,965.875 II. Talmudic Scholars. November 28 Ltq.30.000 December 6 30.000 December 30 131.000 191.000 III. Yesheevath and Sundry Rabbis. December 31 Yesheevath Etz-Chaim Ltq. 136.500 Yesheevath Mea-Shearim 202.750 Yesheevath Torah-Haim 100.750 Yesheevath Haye-Olam 126.750 Yesheevath Or-Hachadash 24.500 Yesheevath Hungarians 95.000 686.250 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 75 November 28: Rabbi Bravermann for distribution of bread for the Yesheevath Ltq.400.000 Rabbi Bravermann for distribution of bread for the Yesheevath 45.500 Rabbi Bravermann for distribution of bread for the Yesheevath 3.500 449.000 Total Ltq.4,291.625 Balance on December 31st, 1917 in the hands of the Sub-Committee 57.6250 Ltq.4,349.250 Spent for account of the Jerusalem Relief Committee Ltq.3,766.500 Spent independently by the Amsterdam Administration 300.000 Ltq.4,066.500 APPENDIX 40. Greek Exiles in Hama. 1917. August. Support in Jerusalem: 273 Persons at Ltq.2.00 Ltq.546.00 8 Persons at 2.50 20.00 11 Persons at 3.00 33.00 Ltq.599.00 Sundry Remittances to Hama 375.00 Ltq.974.00 APPENDIX 41. American Exiles and Their Families. Apart from the support detailed in the Appendices No. 58 and 77 an amount of Ltq.9.00 was paid for casual support at the time of the ex- pulsion, An amount of 45.00 was handed over to one of the expelled notables who left together with the Americans to be used for their benefit, And an amount of 1.85 was paid to porters who handled the expellers' luggage. Ltq.55.05 76 Joint Distribution Committee of the APPENDIX 42. Medical Help. 1917. Aug. 29. 31. 31. 31. 31. 31. Ltq.25.00 50.00 25.00 124.00 25.00 25.00 Lt " .. " .. it .. « .. q.274.00 Sept. 2. 6. 12. 13. 24. 28. 80. ti 4* Ltq.61.00 65.25 10.00 10.00 50.00 30.00 25.00 a ., u .i " .. - ,. >• .. 251.25 Oct. 4. H 4€ Ltq. 100.00 St 4. t* i$ 775.00 875.00 Nov. 11. Subvention to the Medical Help Ltq.80.00 << 16. Subvention to the Medical Help 420.00 << 16. Subvention to the Medical Help 100.00 20. Subvention to the Medical Help 100.00 700.00 Dec. 20. Subvention to the Medical Help Ltq.350.00 24. Subvention to the Medical Help 250.00 81. Subvention to the Medical Help 150.00 " 31. 90.00 840.00 Ltq. 2,940.25 1917. Oct. 81 Dec. 25 " 31 " 81 " 31 APPENDIX 43. Loans to Institutions. Girls' Work Shop Ltq.15.00 Girls' Work Shop. . . . Bukharian Community Lunatic Asylum Sophrim Society 15.00 50.00 150.00 90.00 Ltq.15.00 805,00 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 77 1917. Nov. 16. Blumenthal Orphanage, '* 25. " SO. Dec. 7. " 25. " 31. Nov. 80. Weingarten Orphanage, " 20. " "-''.. ** 30. " 30. Old Aged Home, Dec. 25. 20. Bikkur Cholim Hospital. 31. Ltq.20.00 15.00 21.00 90.00 25.00 30.00 55.00 50.00 30.00 Ltq.201.00 50.00 150.00 50.00 100.00 185.00 200.00 150.00 Oct. 31. 31. 31. 31. 31. 31. Nov. Dec. 6. 13. 13. 29. 29. 29. 29. 29. 29. 29. 29. 29. 2. 2. 7. 25. 25. 25. 25. 25. APPENDIX 44. Loans to Individuals. Ltq. 1,006.00 A private loan, Ltq. 10.00 10.00 2.00 10.00 40.00 10.00 5.00 5.00 10.00 10.00 8.00 5.00 5.00 10.00 5.00 10.00 10.00 100.00 5.00 5.00 3.00 3.00 30.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 Ltq.82.00 178.00 78 Joint Distribution Committee of the 1917. Dec. 25. A private loan Ltq.10.00 25. " " 10.00 31. " " 15.00 31. " " 10.00 31. " " 20.00 31. " " 10.00 31. " " 15.00 31. " 10.00 31. " 10.00 31. " " 10.00 31. " " 5.00 31. " " 12.00 31. " " 15.00 31. " " 12.00 31. " " 30.00 270.00 APPENDIX 45. Ltq.530.00 Sundry Expenses. Repairs Ltq.6.050 Carriages 4.250 Porters 21.650 Sundries 101.780 Ltq.133.730 APPENDIX 46. Office Expenses. Rent Ltq.174.000 Stationery and Printing 154.055 Sundries 79.500 APPENDIX 47. Count de Ballobar. 1917. Aug. 6. Received " 10. " 19. " 20. " 24. " 24. " 29. " 31. I.tq.350.000 300.000 65.000 150.000 150.000 8.625 200.000 150.000 Ltq.407.555 Ltq. 1,373.625 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 79 1917. Sept. 3. Received Ltq.150.000 7. " 100.000 12. *' 150.000 14. " 150.000 21. " 150.000 24. " 150.000 25. " 200.000 28. " 100.000 Ltq.l, 150.000 Oct. 5. " 175.000 Ltq.2,698.625 APPENDIX 48. The Central Administration. Ltq.Gold Ltq.Gold Oct. 10. Received 171.320 25. " 100.000 25. " 150.000 25. " 250.000 29. " 300.000 971.320 Nov. 4. " 100.000 4. " 50.000 6. " 300.000 11. " 200.000 " 12. Paid for account Jerusalem 50.000 12. " " " " 12.000 13. Received 300.000 15. " 130.000 15. " 85.000 16. " 300.000 19. " 250.000 20. " 250.000 " 25. Paid for account Jerusalem 50.000 "25. " " " " 2.000 25. " " " " 20.000 26. Received 200.000 26. " 10.000 " 30. Paid for account Jerusalem 24.000 2,333.000 Dec. 3. " " " " 24.000 3. " " " " 70.000 3. Received 450.000 3. Paid for account Jerusalem 24.000 3. Received 535.000 20. " 400.000 20. " 4.500 20. " 400.000 80 Joint Distribution Committee of the 1917. Ltq.Gold Ltq.Gold Dec. 20. Paid for account Jerusalem 106.000 20. . " " " " 2.010 2,015.510 5,319.830 Paid back to the Central Adminis- tration or paid for its account: Nov. 13 1.313 Dec. 31 53.040 31 87.080 31 92.960 234.398 Ltq.Gold5,085.437 APPENDIX 49. The Jerusalem Wheat Syndicate, Jerusalem. In the month of August the Advisory Committee had paid into the semi-official Jerusalem Wheat Syndi- cate the amount of Ltq.Gold222.095 This was in addition to a previous investment of. . 150.000 which appears from the previous Committee's accounts. Ltq.Gold372.095 The total amount has been received back from the Jerusalem Wheat Syndicate at the winding up of its business. APPENDIX 50. Loans. Received back from Moshav Sekenim Ltq.Goldl2.626 APPENDIX 51. Creditors 1917. Mr. S. Schocher Ltq.Gold98.12 Millers : Berman Bros 257.42 Spitzer 121.60 Frenkel 86.07 Ltq.Gold563.21 American Fundi for Jewish War Sufferers 81 APPENDIX 52. Food Distribution to Schools. 1917. August : Rotels Name of School Hebrew Teachers' Seminary " Boys' School " Girls' School " Kindergarten A " Kindergarten B . , Alliance Israelite School Evalina de Rothschild Girls' School. . Tachkemoni School Hilfsverein Boys' School " Girls' School Kindergarten B Kindergarten C Rothschild School (Hilfsverein Adm.) Talmud Torah Etz-Chaim " " Mea-Shearim " of the Sephardim . . . " " of the Moroccans .... " " of the Yemenites .... " in Silouan of the Georgians . . . . " Yesheevath Zion Haye Olam " " Doresh Zion " of the Allepoans . . . . " " of the Bukharians . . . Nachlath-Zion " Cassutto Yesheevath Bachoorim " Jona Mann Bravermann Heder-Torah " Dirdak " Weintraub " Grossmann " Garfinkel Sophrim School Bezalel Women's Workshop Beth-Melacha . " Schoechannah . . Various Distributions of Bread Ltq.Gold 80.00 6.257 236.41 18.511 480.00 37.575 160.00 12.505 117.25 9.159 240.00 38.160 100.00 15.801 160.00 12.585 320.00 25.390 870.07 29.156 256.00 16.187 205.50 20.168 308.00 24.442 558.96 87.675 176.00 27.728 408.00 32.148 28.34 4.386 92.00 15.108 14.15 2.232 137.34 9.801 97.81 13.692 102.00 15.776 68.00 10.263 93.00 7.272 200.00 15.641 75.00 5.904 28.35 4.466 28.34 3.070 132.67 10.450 13.75 1.078 192.00 15.126 33.24 3.537 43.00 3.371 22.32 1.730 11.93 0.938 12.17 2.150 14.68 1.150 137.67 7.563 82.00 6.333 133.79 33.261 5,969.74 607.605 82 Joint Distribution Committee of the 1917. September : Name of School Hebrew Teachers' Seminary " Boys' School Girls' School Kindergarten A " Kindergarten B Alliance Israelite School Evalina de Rothschild Girls' School Tachkemoni School Hilfsverein Boys' School Girls' School Kindergarten B Kindergarten C Rothschild School Hifsverein Adm Talmud Torah Etz Chaim Mea Shearim of the Sephardim of the Moroccans of the Yemenites in Silouan Suckath-Schalom of the Georgians Yesheevath-Zion Yesheevath Haye Olam Doresh Zion Talmud Torah of the Allepoans " of the Bukharians " Nachlath-Zion " Cassutto Yesheevath Bachoorim Jona Mann , Bravermann Heder Torah " Dirdak Weintraub " Grossmann " Garfinkel Sophrim School Bezalel Women's Workshop Beth-Melacha Schoschannah Wool Workshop Matwe Various Distributions Rotels of Bread Ltq.Gold 75.00 6.750 218.34 18.330 451.29 40.617 105.00 9.450 135.00 12.150 375.00 33.750 131.25 11.813 105.00 9.450 323.00 29.070 348.25 28.980 240.00 21.600 202.50 18.225 280.00 25.200 1,000.00 90.000 286.00 25.740 360.00 32.400 35.02 3.150 119.92 10.793 16.64 1.498 108.33 9.750 140.92 12.685 120.00 10.800 106.75 9.516 89.92 7.020 248.00 22.320 78.00 8.093 33.34 3.000 33.35 3.001 81.62 7.346 38.75 3.488 180.00 16.200 63.01 5.670 57.12 5.140 26.13 2.352 12.48 1.123 33.37 3.003 12,09 1.089 63.00 5.670 53.33 4.800 10.000 336.43 36.665 6,722.15 617.697 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 83 1917. October : Name of School Hebrew Teachers' Seminary Boys' School Girls' School Kindergarten A Kindergarten B Alliance Israelite School Evelina de Rothschild School Tachkemoni School Hilfsverein Boys' School Girls' School Kindergarten B Kindergarten C Rothschild Hilfsverein Admin Talmud-Torah Etz-Chaim " Mea Shearim of the Sephardim . . " of the Moroccans . . " of the Yemenites . . . in Silouan of the Georgians . . Yesheevath-Zion . . " Haye Olam Doresh Zion " of the Allepoans . . of the Bukharians . Nachlath-Zion " Cassutto Yesheevath-Bachoorim Jona Mann Bravermann Heder-Torah " Dirdak " Weintraub " Grossmann " Garfinkel Sophrim-Society Bezalel Women's Workshop Beth-Melacha Schoschannah Various Donations in food Rotels of Bread Ltq.Gold 67.50 6.642 200.30 21.153 420.00 41.328 160.00 13.973 142.33 15.744 420.00 41.328 193.75 19.065 160.00 15.744 329.42 22.575 330.00 35.055 216.00 21.254 178.25 17.540 230.00 22.632 669.97 65.926 335.75 33.038 324.00 31.882 556.34 5.544 169.62 16.691 31.84 3.133 76.00 1.478 116.76 11.489 198.12 19.532 119.00 11.709 84.00 8.265 192.00 18.893 60.00 5.904 55.01 5.412 55.01 5.412 134.75 13.260 44.30 4.359 164.25 16.162 47.25 4.649 66.29 6.529 28.75 2.829 12.10 1.191 15.00 1.476 21.58 2.123 117.00 11.513 60.08 5.904 310.30 32.335 6,512.62 646.671 84 Joint Distribution Committee of the 1917. November: Hotels Name of School of Bread Ltq.Gold Hebrew Teachers' Seminary 144.00 14.871 Boys' School 394.34 40.530 Girls' School 753.17 75.166 Kindergarten A 304.79 30.418 Kindergarten B 217.25 21.681 Alliance Israelite School 554.75 55.344 Evelina de Rothschild Girls' School 218.75 21.831 Tachkemoni School 75.25 23.478 Hilfsverein Boys' School 451.80 45.089 Girls' School 342.75 34.206 Kindergarten B 389.28 38.850 Kindergarten C 314.00' 31.337 Rothschild School Hilfsv. Adm 369.32 36.858 Talmud Torah Eta-Chaim 1,376.61 137.385 Mea Shearim 386.50 38.572 of the Sephardim 491.00 49.000 of the Moroccans 70.15 7.000 of the Yemenites 208.75 20.833 in Silouan 34.37 3.430 of Suckath-Shalom 52.50 5.210 of the Georgians , 178.75 17.839 Yesheevath Zion 169.38 16.904 Haye Olam 225.50 22.504 Doresh-Zion 34.00 3.393 of the Allepoans 150.50 15.019 of the Bukharians 350.50 34.980 Nachlath-Zion 190.00 18.962 of the Persians 12.50 1.247 of the Hungarians 29.75 2.969 Cassutto 67.82 6.768 Yesheevath-Bachoorim 170.00 16.966 Jona Mann 35.17 3.510 Bravermann 68.49 6.836 Heder Torah 201.08 20.067 Dirdak 123.37 12.312 Weintraub 70.58 7.044 Grossmann 42.87 4.278 Garfinkel 15.25 1.522 Rabinovitz 26.43 2.637 Arab 23.00 2.195 Silbermann 12.70 1.267 Benot-Israel 420.62 41.978 Girls' Shaare Hessed 16.25 1.621 Sophrim School 37.35 3.727 Bezalel 72.25 7.210 Women's Workshop Kadeema 100.75 10.055 Beth-Melacha 123.23 12.290 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 85 Name of School Women's Workshop Schoschanna Wool Work Shop Matwe Various Distributions Rotels of Bread Ltq.Gold 203.54 26.301 189.00 18.862 539.84 53.928 11,049.80 1,125.820 December : 1917. Hebrew Teachers' Seminary 165.00 18.387 Boys' School 266.00 29.643 Girls' School 569.75 63.493 Kindergarten A 307.31 34.246 Kindergarten B 204.60 22.800 Kindergarten Shaare Hessed 12.25 1.365 Alliance Israelite Schools 554.00 50.725 Evelina de Rothschild School 186.75 20.811 Tachkemoni School 297.39 15.311 Hilfsverein Boys' School 385.25 42.932 Girls' School 405.33 45.170 Kindergarten B 260.93 27.915 Kindergarten C 250.50 29.078 Rothschild School Hilfsv. Adm 271.83 30.293 Talmud Torah Etz Chaim 1,048.95 116.895 Mea Shearim 408.00 45.467 of the Sephardim 273.00 30.432 of the Moroccans 58.32 6.500 of the Yemenites 206.68 23.032 in Silouan 21.32 2.375 Suckath-Shalom 39.37 4.387 of the Georgians 131.25 14.626 Yesheevath Zion 137.95 15.374 Haye Olam 184.75 20.588 Doresh Zion 110.50 15.601 of the Allepoans 187.23 20.865 of the Bukharians 294.00 32.763 Nachlath-Zion 140.00 12.314 of the Persians 56.04 6.245 of the Hungarians 119.00 13.261 Cassutto 56.00 6.240 Yesheevath Bachoorim 35.00 3.900 Jona Mann 127.30 14.186 " Bravermann 40.79 4.545 Heder Torah 170.58 19.000 Dirdak 81.50 9.082 Weintraub 77.50 8.636 Grossman 59.50 6.630 Garfinkel 12.88 1.435 Rabinowitz 49.20 5.483 Arab 58.69 6.540 86 Joint Distribution Committee of the 1917. December : Name of School Heder Silbermann Benoth Israel Shaare Hessed (Girls) . . Sophrim School Bezalel Women's Workshop Kadeema . . . Beth-Melacha Schoschannah Wool Work Shop Matwe Various Distributions of Bread Ltq.Gold 23.75 2.617 426.25 47.500 38.75 4.318 27.75 3.092 60.00 6.686 157.83 17.584 133.99 14.933 175.20 12.834 156.61 17.453 502.34. 52.938 10,024.69 1,078.536 GENERAL RECAPITULATION. 1917 Quantity of tv/t ,i Bread Distributed Value in Montn in Rotels Ltq.Gold August 5,969.74 607.695 September 6,722.15 617.697 October 6,512.62 646.671 November 11,049.80 1,125.820 December 10,024.59 1,078.536 Total 40,278.90 4,076.419 APPENDIX 53. Food Distrbution to Charitable Institutions. 1917. * t. Quantity August: of Bread Value Name of Institution Rotels Ltq. Ltq. Blumenthal Orphanage 116.64 9.277 Blinds' Home 208.00 16.734 Sephardic Old Aged Home 95.38 7.503 United Old Aged Home 631.33 49.766 Sephardic Orphanage 110.88 8.642 Weingartens' Girls' Orphanage. . 365.83 30.813 Ophtalmic Hospital Lemaan Zion 41.25 3.210 Lunatic Asylum 431.40 25.870 Bikkur Cholim Hospital 41.25 3.210 2,041.96 155.025 155.025 September : Blumenthal Orphanage 124.87 11.194 Blinds' Home 136.50 12.285 Sephardic Old Aged Home 98.16 9.835 United Old Aged Home 606.34 54.575 Sephardic Orphanage 73.50 6.615 Weingartens' Girls' Orphanage.. 363.13 32.682 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 87 Quantity Name of Institution Opht. Hospital Lemaan Zion. . Bikkur Cholim Hospital .... Lunatic Asylum Diskins Orphanage October : Blumenthal Orphanage Blinds' Home Sephardic Old Aged Home .... United Old Aged Home Sephardic Orphanage Weingartens' Girls' Orphanage Opht. Hospital Lemaan Zion. . Bikkur Cholim Hospital .... Lunatic Asylum Diskins Orphanage November: Blumenthal Orphanage Blinds' Home Sephardic Old Aged Home . . . United Old Aged Home Sephardic Orphanage Weingartens' Girls' Orphanage Ophtalmic Hospital Bikkur Cholim Hospital .... Lunatic Asylum Diskins Orphanage December : Blumenthal Orphanage Blinds' Home Sephardic Old Aged Home . . United Old Aged Home Sephardic Orphanage Weingartens' Orphanage .... Bikkur Cholim Hospital .... Lunatic Asylum Diskins Orphanage Shaare Zedek Hospital For Melamdei Hamossad (Sundries) of Bread Hotels Value Ltq. Ltq. 82.50 7.422 123.25 11.135 232.40 20.910 371.25 33.400 2,211.40 199.053 199.053 159.38 15.723 253.50 38.376 69.50 6.839 794.33 78.162 98.25 9.668 440.83 43.382 82.50 8.118 30.62 18.265 226.87 22.325 536.25 52.767 2,692.03 293.625 293.625 581.48 67.096 164.25 16.392 122.34 12.209 696.36 69.524 130.25 13.000 448.63 44.773 82.50 8.174 288.75 28.610 374.68 37.125 970.75 96.185 3,859.99 393.088 393.088 433.92 48.356 268.00 29.866 126.32 14.077 1,079.66 120.317 98.00 10.921 456.74 50.899 123.75 13.816 123.75 13.816 536.25 59.872 1,213.63 78.944 4,460.02 440.884 440.884 ) 9.064 1,490.739 ss Joint Distribution Committee of the RECAPITULATION. Name of Institution Blumenthals Orphanage Blinds' Home Sephardic Old Aged Home United Old Aged Home Sephardic Orphanage Weingartens' Girls' Orphanage . . Ophtalmic Hospital Lemaan Zion Bikkur Cholim Hospital Lunatic Asylum Diskin's Orphanage Shaare-Zedek Hospital Sundries Total uantity of food in Rotels 1,415.79 Ltq. 15 1.646 1,030.25 113.653 511.70 49.463 3,808.29 372.344 510.88 48.846 2,075.16 202.549 288.75 26.924 763.12 75.036 1,389.10 120.046 2,414.50 242.224 1,213.63 78.944 Ltq. 9.064 15,421.17 1,490.739 1917. August September October November December APPENDIX 54. Food Distributions to Orphans. 1,735.32 Rotels of Bread Ltq.Gold273.353 3,470.93 " " " 812.384 2,940.40 " " " 289.364 8,718.46 ." " " 871.102 2,983.74 " " " 328.413 14,848.85 Ltq.Goldl,574.616 1917. October 570.25 November 1,036.25 December 208.42 1,814.72 APPENDIX 55. Food Distributions to Prisoners. Rotels of Bread Ltq.Gold56.683 " 103.393 " 23.226 Ltq.Goldl 83.307 American Funds for Jewish War Sufferers 89 APPENDIX 56. Food Distribution to Talmud Torah Teachers and Talmudic Scholars. Talmud Torah Etz Chaim Ltq.87.5 Talmud Torah Mea Shearim 27.3 Talmud Torah Haye Olam 20.3 Talmud Torah Har Zion . 15.7 Talmud Torah Doresh Zion 16.0 Talmud Torah Yemenites 11.0 Talmud Torah Hungarians 30.0 Various Yesheevaths 450.0 Rabbis and Scholars 65.0 Yesheevath Bachoorim 2.6 Yesheevath Hungaria 55.0 Ltq.Goldl25.753 Ltq.780.4 1917. Nov. it 20. 29. 29. 24. 24. 31. APPENDIX 57. Special Support. old2.000 0.200 0.565 0.500 1.000 1.000 n „ Ltq.Gold2.765 Dec. << « «> €t n i*