When Tel Aviv a few years ago was at the height of its expansion, new streets and houses would appear on its outlying sand dunes almost over-night, and whole new sections would have sprung up before one quite knew what had happened. Nowadays, construction goes on at no such furious pace; but, on the other hand, the city is reaching out, as can well be illustrated by a new experiment in urban colonization which has direct American backing. This new experment is called “Schchunat Hazafon,” the “Northern Quarter” of Tel Aviv.
Lying half an hour’s distance from the center of the town, the “Northern Quarter,” whose western side faces the Mediterranean, and which is bounded on the north by the River Jarkon, originated in the desire of a group of laborers, artisans, and petty officials to build homes for their families. Some of them were living in the barrack sections all too common in Tel Aviv. Living in barracks is less trying in Tel Aviv than it might be elsewhere, because of the mild climate, but, from the health point of view, there is nothing to be said in its favor, since sanitary conditions are necessarily worse, and the spread of epidemics more likely in barrack settlements than in normal housing. Others of this group, again, were like many Tel Avivians, in very limited circumstances, but were, again like many of their townsmen, paying a most disproportionate share of their earnings for rent. They therefore organized themselves into a sort of savings and building association, with each member paying regular installments toward the purchase of the building plots.
The interest of the Jewish National Fund was attracted to the project, and it undertook to purchase the desired land in their behalf with its own funds. However, as it was then meeting heavy previous commitments, and had no funds immediately available, the National Fund secured a loan for this purpose from the Palestine Economic Corporation of New York, of which Mr. E. N. Mohl is the Palestinian representative. By acquiring this fairly large urban tract, the National Fund made a radical departure from its customary policy of concentrating on the purchase of land for agricultural settlement, and of merely making occasional purchases of small parcels in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Tiberias.
The land in the “Northern Quarter” having been acquired by the National Fund, and leased to the intending set (Continued on Page 5) (Continued from Page 2)
One hundred and twenty little homes are now under construction in the “Northern Quarter,” consisting of one, two, or three rooms, with kitchen (which does not count as a room in Palestine), bathroom with sanitary plumbing, and veranda. This last teature is practically an extra room, since, in Tel Aviv, the climate permits the business of living and housekeeping to be conducted out of doors most of the time.
The “Northern Quarter” thus presents some new and significant features of urban colonization in Palestine, which may be summarized as follows:
The provision of public Jewish land for home-building purposes makes it possible for many families to have homes of their own who otherwise could not raise the sum needed for the investment. This is the contribution of the Jewish National Fund to the project, while the Palestine Economic Corporation facilitates the home-building by offering mortgage money on fairly easy, yet business-like terms, and accepts as security both the houses themselves and the leashold rights to the ground. This acceptance of ground leases as a business security for a mortgage vindicates a long-held though much criticized contention of the Jewish National Fund that the rights of its lessees are as valuable as those of land-owners from the point of view of security for mortgages. Should the action of the Palestine Economic Corporation in this regard serve as a precedent, the National Fund will be able to exert an influence (Continued on Page 8) (Continued from Page 5)
If, all this, there is neither attempt nor desire to hamper the legitimate role of private initiative in the development of the cities of Palestine; but, if the “Northern Quarter” of Tel Aviv realizes the hopes held for it, a beginning will have been made in the abolition of the abuses of private land ownership, and families of modest means will be able to give their children roomy and healthful surroundings without depriving them of other essentials.
The fist all-Jewish business and professional club was organized under the auspices of the Jewish Community Center of Binghamton, N. Y. The club will be similar to the service clubs of the city but especially emphasizing Jewish educational activities.
At the election of officers I. Spelman was elected president; David Levine, treasurer; H. B. Jungman, secretary.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
