A Palestine Office for Switzerland has been established here. The bureau includes representatives of various Zionist groups, including the General Zionists, the Mizrachi, the Poale-Zion, the Revisionists and the Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO). There is also a representative of the Hechaluz, pioneer organization.
“The Jews have no representatives among the municipal officials, but have a member on the Town Council and the Administrative Council. Their mode of life is almost patriarchal. Illiteracy is general; the languages spoken are Turkish and Arabic, while a few speak Chaldean. The majority are entirely ignorant of Hebrew. Nevertheless, they possess, besides their synagogue, a small Hebrew and religion class.
According to their reports there remain only 150 Jews in Nisibin, within an hour’s journey are 800 Jews who live with the Bedouins and lead a nomad life. At Diarbekr, in Turkey, are 1,000 Jews. The Jews of Kamechlie consider that the foundation of a school will centralize this Jewish population. On the advice of M. Silver, a Communal Council has already been formed.
“Near Kamechlie is the tomb of Rabbi Yehuda ben Batera, one of the authors of the Mishna, and every year, four days before Shavuot, a pilgrimage is made to it by all the Jews of the region.”
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.
