Alfred Mond Commissions Jewish Sculptor to Erect Monument to Trumpeldor

(J. T. A. Mail Service)

Sir Alfred Mond before his departure commissioned the Palestinian Jewish sculptor Melnikov, to erect a monument to Trumpeldor over his grave in Tel Hai in Upper Galilee. The statue will take the form of a lion, symbolising the lion-hearted spirit of Trumpeldor.

Captain Joseph Trumpeldor died in Tel Hai in March 1920 while defending the colony against Arab raiders. Trumpeldor, who was only about thirty-six years of age at the time, had distinguished himself by his bravery in the Russo-Japanese War. He was the only Jew in the Czarist army who was raised to the rank of officer. He lost an arm in the fighting at Port Arthur. After the war he settled in Palestine and worked there on the land. When Turkey entered the Great War he escaped to Egypt, and helped to form the Zion Mule Corps, being second-in-command to Colonel Patterson, who in his book “Gallipoli” speaks of him as one of the bravest men he ever met.

Trumpeldor, who defended Tel Hai with a handful of demobilized soldiers of the Jewish battalion and Chaluzim, was wounded by the first shots from the Arab side, three bullets striking him. For two hours he continued, wounded as he was, to direct the defence and finally the Jews forced the Arabs to retreat with a loss of five dead and about fifteen wounded. Of the defending force, three men, Tocker, Munter and Sharp, and two girls, Deborah Drichler and Sarah Chisick, were killed, and three men, Zuloti, Galubov and Goldberg were wounded. Trumpeldor’s condition was seen to be hopeless and when asked how he felt he answered: “Easy; it is good to die for our country.”

As soon as the attack was beaten off, the group decided to leave Tel Hai immediately for Giladi, which was a better strategical position. On the way Trumpeldor died while being carried by his comrades.

The first endowment fund that has been given to the Metropolitan League or to any state or district federation of Y.M.H.A.’s and Y.W.H.A.’s in the United States was made by Dr. J. Leon Blumenthal for the purpose of establishing “The Charlotte Blumenthal Prize Fund” in memory of Dr. Blumenthal’s mother.

Dr. Blumenthal, who is head of the Bureau of Child Hygiene of the Department of Health of New York City, is also a member of the Board of Directors of the 92nd Street Y. M. H. A. The donor recommends that the annual income from this fund be given in gold or used to purchase a suitable prize for the stimulation of cultural work among members of the local Y. M. H. A.’s and Y. W. H. A.’s.