Bethlehem is the centre of an industry in mother-of-pearl which supplies beads, rosaries, inlaid work, carvings, and miscellaneous ornaments or souvenirs to all parts of the world. This industry is about 50 years old and supports the majority of the population in the Betheehem district. Rosarres, composed of mother of pearl beads strung on silver wires, are the most important product of this industry.
Mother of pearl work is almost entirely a home industry? In addition to the fact that most of the population of the Bethlehem district has some direct or indirect income from the industry, there are approximately 500 people actively and closely engaged in the work. The work is all done by hand, and but a few tools of simple style are employed. The Bethlehem worker says that these beads can be as cheaply made by hand as by machinery and with a smaller percentage of breakage.
The raw material for this industry is largely waste from button factories-much of which is imported from United States – and shells imported partly from various other countries.
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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.
