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시온에서 보내는 인사, 1885년
1885년, 제에브 칼로니무스 비소츠키가 팔레스타인을 방문했습니다. 1849년 자신의 이름을 딴 차 회사를 설립한 비소츠키는 이미 부유하고 영향력 있는 인물이었으며, "러시아 차의 왕"으로 불렸습니다. 그는 호베베이 시온 운동의 주요 인물이었고, 1882년에 창립된 빌루 운동의 지도부에도 속해 있었습니다. 1885년, 호베베이 시온 운동은 유대인 디아스포라에서 성지로 보내진 자금의 사용처를 두고 유대인 정착촌 지도자들과 논쟁을 벌인 후, 그를 팔레스타인으로 파견했습니다 . 호 베베이 시온은 그 자금을 새로운 유대인 정착촌 건설에 사용해야 한다고 주장했지만, 정착촌 지도자들은 당연히 반대했습니다. 비소츠키는 모든 사람을 만족시키면서 논쟁을 해결할 방법을 찾기 위해 팔레스타인을 순방하는 임무를 맡았습니다.
비소츠키는 팔레스타인에 도착했을 때 아름다운 풍경과 유대인 문제 해결에 대한 잠재력에 깊은 감명을 받았습니다. 팔레스타인을 여행하는 동안 그는 야파 출신의 유대인들을 만나 가자, 나블루스, 로드 등 아랍 도시 중심부에 유대인들을 정착시키는 계획을 세웠습니다. 가자 출신 정착민들이 가장 큰 규모였습니다. 비소츠키의 경제적 지원 덕분에 야파의 유대인들이 곧 가자로 이주했고, 1886년 말까지 가자 유대인 정착촌(이슈브)은 30가구로 구성되었습니다. 이 작은 정착촌은 매우 종교적인 분위기를 띠었습니다. 1917년, 영국군이 도시 성문 근처까지 진격해 오자, 이 소규모 정착민들은 다른 모든 가자 주민들(무슬림, 기독교인, 유대인 모두)과 함께 터키군에 의해 도시에서 강제 추방당했습니다.
여기 소개된 로쉬 하샤나(유대 신년) 축하 카드는 비소츠키가 팔레스타인 여행 중 빌루 운동의 창시자 중 한 명인 러시아계 유대인 상인 엘리야후 카플란에게 보낸 것입니다. 이 카드는 헤르츨이 등장하기 이전인 19세기 후반, 유대인들이 이스라엘 땅을 향한 그리움이 깨어나고 있었음을 보여줍니다.
Citrons From Palestine
The State of Israel is a main exporter of citrons (etrogim) today. The citrons that grow here are of the highest quality and are sold in large quantities in Israel and abroad. It is amazing to think that until a few hundred years ago, only a few Jews succeeded to lay their hands on a citron from Palestine. Various documents relating to the cultivating of citrons, that are preserved at the CZA, reveal the fascinating story of the citron industry in Palestine and it's close connection to the development of the Yishuv.
Mediterranean Climate
Jews of the Diaspora used to buy citrons grown in Mediterranean countries like Italy, Greece and Morocco. The most famous ones were the citrons from the Greek city, Corfu, which were known for their beauty. The Jews in Palestine turned to their Arab neighbors to buy citrons for Sukkot, mainly from villages in the north and Jericho. The Arab peasants at that time were growing trees according to traditional methods, so there was no fear that the citrons in their orchards were composed of two species of trees to strengthen the citron tree, which would have invalidated its fruit. Their citrons were not very pretty but were kosher.
Citrons orchards of Pri Etz Hadar association, Palestine. Photograph: Zadok Bassan (GNZB\401799)
From the mid-19th century, there was a dramatic improvement in transportation between Palestine and the other continents, and the export of citrons became possible. The demand for citrons from the Holy Land became greater, and at the same time there was a growing concern that the Arabs would learn how to graft the trees. All these reasons led the Jewish farmers to engage in the citron business themselves, and the first orchards were planted in Jaffa and in the early moshavot.
Kashrut certificare for citrons from Moshe Cohen & Joseph Hillman Trading House in Jaffa, 1901 (A25\113)
Citrons and Zionism
The farmers in Palestine encountered many difficulties in competing with the citron industry abroad. They lacked the knowledge and experience in treating the citron tree - as opposed to the farmers in Italy and Greece who had hundreds of years of experience. The citrons that grew in Palestine were lean and did not look as beautiful as the citrons from abroad. The long journey from Palestine to the markets around the world also affected the merchandise. At this point, an advantage in favor of the Palestinian citrons came in the form of Hovevei Zion. They turned the natural tendency to buy citrons that grew in the Land of Israel to the most important reason for its purchase. Even if the Palestinian citrons looked less beautiful, it was regarded as preferable to observe the Sukkot mitzvah of the four species by using them, rather than citrons from overseas.
When he was 70 years old, Rabbi Samuel Mohilever, one of the leaders of the Hibbat Zion movement, refused to receive gifts or telegrams of congratulations for his birthday and asked instead to donate the money to the benefit of the Yishuv. It was suggested to him that these donations would be dedicated to planting citrons in Palestine. The Rabbi adopted the idea and sent a letter to members of Hibat Zion in 1894, asking them to donate money for the citron garden. A citron orchard was planted in Hadera and was given the name Gan Shmuel. The rabbi of Jaffa, Naftali Hertz Halevy, granted the kosher certificate for the citrons of Gan Shmuel in 1901. He wrote: "And you shall take for yourselves - of your own – the fruit of the citrus planted by Israel."
Right: A letter from Rabbi Samuel Mohilever to the members of Hibat Zion, 1984 (A24\616)
Left: Kashrut certificare granted by Naftali Hertz Halevy for the citrons of Gan Shmuel (A25\112)
Another important reinforcement to the cultivation of citrons in Palestine, came in from Rabbi Kook, who immigrated to Palestine in 1904 and began serving as a rabbi in Jaffa. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook saw great importance in spreading the citrons of the Holy Land throughout the world and helped establish a joint association for the owners of the citron orchards, named Pri Etz Hadar. The members of the association obeyed the instructions of Rabbi Kook on how to raise the trees, especially the instruction not to graft the citron tree with other trees, and thus the prestige of the Palestinian citrons rose.
Right: Poster advertising citrons from Palestine, 1920's. Designed by Meir Gur Aryeh (KRA\219)
Left: A store selling citrons in Mea Shearim, Jerusalem, 1930's, Keren Hayesod collection (PHKH\1301970)