HHMI Newsgroup Archives
From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Date: Fri, 9 May 1997 01:42:34 +0000
Subject: Study of Jerusalem - Lesson #12 (Modern Era)
>From sglick@iea.org.il
To: iea@netvision.net.il
Subject: Jerusalem
************************************************************************
INGEBORG RENNERT CENTER FOR JERUSALEM STUDIES
BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY 5 May 1997
RAMAT-GAN, ISRAEL
Internet Educational Activities <iea@netvision.net.il>
************************************************************************
David Eisenstadt
Jerusalem: Life Throughout the Ages in a Holy City
12/ 12 The British Mandate
Introduction
British entered Jerusalem on December 9, 1917. The arrival of British troops,
known as the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, ended 400 years of Ottoman Turkish
(also Moslem) rule over the city. Over the next 30 years Jerusalem was to
experience tremendous urban growth.
Downtown Jerusalem would be built and new technological developments, like
electricity and central plumbing would become standard in most homes. Urban
planning and aesthetics would become major forces in the city's development.
At the same time conflict and violence would take root in the city. Two
opposing national movements would clash over the future of the country/region;
at the core of this conflict would be Jerusalem. This would result in
outbreaks of Arab mob violence in 1920, 1921, 1929.
Local security would deteriorate sharply from the 1930's onward and,
eventually, result in the city's division between two sovereign states 18
months after the British departure and the birth of Israel. A Jewish military
organization (the Hagana) would be established to respond to the threat of
Arab terror and in the course of its activities become the nucleus of the
Israeli Army.
Two other Jewish military organizations (the Lehi and the Etzel) would be
formed at this time. Much of their, better known, activity became
characterized by terrorism and this caused the British to restrict movement in
large sections of central and southern Jerusalem, which were dubbed "security
zones".
Winter 1917 - A City on the Brink of Starvation
The British entered Jerusalem with a great deal of romantic enthusiasm and, in
some cases, religious zeal as well. The city was one of their war goals in
the Middle East. They were familiar with its past glory from Bible and
history lessons. The city they found, however, was in an extremely decrepit
state. The retreating Turkish army had removed most basic provisions,
including food, fuel and medicines. Much of the city's traditional food
sources lay beyond battle lines to the north and east. The road system had
collapsed and much of the railroad had been dismantled. Much of the city's
adult male population had been removed, in one way or another, by the Turks.
Sanitary services had virtually ceased and epidemics seemed inevitable.
The situation was further exacerbated by a severe water shortage.
Against this background the arrival of two divisions of British troops was not
an entirely welcome sight. Jerusalem's inhabitants were happy to be rid of
the abusive Ottoman army and no doubt had high expectations for the new
British rulers. However, recent past experience with a large occupation army
made the local population wary of its impact on the already strained water and
food supply.
Sir Ronald Storrs Rescues Jerusalem
The man charged with ensuring that Jerusalem's population didn't starve to
death (or for that matter fall prey to epidemics, dehydration, cold weather,
etc.) was the city's British military, and later civilian governor, Ronald
Storrs. Storrs was the son of a high ranking Anglican clergy man. He served
in the British colonial administration in India and Africa , and during World
War One was appointed "Political Officer" with the British forces in the
Middle East. On December 28, 1917 he was appointed military governor of
Jerusalem replacing General Bill Borton, who had served in the post for only a
few weeks.
Storrs first request to the General Allenby, the commander of the Egyptian
Expeditionary Force was for food. With Allenby's assistance, he began
importing 200 tons of wheat each month from Egypt. The railroad was repaired
and was briefly used to bring water to the city, until pipelines and pumps to
adequate nearby springs (Ein El Arub, Ein Farah and Ein Qelt) were installed.
In order to prevent manipulation of the shortages by opportunists he fixed
the prices of wheat, kerosene, sugar, flower and rice. In addition Storrs
instituted close British military supervision of food supply in general.
In addition to ensuring the city's food supply, and literally preventing mass
starvation, the British administration was also critically active in the area
of public health. Jerusalem already had numerous hospitals (no less than
seven just in the area of the Street of the Prophets), public health had
deteriorated severely during World War One and the prospect of epidemic seemed
imminent. The new administration made several important steps to correct this
situation: Massive garbage heaps were removed; public trash cans were
installed; the entire population was vaccinated against smallpox; pools and
cisterns were covered with mosquito repellent as part of a successful campaign
to eradicate malaria.
The Bolshevik Revolution and Changing Fortunes in Jerusalem
The October Revolution in distant Russia had a major impact on every day life
in Jerusalem. The residents of affluent, elegant Bukharan Quarter found
themselves dispossessed. This neighborhood was populated by wealthy Jewish
immigrants from Bukhara in central Asia. They lived in elegant mansions (which
still exist i.e. Ezra St.) in Jerusalem, but were financially dependent on
businesses, which were managed for them in Bukhara. The newly formed Soviet
Union nationalized these businesses, thus denying many of the residents of
this neighborhood of their source of affluence. The Bukharan Quarter rapidly
became a poor neighborhood.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem had acquire vast amounts property
and undertook numerous building projects with the financial assistance of the
Czarist Russian Government. (The Czar saw himself as the protector and
benefactor of all Orthodox Christians). The cessation of funds, first as a
result of the outbreak of World War One and then made permanent by the October
Revolution, plunged the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem into dire
financial straits. In order to alleviate their heavy debt, they sold large
tracts of land, which became the most significant territorial basis for
Jerusalem's urban expansion at this time. The neighborhoods erected on land
purchased, at this time, from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem,
include Rehavia, Talbieh, Tapliot and the central business district (the Ben
Yehuda, Jaffa, King George triangle).
The Russian Compound, just north of the Old City, provided services and
accommodations for thousands of Russian Orthodox Pilgrims since its
establishment in the mid-19th century. The change of regime in Russia halted
the flow both of pilgrims and money to maintain the "Compound". Most the
buildings were rented to the British authorities and housed police
headquarters, courthouses and a prison. Later on during the Mandate period
the area was nicknamed, by the Jewish underground, "Bevingrad", after the
viciously anti-Semitic British Foreign Minister Ernest Bevin, because it was
seen as a symbol of British oppression in Palestine. The change of regime in
Russia also generated a conflict, concerning ownership of Russian Orthodox
church property in Jerusalem. As a result of the revolution the Russian
Orthodox Church split into two separate factions: The "Red" Church, which
identified with the communists and the "White" Church, which continued to
identify with members of the Czar's family in exile. Each faction claimed
rightful possession of the various churches and monasteries in Jerusalem. The
conflict was eventually settled by the Israeli government in the 1950's.
Today most of the Russian compound belongs to the Israeli government - Yes,
legally purchased!
Garden Suburbs
In the early 1920's, Jewish Jerusalemites, an effort to improve their
quality of life, adopted a British style of neighborhood development known as
the "garden suburb". The guiding principles of the garden suburbs were to
create single family dwellings in the center of a plot of land surrounded by
gardens and greenery. The streets which would be carefully planned
topographically, would be tree lined avenues and, where feasible would have a
central landscaped island (HaMeiri St. in Kiryat Moshe, Ben Maimon St. in
Rehavia).
Jerusalem's garden suburbs include Beit Hakerem, Talpiot, Rehavia, Kiryat
Moshe and Bayit Vegan. Instrumental in designing these neighborhoods was the
German Jewish Architect Richard Kaufmann, who immigrated to Israel in 1920.
The first garden suburbs were built just beyond Jerusalem's municipal limits.
This was a deliberate strategy by the (future) residents who to maintain a
greater level of autonomy and avoid "Mandatory" Jerusalem's strict building
codes. This is why the oldest/original houses in Beit Hakerem and Talpiot are
not built with Jerusalem stone!
Each of these neighborhoods took on a stereotype according to the dominant
professions of its founders. Rehavia was the "officials" (alternately
"clerks") neighborhood, because of the large number of Jewish Agency employees
who lived there. Beit Hakerem was for teachers, while Talpiot was the
bankers' neighborhood. The 1930's brought a wave of Jewish immigration from
Germany and with it a many prominent architects. They introduced a new style
of architecture popular in Germany at the time, known as the "Bauhaus" or
"International" style. Today there are still numerous "bauhaus" in Rehavia.
They stand out for their straight, "practical" lines and cubicle like
structure - come to think of it they don't stand out! One example is the Bank
Leumi branch at the corner of Ramban and Arlosorov Streets. It was designed
by the German Jewish architect Leopold Krakauer and built in 1935 as a private
residence for Dr. Bonem.
Preserving the Character of a Developing Ancient City
The new British rulers of the city recognized the need to preserve Jerusalem's
unique character and historic landscape/beauty, while transforming it into a
modern city. The new British administration instituted town planning. In
1918 Sir William McLean, the city engineer of Alexandria, was invited to
Jerusalem by Storrs in order to prepare a town plan. Two months after his
arrival he submitted a master plan. McLean's plan aimed at preserving the Old
City and the Mount of Olives, while developing areas to the west and north.
Building was also forbidden in the area adjoining the Old City walls, so as
not to obstruct the sight of the walls from afar. In order to ensure the
basic principles of this plan Ronald Storrs forbade new building without his
written permission. Later Storrs issued a law that required that all
construction in the city use only "native Jerusalem stone". This law is still
exists and has done a remarkable job of preserving the city's unique beauty.
In fact, although McLean possessed little prior knowledge of the city and
worked quickly he succeeded in preparing a master plan which has, in many
respects, determined the course of Jerusalem's urban development with an
emphasis on preservation. Other steps aimed at preserving the city's historic
beauty included removing the Turkish clock tower from the top of Jaffa Gate;
clearing away shops built against the exterior of the Old City walls and
removing shabby wooden stalls from Mahane Yehuda, which were replaced by a
stone-built market.
Within the space of a decade three more master plans were prepared. In 1919
Sir Patrick Geddes submitted a plan establishing more open green area in the
western/developing side of the city. Later plans by Charles Ashbee (1922) and
Clifford Holliday (1926) placed a greater emphasis on neighborhood planning
and established building criteria according to zones.
A Capital City with New Instiutions
Under the new British adminstration Jerusalem became the capital of the
country for the first time in over 700 years. This in itself was a major
source of urban growth since it meant that most significant British government
offices in Palestine established their headquarters in Jerusalem. Jewish and
Moslem institutions were soon to follow. Leading Zionist organizations which
had been based in Tel Aviv, transferred their offices to Jerusalem. In 1925
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem was established on Mount Scopus. The new
university was not just an institution of higher learning, but the symbol of
progress of a people being reborn in its ancient homeland - a temple of
achievement.
On the west side of the city luxury hotels were built, reflecting a new level
of commercial life. The King David built in 1930 brought a new level of
accomodation to the city's tourist trade. It was joined by the "handsomest
Y.M.C.A. in the entire world" across the street. This building, designed by
Q. L. Harmon, the same architect who built the Empire State Building in New
York City, gave Jerusalem its first heated swimming pool and first indoor
basketball court. Later these structures would be joined by the nearby Palace
Hotel - "the Arab answer to the King David". Just north of the Old City an
impressive octagonal structure was built to house the new Rockefeller Museum
of Archeology.
Jerusalem was a city on the move unfortunately at the same time conflict and
violence were also brewing. The clash between the national aspirations of
Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem, and the rest of the country, is beyond the scope
of this lecture, but it is sufficient today that Jerusalem has been at the cre
of this conflict since its inseption and continues to defy solution.
Return to
Newsgroup Archives Main Page
Return to our Main Webpage
�2011
Hebraic Heritage Ministries International. Designed by
Web Design by JB.