William Francis Lynch (1801-1865) was a naval officer who served in both the U.S. Navy and the Confederate Navy. In the 1840s he proposed to the United States Government to undertake a voyage to the Holy Land to explore and map the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.
Lt. William Francis Lynch, U.S. Navy
(Wikipedia Commons)
Lynch conducted his mission with a crew of 16 sailors in 1847 and published his findings in his book, Narrative of the United States' Expedition to the River Jordan and the Dead Sea. Lynch did not include a photographer in his entourage, but a crewman did provide illustrations for his book.
Lynch's motives appeared to be part patriotic, religious, and scientific. He wrote, "We [Americans] owe something to the scientific and Christian world, and while extending the blessing of civil liberty in the south and west [otherwise known as "Manifest Destiny"], may well afford to foster science and strengthen the bulwarks of Christianity in the east."
Lynch was also a strong adherent of "restorationism" (a precursor to Christian Zionism) -- a belief that the Jewish people must return to the Holy Land to fulfill their biblical prophecy of the "Second Coming." The belief drove many Americans, including American presidents, to advocate for the establishment of a Jewish homeland.
Along the route, Lynch described raging rapids in the Jordan River, difficult terrain, strange flora and fauna, warring Arab tribes, and suffering Christian and Jewish communities.
Map of Lynch's journey from the Sea of Galilee
to the Dead Sea, 1847. (World Digital Library)
Lynch's 170-year-old description of the Jews of Tiberias is remarkable:
Safed and Tiberias, Jerusalem and Hebron, are the four holy cities of the Jews in Palestine. Tiberias is held in peculiar veneration by the Jews, for here they believe that Jacob resided, and it is situated on the shores of the lake whence they hope that the Messiah will arise.
Winding down the rugged road, we descended to the city, seated on the margin of the lake. Tiberias (Tubariyeh) is a walled town of some magnitude, but in ruins, from the earthquake which, in 1837, destroyed so many of its inhabitants.We had letters to the chief rabbi of the Jews, who came to meet us, and escorted us through labyrinthine streets to the house of Heim Wiseman, a brother Israelite. It is an hotel sui generis, as well in the mode of entertaining as in the subsequent settlement with its guests. In a book which was shown to us we read the following gentle insinuation:— “I beg the gentlemen arriving at my house that, at their departure, they will have the goodness to give me, in my hands, what they please. Tibaria, APRIL 7, 1845.” The above is an exact copy of the notice referred to, in English. It is likewise written in bad Italian and worse Spanish.A trifling circumstance will show in what thraldom the Jews are held. Our landlord, Heim Wiseman, had been kind enough to show me the way to the governor’s. On our entrance, he meekly sat down on the floor, some distance from the divan. After the sherbet was handed round to all, including many Arabs, it was tendered to him. It was a rigid fast-day with his tribe, the eve of the feast of the azymes [Passover], and he declined it. It was again tendered, and again declined, when the attendant made some exclamation, which reached the ears of the governor, who thereupon turned abruptly round, and sharply called out, “Drink it.” The poor Jew, agitated and trembling, carried it to his lips, where he held it for a moment, when, perceiving the attention of the governor to be diverted, he put down the untasted goblet.
The Jews here are divested of that spirit of trade which is everywhere else their peculiar characteristic. Their sole occupation, we were told, is to pray and to read the Talmud. That book, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt says, declares that creation will return to primitive chaos if prayers are not addressed to the God of Israel at least twice a week in the four holy cities. Hence the Jews all over the world are liberal in their contributions.
Illustration of Tiberias in Lynch's book. (Wikisource) Returned the visit of the Rabbis. They have two synagogues, the Sephardim and Askeniazim, but live harmoniously together. There are many Polish Jews, with light complexions, among them. They describe themselves as very poor, and maintained by the charitable contributions of Jews abroad, mostly in Europe. More meek, subdued, and unpretending men than these Rabbis I have never seen. The chief one illustrated the tyranny of the Turks by a recent circumstance. In consequence of the drought of the preceding year there had been a failure of the crops, and the Sultan, whose disposition is humane, ordered a large quantity of grain to be distributed among the fellahin for seed. The latter were accordingly called in; — to him whose portion was twenty okes (1 oke = approx. 2 3/4 lbs.) was given ten, and to him whose portion was ten, five okes were given, — after each had signed a paper acknowledging the receipt of the greater quantity. How admirably the scriptures portray the manners and customs of the east! Here is the verification of the parable of the unjust steward. It is true, that in this instance the decree was issued by the Turks — a comparatively modern people, — but it was carried into effect by the descendants of the ancient Gentile races of the country.In the evening we visited several of the synagogues. It was impressive yet melancholy to witness the fervid zeal of the worshippers. In gabardines, with broad and narrow phylacteries, some of them embroidered, the men were reading or rather chanting, or rather screaming and shouting, the lamentations of Jeremias — all the time swaying their bodies to and fro with a regular and monotonous movement. There was an earnest expression of countenance that could not have been feigned. The tones of the men were loud and almost querulous with complaint; while the women, who stood apart, were more hushed in their sorrow, and lowly wailed, moving the heart by their sincerity. In each synagogue was an octagon recess, where the Pentateuch and other sacred works were kept. Whatever they may be in worldly matters, the Jews are no hypocrites in the article of faith.The females marry very early. There was one in the house, then eleven and a half years of age, who, we were assured, had been married eighteen months. Mr. Wiseman pointed out another, a mere child in appearance, ten years of age, who had been two years married. It seems incredible. The unmarried wear the hair exposed, but the married women studiously conceal it. To make up for it, the heads of the latter were profusely ornamented with coins and gems and any quantity of another’s hair, the prohibition only extending to their own. Their dress is a bodice, a short, narrow-skirted gown, and pantalettes gathered at the ankles. Unlike the Turkish and the Arab women, they sometimes wear stockings. The bodice is open in front, and the breasts are held, but not restrained, by loose open pockets of thin white gauze.There are about three hundred families, or one thousand Jews, in this town. The Sanhedrin consists of seventy rabbis, of whom thirty are natives and forty Franks, mostly from Poland, with a few from Spain. The rabbis stated that controversial matters of discipline among Jews, all over the world, are referred to this Sanhedrin.
The Lynch caravan taking their boats to the Sea of Galilee Christians of Kerak...there were from 900 to 1000 Christians here, comprising three-fourths of the population. They could muster a little over 200 fighting men; but are kept in subjection by the Muslim Arabs, living mostly in tents, without the town. He stated that they are, in every manner, imposed upon. If a Muslim comes to the town, instead of going to the house of another Muslim, he quarters himself upon a Christian, and appropriates the best of every thing; that Christian families have been two days at a time without food — all that they had being consumed by their self-invited guests. If a Muslim sheikh buys a horse for so many sheep, he makes the Christians contribute until the number be made up. Their property, he said, is seized without there being any one to whom to appeal; and remonstrance, on their part, only makes it worse.It needs but the destruction of that power which, for so many centuries, has rested like an incubus upon the eastern world,[emphasis added] to ensure the restoration of the Jews to Palestine. The increase of toleration; the assimilation of creeds; the unanimity with which all works of charity are undertaken, prove, to the observing mind, that, ere long, with every other vestige of bigotry, the prejudices against this unhappy race will be obliterated by a noble and a God-like sympathy....the time will come. All things are onward; and, in God’s providence, all things are good. How eventful, yet how fearful, is the history of this people! The Almighty, moved by their lamentations, determined, not only to relieve them from Egyptian bondage, but to make them the chosen depositary of his law.- As the British-commanded ANZAC troops moved north after the battle of Be'er Sheva they were greeted as liberators by the Jews of Palestine. New Zealanders were hosted by the Jews of Rishon LeZion, and Australians entered Jerusalem with General Allenby at the end of December 1917.
The picture below was taken by Bugler J. F. Smith of the 7th Light Horse. "Enlisted 11 October, 1914. Home on ANZAC Furlough in October, 1918."
Australian soldiers at the Western Wall These pictures of Jews of Jaffa and holy sites were taken by "R. F. Ingham, 1st L."
Jewish Children at Simon's Well in Jaffa (Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales) 
Jewish School in Jaffa (Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales) 
Rachel's Tomb near Bethlehem (Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales) 
The Armenian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. In the background is the Jewish Quarter with the
prominent domes of the Tiferet Yisrael and the Hurva synagogues
(Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales)
The Jaffa Gate of the Old City and the Turkish
clock tower. Who are the group of men in front?
(New South Wales Museum)
<
After enlarging the photo, it appears the men are
Orthodox Jews0Add a comment
- AUG5
The Capture of Be'er Sheva by the Australian Light Horsemen in 1917 -- Arguably the Most Important Battle of WWI in Palestine
Forthcoming publication New Collection of World War I Photos Discovered in Australian MuseumOur reader "Gary" alerted us to a digitized photo resource in the Mitchell Library of the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.The Library contains private diaries and albums of Australian soldiers who served as part of the British expeditionary forces in Palestine. Their pictures show their three-year combat action from the Suez Canal, the Sinai, Be'er Sheva, Jerusalem, and all the way to Damascus.
Be'er Sheva, a Turkish army garrison, on the eve of the battle of Be'er Sheva in 1917 (Library of Congress) 
Aerial view of Be'er Sheva in 1917 with its new railroad station used for army supplies. (Source: Australian Light Horse Studies Centre) The legendary cavalry charge made by the Australian Light Horsemen to capture the wells of Be'er Sheva in October 1917 was a turning point in the war, particularly after two disastrous attempt by British forces to push through Turkish defenses in Gaza. After Be'er Sheva the way was open to Jerusalem, Jaffa and beyond.Until now, only one controversial picture of the cavalry charge was known. Some argued that it was actually a photo of a re-enactment.
The Light Horsemen's charge -- a reenactment or Elliot's photograph? (Australian Light Horse Association) The testimony of a forward artillery spotter, Eric George Elliott, confirmed its authenticity:To my surprise, I saw horsemen in extended order coming over the crest of the ridge, I packed my gear, and then came another line of troops in the same order, I then moved around to the other side of the knoll, and by this time the third line appeared, bewildered by what was happening I just lay there and gazed in astonishment, as the front line drew nearer I saw that their bayonets were drawn and that they were approaching at a hard gallop, having a camera in my haversack I got it out and took a shot, got on my horse and went as fast as I could further out to a flank and then back to H. Q.
The New South Wales Museum published a collection of photographs by Captain Robert Valentine Fell, including this picture of the cavalry charge at Be'er Sheva:
Fell's picture of the First Light Horse Brigade "going into action" at Be'er Sheva, October 31, 1917 
Captain Fell's picture of the aftermath of Be'er Sheva's capture one week later 2View comments
The second half of the 19th century saw many missionaries, adventurers and tourists from the United States visiting the Holy Land. They were aided by the invention of steam engine ships and the new invention of photography that provided pictures of the Holy Land that spurred their interests.
Forthcoming publication
Photograph of the colony founder, George
Jones Adams, c. 1841 (Library of Congress)
One eccentric missionary was George Jones Adams of Maine who attempted to establish an "American Colony" in Jaffa. He failed miserably, even at one point appealing to American government officials and the Governor of Maine for assistance.
Two contemporary writers described Adams and his colony. One was an extraordinary writer and actress from Jerusalem named Lydia Mamreoff von Finkelstein Mountford (1855-1917) whose clippings we discovered in a New Zealand archives.
The other writer was an American humorist named Mark Twain. He met some of the colony's survivors on his return from his "Innocents Abroad" voyage in 1867 and described their travails.
According to von Finkelstein -
Lydia Mamreoff von Finkelstein (Flickr,
public domain)
In the year 1866 a large American colony came out, and settled in Jaffa. It was called the American Adams colony. The colonists held their estate under great disadvantages. Mr Adams, either through design or in ignorance of the laws, possessed no title deeds; neither were the colonists, who purchased lots, provided with the necessary documents — all holding the property under bills of sale and purchase, whose legality and validity could have been questioned at any moment. Consequently interested parties took advantage of their position, and the best and the largest portion of the land they had paid for was lost, and all the trees out of a fruit plantation cut down, rooted up, and carried awaybecause they whose duty it was to protect the colonists against such legalised frauds, either from interested motives or through gross negligence, omitted to secure for the purchasers the title deeds, which documents also were only rendered legal under certain conditions.
The American Colony encampment on the sea shore near Jaffa
(with permission of the Maine Historical Society)
Foreigners, or their agents, should be thoroughly acquainted with what perhaps at the first may seem to be the minor details of the laws of purchase and tenure before they buy real estate in Syria or Palestine ; otherwise they run a risk of paying the price many times over in bribes and lawsuits to substantiate their claims. The several American colonies proved failures through a number of causes, jealousies of and ill-will towards such enterprises existing in many quarters.
First, the Ottoman Government never was, nor is it at the present day [1888], capable of appreciating the motives of foreigners in colonisation, and cannot see, any reason, beyond a political one, for the settlement of Europeans or Americans in the country. Secondly, besides having in the local authorities a positively hostile government to struggle against, the colonists received no proper support from their consular representatives, a circumstance perfectly well known to the native and other residents, who were not slow to avail themselves of the opportunities thus afforded them, not only to encroach on the rights of the colonists, but to overreach and wrong them in all transactions, great or small. Thirdly, the difficulties of colonists have always been increased by the jealousies of the Latin Convents.... Aroha News (New Zealand), October 24, 1888, "Palestine Fifty Years Ago and Palestine Today."
The American Colony, picture courtesy of the Library of Congress
Mark Twain, 1867 (Library of Congress,
Photo taken by Abdullah Frères in
Constantinople)
According to Mark Twain --
...But I am forgetting the Jaffa Colonists. At Jaffa we had taken on board some forty members of a very celebrated community. They were male and female; babies, young boys and young girls; young married people, and some who had passed a shade beyond the prime of life. I refer to the "Adams Jaffa Colony." Others had deserted before. We left in Jaffa Mr. Adams, his wife, and fifteen unfortunates who not only had no money but did not know where to turn or whither to go. Such was the statement made to us.
Our forty were miserable enough in the first place, and they lay about the decks seasick all the voyage, which about completed their misery, I take it. However, one or two young men remained upright, and by constant persecution we wormed out of them some little information. They gave it reluctantly and in a very fragmentary condition, for, having been shamefully humbugged by their prophet, they felt humiliated and unhappy. In such circumstances people do not like to talk....Innocents Abroad, Chapter 57.0Add a comment
- In commemoration of Tisha B'Av
We are thankful to the archivists at the Ottoman Imperial Archives for digitizing and posting vintage pictures from Palestine on their website.
Original caption: "Jews Praying at Wailing Wall in Jerusalem" by Johann Martin Bernatz in 1868 (?)
On July 14, 2015, this incredible painting was posted. Note the Jews' lamentations. They are barefoot (their shoes are in the foreground), suggesting that the scene may be commemorating Tisha B'Av, a day of Jewish mourning for the destruction of the Jewish Temples and other calamities in Jewish history.
The painter, Johann Martin Bernatz, was born in Germany in 1802. He traveled in the Middle East and Asia in 1836 and published 40 pictures from his journey in a book, "Pictures from the Holy Land, Drawn from Nature" in 1839. We suggest that the painting was painted 30 years prior to the year in the Archives' caption.0Add a comment
- More pictures were digitized and posted by the Ottoman Imperial Archives this week, and we are thankful to the archivists for preserving and sharing their photographic treasures.
Among the pictures was this unique photo of Jerusalem, taken from the Mt. Scopus area and dated 1886. The remnants of snow are still visible.
Another photo, dated 1916, shows the Galilee town of Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. One of Judaism's holiest cities (along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed), Tiberias dates back to the era of the Bible and the Talmud.
Jerusalem's Old City and Temple Mount, photographed from the east. (Ottoman Imperial Archives, 1886)
By Ottoman order the town was confined within the ancient walls until 1908 when a Christian order built a convent outside of the walls. Several farms were established in 1911 outside of the walls, and they are visible in the photograph.
View of Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee (Ottoman Imperial Archives, 1916) 2View comments
- The Ottoman Imperial Archives continues to digitize and post Online its massive collection of documents, photos and illustrations.
Resposible archivists and librarians around the world realize the importance of digitizing its treasures and sharing them with the world.We will continue to present and analyze the photographs from this archive as we review and identify them, but we wanted to immediatey share this historic photograph of Jerusalem's Old City taken from the Mount of Olives.
Jerusalem's Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque. Also note the small Muslim
graveyard in front of the city wall and the "Golden Gate" or "Gate of Mercy." (Ottoman Imperial Archives)We surmise that the photographer or owner of the photo was French from the notes made on the image to identify 16 sites numbered on the photograph. It is difficult to read the notes, but number 3, "Mosque d'Omar," and number 12, "Tombeau de David [David's Tomb]," are legible and in French.
But when was the photograph taken?
The answer is provided by one of the landmarks not contained on the tourist list -- the Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue near the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter.
The Hurva, built in 1864, is the building on the left with the dome. Short of funds, Tiferet Yisrael didn't complete its dome until Emperor Franz Josef of Austria visited the site in 1869 and supposedly asked why it had no roof. "Why, the synagogue took off its hat in honor of Your Majesty," he was told. He contributed money for the project, and the synagogue was dedicated in 1872.
The Hurva and Tiferet Yisrael Synagogues. The former
was built by students of the Gaon of Vilna, the latter
by followers of Hasidic sects. The two groups
frequently clashed.
The photo of the topless synagogue, therefore, was taken prior to 1872, more than 140 years ago.
Both synagogues were blown up by the Jordanian Legion during the 1948 war. The Hurva was recently rebuilt, and there are plans to rebuild the Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue, too.2View comments
A scene in a Jerusalem courtyard in the Jewish Quarter, April 1917 (Imperial War Museum Q 86316) The picture of this Jerusalem courtyard in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City was taken by a German army photographer during World War I and was found in the British Imperial War Museum. Jerusalem at the time was ruled by the Ottomans.The distinctive arches on the building on the right identify it as the Rothschild Building, part of the Batei Machaseh compound built for Jewish residents of the Jewish Quarter. It was donated by Baron Wilhelm Karl de Rothschild of Frankfurt. The building still bears the Rothschild family's coat of arms. The compound was built between 1860 and 1890 to provide housing for Jerusalem's poor.The Rothschild Building appears in a series of dramatic Life Magazine photographs taken by John Phillips during the Jordanian capture of the Old City during the 1948 war. The arches can be seen on the left side of these pictures; the picture above was a reverse view of the ones below. The first was taken in the midst of the fighting in June 1948, and the Jews are seen gathering their belongings for their evacuation. The second picture, taken in July 1948, shows the looting that took place. The pictures appear in the DaledAmos blog.
Jewish Quarter courtyard prior to evacuation (Life Magazine, John Phillips) 
Jewish Quarter after the evacuation and looting (Life Magazine, John Phillips)
Phillips' last picture shows the Jews' evacuation from the Old City under the guard of Jordanian Legionnaires. The Rothschild Building serves as the backdrop to the tragic picture.
Jewish refugees heading to the Zion Gate near the Rothschild Building 1View comments
- APR20
"The Merchants of Jerusalem" -- Are They Not Jews? Pictures Taken by a German Photographer during World War I
"A typical merchant in a Jerusalem street market, 1917" (British Imperial
War Museum, Q 86352)
This series of pictures was taken in 1917 by a "German official photographer" in Jerusalem -- before the capture of the city by British forces in December, 1917.
All of them bear the same caption: "A typical merchant in a Jerusalem street market, 1917."
Nowhere in the captions are the subjects identified as Jewish, but they appear so, particularly upon examining their side curls (peyot), and they appear to be Sephardic -- Jews from the Arab world.
For the residents of the Holy Land, the period was one of abject poverty and even starvation. Jewish men, including heads of households, were forcibly conscripted into the Turkish army, in hiding, or fled the country. A severe plague of locusts struck the region in 1915 and ravaged crops. Rapacious Turkish troops looted residents almost at will. Some of the men pictured here could have been beggars.
Why were the men labelled "merchants?" Perhaps the photographer associated them with another well-known Jewish merchant, Shylock?
The dire state of the Jews of Jerusalem during the war was described in a report to the Twelth Zionist Congress in 1921: “In Jerusalem [apparently in 1917] …dozens of children lay starving in the streets without anyone noticing them. Typhus and cholera carried off hundreds every week, and yet no proper medical aid was organized. … a considerable portion of the Jerusalem population perished. The number of orphans at the time of the capture of Jerusalem by the English Army was 2,700."
The same "merchant" appearing to
be fending off somone. (British
Imperial War Museum, Q 86350)
Another "typical merchant" (Q 86351)
This "typical merchant" was photographed just
inside the Jaffa Gate of the Old City of
Jerusalem (Q 86348)
Another angle of the "merchant" above
(Q 86349)
Click on the pictures to enlarge. Click on the caption to view the originals in the Imperial War Museum.0Add a comment
- Several excellent answers were received giving the location to our latest mystery picture. But where's the windmill?
One caption in the Ottoman Archives labels this picture as the Ottoman Train Station Opening Ceremony.
Another identifies it as the dedication of the Fountain in 1902. (Ottoman Imperial Archives)
As pointed out by several readers, the location is the public sabil (public fountain) above the Braichat HaSultan(Sultan's Pool) valley outside of Jerusalem's Old City, on the road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The event is the public (re)dedication of the fountain, one of seven built by Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century.Simon provided a contemporary photo and this explanation: It would be hard and dangerous to take a picture from the same location as today's mystery photo, because you would need to stand in the middle of a very busy road. In fact you would need to crouch down, because the level of the street has obviously risen since the photo was taken.This screen capture from Google Maps Street View is very close though: Mishkenot Sha'ananim, the arch of the drinking fountain at the end of Sultan's pool, and the Sephardic synagogue in Yemin Moshe can all be seen in both pictures. I'm not sure why the Montefiore windmill isn't visible in the old picture -- either it's behind the flag or it blends into the background.Unless I'm missing something, I don't see where the picture was doctored: the fancy pediment on top of the drinking fountain looks like a wooden attachment made at the time, not photo-doctoring.
Google Street View picture of the site today. Note the windmill of Yemin Moshe Jonathan added: Suleiman the Magnificent's fountain "sabil" on Hebron Road (technically the dam at the southern end of the Sultan's Pool). Built in 1536. The entablature above the sabil is not original and was added by the editor. Mishkenot Shaananim is in the background.
What's missing in the Ottoman picture? A whole windmill!
Why was the windmill, built for the Jewish community in 1857, removed from the Ottoman picture? Perhaps because the imposing structure overshadowed the fountain.
The same dedication ceremony before the 114-year-old Ottoman version of "Photoshop"
(Harvard, Central Zionist Archives)
We thank Martin for this additional view of the fountain (below), taken from the Sultan's Pool. The hand-colored picture is from Chatham University's collection of Jerusalem pictures.
The fountain is in the center of the dam beneath St. Andrew's Church and St. John's Eye Hospital (today
the Mt. Zion Hotel)
On the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem (today's "Hebron Road") Note the fountain on the dam.
(Hand colored. Chatham University)1View comments
Mystery Photo: We discovered the picture below in the newly digitized Ottoman Imperial Archives. As we investigated where it was photographed we discovered that this picture had been doctored.
We invite our readers to tell us where the picture was taken. Photograph the modern-day location and send it to israel.dailypix@gmail.com or post your answer in the comments.
Picture taken in Jerusalem in 1901 or 1902. 5View comments
- Reposting a Classic Special Passover Feature
Original caption: "Packing shipment of Matzoths [i.e. matzos] for the 77th Division for
men of Jewish faith in the A.E.F. [American Expeditionary Force] for the Passover Holiday,
at Warehouse #40, Q.M.C. Depot, St. Denis [France] / Signal Corps. U.S.A."
(April 9, 1919, Library of Congress)The Jewish tradition of eating matza (unleavened bread) on Passover is so profound that the armed services of several countries provide Passover supplies to their soldiers even at the front. That's the practice in Israel, for sure, but the archives of several libraries provide pictures of Jewish soldiers observing Passover in the British and American armies during World War I, almost 100 years ago.Jewish soldiers of the British army celebrating Passover in Jerusalem in 1918. (Harvard Library/Central Zionist Archives) But when we saw the picture above of perhaps a ton of matza sent to American forces in France we wondered why so much was required.
Thanks to the archivists at the Library of Congress' Prints and Photographs Division for acceding to our request and digitizing and publishing the U.S. army photograph above online.
The 77th Division and the "Lost Battalion"
The 77th Division was made up of draftees from the New York City area, one of the first draftee units deployed in combat in World War I. They assumed the name "Metropolitan Division" or the "Statue of Liberty Division." Many of the men had lived a tough hardscrabble life on the streets of New York, perhaps a factor in their surviving a hard-fought battle in the Argonne Forest in October 1918 where the Division's "Lost Battalion" was surrounded by German troops and held out for a week without food and water. In a 2001 film about the "Lost Battalion," the men were described as Irish, Italian, Jewish, and Polish "gangsters."
Of the battalion's 550 men, almost 200 were killed and 150 were captured or missing.
A Jewish chaplain, Rabbi Lee J. Levinger, served in France during World War I and wrote that the 77th Division had "thousands" of Jewish soldiers -- for whom the matza in the picture was intended.Patch of the 77th Division
Levinger described several incredible moments in his memoir:The great event of my service in Le Mans was our Passover celebration on April 14th, 15th and[77] 16th, 1919. The general order for Passover furloughs read:"Where it will not interfere with the public service, members of the Jewish faith serving with the American Expeditionary Forces will be excused from all duty from noon, April 14th, to midnight, April 16th, 1919, and, where deemed practicable, granted passes to enable them to observe the Passover in their customary manner."
The full program included a Seder, four services, a literary program, a vaudeville show, a boxing exhibition, two dances and a movie.... But certainly the most popular of all was the Seder. The soup with matzah balls, the fish, in fact the entire menu made them think of home. We held the dinner in an army mess hall, standing at the breast-high tables. The altar with two candles and the symbols of the feast was at the center of the low-roofed unwalled structure. Toward evening the rain, so typical of winter in western France, ceased; the sun came out, and its last level rays shone directly upon Rabbi Kaufman and his little altar. It was a scene never to be forgotten, a feast of deepest joy mingled with solemnity. Afterward we adjourned to the Theatre Municipale for a full religious service with a sermon.
During the Argonne Forest battle, the 77th Division's "Lost Battalion" was finally relieved after taking heavy casualties for five days. Their rescue is often credited to a carrier pigeon that delivered a message to headquarters with their position. Levinger told a different story:Pvt Krotoshinsky: "You know a Jew finds
strength to suffer...."New York Times, November 5, 1953
Private Abraham Krotoshinsky ... was awarded the D. S. C. [Distinguished Service Cross] for bearing the message which informed the division of the exact location of the unit, and was instrumental in releasing[118] them. Krotoshinsky was an immigrant boy, not yet a citizen, a barber by trade. His own words give the story simply enough:
"We began to be afraid the division had forgotten us or that they had given us up for dead. We had to get a messenger through. It meant almost certain death, we were all sure, because over a hundred and fifty men had gone away and never come back. But it had to be done. The morning of the fifth day they called for volunteers for courier. I volunteered and was accepted. I went because I thought I ought to. First of all I was lucky enough not to be wounded. Second, after five days of starving, I was stronger than many of my friends who were twice my size. You know a Jew finds strength to suffer. Third, because I would just as soon die trying to help the others as in the 'pocket' of hunger and thirst."I got my orders and started. I had to run about thirty feet in plain view of the Germans before I got into the forest. They saw me when I got up and fired everything they had at me. Then I had to crawl right through their lines. They were looking for me everywhere. I just moved along on my stomach, in the direction I was told, keeping my eyes open for them.... It was almost six o'clock that night when I saw the American lines. All that day I had been crawling or running doubled up after five days and nights without food and practically nothing to drink.Then my real trouble began. I was coming from the direction of the German lines and my English is none too good. I was afraid they would shoot me for a German before I could explain who I was.... Then the Captain asked me who I was. I told him I was from the Lost Battalion.
[119] Then he asked me whether I could lead him back to the battalion. I said, 'Yes.' They gave me a bite to eat and something to drink and after a little rest I started back again with the command. I will never forget the scene when the relief came. The men were like crazy with joy."
[Note: Later Krotoshinsky moved to Palestine to try his hand at agriculture. Unable to make a living there, he moved back to New York with his family, but he was still unemployed. He received a presidential appointment to work in a New York post office.]Watch "The Lost Battalion" Movie here.Rabbi Levinger described another incredible event during the fighting: A soldier in a famous fighting division ... sought a private interview with me. It seems that in the advance on the St. Mihiel sector he had rescued a Torah, a scroll of the Law, from a burning synagogue. Throwing away the contents of his pack, he had wrapped the scroll up in the pack carrier instead, and carried it "over the top" three times since. Now he wanted permission to take it home to give to an orphan asylum in which his father was active. A soldier was not ordinarily allowed to take anything with him besides the regulation equipment and such small souvenirs as might occupy little room, but in this case a kindly colonel became interested and the Torah went to America with the company records.Click on pictures to enlargeResponsible archivists and librarians digitize the historic photographic treasures in their institutions.
1View comments
- APR1
WW100: Were Jewish Soldiers in the British Army Permitted to Celebrate Passover in Jerusalem in 1918?
Individual Jewish soldiers served in the ranks of the armies of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand and were involved in the 1917 battles in locations such as Be'er Sheva and Rishon LeZion. Another large group of Jews served in the British army's Jewish Legion, commanded by Col. John Henry Patterson and involved in combat after arriving in Palestine in 1918. According to Patterson's memoirs, 2,000 soldiers were under his command.
Patterson bitterly complained that his soldiers were forbidden from celebrating Passover in Jerusalem in 1918 and 1919, yet the pictures below show Jewish soldiers in Jerusalem on the holiday. How can the contradiction be explained?
In Patterson's own words, the new sovereign of Palestine -- the British army -- continued the Ottomans' anti-Semitic practices against the Jews. Patterson's fury could barely be contained when his Jewish soldiers suffered from vicious anti-Semitism within the army and from British commanders.Jewish soldiers from various British units celebrating Passover in Jerusalem, 1918. The various headgear suggests the
soldiers were from many army units, including ANZAC and Scottish, and not necessarily from the Jewish Legion.
. (Harvard Library/Central Zionist Archives)Col. John Henry Patterson Palestine has become the theatre of an undisguised anti-Semitic policy. Elementary equality of rights is denied the Jewish inhabitants; the Holy City, where the Jews are by far the largest community, has been handed over to a militantly anti-Semitic municipality; violence against Jews is tolerated, and whole districts are closed to them by threats of such violence under the very eyes of the authorities; high officials, guilty of acts which any Court would qualify as instigation to anti-Jewish pogroms, not only go unpunished, but retain their official positions. The Hebrew language is officially disregarded and humiliated; anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism is the fashionable attitude among officials who take their cue from superior authority; and honest attempts to come to an agreement with Arabs are being frustrated by such means as penalising those Arab notables who betray pro-Jewish feeling.
The Jewish soldier is treated as an outcast. The hard and honest work of our battalions is recompensed by scorn and slander, which, starting from centres of high authority, have now reached the rank and file, and envenomed the relations between Jewish and English soldiers. When there is a danger of anti-Jewish excesses, Jewish soldiers are removed from the threatened areas and employed on fatigues, and not even granted the right to defend their own flesh and blood.
Discrimination against Jews was, however, still shown in other quarters. Early in April 1918 the men were considerably upset on the receipt of orders from G.H.Q. that no Jewish soldier would be allowed to enter Jerusalem during the Passover; the order ran thus: "The walled city (of Jerusalem) is placed out of bounds to all Jewish soldiers from the 14th to the 22nd April, inclusive."
I cannot conceive a greater act of provocation to Jewish soldiers than this, or a greater insult. The days during which they were prohibited from entering Jerusalem were the days of the Passover. Think of it! Jewish soldiers for the first time in their lives in Palestine and barred from the Temple Wall of Jerusalem during Passover! Only a Jew can really understand what it meant to these men, and the great strain it put on their discipline and loyalty.The caption reads: "Jewish Legion soldier (sic) during Passover in Jerusalem." Clearly, this is not Jerusalem.
The library description of the photo also includes "Judean Hills region," a more likely setting.
(Harvard Library/Central Zionist Archives)How provocative and insulting this order was will be better understood when it is realized that the majority of the population of Jerusalem is Jewish, and, therefore, there could have been no possible reason for excluding Jewish troops belonging to a British unit, while other British troops were freely admitted, more especially as the conduct of the Jewish soldiers was, at all times, exemplary.Jewish soldiers at Passover Seder, Jerusalem, 1919 The photo is signed by Ya'akov Ben-Dov who moved to
Palestine in 1907 from Kiev. He was drafted into the Ottoman army during World War I and
served as a photographer in Jerusalem. Ben-Dov filmed Allenby's entry into Jerusalem in 1917
(Harvard Library/Central Zionist Archives)Not since the days of the Emperor Hadrian had such a humiliating decree been issued. However, to make up somewhat for the action of the authorities, I made arrangements for the Passover to be observed at Rafa with all the joy and ceremony usually attending that great Feast of the Jewish People. At considerable cost we provided unleavened bread, as well as meat and wine—all strictly "Kosher." As we were nearly 2,000 strong at this time, the catering for the feast had to be most carefully gone into, and Lieut. Jabotinsky, Lieut. Lazarus, and the Rev. L. A. Falk did yeoman service in providing for all needs. It was a wonderful sight when we all sat down together and sang the Hagadah on the edge of the Sinai desert.Passover was selected to insult their deepest religious feelings, by barring them access to the Wailing Wall during that week. No Jewish detachment is allowed to be stationed in Jerusalem or any of the other Holy Cities of Jewry.
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The Feast of the Passover was celebrated during our stay at Helmieh. Thus history was repeating itself in the Land of Bondage in a Jewish Military Camp, after a lapse of over 3,000 years from the date of the original feast.Jewish soldiers -- their headgear and uniforms suggests they are from from various units -- celebrating
Passover at the British Jewish Soldiers Home in Jerusalem, 1919 (Harvard Library/Central Zionist Archives)
I had considerable trouble with the authorities in the matter of providing unleavened bread. However, we surmounted all difficulties, and had an exceedingly jovial first night, helped thereto by the excellent Palestinian wine which we received from Mr. Gluskin, the head of the celebrated wine press of Richon-le-Zion, near Jaffa. The unleavened bread for the battalion, during the eight days of the Feast, cost somewhat more than the ordinary ration would have done, so I requested that the excess should be paid for out of Army Funds. This was refused by the local command in Egypt, so I went to the H.Q. Office, where I saw a Jewish Staff Officer, and told him I had come to get this matter adjusted.
He said that, as a matter of fact, he had decided against us himself. I told him that I considered his judgment unfair, because the battalion was a Jewish Battalion, and the Army Council had already promised Kosher food whenever it was possible to obtain it, and it would have been a deadly insult to have forced ordinary bread upon the men during Passover. I therefore said that I would appeal against his decision to a higher authority. He replied, "This will do you no good, for you will get the same reply from G.H.Q." He was mistaken, for I found the Gentile, on this particular occasion, more sympathetic than the Jew, and the extra amount was paid by order of the Q.M.G., Sir Walter Campbell.
It is apparent that while Jewish soldiers from other units in the British army were permitted to attend seder in Jerusalem, the formal Jewish Legion was not, perhaps because of the army's desire to restrict a distinctly Jewish, nationalistic corps in its midst. 3View comments
- Bravo to Simon, a reader of Israel Daily Picture, who provided these contemporary pictures showing the exact locations where German soldiers marched in Jerusalem during World War I.
Simon even recreated the exact photo angles.
Stay tuned. More mystery pictures from World War I will be appearing here.German soldiers marching in Jerusalem on Good Friday,
Passover Eve, 1917 on Jaffa RoadThe exact spot on Jaffa Road 98 years later, the same
doorways, balconies.
German soldiers marching in Jerusalem on Good Friday,
Passover Eve, 1917 in front of the Fast Hostel, where the
Dan Pearl Hotel is located todayThe 1917 buildings have been replaced, but this is
the spot where the German army marched
Simon wrote, "It's fascinating how in one picture the scene is little changed, apart from the modern shop signs and the light rail tracks down the street, but in the other picture nothing from 1917 is still there in 2015 -- even most of the street itself has been replaced by an underpass."0Add a comment
- Within minutes we started receiving answers from readers as far away as New Zealand suggesting the locations of these pictures of German soldiers marching down Jerusalem's streets during World War I. Below are some of the answers, but we await pictures of how the streets look today today.
Marching on Good Friday/Passover Eve 1917 Marching on Good Friday/Passover Eve 1917 A reader named Simon sent this answer:
The first picture is lower down Jaffa Road nearly at the Jaffa Gate: the building at the top left is the old Hotel Fast where the Jerusalem Pearl is today (with "Fast" just visible at the edge of the photo). Many of the same buildings are visible at http://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/matpc/20400/20457v.jpg
The second picture is outside Jaffa 17 (note the number ١٧ in Arabic numerals near the top left), along what is now the light-rail line outside the Municipality complex at Kikar Safra. The same shop fronts, arched doorways and balconies are still visible in Google Street View, not much changed. -- Simon
We actually planned to present this 1941 picture, similar to the one Simon mentioned, to show the buildings 24 years later. It shows Australian soldiers greeting the Australian Prime Robert Menzies and the commander of the Australian troops in Australia, Lt. Gen. Thomas Blamey.Compare the features on these buildings in this picture from February 1941. (Library of Congress)
The "Matson Photo Service," shown in this picture, was a breakoff from the American Colony Photo Department, the creator of hundreds of pictures featured in this site. Some 20,000 of Eric Matson's photographs were donated to the Library of Congress where we discovered them.
* From Jane: Greetings from NZ, The first picture looks like Jaffa Road and the building on the horizon looks like it is on the intersection with King George V Street. So the children in the foreground would be passing where Ben Yehuda street starts. But as I don't have any photos in front of me, I couldn't be sure. I have forwarded these pictures to my Israeli friends to see if they can assist. Kind regards, Jane, Manakau* From Gil: The bottom photo is shot on the south side of Jaffa Road in front of the Armenian Block opposite the British-built city hall. Chag sameach -- Gil, Nachalat Shiva, Jerusalem* From Gideon: I still have to figure out the location of the German procession, but you may notice at the bottom right of the second photo two boys in uniform, one of whom is dressed very similarly if not identically to the "British soldiers" that you pointed out in the recent "mystery photo." This reinforces my opinion that the uniform in question is not a military one at all, but one of many that were used in schools and colleges. The other boy is wearing another variety. Thanks again for the pictures which are an unending source of interest and pleasure. Hag Sameah,0Add a comment
- Good Friday, April 6, 1917 was also Passover Eve.
The Jews of Jerusalem were destitute. Money from foreign Jewish communities had been cut off because of the war. Breadwinners were absent, many forcibly conscripted into the Turkish army or hiding from the army. But Jewish families did their best to prepare for the Passover holiday.
A parade of soldiers and a military band from the German army marching down the middle of Jerusalem broke the routine and brought Jerusalemites into the street, especially the young boys. These soldiers were on their way to church services in the Old City on their holy day before Easter.
The Germans were allies of the Turkish rulers of the land. They served as advisors, commanders, and pilots in the war against the British and their allies.German fife, drum and horns lead the soldiers to Good Friday prayers. Note the onlookers.
Where was the picture taken in Jerusalem? (UK Imperial War Museum)
These photos were taken by an "official German photographer" and were found in the archives of the British Imperial War Museum.
We invite our readers to study the photographs recently digitized by the Ottoman Imperial Archives. Exactly where did they take place? Photograph the modern-day location and send it to israel.dailypix@gmail.com.Where was the picture taken in Jerusalem? Note the onlookers and the children, probably Jewish because of their caps.
(UK Imperial War Museum)4View comments
- World War I began in Europe in the summer of 1914 with major battles between the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary versus the Triple Alliance of the United Kingdom, France and Russia. The Ottoman Empire (Turkey) joined with the Central Powers and attacked the British at the Suez Canal in January 1915.
In an attempt to put pressure on Germany and Turkey, Britain sent warships to the Dardanelle Straits in April 1915, planning sail up the narrow, 60-mile-long waterway to shell Constantinople and break through to the Black Sea to relieve German pressure on Russia. Many of the ships were sunk or badly damaged by Turkish shore artillery and naval mines and the rest were forced to retreat. A subsequent amphibious landing of British, French, Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli met with stiff resistance. A long eight month slug-fest ensued with an estimated 250,000 wounded and dead on both sides.
We discovered the picture above in the newly digitized Ottoman Empire Archives with a caption explaining the Turkish troops were heading off to fight on Gallipoli. The photo could explain the next two 1915 photos we found that were missing captions.Ottoman soldiers departing Jerusalem through the Old City's Lions Gate in 1915. Destination: Gallipoli
(Ottoman Empire Archives)
Was this picture of soldiers taken at the same time
in front of the Al Aqsa Mosque? The Lion's Gate is
very close to this location. (Ottoman Empire Archives)This group of soldiers, also in front of the al-Aqsa
Mosque, is identified as having come from Medina
in the Arabian Peninsula. Was it taken before they
went to Gallipoli? (Ottoman Empire Archives)
The Zion Mule Corps and Gallipoli
In The Zion Muleteers of Gallipoli, the author Martin Sugarman, wrote, "In March 1915 the Zion Mule Corps became the first regular Jewish fighting force to take active part in a war since the defeat of the Bar Kochba Revolt 2000 years ago. Some of its men later formed the core of what was to become the modern Israeli army."
The Jewish corps was formed in British-held Egypt and consisted of local Egyptian Jews, Jewish exiles from Turkish-ruled Palestine, and British officers. Lieutenant-Colonel John Henry Patterson commanded the unit; officers included Zev Jabotinsky and Yosef Trumpledor who were expelled from Palestine. View more on the Jewish unit here.
A British soldier leading his pack mule with supplies for the front on Gallipoli (Imperial War Museum)
The new Corps, Sugarman related, "was officially designated a Colonial Corps of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force and was to include a maximum of 737 men.... They were allocated 20 horses for officers and NCOs and 750 pack mules."John Henry Patterson
The Corps' mission was to take supplies, such as water and ammunition, to the fighting forces at the Gallipoli front. Often they were under heavy Turkish fire and bombardment.
Sugarman revealed, "Their courage even reached the ears of the Turkish Commander in Palestine, Djemal Pasha, who was indignant that a unit of Palestinian Jews were fighting against the Turks in Gallipoli. To placate the Turkish authorities" Sugarman continued, "the Jewish Community in Palestine proclaimed it wrong to fight for the British, and even organized a protest against them in Jerusalem."
The Gallipoli War was an utter failure for the British. All British and ANZAC troops were withdrawn in December 1915. The disaster at Gallipoli stained the reputation of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, who resigned from government.
But the Corps excited the Jewish world, and while the Zion Mule Corps was but a colonial, auxiliary, supposedly non-combat unit, it served as the inspiration and training ground for the Jewish Legion, Haganah, and the Israel Defense Forces.Click on pictures to enlarge. Click on captions to view the original pictures.1View comments
- The opening shot of World War I in the Middle East was fired along the Suez Canal when the German-led Ottoman army attacked British positions along the Suez Canal in January 1915. The Canal was essential for keeping the ties open between Britain and its colonies, such as India. In fact, Indian troops were stationed along the Canal when the attack began.
Over the next three years, the war would rage across the Sinai Peninsula, north to Gaza and Be'er Sheva, through Jerusalem and the Dead Sea area, and to Amman and Damascus.
The Ottoman Imperial Archives provides German illustrations and photograph of the Ottoman attack. The photographs also show Turkish mobilization in Jerusalem, Be'er Sheva and the Sinai.German painting of Bedouin fighters against English troops at the Suez Canal (Ottoman Imperial Archives) Turkish Camel Corps in Be'er Sheva (Ottoman Imperial
Archives, 1915)German commander of the Suez attack,
Gen. Kress von Kressenstein (Library
of Congress)Turkish troops leaving Jerusalem, passing through the
Jaffa Gate (Ottoman Imperial Archives, 1914)Druze prince from Lebanon mobilized for the
battle at the Suez Canal (Ottoman
Imperial Archives)Illustration of Turkish guns firing at British planes over
the Suez Canal (Ottoman Imperial Archives)German captions: From the battle of our Turkish allies on the Suez Canal, Turkish encampment in the Egyptian desert.(Ottoman Imperial Archives)Turkish artillery on the march to the Suez Canal (Ottoman Imperial Archives) British and Indian troops in Suez Canal trenches (Q15566, Imperial War Museum - UK) Click on pictures to enlarge, click on caption to view the original pictures.0Add a comment
- Two years ago we published this Library of Congress photo and the caption identifying it as a "Turkish procession," taken sometime between 1898 and 1918.Caption 1. "Turkish procession," dated between 1898 and 1918 (Library of Congress)Caption 2. "Ottoman Palestine in World War I (1914-1917)" (Facebook, Ottoman Imperial Archives)Caption 3."Ottoman Palestine, Ottoman Soldiers" (Flickr, Ottoman Imperial Archives)With the recent Online posting of pictures from the Ottoman Imperial Archives -- including this photograph -- we hoped that we could get some answers to the "who, what, where" questions.The mystery only got deeper.The procession is not Turkish and these are not Ottoman soldiers.The people in the procession are most definitely Jews -- Sephardic, Haredim, and modern.The procession is not in Ottoman Palestine or dated between 1914-1917 or 1918.The presence of at least one British soldier means that the photograph was taken after 1918 -- after the British captured Jerusalem in December 1917.
The day was not a major Jewish holiday or Shabbat --
Some people were riding on horses or wagons, nor were the men wearing their Shabbat finery.
Perhaps they were going to or coming from a funeral --
There are very few women in the picture, in keeping with a Jerusalem custom at the time of women not attending funerals.
The picture contains 2 signs, including a sign post that could suggest where it was taken, but our graphics programs could not decipher the signs.
View some of the enlargements made from the photograph:
Jews in the procession
A British soldier
Signs2View comments
- MAR10
"Tanburi Isak" -- a Jewish Turkish "Rock Star" 230 Years Ago -- From the Ottoman Imperial Archives
The Ottoman Imperial Archives does not identify Tanburi Isak as a Jew. But, there's something about the portrait (photography did not exist in his day). Maybe it is his name Isak, maybe his beard, maybe his turban which is similar to the one still worn by Sephardi chief rabbis of Israel. Research proved the hunch correct.
Tamburi/Tanburi İsak Efendi (1745-1814) From the Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World:Isaac Fresco (İsak Fresko) Romano was born in the Ortaköy district of Istanbul in 1745. Known to Ottomans as Tamburi İsak Efendi because of his mastery of the tambur, a bowed or plucked long-necked lute used in Ottoman court music, he was perhaps Turkey’s most famous composer of both Jewish synagogue songs and classical Turkish music. He also played the keman, a traditional Turkish violin. He became a teacher of the tambur in 1795, and the sultan at the time, Selim III, was his star pupil.Listen to one of Tanburi Isak's works here.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
American "Manifest Destiny" Heads to the Holy Land in 1847 - Picture a day
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