Welcome to the third and final article in the series of stories dedicated to Moshe Jacobson's work during his years at the Shfeya Youth Village. This time we will also present photos from the village's milieu, including music lessons, agriculture and games, as well as images from Moshe's private life.
Even after leaving Shfeya, Moshe continued his public and musical activity, working to bequeath the musical education to the school's pupils.
Today Moshe is a pensioner living in Haifa, and many of his past students meet and praise him. His wife Hannah passed away earlier this year.
Previous stories:
1. In the 1930s, the Shefya agricultural farm built its first "glass house" – the name given to hothouses those days. In the photo: Sir Arthur Wauchope, the British high commissioner, who took part in the glass house's cornerstone ceremony.
2. Youths with string instruments, 1940s.
3. During a Shfeya orchestra's concert at the YMCA in Jerusalem, 1948.
4. Playing in the open air. The music note stands would be created at Shfeya's carpentry workshop from the trees of the surrounding forest.
5. The entrance to Shfeya's animal farm in the 1940s. The sign reads, "The Reuven David Far," after Reuven David Kesselman, Shfeya's accountant. The donkey standing at the gate was used to bring the mail from Zichron Yaacov. The lone house behind the donkey is the dairy, and the barn is on the right. Three henhouses can be seen in the back, and on their right is the granary.
6. A shade house at the Shfeya farm, 1935.
7. Playing "Our Land".
8. Moshe as the commander of the "Kanir" army post during the War of Independence,
1948.
9. Conductor Leonard Bernstein visited Shefya in 1949. He heard about Moshe's musical activity and requested a meeting with him. At the time, Moshe was on reserve duty not far from the village, at a border post in Wadi Ara, and arrived for a visit. Bernstein saw Moshe conduct, was very moved and even asked to hold the baton for a moment. During that same meeting, he invited Moshe to engage in similar musical activity in the United States. This was realized in 1967, when Moshe went on a trip to the US to bequeath music among the American youth. In the photo: Moshe at a classroom in Michigan.
10. Moshe with his wife Hannah and son Ofer.
11. Grandfather Ben-Zion (Moshe's father), who served as the cantor of the Petah Tikva synagogue, sent a banknote greeting for the Jewish New Year:
"Please pay to the order of my son Moshe and Hannah, Ofer Jacobson a total of three hundreds and sixty five happy days."
12. 1958, a trip to the Bay of Eilat after the road passing through Mitzpe Ramon was opened. The tall man is Yosef Dashevsky, the manager of the Shfeya Youth Village, and standing next to him are the parents of Hannah, Moshe Jacobson's wife.
13. Moshe conducts over grouped orchestra of 250 students in Haifa, 1963.
14. In 1954, Moshe served as the supervisor of musical education on behalf of the Education Ministry in northern Israel.
His meetings with teachers and students elevated the musical spirit at the schools he visited. It was an enterprise of bequeathing musical knowledge to all school students, combining theoretical studies with music playing and listening to concerts. Moshe's initiative continues to this day under the name "culture basket". In the photo: Moshe delivers a "concert lesson" to students in Nahariya.
Listen to Shfeya orchestra perform "In Silence":
- For all trips to the past – click here
