From the memoirs of the fighting Pearl family – part 2
Shmuel and Daniel Pearl were twin brothers, the sons of one of Safed's veteran families. In the 1930s they helped establish the Beitar youth movement and loved to photograph and document the country's landscapes. Second story in series
Earlier this week we presented the first installment of four-part series featuring a selection of photos taken by the late Daniel and Shmuel Pearl.
Shmuel and Daniel were twin brothers, the sons of one of Safed's veteran families. In the 1930s, with the 1929 events in the city still fresh in their minds, they helped establish the Beitar youth movement.
They were united by their love for the Land of Israel and the feeling that what took place in 1929 must never repeat itself.
The Pearl brothers loved to take pictures, and today, when they are no longer with us, many photos have remained telling the history of the era and perpetuating the country's landscapes at the time.
The photos were given to us by their children: Atzmona Waxman Shabtai, Daniel's daughter, and Naftali Pearl, Shmuel's son.
1. Netzhiya Victoria (of the Hebron Bejaios) with Daniel Pearl
2. The Herzliya Hotel in Safed. The Pearl family was the hotel proprietors. In the photo: The renovated part of the resort
3. In the photo: One of the buildings whose construction was founded by Mrs. Sarah Levi. The building was intended to be an artists' workshop, but was later turned into a movie theater. Several years later, it was converted into the Ginosar Convalescent Home mess – the latter is now knows as Canaan Spa
4. In the aftermath of the 1929 Hebron Massacre, several of Safed's families, among whom were the Pearl, Unger and Mieberg families, formed "Zofia" – an association dedicated to forming a new Jewish community on Mt. Canaan, near Safed. The families approached the Jewish Colonization Association in order to purchase the land and while the company agreed, the British authorities denied the request, fearing the Arab's objection to the sale. In 1933, Mrs. Sarah Levi was allotted the land and so were the members of Zofia. The jubilation, however, was short lived: In 1936 riots broke out again, and the Mt. Canaan settlement was abandoned. In the photo: The celebrations of the Mt. Canaan lease
5. Sarah Rott with two of the Beitar Movement's students. Sarah, an Irgun member, trained many youths in the Safed area in first aid, signaling and weaponry. She later married Meir Mieberg who then went on to be a Hagana commander. Later still he became the mayor of Safed
6. Sarah Rott with her trainees
7. Sarah Rott with Daniel Pearl
8. Taking a dip in Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee)
9. The Jordan River (Photo: Daniel Pearl)
10. A view of Nahariya
11. On Lake Kinneret
12. Campsite on the northern border, while paving the Northern Route, 1938 (Photo: Daniel Pearl)
13. The Hula Valley (Photo: Daniel Pearl)
14. Praying by the Western Wall (Photo: Daniel Pearl)
- For other trips to the past – click here
