“Now I must return to Lag B’Omer, and tell you what struck me as very strange on that day.  As I went with a few of my girl-friends from group to group to see and hear all I could about what was going on, we came to a group of women, girls, and youngsters, and in the centre of them all a lovely little child about three years of age sitting dressed in silk, and a plate near by with some lovely black curls lying on it.  I, of course, asked what it all meant, and was told that those people who had only one boy, or who had lost some by death, never cut the hair of their children till they were between three and four years of age.  Then, when it was cut, they put all they had cut off upon a scale, and upon the other side of the scale copper, silver, or gold money, according to their means.  If poor, they put copper coins upon the scales to test the weight of the hair, and then distributed these copper coins among the poor.  In fact, it just looks as if those who receive charity take it in one hand and distribute it with the other.

[Illustration:  YEUSHIVA (talmudical school)]

“Nowhere have I ever seen so much almsgiving as here.  Alms-boxes are hung up in various places, where in Europe you would see only ornaments.  For every joy or blessing and for those who have relatives or friends ill or in danger, money is freely dropped into the box.  This money is given towards the up-keep of the hospital for the very poor, and so on.  Really, it must be very hard for those people who have little to spare, but Father says this is one of the means by which every Jew in Palestine is trained to love his neighbour as himself.  I feel he is right, for I never saw so much kindness and thoughtfulness for others as I have seen since we arrived here.  Everyone naturally does what the others do, and it has proved to me how true it is that example is far more powerful than preaching or teaching.

“As we appeared so interested in what they told us, they kindly invited us to sit down and offered us wine, cake, delicious pasties, and jams, and later on baked nuts, though we were quite strangers to them.  It is this kindliness that surprised me so much.  Altogether we spent a very joyful day, returning home by moonlight, when we girls and women thoroughly enjoyed listening to the groups of men and boys who sang and danced on the way home.

“I don’t think I could ever make you realize all the drawbacks to the life here; but yet it has a very pleasant and happy side too, and you really see far more pleasure than you ever do in London.  In my next letter I’ll tell you about the engagement and marriage of my friend who is only fifteen years old.  Now I must stop, hoping that we may see you here some day soon.”