Jdeide 24.12.42
Translation with [comments]
[The village is still there today.]
Established in the days of Ahmad Taha al-Jazzar [the Ottoman ruler of the Acre province in the late 19th century; but this is not true. The village was founded in the 16th century]. Earlier a Jew called Haim had a farm here. This Jew was a treasurer at the Pasha's. The same Jew built a large palace in al-Masmacha road in Acre near Khan al-Afranji (Europeans' hotel) and forced the residents to pass under the palace. The Muslims resented this and complained to al-Jazzzar who ordered two of his men to bring the Jew before him. The Jew refused to comply. He was taken by force and when alone on the road his captors strangled him, though an official minister. When the Pasha learnt of it he was pleased and gave his men a present to pacify the Muslims. The Pasha divided the property and money of the Jew among the residents and the Jdeide farm he gave to the falahin [farmers] who worked for Haim the Jew and since then it is in Arab hands.[The person in question is Haim Farhi, the financial advisor of al-Jazzar, who did have land in the village, but all the rest of the story has little relation to reality; he was killed assassins sent by al-Jazzar heir, Abdullah Pasha, to his home in Damascus in 1820].
Relics at the end of the Turkish rule the villagers found in one of the caves by the Roman well to the west of the village an engraved stone - it transpired that that is the burial place of Nabi Daniel. The stone was taken by Mahmoud Effendi 'Arabe al-Mufti who gave it to the mukhtar of the Jews in Acre - Abu Darwish al-Munjad and it remained in his hands. There is a cave in the village called the cave of al-Sheikh Husayn. The villagers believe one of the saints to be buried there and it is still a site of pilgrimage and pledging of pledges.
Water there are no springs but there are ancient water holes and two of them are very large, from Roman times - 1) in the west of the village 2) in the north. And every house has a hole for rainwater that supplies the needs of the household and livestock. There is no water reservoir.
Roads there are no asphalted roads. The roads are old and unpaved. The only vehicle-worthy road goes to Kafr Yasif [see file]. Most of the roads are muddy in rainy days. The distance from the main road is 2 km. There are roads to the south-east as far as al-Birweh [the village of al-Birweh, where Mahmoud Darwish was born was destroyed on 11 June 1948; his siblings still live in Jdeideh today]. to the south west as far as the lands of Manshiyah (Manshiyat Akka was an extension that became the suburbia of Acre), to the north to Kafr Yasif and to the west to al-Maker [today Jdeide and Makr are one village]. Travel is by Kafr Yasif cars.
Buildings stone, loam and lime. Roofs are loam and Arab wood. Some buildings are stone covered. The fences are sabres [prickly pear].
Wadis there is one to the north - Wadi al-Halzun.
Around are many caves and rocks mostly to the west. On the north there is a large cave called the Church Cave. It used to be a Roman church.
Livestock 150 heads of cattle, 200 goats, 100 sheep, 1000 chickens.
Land three thousand dunams divided (mafruza) mountain and plain.
Plantations olives, grapes, figs. Main crops: olives and field crops.
Land Owning Effendis Al 'Arabe Al-Mufti family. This family owns a third of the land and of the olives. It cultivates it itself. To the notable Ahmad al-'Akkawi belongs much land and four thousand olive trees - he leases them to the falahin [farmers] for a third of the crop.
Average family plot - nearly 20 consecutive dunams. There are no families without land. The only land development has been planting of olive trees. There are no irrigated lands. The villagers have not received land from the government. There are about 100 dunams that Ahmad al-Anis having no heirs gave to the waqf. The waqf belongs to the village mosque. But after his death waqf al-Jazzar of Acre laid its hand on it and leases it to the villagers. Recently it has made 15 EIL. The village has in addition about 1000 dunams on Mount al-Tantur on the road to Safed.
Families
1. 'Arabe al-Mufti, 300, Husayn 'Arabe, originally of Acre.
2. Mahoul family from Fasuta, 25 people, headed by Hana Mahoul.
3. Taha al-Masri of the Al-Beane tribe (Mutawali) [namely belonging to the Shiite community of south Lebanon], 35 members, headed by Mahmud al-Mahamed.
4. Al-Haj of Miyar (the Acre province) [see the file], 40 members, the leader Mahmud al-Haj.
5. Habib, 15 people, the leader Elias Habib.
There is strife between the al-Haj and Taha families due to a murder before the events. It is currently being reviewed in court. Relations with neighbouring villages are good.
Mukhtars Mahmud al-Haj and Hana Mahul - for the past 20 years. The residents are pleased with them.
Village Committee Mahmoud al-Mahamid, Jaryus Mahul, Mahmoud al-Haj, Yusuf al-Kana'ani, Hana Mahoul.
[Schools] There is no school in the village. The children are sent to al-Maker, 1 km from the village.
Artisans in three homes there is production of baskets and straw products. The expert in this work - European Halif Elias Habib. The straw is brought from the Kurdani and Na'aman rivers. Many villagers work in Acre in the Nur and Gazoz factories. Currently many work for the army.
There is one shop in the village and one supplier of commodities.
[Employment] None of the villagers are in governmental employment.
The Railway one clerk assists the rail stationmaster in Acre: Sa'id al-Taher.
None migrated to the towns. The workers work for the army and return home.
[Guesthouses] There is a private guesthouse in the house of mukhtar Hana Mahoul and one at Mahmud al-Mahamid's.
[Expenditure] There is no public expenditure.
Notable relatives the 'Arabe family, notables of Acre.
Ties with the Jews the 'Arabeh family sold land to Jews by Na'aman and there are no ties. There are no workers or guards for the Jews.
[Mosque and Chruches] There is an ancient ruined mosque. The prayers pray at the house of Mukhtar Mahmoud al-Haj. There is a church for the Christians the priest is Ibrahim Saba al-Matri from the village.
A church for the Catholics - the priest Daniel Ibrahim from the Lebanon, relative of the Mutran Hajar.
[Guards] There is one gaffir [security men]: Mahmoud Qasem al-Masri. None enlisted to the army. Each year the residents appoint a guard for the olives.
Relations with the government are currently good.
Debts most residents owe each other and some to residents of Kafr Yasif.
[Smugglers] There are no smugglers.
Activists in the Uprising [The Arab Revolt] Jad'on Ben Halil and Watfa al-'Abed Abu Raed. The village rebels were under command of Abu Ibrahim the Small.
None were killed by the army.
The terrorists killed the young son of Yusuf al-Cna'ani (the government recompensed the family), Muhamad 'Abdallah Rashid of the Taha family. Al-'Abed Abu Radi was accused of the killing.
Arrests al-'Abed Abu Radi was sentenced to four years.
The government confiscated no arms. The amount of weapons there today in unknown.
Damages the army demolished a big house of the 'Arabe family and an olive press because the rebels stayed with them.
Immigrants and Matrudin [deportees] al-'Abed Abu Radi's family fled to Acre and Tamra for fear of conflict with the Taha family, because al-'Abed is suspected of murdering a Taha family member.