Majd Al-Krum 05.01.43
Translation with [comments]
[Still there today.]
Built on an ancient ruin. In antiquity it was called the Glory of God - Majd Allah. Its vines gave it the name "Al-Krum". The two names were joined and became the name of the village today - Majd al-Krum.
Water there are no springs. In the centre of the village there is a plentiful well with a pool built on top from which pipes go to the village streets, with taps for the villagers. On the well is a primitive animal operated pump. A year ago experts went down the well to clean it and found a stone engraved with a chapter from the Koran. The stone was removed and the water subsided. Once it was reinstalled the water was again abundant. There are no other wells or springs. To the south of the village on Mount Ulis there are 5 rainwater holes. In summer the flocks are watered from the village well and in winter outside the village.
The Roads the internal ones are paved and useable in rainy weather too. There are roads north to Julis [a Druze village] , south to Sha'ab [see file], east to Al-Ba'ena [see file] west to Al-Birweh. The Acre-Safed highway bisects the village. Traffic is with Safed, al-Rameh [see file] and Dir al-Asad [see file].
The Buildings the ancient - stone, loam and lime, the new, which are numerous - stone and cement. The fences are bramble and stone walls and barbed wire.
Wadis [valleys, usually with flowing rivers] to the south Wadi al-Hatib.
The Ruins [khirba] to the west of the village, south of the asphalt road, an ancient ruin - Khirbat Jalun, with remnants of ancient buildings, caves, houses and oil presses, and also a well with good water. The villagers tell that this water has remedial qualities. They also tell of Jews coming by maps to inquire of the villagers about Khirbat Jalun, but until now the villagers did not wish to show the original to anybody, because they fear that there are relics there and that the Jews wish to take them.
Livestock 250 heads of cattle, 1000 goats, three families grow bees, 100 sheep, 3000 chickens.
Land 50 thousand dunams plain and mountain. The hilly part is large and mostly divided [mafruza]. The plain is red soil. The mountain soil, south of the village, is of all types.
Plantations olives and fruit. Main crops - seasonal field crops, mainly wheat and barley, olives and fruit. There are no large landowners [effendis]. The average holding of a family is about 100 dunams. Most villagers have land, at least enough to subsist on. There has been no land development. They have not received land from the government. There is no irrigated land.
[Waqf] 20 dunam and 100 olive trees are the waqf [religious endowment] of Al-Jazzar mosque in Acre, and it is given to the preacher in the village mosque to cultivate and take the crop in place of salary.
The village has another 1000 dunam of land between Sha'ab [see file] and al-Ramun [probably Ramana, still there today], Birweh [see file] and Miyar [see file], by Wadi al-Halzun. The land is divided and registered to the villagers of Majd al-Krum [see file].
The Residents number of people: 1500. Number of men aged 18-48 - 400.
Families
1. Man'a al-Sa'ad family, 175 members, the leader Muhamad Salim al-Mahmoud
2. Shehadeh family, 45 members, the leader Husayn al-Shehadeh
3. Sirhan family, 40 members, the leader Hasan Sirhan
4. Al-Khatib family, 25 members, the leader Mouhamad al-Jabar
5. Firhat family, 30 members, the leader Sheikh Diab Firhat
The Man'a and Sirhan families are in permanent conflict and strife.
Murder and blood feud etc. between them and the rest of the families, conflict over land. Relations with neighbouring villages are good.
The Mukhtars [headmen, notable elders]
1. Mouhamad Salim Mahmud, first mukhtar, has officiated 25 years, popular, elected
2. Sheikh Diab Firhat, second mukhtar, has officiated 15 years, popular, elected
3. Hasan Sirhan, third mukhtar, has officiated 8 years, popular, elected
The Village Committee Ahmad Amin al-Sa'ad, Mouhamad Hasan al-Abdallah, Mouhamad Salim Al-Khatib, Faez Yunis Salameh and the three mukhtars. The committee was appointed by the government.
[Schools] There is a government school in the village, 5 classes, 100 pupils. Khalil al-Dimasi from Acre is the headmaster. The teachers are Nayif Khalifah of Safed, Kamal Muhamad Salim from Majd Al-Krum.
Artisans in this village people do basketry and mats as well as "Lif European". There are 10 stonecutters, 6 well diggers, 2 drivers, 2 cobblers, 6 oil presses, 5 of which are animal operated and one motor run.
[Shops] There are 6 shops, their owners make their living off them and olive growing. There is a petrol station by the road selling petrol and crude oil, owned by Nayif Muhamad Diab.
[Employment] There is one policeman who has been pensioned off because he was hurt in the course of duty, and one guardsman.There are no government or rail officials etc. A few have left to work in Acre and Haifa.
[Guesthouses] Every family has a private guesthouse.
Expenditure when a project is undertaken money is levied to cover expenses.
There are no relatives of note.
[Jews] There are no ties with Jews.
[Mosques] In the middle of the town there is an ancient mosque, from the time of al-Jazzar. The preacher is the local Sheikh Mahmoud Diab.
Guard: the villagers elect the guards for the days of the seasons.
Relations with the authorities are good. The informers are unknown.
The villagers have no debts. They are well off.
[Smugglers] There are currently no smugglers.
The Village During the Troubles [The Arab Revolt] Al-Abed Bashir was the inciter and the commander of the villagers. Many joined the rebels.
The army encircled Abu al-'Abed al-Asba's gang from Safed in the village mountains. The villagers came out in aid of the rebels. A plane shot at them killing Shaqer 'Abed Mahmoud al-Sa'ad, Ahad Bashir, Kamal Bashir, ‘Izz al-Din al-Hamduni, Mouhamad Hudar, al-Sheikh Rashid Firhat and al-Sheikh 'Abed al-Haj Mouhamad. Nobody died by the hands of the gangs.
Al Bashir was sentenced to life imprisonment but was recently released through lobbying.
50 rifles were confiscated. The quantity of weapons in the village today - is not known.
Damages the army demolished the homes of Mahawash al-Sa'ad, Mabrah Firhat 'Arsan al-Una, al-Sheikh Diab Firhat and about another hundred houses were damaged during the demolitions. The government exacted a 300 Erez Israel Lira [Palestine pound] fine.
There are no deportees.