Folklorist George Korson is best remembered today as one of the most important voices preserving the history, music, and culture of Pennsylvania’s Coal Region. In the mid-20th century, he traveled the anthracite fields collecting songs, stories, and oral histories from mineworkers – capturing a world that was already beginning to disappear as the coal industry declined during the Great Depression.
But Korson’s own story is just as remarkable and far less known.
Korson was born in southern Ukraine in 1899 and came to the United States with his family in 1906. They originally settled in New York City, but later moved to Wilkes-Barre, PA in 1912 for a slower pace of life.
The Korson family was Jewish and settled in among the Jewish community in Luzerne County, where George went to school and worked as a newsboy delivering papers. He later went to work for the Wilkes-Barre Record newspaper as well.
Korson graduated from Wilkes-Barre High School as World War I raged in 1917 and took a path extremely uncommon among those looking to serve in “The Great War.”1
He traveled to Philadelphia and joined the Jewish Legion of the British Army in an effort to serve in Palestine, one of the many far-flung theaters of the First World War. He served from 1918-1919 in this unit.
The Jewish Legion was formed as a British Army unit in 1917, playing a role in the capture of Palestine from the Ottoman Turks in 1917 and 1918. Korson missed out on the major combat operations and instead served on occupation duty as an escort for refugees and other tasks.
Korson wrote letters home to Wilkes-Barre at various moments during his service. I am to share those on the blog in future.
But upon his return in 1919, he was interviewed by a reporter for the Record and gave a full description of his experiences in the turbulent, war-torn Middle East following the cessation of World War I.
From the Wilkes-Barre Record, September 23, 1919:
HOLY LAND TO-DAY AS A RECORD MAN SAW IT
Jewish Legionnaire in British Army,
Wilkes Barre Newspaperman, Returns From Service in Palestine With a Rich Fund of Observations
His most absorbing fighting experience, being to fight robber Arab tribes, thrilling enough while it lasted, but fortunately short-lived George Korson, Jewish Legionnaire, and member of the Record staff, had leisure while, in Palestine with the British army to make many interesting observations concerning the Holy Land as it is to day.
He has just returned home by way of England and one of his fellows on the Record staff has extracted the following interview, which contains information interesting in a general way to everybody, but particularly interesting Bible students and more especially perhaps to Jews who are supporting the Zionist movement.
Mr. Korson wrote many letters for the Record while in Palestine, and they constituted a unique phase of the soldier letters published in this community.
As far as known he is the only Wilkes-Barre boy who spent war days on the Palestine front. In this interview he sums up his general views on the Holy Land:
‘I have no thrilling war experiences to relate, as the armistice had ready been signed when I arrived with a contingent of Jewish Legionnaires in Palestine. Only the first groups of the American Legion actually saw the firing line, the majority, being used for garrison work. Some of our duties were Turkish and German prisoner of war guards; escorting war refugees, from refugee camps in Egypt to their homes in Palestine; general headquarters guards including one for Field Marshal – Allenby himself, ammunition dump and other guards.
The most exciting were, last spring during the Egyptian riots, when we suffered a few casualties in encounters with Bedouins, robber Arab tribes.
In the course of our duties, we were able to observe the life of the ancient people, Arab and Jew alike. The first thing which aroused our curiosity was the primitive way of the population.
The Bible Comes to Life
It seemed as if the scenes and characters of the Bible were living again now, before our eyes. The dress, customs and manners have undergone little change through the ages.
For instance, one could see the shepherd by his flock, piping on a reed flute very much as David did when on the slopes of the Judean hills.
There were the old villages, and the wells where the veiled women would come to draw their water daily, not neglecting, true to their sex, to bandy the day’s gossip as in the days of Rachel and Leah. One may wander through the Holy Land and meet just such reapers as those among whom Ruth stood amid the alien corn.
Quarre’s as to rights to pastures and wells arise as in Bible times. Across the hills in Judea one may find vineyards tilled by lads in just such a coat of many colors as that worn by Joseph.’
Distance Lends Enchantment
‘And scattered about over the Holy Land are many villages and settlements which in the Bible are called cities. These villages, I may add, are more attractive from a distance than when one is near at hand. Generally the streets are narrow, dirty and badly laid out.
Some of the houses are made of roughly hewn stone and others of mud and thatch. In most of the villages the family land cattle live under the same roof. When we walk through the native quarters of Jaffa or Jerusalem or Arab village we wonder how human beings could find it possible to live under conditions that the Arab peasants do. It is no wonder, I think, that malaria and trachoma [contagious eye infection causing blindness] are so prevalent in Palestine.’
Colonists Bring New Spirit
‘Within the last thirty years, however, a new spirit has been working its way into the life of the Palestinian. It has its root in the Zionist movement and is doing much in the effort to make Palestine a fit place to live in.
I am referring to the Jewish colonists. There are fifty odd colonies in the country which have been developed by the hardest kind of efforts by Russian and Rumanian immigrants. They brought with them scientific methods of farming from the West as well as ideas for sanitation and hygiene and their suffering through tropical fevers is not so general as among their brethren in the cities.
The colonist is always self supporting and of a very progressive type.
Much of his energies is directed toward education, schools, libraries, literary clubs, musical societies etc. are to be found in each of the colony. In Tel Aviv, the Jewish quarter of Jaffa, a magnificent structure houses the “gymnasia” corresponding to our secondary schools.
Near Jerusalem, a university is being founded for higher learning. Before the war the colonist was accustomed to send his children to European universities. “Tel-Aviv” which means “hills of spring” is the centre of Jewish life in Palestine. Its broad, well kept streets, its beautiful parks, its magnificent homes, built according to French architecture, and the general tone of refinement found on its streets combine to present a pleasing effect on the stranger.’
Army Improves Country
‘Nor has the British campaign in Palestine been without its advantages to the country.
Broad asphalt paved roads built through military necessity connect the colonies with one another as well as bringing town and village nearer to each other. A railroad running, from the Suez Canal at Kantara, Egypt, to Haifa, northern Palestine, connects the Palestinians with markets in Egypt. Bridge and irrigation works, as well as facilities for the increase of the water supply, the scarcity of which the Palestinians have always suffered, were all introduced by Royal Engineers in war time.’
Luxury and Degradation
‘“The ‘Effendi,” or great landowners, live in riotous luxury while the Arab peasant, of “fellaheer” is held in degradation. It is no uncommon sight to see a peasant whipped or otherwise maltreated by his “Reis”, or foreman, just as the blacks were in the Southern States before the Civil War.
And I am afraid it will take yet a long time before woman suffrage becomes popular among the natives of Palestine. They still cling to the old notion that woman is below the level of man. When she is not at work in the fields she is held in confinement within the four walls of her home and always is she veiled. The fellaheer takes no chances.
The hardest work is done by female while the male species struts about hands in pockets, taking things easy.’
Had Heard of Charlie Chaplin
‘Western civilization is, however, making its way into Palestine. It was one day last June while on leave to Jerusalem that I was impressed with this fact. I had yielded to the persuasions of a little Hebrew bootblack to have my hoots shined. In the course of his duties the lad asked me whether I had come from America as the double triangle on my sleeve signified.
I answered in the affirmative.
“Well, do you know Charlie Chaplin?” he lisped.
The Holy City boasts of one movie or cinema as it is called there.’
Doing Escort Duty
‘On three occasions I was called upon to do escort duty, that is to help war refugees from refugee camps in Egypt to their homes in Palestine. It was heartbreaking at times to see the wretchedness of these people.
Many of them were wan, pale and little more than walking skeletons. And many, particularly the older people, appeared to be nothing more than a bundle of bones held together by a thin tissue of flesh.
Particularly tragic was it when they would reach their villages and find the homes ruined and their loved ones gone.
In the first three years of the war conditions were almost unbearable. I was told. In the first place, the Turkish soldier never received any regular ration or clothing from his government and therefore it was perfectly permissible for him to demand these things from the population. And the average Turk has a finely developed genius for putting his hands on things not belonging to him.’
When Turkish Knees Shook
‘And then there came a time durIng the Palestine campaign when the Turkish knees were beginning to shake. The population was driven from their homes and left to their own fate in fields and woods.
Crops, foodstuffs and clothing were requisitioned by the Turkish government. The only thing that was left the population was starvation. British army records show that Jaffa alone lost half of its population this way.
When the British were advancing on Jerusalem, I was told, the road from the Holy City was strewn with dead and feeble bodies. Those who bore the least semblance of life were hurried down to the refugee camps at Alexandria. Among the refugees were Arabs, Syrians and Jews.
Now these refugees are returning. They are settling in the already crowded cities of Jaffa and Jerusalem. Many of the breadwinners are gone; and there is little or no employment for the breadwinners that are there.
The country is still under martial law. Taxes are enormously high. Very little is imported into the country: and what does come in too high to be of good to the poor.
The colonists are able to live on the products of their farms but the city folks are not so situated. Malaria and trachoma are reaping their harvests. The American Red Cross and the medical unit of the Zionist organization I found are both doing noble work in the effort to alleviate the misery, but their task is almost superhuman.’
- Biographical information and Jaffa photograph from Folklorist of the Coal Fields: George Korson’s Life and Work by Angus K. Gillespie
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Read more about World War I in the Coal Region
Coal Region doctor became a British war hero in March 1918
A wounded Pennsylvania soldier’s letter home from France | World War I
“I am more than glad it is over” – A Coal Region soldier’s experience in World War I
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