"Welcome to Palestine!"

Two weeks ago, you said goodbye to your family in Russia. Now, after a land and sea voyage, you disembark in the port city of Haifa. The dry, hilly landscape looks alien to your eyes. You arrive with a loaf of bread, a small amount of money and a dog-eared copy of Old New Land, Theodor Herzl's utopian vision of a new state for the Jewish people. The Turkish customs agent asks for your visa. Then you wander the streets and souks of Haifa. Arab shopkeepers sell their wares. Mt. Carmel rises above the Mediterranean coast and the bustle of the port. In cafes and hostels, you debate with other Jewish immigrants how best to settle this land. The next day, you visit the Palestine Office.