Mention the Jaffa colony to almost anyone in Maine, and the questioning expressions are quickly revealed on their faces. But with numerous talks being given by Reed and Jean Holmes throughout the area and this year being the 150th anniversary of the journey, that is all about to change.
     At a recent meeting of the Machiasport Historical Society, Jean Holmes presented to a group of 30 members, residents and visitors the story of the people, the journey and the connection between Maine and Jaffa, Israel, now present-day Tel Aviv. She also spoke about another journey, a personal journey, one that was to salvage the remains of a building that sits on the spot on which those of the Jaffa American colony built their homes.
     Writing in his book, The Forerunners, Reed Holmes reflects about a conversation he had with a woman and a trip she took with her parents to Israel when she was 12. Her story lit a fire of curiosity in him that burns to this day. "She spun a story that day which I've learned since has inspired many writers to tell it and yet many more of them failing to tell the true story."
     What started as a conversation between two people back in 1943 has now quickly grown because of the efforts of the Rdd and Jean Holmes and investment of time and money into the documentation and telling of a much bigger story, a story that directly links the coast of Maine to the roots of modern Israel.
     It was 1866 when a group of 157 people from Jonesport, under the leadership of George Adams, a pastor with the Church of the Messiah, decided to leave Maine on a journey that would take 42 days and cover a distance of over 4,000 miles to the port of Jaffa in Israel. They traveled on a ship built in Addison named the Nellie Chapin that was captained by Warren Wass. The passengers took with them materials for the construction of 22 homes. Moving the timbers, farming equipment and all other household necessities, they loaded the ship and sailed out on the waters of Machiasport, literally a stone's throw from where the Holmeses' presentation was taking place. The people would soon form the Jaffa colony, the first American colony established in Israel.
     The group believed if they were to return to Israel, then biblical prophecy would be fulfilled and it would result in the Second Coming. The colony ultimately failed. In less then two years disease, poor crop production, homesickness and dissatisfaction with their leader prompted many to return to Maine.
     Using video and photos, Jean Holmes presented the timeline of this impressive journey, as well as how they became directly involved in both the dissemination of information to the public, and on their decision to live there. Now sharing time between Israel and the U.S., and having purchased one of the original colony buildings in 2003, the couple began the arduous challenge of bringing it back to life. On one of the original rafters the inscription M.T.W. Jonesport, Maine, was found while renovating the house. The initials are that of Mark T. Wentworth of Surry, a father of four, who made the journey in 1866 with his wife.
     Completing the restoration in 2009, the house now serves as both museum and residence and is now known as the Maine Friendship House. The museum receives between 3,500 and 4,000 visitors yearly and is often visited by distant relatives of the original colony, as well as those seeking to broaden their knowledge of the Jewish faith.
      When asked about the sheer luck of finding the house, Jean Holmes offered a quick smile and commented to the audience, "Providence, certainly, was on our side." Faced with problems from securing permits to locating wood, a rare commodity in Israel, Reed and Jean Holmes persevered. "Whenever we were at a crossroads, someone or something would happen to solve the situation and avert the crisis," she says.
      Concluding the presentation, Holmes shared with the group a reference to the movie Pay It Forward. She thinks of that movie whenever she thinks of the decision the people made to make such a journey and that it was not a failure. Says Holmes, "Adams and the families who had the courage to leave Jonesport, Maine, for Jaffa paid it forward in their very actions and vision. They went there to help encourage the renewal of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. Now, 150 years later, through joys and sorrows, the Jaffa American Colony is recognized as a model community which continues bearing fruit today. Israeli modern tourism and agriculture have their roots in this place and the amazing people who sailed from Jonesport to Jaffa in 1866."