Not far from Tel Aviv, about a 45-minute drive, and not far from Haifa, about a 30-minute drive, lies Zichron Yaacov, on a ridge of Mount Carmel. Zichron Yaacov is located on a high topographic line and enjoys good air and views to the slopes of the Carmel, to the sea and to the fish ponds of Kibbutz Maagan Michael.
The settlement was established in 1882 by families who came from Romania, members of the first aliyah, who sailed to Eretz Israel in the hope of a better life than life in the Diaspora, in the shadow of anti-Semitism, disturbances and various decrees. They planned to make a living from agricultural life but very quickly discovered that they did not have much knowledge in this field and needed help and financial support. Baron Hirsch, through his clerk, advised them to relocate to Argentina, but the settlers refused.
They chose to stay in Israel and turned to Baron Benjamin Edmund de Rothschild for help Baron de Rothschild was a great philanthropist who purchased land from the Arabs and from the Turks for Jews, supported the settlers with continuous economic support, financed the construction of public buildings in the settlements, directed the settlers to various agricultural works while investing in the right know-how and appropriate seedlings. Baron de Rothschild found that the settlement in Zichron Yaacov – ‘Zimrin’ in its first name – was suitable for growing vines and making wine. The winery in Zichron Yaacov was the second largest after the one in Rishon Lezion. The name Zichron Yaacov was given by the Baron after his father James Yaakov de Rothschild when he inaugurated the Great Synagogue built in the colony with his donation.
Much has been written about the Baron’s work, in the settlement of Eretz Israel and in support of its settlers. He was nicknamed ‘the well-known benefactor’ as well as the title of ‘father of the settlement’. Alongside the praise and appreciation, Baron de Rothschild was also criticized, mainly because of the conduct of his officials who were in charge of the relationship with the settlers in the various areas, and because of the distribution of funds according to households and the number of persons in each family.
In addition to vines, Zichron is also known for its wheat – the agronomist Aharon Aharonson, who was one of the settlers of Zichron Yaacov, discovered that wild wheat is the ‘mother of wheat’ – this is one of the first plants that captivated humans. Discovery in the Rosh Pina area helped researchers develop better wheat and grow it in larger quantities.
The Aaronson family was active in the Nili underground organization – Eternal Israel Will Not Be Forgotten – an organization that worked in Israel to end Turkish rule and help the British take over the area. In order to escape torture and avoid betraying her underground members, the Aaronson family house in Zichron Yaacov displays Aaron Aaronson’s rare collection of plants.
Other important things that happened in Zichron Yaacov: This is where a gathering of all the representatives of the Jewish community was held in 1903 on the initiative of Menachem Ussishkin, in response to the ‘Uganda Congress’ held in Basel with Benjamin Zeev Herzl as president. The conference noted that representatives of the Jewish community oppose the Uganda plan. At the end of the conference, the teachers’ and kindergarten teachers’ representatives established the Israel Teachers’ Union.
Part of the main street of Zichron Yaacov – Founders Street – has been preserved and renovated, maintaining the appearance of the first houses built there. The street has become a pedestrian mall and has specialty shops, cafes and restaurants. In front of the houses there is a front porch with pillars – according to the residents this is actually the first ‘Facebook’ of the colony: while sitting on the porch you could keep up to date with what is happening in the colony, who goes and who comes, and with whom, and when. There was also a lady who was in a hurry to tell passers-by what had happened in the settlement, especially news that was tragic, she was called a ‘disaster’ … And to the cemetery on the other side of the street – this is how the residents say goodbye to the dead and accompany him on his last journey in the colony.
There were also romantic stories about great loves that took place on the street and you can join a walking tour following those love stories. “A Thousand Kisses to You My Beloved” wrote Avshalom Feinberg in a love song dedicated to his fiancée Rebecca Aaronson:
” A thousand kisses to you my love.
This is how loved ones finish all the letters their loved ones write
A thousand kisses to you my love
This is how I begin my letters to you my love
And what I very much crave for your weapon
A thousand kisses my love.”
Avshalom Feinberg disappeared in the Sinai desert in 1917, he was on his way to Egypt, his fiancée Rebecca waited for him in a white dress until the day she died in 1981, she never married.