🌾 Welcome to the Kinneret Courtyard - Birthplace of a dream 🌾
The Kinneret Courtyard - Birthplace of a Dream
On the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the Kinneret Courtyard tells one of the most inspiring stories in Zionist history.
Here was one of the first land purchases in the Galilee, made possible by the Jewish Colonisation Association (JCA) back in 1905, in the area known as Delaika.
Originally Ottoman state land (known as miri land), it paved the way for the development of the Kinneret group & the later kibbutz movement.
Agronomist Haim Margaliot Kalvarisky, who played a leading role in founding Galilean colonies secured a down payment from the JCA for over 12,000 dunams of land.
Arthur Ruppin, head of the Palestine Bureau of the 'Zionist Executive' (later known as 'the Jewish Agency for Israel'), marshalled support from Jewish philanthropists worldwide to assist with the acquisition
In 1909 three young pioneers - Benzion Israeli, Noah Naftolsky, & Meir Rotberg - began clearing the rocky soil & cultivating the land.
Early Years: 1909–1913
Within two years, a bold new project emerged: the Maidens’ Farm, established in 1911 by agronomist Hannah Meisel to train young women as farmers. Among her students were Rachel Bluwstein, later known as Rachel the Poetess & Batia Lishansky, who became one of Israel’s most important sculptors. Working in long skirts, breaking rocks & milking cows, these women challenged social norms & showed that the Zionist dream of “redeeming the land” belonged to women as much as men.
By 1913, “Benzion’s Group” of 16 members - joined by the veteran thinker & spiritual guide A.D. Gordon - had taken responsibility for the Courtyard & its lands. Tragedy struck when member Yosef Salzman was murdered while ploughing the fields, yet the group pressed on.
Struggle and Sacrifice
During WWI, the pioneers opened a communal grain store for the needy, nicknamed Hamashbir by Berl Katznelson. In 1917, they celebrated the birth of their first child, Amalia. But the years also brought loss: in 1920, Aharon Sher fell in defence of Tel Hai & in 1921 many members left to establish Kibbutz Ein Harod, leaving the Kinneret group in crisis.
Renewal and Growth
Hope returned in 1922 with the arrival of the Vilna Group, breathing new life into the Courtyard. By 1927, a cornerstone was laid for a permanent settlement on “the Hill” at the heart of the Kinneret lands. In 1929, after 15 years in the Courtyard, the group moved up to the Hill, closing one chapter & beginning another.
Legacy Today
The restored Kinneret Courtyard is not only the birthplace of collective agricultural life in the Galilee, but also the cradle of women’s equality in the Zionist movement. It stands as a powerful reminder of the men & women who dreamed, struggled & built the foundations of modern Israel.
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