JEWISH PIONEERS AT THE JEZREEL VALLEY

Service Description

The tour today is dedicated to the first Jewish Pioneers in the famous Jezreel Valley, also called Armageddon. By the beginning of the XX Century, Eretz Israel was almost completely abandoned and had turned to the wilderness. The first pioneers, members of the young Zionist Movement, came here to reclaim the land, to restore its Biblical wealth and beauty and to lay the foundation for the future Jewish State. Here our first stop will be at Kibbutz Mahanaim. The Song of Songs makes an interesting reference to “the dance of the two camps” (6:13), or in Hebraic tradition the “Dance of Mahanaim”. The story of the Modern Mahanaim starts in the late 19th century, when a group of Religious families from Poland bought the land in 1898 and tried to cling to it but failed and left. All repeated attempts to resettle the place were unsuccessful until 1952. At Mahanaim we shall visit the old settlement, enjoy the local stories and shall see the modern life of this very special Kibbutz. Kibbutz Nir David ("David's Meadow" in Hebrew) was founded in 1936 as Tel Amal, the first of the tower and stockade settlements. In 1934, Faced with Arab terror and British opposition, the kibbutz pioneers devised a plan for a fortified settlement that could resist attack from its first night of existence. At Nir David we shall visit the fully restored historical Kibbutz, climb the tower, visit the barrack and hear the fascinating stories of the first pioneers. Our final stop will be at Kibbutz Beit Alfa, established in 1922 by the Jewish pioneers from Poland. In 1928 the remains of the Beth Alpha synagogue, dating back to the Byzantine period were discovered. Marvelous mosaics floor, tells us the Biblical story of Binding of Isaak and also present, unexpectedly, a Greek Pagan God Helios and twelve signs of Zodiac. Visit the synagogue, enjoy the mosaics, and a fascinating meeting of Generations of the Jewish farmers, pioneers and fighters will be evolved before your eyes, concluding this very special tour. Price excludes relevant entrance fees.