RISHON LEZION

Rishon LeZion, Israel, courtesy, Onward Israel

Rishon LeZion is a city in Israel, located along the central coastal plain, roughly 5 miles south of Jaffa. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area. As of 2017, it was the fourth-largest city in Israel, with a population of 254,384.

In the time of Joshua, the village of En haKoreh (mentioned in Judges 15:19) was allotted to the tribe of Dan. Abandoned after the Roman destruction of Judea in 135, it wasn’t until many centuries later, after the Arab conquest of the region in the 7^th century, that a small group of Arab settlers took over the area and Arabized its name to Ayun Kara. But by 1882, mainly Russian, Jews began to return to the area. The British vice consul in Jaffa Haim Amzaleg, a native-born Jew from Jerusalem, purchased 835 acres of land from Ayun Kara under their Mukhtar, Mustafa Abdallah ali Dajan. This community was the second modern Jewish farm settlement established after Petah Tikva, and the first by the early Zionists. They therefore called their community “Rishon LeZion”, derived from a biblical verse: "First to Zion (Heb. Rishon LeZion רִאשׁוֹן ןלְצִיּוֹ) are they, and I shall give herald to Jerusalem" (Isaiah 41:27).  

In the beginning, there were problems posed by sandy soil and the pioneers’ lack of agricultural experience. But probably a more important problem was lack of water. Baron Edmond de Rothschild, who had financially supported this and other communities throughout Israel, brought in water experts who then drilled for water in strategic locations. He also brought in agronomists and administrators who immediately established a local administrative office (now a soldiers’ memorial). They introduced fruit growing, especially wine grapes from the vine strains sent from southern France. But a crisis arose when the administrators regarded the settlers as hired workers and stifled their initiative. The vine strains proved unsuitable and the grapes had no market. The farmers’ revolt in 1884 changed all that. Part of the vineyards were then replaced by almond plantations.

In 1883 Itzhak Leib Toporovski a local blacksmith created the first iron plow in the land of Israel, and in 1885 the flag that would later become the flag of Israel was raised for the first time as part of the celebrations of the 3rd anniversary of the village. The Great Synagogue, which became a major focus of life in Rishon LeZion, was built between 1885 and 1889. Under Rothschild's patronage, the Carmel-Mizrahi Winery was established in 1886. That same year, the Haviv elementary school was founded as the first modern school to teach exclusively in Hebrew. Naphtali Herz Imber, the famed Hebrew-language poet, lived in Rishon LeZion for a few years in the late 1880s. He was the author a poem entitled “Tikvatenu”. In 1887, Shmuel Cohen, a young resident of Rishon with a musical background, observed the emotional response of the local Jewish farmers to Tikvatenu. Using his musical skills, he put the poem to a musical adaptation of a Moldavian/Romanian folk-song, "Carcul cu Boi" (the Cart with Oxen), and it was later retitled as “Hatikvah”, Israel’s national anthem. In 1895, the Rishon LeZion orchestra was established, and that was followed three years later by the world’s first Hebrew kindergarten, founded by Esther (Shapira) Ginzburg a former student of the Haviv school.

By 1900, the chief commodities of the community would be wine and brandy, which were then exported mainly to Egypt, Constantinople, Russia, Germany, and the United States. Over a million and a half vines had been planted, most of which, were imported from the United States and grafted with French varieties. Over 20,000 mulberry-trees, used in silkworm culture, as well as a large number of fruit-trees, such as the almond, fig, pomegranate, apple, and citron, thrived.

In 1900 the management of the village was transferred from the Baron de Rothschild’s office to the village council and the Jewish Colonization Association. In 1910 the village bell was constructed next to the medicine house. Immigration from Eastern Europe and Yemen brought additional Jewish laborers. Thousands of additional citrus groves of grapes and other fruits were planted and the village progressed economically. In 1912 the village’s first car made its appearance.

During World War I the Turkish governor Djemal Pasha, in appreciation of the village's achievements in reclaiming formerly barren terrain, ordered an area of 5,000 acres (20,000 dunams) of sand dunes stretching from Rishon leZion west to the seashore to be annexed to its boundaries. In 1916, the village, as well as the rest of the country, experienced a Locust attack. On November 14, 1917, Ayun Kara was the scene of a bloody battle between Turkish and New Zealand troops and the local Arabs would often carry the wounded to a medical facility in Rishon LeZion. In the wake of the battle, the New Zealanders set up a local military camp. Relations between the troops and villagers were good, and the troops brought the villagers the news of the Balfour Declaration. 

In 1919 after the war, the women of Rishon LeZion were given voting rights and in the same year Nehama Pohatchevsky was elected chairman of the village council which marked the first time a woman was elected to the position. By 1924, Rishon LeZion was connected to the regional electrical grid.  In 1939, the Rishon LeZion Chess Club was founded and today, it is one of the leading clubs in Israel, in senior, women and youth leagues. (World champion Garry Kasparov was a former member.) The Hapoel Rishon LeZion football club appeared in two cup finals, in 1946 and in 1996 and won the 2012–13 Toto Cup Leumit. Maccabi Rishon Lezion played at the top division during the 1940s and the two seasons after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Rishon LeZion was declared a city in 1950, by which time it had a population of around 18,000. During the Gulf War in 1991, the mayor of Münster, Germany, made a surprise visit. According to Haaretz, he felt he could not sit quietly at home while missiles were falling on his sister city. Throughout the war, he stayed at the home of Rishon LeZion mayor Meir Nitzan and accompanied him on visits to sites hit by missiles. In 2007, the Rishon LeZion Municipality was awarded the Ministry of Interior Prize for Proper Management. By 2020, the city’s population was over 253,000. 

Today, Rishon LeZion's main industries are wine, construction, services and commerce. Factories and workshops are located in the old industrial zone, which has become a popular venue for pubs, dance clubs, and restaurants. The other industrial zone is called Mabat, an abbreviation for Miskhar, Bilui VeTa'asiya (Commerce, Pastime and Industry). It is located in the west of the city. Most of the residents find work in and around Tel Aviv settlement and as a result, Rishon has become one of Israel’s most congested cities.

The old city of Rishon contains the original neighborhoods, some buildings dating back to its founding in 1882. This quarter is located in the city center, between and around Herzl and Jabotinsky Streets. It includes the neighborhoods of Nahalat Yehuda, Neve Hillel, Bnot Hayil, Abramovich, Katzenelson, Remez (Giv'at Levinson), and Rishonim (Gan Nahum). Other local sites include: Rothschild Center shopping mall, Gold Mall (Kenyon HaZahav), the newly constructed Azrieli Rishonim shopping mall, Shafdan recycling plant, the municipal zoo, Superland amusement park, a beach promenade, Heychal HaTarbut (Hall of Culture), a boardwalk (Tayelet Hatnei Pras Nobel) in honor of Jewish Nobel Prize winners, the history museum, the Well, and the old water tower. Active football teams, aside from those mentioned above include Moadon Sport Shikun HaMizrah (playing in Liga Alef), Hapoel Nahalat Yehuda (playing in Liga Bet), and Moadon Sport Rishon LeZion (playing in Liga Gimel). The main football stadium is the 6,000-seat Haberfeld Stadium. The Rishon LeZion Amphitheatre Live Park has hosted a number of overseas artists such as Sting, Mariah Carey, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Alanis Morissette, alt-J, Megadeth, Deep Purple, Avicii, Jason Derulo, Flo Rida, Wiz Khalifa and Sean Paul. "Open Doors" is a holocaust memorial which is a 23-foot high sculpture designed by Filipino artist Luis Lee Jr. It was erected in honor of and appreciation to Manuel Quezon president of the Philippines during WWII, and the Filipino people, who saved over 1,200 Jews from Nazi Germany. 

TRIBAL TERRITORY OF REUBEN

fortress of Machaerus, territory of Reuben,
courtesy, Wikipedia

The Israelite tribal territory of Reuben is located in what is now the Arab-occupied Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on land that borders on its west, the northeastern coast of the Dead Sea and the southernmost portion of the Jordan River Valley. The tribe was descended from Reuben, the first born of Jacob and Leah. When Moses and the Israelite tribes arrived on the east side of the Jordan, wars broke out between the peoples of the land and between the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Menasheh. The Israelites became victorious and Moses allotted them their land on the condition that they help the other tribes conquer the land on the west side of the Jordan. To this, they agreed. Then they set about to take possession of their portion of territory. According to Biblical accounts beginning with Numbers 32:37 and continuing with Joshua 13:16, the cities of Reuben were listed as follows: Arnon, Aroer, Ashdot Pisgah, Baal Meon, Bamot Baal, Bet Peor, Bet Yeshimot, Dibon, El’aleh, Heshbon, Kedemot, Kiryataim, Medeba, Mephaat, Nebo, Pisgah, Shibmah, Yahtzah, and Zaret Shahar. As mentioned in Deut. 32:49, it was from Mt Nebo, located in the mountain range of Abarim in the tribal territory of Reuben, that Moses surveyed the Promised Land, and then passed away on this spot. According to Jewish tradition, god buried him on the top of Mt. Nebo but his exact resting place remains unknown to this day.

When the Kingdom of Israel split into north and south, Reuben became part of the Northern Kingdom. The population was deported by the Assyrian conquest in 722 BCE and never heard from again. Roman rule in the region began in 63 BCE, when the general Pompey declared Judea a Roman protectorate. Among the voices of opposition to Roman rule were John the Baptist, whose severed head was allegedly presented to Herod at the fortress of Machaerus in Reuben territory. In 66 CE, the forces behind the First Jewish Revolt took control of Machaerus, and held it until 72 CE, when a siege secured the defeat of local Jewish forces. Following the defeat of the Bar Kochba Revolt in 135, the Jewish communities of Reuben territory came under the direct control and decrees of subsequent Roman emperors. In the Byzantine era, the town of Medeba became an important Christian center. The map of the Land of Israel discovered at Medeba, probably compiled by a monk, became world famous among archaeologists and historians. When the Arabs conquered the Land of Israel in the 7^th century, the remaining Jewish communities of the region came under the decrees of the Arab caliphate. In the course of their conquests, they encountered Mount Nebo which they revered as the burial place of the Prophet Moses, and Arabized this mountain, naming it “Jebel Naba”. Since the end of the Crusader wars in 1291, the Jewish communities in Reuben territory, namely Dibon and Heshbon, still existed but were greatly devastated. Over the centuries, the region’s Jewish population, as with the other Jewish communities east of the Jordan, gradually declined, until no Jews were left. In the 16^th century appeared a “Prince” and “messiah” by the name of David Reubeni who claimed to be a member of the tribe of Reuben and a subject of the Jewish Kingdom of Khaibar, located in Arabia. His claims, however, were never proven and he was considered by many rabbis to be a fraud.

Today, some scholars believe that the present descendants of Reuben have settled in France, although this is just a theory. Reuben territory, along with the other ancient Israelite territories, is now ruled by Jordan. No Jew is allowed to live there and Jewish religious service conducted by tourists is illegal. (For further information, see Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Mount Nebo.)

REPHIDIM

oasis in Wadi Feiran, one of the proposed locations of
Rephidim, courtesy, BibleIsTrue.com

Rephidim was one of the places in the Sinai Peninsula where the Children of Israel had encamped after fleeing from slavery in Egypt. It was here (according to Chapter 17 in Exodus, but at Kadesh according to Chapter 21 in Numbers), that the people suffered from lack of water; they complained, and Moses smote a large rock and the rock brought forth a stream of water. Therefore, the place was called "Massah and Meribah". It was also at Rephidim that Amalek attacked Israel from behind and a great battle ensued. The Israelites, led by Joshua and with the spiritual support of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, eventually became victorious and the Amalekites were soundly defeated. God's oath to wipe out Amalek was commemorated by an altar named "Adonai Nisi” (the lord is my miracle) (Ex. 17:15), erected at the spot.

Many centuries later, the location of Rephidim would become a matter of debate. According to Biblical sources, it was located on the edge of the desert of Sin, just before the Desert of Sinai, where many believe was in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula. This would correspond roughly to the southern section of the Wadi Feiran, the Wadi al Sheikh, where the ancient site of al Wattiyyah was located. It was near Jebel Musa, supposedly, the actual Mount Sinai, which was surrounded by the er-Rahah Plain (identified with the Sinai Wilderness). This theory was supported by some archaeologists. Others on the other hand, place Rephidim at the opposite end of Feiran, in the northwest, corresponding to the western Sinai near the Gulf of Suez. Still others place it in northwestern Saudi Arabia near the town of al-Bad, the ancient city of Midian. Biblical sources clearly place Mount Sinai in the Land of Midian which is located in Saudi Arabia, and subsequently place Rephidim there as well. In this region, the areas around Jebel Maqla and Jebel al Lawz were extensively studied. Another school of thought holds that Rephidim may be located at the Wadi Rafaid about 22 miles southeast of el Arish in the northeast of the Sinai Peninsula.

Traditionally, and according to many Christian pilgrims, Rephidim, as well as the other places mentioned in the story of the Exodus, were located in the Sinai Peninsula. For centuries, the area was the home of various Bedouin tribes. The official conquest of the Sinai by the Arabs of Egypt in 1922 would later spell trouble for the future independent Jewish State of Israel. Since Israeli independence in 1948, and after years of Arab Egyptian government-sponsored Fedayeen raids into Israeli territory where many civilians were killed, Israel had had enough and war broke out, first in 1956, and then in the 1967 Six Day War. Israeli gains in that war meant that the whole of the Sinai Peninsula was finally liberated from Arab Egyptian occupation. Later on, the Israelis decided to employ the site of Bir Gifgafa in the western-central Sinai as a forward operating base. Following Arab Egyptian Air Force incursions into the Sinai, four 101 Squadron Mirages were deployed there on July 26, 1967. Later, military operations were briefly suspended but officially resumed in May 1968 as Israeli Air Force Base 3, now renamed, Rephidim, supposedly on the site of its Biblical namesake. Despite having the most rudimentary installations at first, the field and its surrounding environs soon became the hub of all IDF operations in the western Sinai, housing various air force, army and logistical units. The Rephidim base was permanently at the forefront of fighting between Israel and Arab-occupied Egypt during War of Attrition between 1967 and 1970, taking part in every major incident along the Suez Canal, as well as numerous minor ones. During the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Rephidim was once again at the forefront of fighting between Israel and Arab-occupied Egypt. Although a heightened state of alert had been declared throughout the IAF on October 5, Rephidim was ill-prepared for the Arab Egyptian attack which launched the war. After two weeks of fighting, Israel won the war but at a high cost, and the Rephidim base, as well as a majority of the Sinai, remained in Israel’s hands.

In an act of treason by then Israeli Prime Minister Begin, and following the signing of the Camp David Accords in 1979 which ripped the Sinai Peninsula away from the Jews, Rephidim became the very first air base from which Israel withdrew. Several derelict C-97s may have remained at Bir Gifgafa upon Israel's departure. Although the accords prohibit Egypt from maintaining combat aircraft in the Sinai, Bir Gifgafa is still operational as a dual military and civilian airport.