Rebels in the Holy Land, by Sam Finkel (Book of the Month, Mar Cheshvan 5785)

When a determined band of Russian orthodox Jewish farmers arrived in what was then known as Palestine in 1882, they knew the world would be watching: In one of Baron Edmond de Rothschild’s most daring experiments, their task was to build a Jewish agricultural colony to serve as a model for future refugees fleeing persecution. But Rebels in the Holy Land is no typical story of pioneering; it is a tale of monumental idealism in the face of duplicity and cynical betrayal.

The farmers’ simple wish to observe the laws of shemitta in the Sabbatical year of 1889-1890, despite their patron’s opposition. This ambition thrust them into the swirling epicenter of worldwide controversy. Reviled by the Baron’s administrators, vilified in the press, ridiculed and nearly abandoned even by some of their religious countrymen, they stood firm. Their fight for what later became Mazkeret Batya sheds dazzling historical light on some of the very issues facing Israel today.

Sam Finkel’s book, which is now available in Hebrew as well as English, is illustrated with maps and vintage photography. We have a copy here at Beit Knesset Hanassi which you are welcome to read. Sam, by the way, is a local resident who can sometimes be found at Hanassi.