Yessod Haméala

Yessod Haméala ( יסודהמעלה - Yessod HaMa' went ) is a village located in the " finger of Galilée" in the North of the Lake Tibériade (Northern district of Israel).

With the beginning of the year 1883, association Zionist " Fields and vignes" of Poland sends three representatives in Ground of Israel; the rabbi Leib Rubin, the rabbi Fishel Solomon and Meïr-Baruh Rozenblum. The idea of reinstalment, by the work of the ground, of a Jewish population on the Earth of Israel sensitizes the Diaspora mainly, and generates the creation of the movement " Love of Sion " , movement which starts to infiltrate gradually within the communities of Israel. The three characters furrow the Palestine in order to locate an adequate ground with the installation of a future village for the members of their community. They cross the Judaea then go up into High Galileo, where they visit the kabbalistic city of Safed. They meet there the three brothers Avraham-Haïm, Yaakov-Haï and Yitzhak-Mordéhaï Abou, of origin Sépharade. Their father, the Rabbin Shmuel Abou fulfills the functions of consul of France in Safed. The family is then owner of an important small holding very close to the brackish water big lake of Houla.

After three hours of way to horse, the rabbi Fishel Solomon tells: " We were filled with wonder. Here! It is the ground which we seek. We remained and naps on the spot gone down from our horses, our feet touching the ground of this corner of dream. There, we met there the brothers of origin sépharade Shlomo and Shaoul Mizrahi, which had been installed on the place for a few years. They worked the grounds belonging to the Abou family, and they ensured us that water here ran with profusion, that it was enough largely for the irrigation to the cultures and that it abounded in fish ".

Whereas they are installed under the tent drawn up at the edge of the lake, the three emissary observe the Mizrahi brothers fish. The S.I. thread being hung, they ask for the assistance of their hosts, who by draw, leave water a black stone Basaltique on which an inscription engraved in Araméen appears; " Happy that which will settle in this lieu". Moved and trembling the Solomon rabbi kneels and embraces the ground. The legend tells that he hears a voice then; " Buys for you these grounds " , and thus was made. They then baptized the place Yessod Haméala in reference to chapter 7 of the Livre of Esdras.

Some 110 years later, with the site of discovered basaltic stone, one finds the vestiges of old a Synagog of the Byzantine time . In the center of the latter draw up two lines of parallel columns of which there remain nothing any more but the bases. This synagog is directed towards the South, in direction of Jerusalem. It was certainly destroyed in VIIme century ap JC, during the Moslem invasion.

The purchase of the grounds takes place in 1883 officially.

Thus the three emissary carry out their dream, in the hope to see one day, in great number, the immigrants to be installed on the place. And always of the mouth of the Solomon rabbi; " If there is water here, there will be then cultures " think it.

Immediately, they announce with their brothers of Diaspora that a ground was bought, so that the latter can prepare their departure and their future installation.

Six families of immigrants answer the call then; Shabtaï Likerman, Yossef Gidolter, Haïm Manjbesky, Avraham Felman, Yéhezkel Zémer and Zeev Bakar. Joined some time after Leib Lovovsky, originating in Boston to the the United States. Lovovsky, with his/her father Mordéhaï-Yitzhak had some time before posed the bases of what will become later the Kibboutz Mishmar-Hayarden, near to the Pont of the " Girls of Jacob". One second wave of Immigration is not long in joining them with the families Elhadaf, Barzani, Cohen, Sharnashi, Barshah, Tilititzky, Amiti, Shtilman, Leufer, Goldner, Papo, Barash, Eisenberg, Teitelboim, Wissel, Stern, Shneider and Dubrovin. A specialist in agriculture makes also his appearance within the community; Israel Ashkenazi. Thus in 1884, a well is dug, 100 Dounam of grounds are used already with the culture as vegetables, and more than 1500 fruit trees are planted (citrons, grenades, olives, figs and strawberries).

The families must despite everything wait more than two years before receiving a permit building. The Bedouin following the example of of the area, they draw up a camp of tents, that the rabbi Fishel Solomon will quickly have made bring closer to the biblical Prophétie of the Livre of Dared (12/10). The pioneers then use wood, more frequent on the east coast of the the Jordan, in order to replace the tents of fabric by huts out of wooden.

The Malaria, the yellow fever and high death rate become current things, but the pioneers persist. The winter rains which fill water of the lake of Houla overflow regularly on the cultivated grounds, and the pullulation of the mosquitos in summer does nothing but worsen the expansion of the malaria.

The first years no doctor is with the surroundings. It is necessary to await 1889 for the arrival of the first male nurse and the first pharmacist in the area. The malaria particularly makes devastations in the children. One notes in certain families the loss of two, five, seven and even 12 children of the effects of the malaria. Their spiritual leader, the rabbi Fishel Solomon, Petri of deep convictions encourages the pioneers to persist; " It is God who brought us up to now, and Him only will be able to make some to us leave ". Foundation of Yessod Haméala in 1883 until the cleansing of the grounds of Swelled in 1956, the malaria will continue its fatal work.

Yessod Haméala contributes to repopulation by a Jewish population of Galileo and fact face with the Syria NS at the time of the Guerre of Independence, whereas the latter envisage to isolate from the remainder of Israel the " finger of Galileo ". Until the War the Six Day old, it essuie shootings of the Syrian army installed on the heights of the Plate of Golan.

Today, Yessod Haméala is largest producing of plum S of country.

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