Mishmar HaYarden, Palestine
Encyclopedia
Mishmar HaYarden was a moshava (Jewish settlement) that was established in the Upper Galilee
in northern Israel
during the First Aliyah
. It was destroyed during the Israeli War of Independence in 1948. It's Hebrew name meant Guardian of the Jordan.
The moshava was located on the road connecting Safed
with Damascus
(today Highway 91
) west of the Bnot Ya'akov Bridge
. It was first founded in 1884 as a private farm named "Shoshanat HaYarden" (Rose of the Jordan) by Mordecai Isaac Lubowsky. After he realized that he could not succeed alone to maintain the isolated farm, he sold a portion to Jews, who settled the land with financial support from Hovevei Zion
. They established the moshava "Mishmar HaYarden" in September 1890. In 1898 the moshava expanded to include the moshava of Hevrat Yaka, which added land and inhabitants. Most inhabitants supported the revisionist views
of Zev Jabotinsky.
During the Israeli War of Independence, on 6 June 1948, the Syrian army
attacked the settlement, but the attack was repulsed. On 10 June, the settlement was attacked again, but the moshava was captured and destroyed after house to house fighting; fourteen residents and defenders of the moshava were killed. A small number of survivors fell captive to the Syrians and remained as prisoners of war for thirteen months. At the end of the war, on 20 July 1949, the area returned to control of Israel as part of the cease-fire to end the war, but the moshava was not rebuilt. Kibbutz Gadot was later built on its land and the workers' moshav Mishmar HaYarden was established.
The story of the fall of Mishmar HaYarden is disputed between Irgun
and the Haganah
. Irgun and descendants of community residents claim that the arrival of the 23rd unit from the Karmeli Brigade, which was intended to strengthen the defense of the settlement, was stopped by the Oded Brigade
of the IDF
which was responsible for the region because the moshava identified with the revisionist movement. It is also alleged that Haganah forces stopped the Irgun soldiers in Rosh Pina and stopped them from arriving to help the moshava. On the other side, people from the Oded Brigade claim that the Karmeli Brigade failed to reach the moshava in time because it crossed from the western Galilee front and did not manage to reorganize in its new location.
Some of the destroyed houses in the moshava are visible today. They form part of a memorial on the location.
Upper Galilee
The Upper Galilee is a geographical-political term in use since the end of the Second Temple period, originally referring to a mountainous area overlapping the present northern Israel and southern Lebanon, its borders being the Litani river in the north, the Mediterranean Sea in the west, the Beit...
in northern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
during the First Aliyah
First Aliyah
The First Aliyah was the first modern widespread wave of Zionist aliyah. Jews who migrated to Palestine in this wave came mostly from Eastern Europe and from Yemen. This wave of aliyah began in 1881–82 and lasted until 1903. An estimated 25,000–35,000 Jews immigrated to Ottoman Syria during the...
. It was destroyed during the Israeli War of Independence in 1948. It's Hebrew name meant Guardian of the Jordan.
The moshava was located on the road connecting Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
with Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
(today Highway 91
Highway 91 (Israel)
Highway 91 is an east-west highway in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It extends through the Jordan Rift Valley and the central Golan Heights. It begins in the west at Mahanayim junction with Highway 90, and it ends in the east at Zivan junction near the Israeli settlement...
) west of the Bnot Ya'akov Bridge
Bnot Ya'akov Bridge
Bnot Ya'akov Bridge is a bridge across the Jordan River on Highway 91, straddling the border between Israel proper and the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights...
. It was first founded in 1884 as a private farm named "Shoshanat HaYarden" (Rose of the Jordan) by Mordecai Isaac Lubowsky. After he realized that he could not succeed alone to maintain the isolated farm, he sold a portion to Jews, who settled the land with financial support from Hovevei Zion
Hovevei Zion
Hovevei Zion , also known as Hibbat Zion , refers to organizations that are now considered the forerunners and foundation-builders of modern Zionism....
. They established the moshava "Mishmar HaYarden" in September 1890. In 1898 the moshava expanded to include the moshava of Hevrat Yaka, which added land and inhabitants. Most inhabitants supported the revisionist views
Revisionist Zionism
Revisionist Zionism is a nationalist faction within the Zionist movement. It is the founding ideology of the non-religious right in Israel, and was the chief ideological competitor to the dominant socialist Labor Zionism...
of Zev Jabotinsky.
During the Israeli War of Independence, on 6 June 1948, the Syrian army
Syrian Army
The Syrian Army, officially called the Syrian Arab Army, is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It is the dominant military service of the four uniformed services, controlling the senior most posts in the armed forces, and has the greatest manpower, approximately 80 percent of the...
attacked the settlement, but the attack was repulsed. On 10 June, the settlement was attacked again, but the moshava was captured and destroyed after house to house fighting; fourteen residents and defenders of the moshava were killed. A small number of survivors fell captive to the Syrians and remained as prisoners of war for thirteen months. At the end of the war, on 20 July 1949, the area returned to control of Israel as part of the cease-fire to end the war, but the moshava was not rebuilt. Kibbutz Gadot was later built on its land and the workers' moshav Mishmar HaYarden was established.
The story of the fall of Mishmar HaYarden is disputed between Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
and the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
. Irgun and descendants of community residents claim that the arrival of the 23rd unit from the Karmeli Brigade, which was intended to strengthen the defense of the settlement, was stopped by the Oded Brigade
Oded Brigade
The Oded Brigade was an Israeli infantry brigade, one of ten brigades fielded by the Haganah . It was headquartered in Jerusalem...
of the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
which was responsible for the region because the moshava identified with the revisionist movement. It is also alleged that Haganah forces stopped the Irgun soldiers in Rosh Pina and stopped them from arriving to help the moshava. On the other side, people from the Oded Brigade claim that the Karmeli Brigade failed to reach the moshava in time because it crossed from the western Galilee front and did not manage to reorganize in its new location.
Some of the destroyed houses in the moshava are visible today. They form part of a memorial on the location.
Further reading
- אברהם יערי, זכרונות ארץ ישראל - כרך ב', פרק ס"א, ייסוד המושבה משמר הירדן, דוד ב. שוב, 1890-1891
External links
- סיור באתר ההנצחה למשמר הירדן
- המעבר מ"שושנת הירדן" ל"משמר הירדן", גאלת הקרקע בגליל, אתר משפחת עבו
- הצלת משמר הירדן מפקיד הברון המושחת בשנת 1903, גאלת הקרקע בגליל, אתר משפחת עבו