The Pioneer Settlement Museum is tucked away
in the Western part of the Jezreel
Valley in Kibbutz Yifat, not far from Moshav Nahlal.
It is a testament to the settlers of the Second and
Third Aliyah, (the immigrants who came to Eretz Yisrael
between 1882 and 1914). Open since 1972, the museum
provides a wonderful, varied glimpse into what rural
life must have been like for the pioneers (known in
Hebrew as Halutzim).
They dried the swamps, dug ditches, worked as
stone-cutters, built roads, and laid the foundation for
what would later become Israel's world renowned
agricultural accomplishments. Their days were, for the
most part, filled with hard physical labor to which most
of them were not accustomed. But they persevered.
The pioneers of the Second Aliyah had
significant impact on the newly developing land. They
came primarily in the wake of the pogroms in Russia.
They established the first kibbutz, Degania, revived the
Hebrew language, laid the foundations for Tel Aviv and
created the first Jewish defense organization,
Ha'Shomer. The immigrants of the Third Aliyah came
primarily from Eastern Europe. They created the
Histadrut (The General Federation of Labor), drained the
swamps of the Jezreel Valley and the Hefer Plain. They
also established the Haganah, a clandestine Jewish
defense organization which operated during the days of
the British Mandate. The driving force for these
pioneers' decision to make their home in Eretz Yisrael
came as a result of the October Revolution in Russia and
the increasing number of pogroms in nearby countries
such as Hungary and Poland.
Before they had sheds, the pioneers lived in
tents. The tents did not afford much room for privacy
and were often inhabited by three people, a couple and a
single person. The third person was often referred to as
the primus. While the exact nature of this
expression isn't completely certain there is one
assertion that it may be symbolic of the three legs that
typified the small stoves of the day, which were called
primus.
At the museum at Kibbutz Yifat you'll be able
to see a common shed dwelling, from a Moshav. In
addition, you can enter the small (almost minute) dining
room, full of interesting knick-knacks. The Pioneer
Settlement Museum also features the famous 'communal
shower' of days gone by, the communal clothing storage
area (all the clothes were owned by the collective, not
by individuals), a typical infirmary, and the first
oil-generated water pump that was imported from Germany
at the end of the 1920's. There is also a large
collection of farm equipment, older wooden farm
implements as well as more modern farming machines.
Anyone with an interest in the early days of
the modern settlement of Eretz Yisrael is bound to enjoy
a visit to this museum – which provides rich historical
anecdotes. Throughout the exhibits you'll find large
signs in English that provide ample explanations in a
clear and concise manner.
Just last month, the museum opened a new wing
where there is currently an exhibit celebrating the
100th anniversary of the Jewish National
Fund.
Web site:
The Pioneer Settlement Museum
Directions: The Pioneer Settlement Museum is
located at Kibbutz Yifat, off Route # 73 (not far from
Migdal Ha'emek).
04/654-8974, 04/654-8129 TEL
04/654-8974 FAX
Email: mailto:yifmuseu@yifat.org.il
Visiting Hours: Sunday-Thursday 8:00 AM –
3:00 PM, Friday, 8:00 AM-1:00 PM, Saturday and Holidays,
10:30 AM-14:30 PM
Entry fees:
Weekdays: Adults, 15 NIS/pp, Students, 10
NIS/pp and Senior Citizens, 9 NIS/pp.
Saturday: Adults, 17 NIS/pp, Students, 17
NIS/pp and Senior Citizens, 10
NIS/pp.
