This is a story about defeat that became a symbol of heroism; this is a story about farmers that were forced to be fighters; this is a story about a place that was called the “hill of life” and turned to be the place of death, this is the story about a man whose last words were: "No matter, it is good to die for our country". This is the story of Tel Chai (תֵּל חַי).
Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in WWI and the agreements among the British and the French regarding their control over the area of Eretz Yisra’el, the French gained jurisdiction over the northern section of Upper Galilee. This area contained four small Jewish villages isolated from the major Jewish-settled area. The names of the villages were Tel Chai, Metula, Hamrah, and Kfar Gil'adi.
At this time Arabs in this area were not primarily involved in opposition to Zionism but in strongly opposing the imposition of the French Mandate of Syria. The Zionist pioneers in Tel Chai were neutral in this conflict but some Arabs believed that the Jewish pioneers were collaborating with the French.
The small Jewish settlement of Tel Chai was built on land bought by the Baron de Rothschild in the late 19th century. The villagers lived in few buildings located inside a walled yard that was supposed to protect them from unwanted visitors. They shared their housing with their cows and horses and everyday went outside to cultivate their lands. As the tension with the Arabs in the area arose, some reinforcement was sent to help Tel Chai. The Zionist movement sent one of the most experienced military men - the one-armed Yosef Trumeldor who was serving as an officer in the Russian Army during the Russian-Japanese War of 1905.
On March 1, 1920, on the 11th day of the Hebrew month of Adar (י"א בַּאֲדָר, תר"פ), several hundred Shiites approached the gate of Tel Chai and demanded to search the buildings with suspicion that there were French soldiers inside. With Trumpeldor’s agreement a few Arabs went inside to check if there were French soldiers. Few minutes later, an armed confrontation broke out. There are different versions regarding the reasons for the break out of armed fighting – some claims that the Arabs went inside with no intention to fight but as they saw an armed woman, a sight that was clearly at odds with their cultural codes, they were insulted and a confrontation began. Others claim that the Arabs went inside with prior intention of gaining possession and killing the Zionist pioneers or driving them away from the area.
As the gun shot was sound Trumpeldor ordered the others to return fire. The Arabs that were waiting outside the walled yard joined the fight – hundreds of Arabs against few farmers and guards led by Trumpeldor. The battle lasted few hours until it became dark. During the fight Trumpeldor was severely wounded and five more were killed. When the Arabs dispersed, the reinforcement from Kfar Gila’adi arrived including Dr. Geri. The people of Tel Chai transferred casualties on their way to Metula where Dr. Geri was hoping to operate on Trumpledor. Before leaving Tel Chai, they burned the yard and the buildings, not leaving a thing but flames behind them. On the way to Metula Trumpeldor died. It is believed that his last words were:
"אֵין דָּבָר, טוֹב לָמוּת בְּעַד אַרְצֵנוּ"
“ein davar, tov lamut be’ad artsenu”
"No matter, it is good to die for our country"
These words and the battle of Tel Chai were engraved in the Zionist and Israeli collective memory as a symbol of self-defense, heroism, and bravery.
Reconstructed Tel Chai Yard by Gidi Abramovich
לְהִתְרָאוֹת,
שִׁירָה כֹּהֵן-רֶגֶב Shira Cohen-Regev
The eTeacherHebrew Team
Hebrew Memorial Monument
In skirmishes prior to the main battle, two members of the Tel Chai community were killed. During the battle itself six more people died including Trumpeldor. The eight Jews were buried in two common graves in Kfar Giladi – one grave for the two women (Dvora Drechler and Sarah Chizik) and another for the 6 men (Trumpeldor, Sherf, Toker, and Montar) who died there.
In the year 1928, Sir Alfred Mond (Baron Melchett) traveled in the upper Galilee and visited the graves. He realized that no formal monument was built there and asked the sculptor Aaron Melnikov to build one. Melnikov designed a statue of a roaring lion to symbolize “Judah lion's whelp” (גּוּר אַרְיֵה יְהוּדָה) and to show the linkage between the ancient nation of Israel to the rebirth of the nation. The names of the eight Tel Chai heroes were inscribed on the monumental statue. The monument is known as the “Roaring Lion” (הָאַרְיֵה הַשּׁוֹאֵג, ha’arye hasho’eg).
The nearby city was called Kiryat Shemona meaning “Town of Eight” after the eight who died defending Tel Chai.
The Roaring Lion | Photographer: Avishay Ticher
Hebrew Words
גִּבּוֹר, גִּבּוֹרָה, גִּבּוֹרִים, גִּבּוֹרוֹת
Part of Speech: noun, adjective Transcription: Gibor (SM), gibora (SF), giborim (PM)giborot (PF) Translation: hero, brave
אַרְיֵה
Part of Speech: noun, masculine Transcription: arye Translation: lion
קְרַב
Part of Speech: noun, masculine Transcription: krav Translation: battle, combat
חָצֵר
Part of Speech: noun, feminine Transcription: xatser Translation: yard
אַנְדַּרְטָה
Part of Speech: noun, feminine Transcription: andarta Translation: memorial monument
The name יוסף is the future form (third person singular) of the verb להוסיף (le’hosif, “to add”). Rachel, Joseph’s mother, hoped God would give her another son.
History:
There are several people in the Bible called Joseph. The most important among them were Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, made him a governor of Egypt.
Citation:
“And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, God hath taken away my reproach. And she called his name Joseph and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.” Genesis 30, 22-24
דְּבוֹרָה
Name:
Deborah (Dvora)
Gender:
Feminine
Meaning:
Bee
History:
There are two women in the Bible named Deborah. One of them is the prophetess Deborah.
Citation:
"And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment." Judges 4, 4-5.
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