In the winter of 1884, on the second day of Hanukkah, two young men of the Bilu (“Beit Ya’akov Lechu ve Nelcha” lit. “House of Jacob, let us go”) association arrived at the barren slopes of a hill near the Arab village of Qatra. They gathered twigs and lit two camp fires to mark the second day of Hanukkah. They were later joined by seven of their friends. The nine settled in a wooden shed and began working the fields, establishing a settlement that would develop into the city of Gedera.
Our English-language tour guide will tell us who the nine were and what the Biluim movement was, and take us through the Biluim Museum, explaining the documents and artifacts used by these early settlers. Then we will step out of the museum, and a take short walk around to the early buildings of the settlement— the synagogue, the Sverdlov home, the Mintz home, the first school, and other sites.
Meet at 9:45 in the reception area of the museum. Our tour begins at 10:00. The entire tour will take about an hour and a half.
Optional: Bring a lunch to eat in the museum garden or buy lunch at a nearby cafe. Stroll along Rehov HaBiluim and window-shop among the interesting shops there.
Registration: Click on the register link above or contact the Booking Office at 09-9508371 (ext 2).
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