Joseph Trumpeldor
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Joseph Vladimirovich (Volfovich) Trumpeldor (, ; , ; November 21, 1880 – March 1, 1920) was a Russian
Zionist Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...
activist who helped organize the Zion Mule Corps and bring Jewish immigrants to
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
. He was killed while defending the settlement of Tel Hai in 1920 and subsequently became a Jewish national hero. According to a standard account, his
last words Last words are the final utterances before death. The meaning is sometimes expanded to somewhat earlier utterances. Last words of famous or infamous people are sometimes recorded (although not always accurately), which then became a historical an ...
were "It's nothing, it is good to die for our country".


Early life

Joseph Trumpeldor was born in
Pyatigorsk Pyatigorsk (; Circassian languages, Circassian: Псыхуабэ, ''Psıxwabæ'') is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Stavropol Krai, Russia, located on the Podkumok River, about from the town of Mineralnye Vody, which has an i ...
in the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...
to Vladimir Wolf (Ze'ev). Wolf was born in the city of
Parczew Parczew is a town in eastern Poland, with a population of 10,281 (2006). It is the capital of Parczew County in the Lublin Voivodeship. Parczew historically belongs to Lesser Poland (''Małopolska'') region. The town lies 60 kilometers north o ...
in
Congress Poland Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It was established w ...
, the son of Shmuel Asher, a rabbi. At the age of 13, Wolf was kidnapped as a
Cantonist Cantonists (; more properly: , "military cantonists") were underage sons of conscripts in the Russian Empire. From 1721 on they were educated in special "cantonist schools" () for future military service (the schools were called garrison school ...
and forced into service in the
Russian Imperial Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...
, where he served for many years as a combat
medic A medic is a person trained to provide medical care, encompassing a wide range of individuals involved in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of health conditions. The term can refer to fully qualified medical practitioners, such as physic ...
. His surname, "Trumpeldor", was likely given to him by his military officers in an effort to distance him from his Jewish religion. Despite his difficult experiences, Wolf did not assimilate, unlike many other Cantonists. Shortly before his discharge, he held a ceremony to inaugurate a Torah scroll at his place of service, which received attention even in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
and was reported in '' HaKarmel''. Wolf married twice. His second wife was Fedusia Axelvant, an educated woman who was distant from Judaism, with whom he had seven children, the fourth being Joseph. The latter was raised by his father with Jewish national pride, loyalty to Judaism, to the
Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...
, the Russian army, and their homeland Russia. The language spoken in the family was
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
, not the
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
that was commonly spoken among Russian Jews at that time. Trumpeldor grew up in the city of
Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...
. At the age of seven, he briefly studied in a
Talmud Torah Talmud Torah (, lit. 'Study of the Torah') schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of religious school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary education in Hebrew language, H ...
school and later attended the municipal school in Rostov-on-Don, where he excelled in his studies. At the age of 14, influenced by the teachings of
Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using pre-reform Russian orthography. ; ), usually referr ...
, he became a
vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
and a
pacifist Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...
. He took exams to enter a real gymnasium (high school), passed successfully, but was not accepted due to the
Numerus Clausus ''Numerus clausus'' ("closed number" in Latin) is one of many methods used to limit the number of students who may study at a university. In many cases, the goal of the ''numerus clausus'' is simply to limit the number of students to the maximu ...
, which limited the number of Jews allowed to enroll. Due to the need to learn a trade, he returned to Pyatigorsk, to his brother Herman, who was a
dentist A dentist, also known as a dental doctor, dental physician, dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry, the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. The dentist's supporting team aids in provi ...
, and there he studied dentistry. In 1902, he received a government diploma in
Kazan Kazan; , IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzanis the largest city and capital city, capital of Tatarstan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka (river), Kazanka Rivers, covering an area of , with a population of over 1. ...
as a dental healer. Later, when writing about his youth, Trumpeldor referred to the persecution and antisemitism he faced in Russia due to his Jewish identity: Trumpeldor was influenced by the teachings of Herzl and the historic event of the
First Zionist Congress The First Zionist Congress () was the inaugural congress of the Zionist Organization, Zionist Organization (ZO) held in the Stadtcasino Basel in the city of Basel on August 29–31, 1897. Two hundred and eight delegates from 17 countries and 2 ...
(1897). At age 17, he established a Zionist circle in his city and served as its chairman. However, his activities ceased when he was drafted into the Russian army.


Military career

In 1902, Trumpeldor was drafted into the army. As a Tolstoyan, he held anti-militaristic views but decided to enlist so that his abstention would not be perceived as Jewish cowardice. He was initially assigned to the 76th Infantry Regiment of the
Kuban Kuban ( Russian and Ukrainian: Кубань; ) is a historical and geographical region in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, the Volga Delta and separated fr ...
, based in the city of
Tulchyn Tulchyn (, ; ; ; ; ; ) is a city in Vinnytsia Oblast (Oblast, province) of western Ukraine, in the historical region of Podolia. It is the Capital city, administrative center of Tulchyn Raion (Raion, district). Its population is 13,896 (2023 estim ...
. There, he befriended David Belotserkovsky. Early in his military service, Trumpeldor began developing his ideas about settling in
Eretz Yisrael The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine. The definitions ...
. Trumpeldor volunteered for the 27th Siberian Infantry Regiment that was sent to Port Arthur—the main Russian naval base in East Asia. Soon after, the
Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...
broke out. From the early battles, Trumpeldor’s name became known as a hero distinguished by his composure and resilience. Following the Russian forces’ retreat to the fortress of Port Arthur, he was awarded the Saint George Cross, 4th degree, and the rank of
Sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
. Trumpeldor volunteered for the regiment's
Special Forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
unit, tasked with the most dangerous missions. In this elite unit, he encountered
antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
when one of the commanders declared that there were no cowards or traitors in the unit because there were no Jews among them. The proud Trumpeldor immediately declared his Jewish identity publicly. On August 20, 1904, a shell shattered his left arm, and doctors had to amputate it above the elbow. Despite his severe injury, Trumpeldor remained motivated and optimistic about the future. His unique personality was evident in a powerful letter he wrote to his family: After recovering, he requested to return to the front and said to his commanders: His bravery in battle and his rare request to return to the front earned him special recognition. He was promoted to the rank of Senior Sergeant and received another decoration—the Saint George Cross, 3rd degree. At a ceremonial parade held in his honor, he was appointed commander of the third company and gained the admiration of his soldiers.


In Japanese captivity

On January 2, 1905, following Russia's defeat at the
Battle of Port Arthur The of 8–9 February 1904 marked the commencement of the Russo-Japanese War. It began with a surprise night attack by a squadron of Imperial Japanese Navy, Japanese destroyers on the neutral country, neutral Imperial Russian Navy, Russian fl ...
, Trumpeldor was captured and taken to a
Prisoner of War camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, ...
in Takayama,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. The Russian prisoners in Japan received good conditions. They were divided into camps according to their religious affiliation, with 1,739 of the approximately 70,000 Russian prisoners being Jewish. Trumpeldor spent about a year in Japanese captivity, and thanks to his personality, he became the leader of the Jewish prisoners. In captivity, he worked tirelessly to promote his ideological and socio-national vision. Alongside organizing the needs of the prisoners in education, welfare, and tradition. He established a Loan fund, workshops, schools, a library, a theater troupe, and even arranged for religious needs, requesting the Japanese to assist in baking
matzah Matzah, matzo, or maẓẓah ('','' : matzot or Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashk. matzos) is an Unleavened bread, unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover festival, during which ''chametz'' (lea ...
, acquiring a
Torah scroll A Sephardic Torah scroll rolled to the first paragraph of the Shema An Ashkenazi Torah scroll rolled to the Decalogue file:Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, Interior, Tora Cases.jpg">Torah cases at Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue, Mumbai, India ...
, and tallitot, and writing greeting cards for
Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah (, , ) is the New Year in Judaism. The Hebrew Bible, biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , ). It is the first of the High Holy Days (, , 'Days of Awe"), as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25, that occur in the late summe ...
. An example of Trumpeldor’s educational activities can be found in a special letter written by a Jewish prisoner to his teacher Trumpeldor: Being among Jewish prisoners in the camp stirred strong nationalistic feelings in Trumpeldor. Therefore, most of his activities focused on Zionism. He founded a Zionist association called "Bnei Zion Captives in Japan" (which included 120 members). He raised funds for Zionist causes, such as the
Jewish National Fund The Jewish National Fund (JNF; , ''Keren Kayemet LeYisrael''; previously , ''Ha Fund HaLeumi'') is a non-profit organizationProfessor Alon Tal, The Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion ...
, building a Hebrew school in
Jaffa Jaffa (, ; , ), also called Japho, Joppa or Joppe in English, is an ancient Levantine Sea, Levantine port city which is part of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, located in its southern part. The city sits atop a naturally elevated outcrop on ...
, a library in
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
, and planting a forest in Herzl’s memory. In July 1905, he sent a letter of support to the Seventh Zionist Congress in
Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
. Trumpeldor also helped establish a Zionist association within the small Jewish community in Japan. He published a Zionist weekly in
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
and
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
called "Der Yiddisher Leben" ('Jewish Life'), of which he was the editor and author of most articles. In captivity, Trumpeldor began developing his social-national ideas regarding the establishment of cooperative settlements in
Eretz Yisrael The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine. The definitions ...
. To seek support for his plans, he wrote a letter from captivity to
Menachem Ussishkin Menachem Ussishkin ( ''Avraham Menachem Mendel Ussishkin'', ; August 14, 1863 – October 2, 1941) was a Russian-born Zionist leader and head of the Jewish National Fund. Biography Menachem Ussishkin was born in Dubrowna in the Belarusian ...
. He planned to immigrate to Israel with ten carefully selected individuals to establish a new settlement. Trumpeldor was widely admired by prisoners, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Following the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth, Trumpeldor was one of the first to be released from captivity. His friends reported that thousands came to bid him farewell at the POW camp, carrying him on their shoulders and cheering: The Japanese captors respected Trumpeldor’s leadership and character, and his legacy remains appreciated to this day. In 2006, an exhibition was held in Takayashi about the Russo-Japanese War POW camp. A room in the exhibition was dedicated to Trumpeldor, showcasing photos and describing his Zionist activities until his death in the
Battle of Tel Hai The Battle of Tel Hai was fought on 1 March 1920 between Arab and Jewish forces at the village of Tel Hai in Northern Galilee. In the course of the event, a Shiite Arab militia, accompanied by Bedouin from a nearby village, entered a Jewish a ...
.


Zion Mule Corps

Trumpeldor was among the supporters and founders of the " Zion Mule Corps". The Irish Colonel John Patterson was appointed as the commander of the corps, and Trumpeldor was appointed as his deputy, with the rank of
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
. The corps was transferred to
Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
where it participated as an auxiliary force, supplying the
ANZAC The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was originally a First World War army corps of the British Empire under the command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the ...
troops (forces from
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
). Trumpeldor performed heroic acts in
Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
and was even injured in the shoulder by a rifle bullet. Trumpeldor was the driving force in the corps. The corps, which suffered from severe disciplinary issues, including attempts at desertion and low morale, barely held together due to his influence and concern for the members of the corps. The corps had to endure floggings and physical punishments from British officers. In November 1915, Trumpeldor was appointed acting commander of the corps, but a month later, the British decided to disband it. In
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
, upon his return from Gallipoli, Trumpeldor took French lessons from Fira (Esther) Rozov, a member of a wealthy citrus-growing family and one of the pioneers of Petach Tikva, who were also exiled to Egypt due to their foreign nationality. Fira, 22 years old and 13 years younger than Trumpeldor, quickly became his beloved and fiancée, and he shared all his secrets and emotions with her for several years, writing her numerous letters during the war that described his experiences. In October 1916, after abandoning his efforts to rebuild the corps, Trumpeldor traveled to
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
to assist
Ze'ev Jabotinsky Ze'ev Jabotinsky (born Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky; 17 October 1880  – 3 August 1940) was a Russian-born author, poet, orator, soldier, and founder of the Revisionist Zionist movement and the Jewish Self-Defense Organization in O ...
in establishing a Jewish fighting unit. Others involved in these efforts included
David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion ( ; ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary List of national founders, national founder and first Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister of the State of Israel. As head of the Jewish Agency ...
,
Yitzhak Ben-Zvi Yitzhak Ben-Zvi ( ''Yitshak Ben-Tsvi''; 24 November 188423 April 1963; born Izaak Shimshelevich) was a historian, ethnologist, Labor Zionism, Labor Zionist leader and the longest-serving president of Israel. He was 1952 Israeli presidential elec ...
, and
Pinhas Rutenberg Pinhas Rutenberg (, Pyotr Moiseyevich Rutenberg; ; 5 February 1879 – 3 January 1942) was a Russian businessman, hydraulic engineer and political activist. In Russia, he was a member of the Socialist Revolutionary Party and fled due to the Octo ...
. Jabotinsky hoped that British Jewry would enlist en masse for a Jewish unit in the army and believed that Trumpeldor, whose reputation as a hero preceded him, could help him recruit volunteers. However, the recruitment effort failed miserably. Trumpeldor and Jabotinsky encountered severe and even violent hostility from the Jewish community, which refused to enlist. Despite the difficulties, Trumpeldor continued to advocate for the idea of the unit. He met with
Chaim Weizmann Chaim Azriel Weizmann ( ; 27 November 1874 – 9 November 1952) was a Russian-born Israeli statesman, biochemist, and Zionist leader who served as president of the World Zionist Organization, Zionist Organization and later as the first pre ...
, as well as with prominent opponents of the idea, such as Rabbi Joseph Hertz, the
Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom The following list of chief rabbis of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth gives information regarding the Chief Rabbi of the United Synagogue, which is represented through the mainstream majority Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox community ...
, Ahad Ha'am, and
Nahum Sokolow Nahum ben Joseph Samuel Sokolow ( ''Nachum ben Yosef Shmuel Soqolov'', ; 10 January 1859 – 17 May 1936) was a Jewish-Polish people, Polish writer, translator, and journalist, the fifth President of the World Zionist Organization, editor of ''H ...
, who viewed the establishment of a Jewish military unit as inappropriate and "un-Jewish." In December 1916, 120 men from the remnants of the Zion Mule Corps arrived in London, whom Trumpeldor managed to persuade to enlist in the British army. These men ultimately formed the nucleus of the Jewish Legion, which Jabotinsky, with Trumpeldor's active assistance, succeeded in establishing with great effort and after numerous persuasion attempts in 1917. Trumpeldor, unable to join the unit due to his amputated arm and foreign nationality, went to Russia following the
February Revolution The February Revolution (), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and sometimes as the March Revolution or February Coup was the first of Russian Revolution, two revolutions which took place in Russia ...
.


Zionist activism

In June 1917, Trumpeldor returned to Russia to work there on behalf of Zionism and the Land of Israel. His ambition this time was to recruit a Jewish force of one hundred thousand men to be sent to the front in the Caucasus or
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
and eventually reach the Land of Israel. The Russian Provisional Government viewed Trumpeldor’s grand plan favorably, but the Jewish and Zionist establishment in Russia was hesitant (at that time, the Russian army was suffering defeats on all fronts, and the likelihood of death at the front was high). In light of the growing danger of a
Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...
uprising and the expected pogroms against Jews that might follow, Trumpeldor turned his efforts to organizing Jewish self-defense, as a first and urgent task. In December 1917, he received permission from the Bolshevik government to establish a Jewish unit of 1,000 men in
Petrograd Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...
. However, the idea met resistance among the Jews, who were hesitant to take a stand in the developing
Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...
between the Bolsheviks and the
Whites White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...
. Only about 20 men enlisted in the unit, and it was disbanded after about two months. Trumpeldor continued his activities in organizing Jewish self-defense units in
Southern Russia Southern Russia or the South of Russia ( rus, Юг России, p=juk rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a Colloquialism, colloquial term for the southernmost geographic portion of European Russia. The term is generally used to refer to the region of Russia's So ...
under the Yevsektsiya, which was anti-Zionist. However, these efforts were not successful. The Jewish self-defense units provoked the anger of the Cossack and White insurgents, and only the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
and the
German Imperial Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...
, which controlled large parts of Russia, provided assistance to the Jews.


HeHalutz organization

Following the
February Revolution The February Revolution (), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and sometimes as the March Revolution or February Coup was the first of Russian Revolution, two revolutions which took place in Russia ...
, there was a revival and awakening in the Zionist movement in Russia. The number of "Shekel Payers" exceeded 140,000, and tens of thousands of young people aspired to immigrate to the Land of Israel. The global " HeHalutz" organization mobilized young people interested in immigrating to Israel and becoming pioneers. At the beginning of 1918, Trumpeldor became actively involved in the movement. He worked intensively on drafting practical plans for establishing
communes A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...
(essentially
kibbutzim A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, i ...
) in the Land of Israel, forming a pioneering military organization, a labor union, and facilitating immigration. The movement adopted many of Trumpeldor’s ideas and elected him as the movement's chairman at its first conference. Trumpeldor organized "training" in
Petrograd Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...
for agricultural workers, set up a loan fund, a club, and a shared residence. He then went to the
Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
and organized HeHalutz activities there as well. In August 1919, he set out once again for the Land of Israel.


''Aliyah''

On his way to the Land of Israel, Trumpeldor stopped in
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
(known as "Constantinople" at the time). There, as usual, he helped the pioneers waiting for their turn to immigrate by providing them with employment and organizing various welfare activities. He met the Russian deserter, Captain Aryeh Bayevsky, and the two became friends. In late October 1919, Trumpeldor returned to Israel. A few months later, in March 1920, Bayevsky arrived at Jaffa Port and joined the group of pioneers, who referred him to the Water Committee. In Israel, his fiancée, Fira Rozov, awaited him, but upon his arrival, their relationship ended, likely due to a connection Trumpeldor formed in Crimea with another young woman, Emma (Nechama) Tsipkin. Jabotinsky greeted Trumpeldor with enthusiasm. It was a tumultuous period in the country. The Zionist Commission had failed in its attempts to absorb the demobilized Jewish Legion members and to promote settlement. The Zionist Organization not only failed to encourage mass immigration but was also unable to absorb the small quota of immigrants allocated by the British authorities. This was the state of affairs when Trumpeldor returned to the Land of Israel. He assisted in preparations for the arrival of " HeHalutz" members from Russia and
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. He also contributed to the planning of the establishment of a Hebrew
Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
in the Land of Israel and the purchase of a Halutz Ship for training the movement’s pioneers from the Caucasus in
Seafaring Seamanship is the skill, art, competence (human resources), competence, and knowledge of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques, o ...
and to engage in Labor Conquest at Sea. He also participated in a plan for establishing
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
villages along the coast with pioneers trained by
Subbotniks Subbotniks ( rus, Субботники, p=sʊˈbotnʲɪkʲɪ, "Sabbatarians") is a common name for adherents of Russians, Russian religious movements that split from Sabbatarianism, Sabbatarian sects in the late 18th century. The majority o ...
brought from the
Astrakhan Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...
region in the Caucasus. He viewed with distaste the party disputes between
Ahdut HaAvoda Ahdut HaAvoda () was the name used by a series of List of political parties in Israel, political parties in Israel. Ahdut HaAvoda in its first incarnation was led by David Ben-Gurion. It was first established during the period of Mandatory Pales ...
and
Hapoel Hatzair Hapoel Hatzair (, "The Young Worker") was a Zionist group active in Palestine from 1905 until 1930. It was founded by A.D. Gordon, Yosef Aharonovich, Yosef Sprinzak and followed a non-Marxist, Zionist, socialist agenda. Hapoel Hatzair was a ...
, writing: Trumpeldor aspired to unite all workers under one party so that they could fight together for workers' rights in the Land of Israel. He issued a "call" on the matter, which gained significant attention but did not succeed in convincing HaPoel HaTzair to unite with Achdut HaAvoda. However, under the influence of his call, after his death, in
Hanukkah Hanukkah (, ; ''Ḥănukkā'' ) is a Jewish holidays, Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd ce ...
1920, the conference that established the General Federation of Workers in the Land of Israel was held. He called for an increase in
Aliyah ''Aliyah'' (, ; ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel or the Palestine (region), Palestine region, which is today chiefly represented by the Israel ...
: In the midst of his struggle for cooperation among the workers' parties,
Israel Shochat Israel Shochat (; 1886–1962) was a founder of and a key figure in Bar-Giora (organization), Bar-Giora and Hashomer, two of the precursors of the Israel Defense Forces. Biography Russia and Germany Israel Shochat was born in 1886 in Lyskovo, in t ...
, one of the leaders of the Hashomer organization, asked Trumpeldor to go to the
Upper Galilee The Upper Galilee (, ''HaGalil Ha'Elyon''; , ''Al Jaleel Al A'alaa'') is a geographical region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Part of the larger Galilee region, it is characterized by its higher elevations and mountainous terra ...
and check the situation there.


Events at Tel Hai

In 1916, a secret agreement was signed between the United Kingdom and
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
regarding the division of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
after the end of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. This agreement, known as the Sykes-Picot Agreement, included the northern Galilee (including Galilee Panhandle) in France’s sphere of influence. The agreement was renewed in September 1919, as an agreement signed between
Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...
, the
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...
, and
Georges Clemenceau Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who was Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 until 1920. A physician turned journalist, he played a central role in the poli ...
, the
Prime Minister of France The prime minister of France (), officially the prime minister of the French Republic (''Premier ministre de la République française''), is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of its Council of Ministers. The prime ...
. According to this agreement, the British withdrew from areas they had captured north of a line drawn between Rosh HaNikra and Buazia near
Lake Hula The Hula Valley () is a valley and fertile agriculture, agricultural region in northern Israel with abundant fresh water that used to be Lake Hula before it was drained. It is a major stopover for birds migrating along the Great Rift Valley be ...
(just north of today's
Ayelet HaShahar Ayelet HaShahar () is a kibbutz in northern Israel acquired in 1892 and settled in the second Aliyah, located on the Korazim Plateau, by the Rosh Pina – Metulla road, it is approximately south of the city of Kiryat Shmona and falls under the jur ...
). France did not establish its rule in the region and did not send sufficient military forces, initially holding only the coastal area near
Sidon Sidon ( ) or better known as Saida ( ; ) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, Lebanon, South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre, t ...
. The local Arabs took advantage of the situation to rebel against French rule and even harassed the Christian villages in the area, which France had promised to protect.''The History of the Defense'', Volumes 1 and 2 Numerous
Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...
gangs operated in the region, with some encouragement from the British. Four Jewish settlements in the French-controlled area were caught up in these events: the Metula colony, the groups Tel Hai and Kfar Giladi, and the founding group of the Hamara settlement. The leadership of the
Yishuv The Yishuv (), HaYishuv Ha'ivri (), or HaYishuv HaYehudi Be'Eretz Yisra'el () was the community of Jews residing in Palestine prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The term came into use in the 1880s, when there were about 2 ...
debated whether to evacuate these settlements and relocate their residents to British Mandate territory or to continue holding the land. Ultimately, no decision was made, and the settlements remained in the French-controlled area.''The History of the Defense'', Volumes 1 and 2 Initially, the Arabs did not harm the Jewish settlements, but the situation later deteriorated. On November 15, 1919, Bedouins disguised as French gendarmes entered Kfar Giladi, confiscated weapons, and stole money and property. On December 12, they attacked Tel Hai, killing Shneur Shposhnik, a resident of Petach Tikva. On December 17, another attack occurred, during which the defenders of Tel Hai acknowledged their military inferiority against the rebels and awaited reinforcements. Small reinforcements of a few people and rifles arrived.
David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion ( ; ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary List of national founders, national founder and first Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister of the State of Israel. As head of the Jewish Agency ...
asked Trumpeldor to organize the defense of the settlements and report on the situation. Trumpeldor arrived at Tel Hai at the end of December 1919. Bedouin attacks continued. In one incident, Trumpeldor and his men were captured, robbed, and stripped of their clothes. Following the attacks, the Hamara settlement was abandoned and was never re-established. On January 4, 1920, Bedouins attacked Hamara, where a French force was present at the time; the force retreated to Metula, and the Bedouins set Hamara on fire. Following the French withdrawal, the defenders of Tel Hai, led by Trumpeldor, grew increasingly anxious. Their frustration grew due to the lack of support they received from the weakened Yishuv institutions and the nascent
Haganah Haganah ( , ) was the main Zionist political violence, Zionist paramilitary organization that operated for the Yishuv in the Mandatory Palestine, British Mandate for Palestine. It was founded in 1920 to defend the Yishuv's presence in the reg ...
committee. On January 8, the defenders of the Galilee issued a proclamation that read, among other things: Later that month, a large French force arrived in Metula; its Jewish residents left, and the force completely destroyed and looted the colony. In early February, the French withdrew from Metula, and the situation in the area worsened. On February 9, 1920, Trumpeldor wrote to the Haganah Committee from
Ayelet HaShahar Ayelet HaShahar () is a kibbutz in northern Israel acquired in 1892 and settled in the second Aliyah, located on the Korazim Plateau, by the Rosh Pina – Metulla road, it is approximately south of the city of Kiryat Shmona and falls under the jur ...
, stating that the Arab leaders had decided "to destroy and annihilate the Jewish settlement in the
Upper Galilee The Upper Galilee (, ''HaGalil Ha'Elyon''; , ''Al Jaleel Al A'alaa'') is a geographical region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Part of the larger Galilee region, it is characterized by its higher elevations and mountainous terra ...
." Trumpeldor sent a request to the Yishuv leadership for reinforcements and urgently needed supplies: The Workers' Committee in Jaffa convened a meeting attended by
David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion ( ; ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary List of national founders, national founder and first Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister of the State of Israel. As head of the Jewish Agency ...
, A.Z.R., Avraham Herzfeld, and Shmuel HaPater, and it was decided to reinforce the northern defenders, but the number of people sent was small.''The History of the Defense'', Volumes 1 and 2 On February 23, 1920, the provisional Haganah committee convened to discuss the defense of the Upper Galilee. Representatives of the workers' parties, led by
Berl Katznelson Berl Katznelson (; 25 January 1887 – 12 August 1944) was one of the intellectual founders of Labor Zionism and was instrumental to the Israeli Declaration of Independence, establishment of the modern state of Israel. He was also the editor of ' ...
, supported reinforcing the defenders, while the representatives of the "civilians" hesitated, fearing conflict with the Arabs.
Ze'ev Jabotinsky Ze'ev Jabotinsky (born Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky; 17 October 1880  – 3 August 1940) was a Russian-born author, poet, orator, soldier, and founder of the Revisionist Zionist movement and the Jewish Self-Defense Organization in O ...
argued that it was impractical to defend the settlements and suggested relocating all those in the French-controlled area to British territory. The assembly decided to continue defending the settlements and to establish a committee to organize the defense and rescue the points. However, by the time the committee reached Ayelet HaShahar, it was already too late.


Injury and death

On 11
Adar Adar (Hebrew: , ; from Akkadian ''adaru'') is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar, roughly corresponding to the month of March in the Gregorian calendar. It is a month of 29 days. ...
, 5680, March 1, 1920, Arabs arrived at Tel Hai and requested entry to check if there were any French soldiers in the settlement. They were allowed entry, but then the Arabs decided to confiscate the weapons of the Tel Hai residents. When they attempted to forcibly take the weapon of Deborah Drukler, Trumpeldor ordered the defenders to open fire on the attackers. A gunfight ensued, and Trumpeldor was severely wounded in his abdomen. Those around him hesitated to tend to his wounds, as they were untrained in medical care. He ordered water, washed his hand, pushed his intestines back into his abdomen, and was bandaged. In the meantime, the attackers temporarily retreated, and Trumpeldor handed command over to Pinchas Schneerson.''The History of the Defense'', Volumes 1 and 2 The battle continued as some of the Arabs fortified themselves in the attic of Tel Hai. The defenders of Tel Hai managed to throw hand grenades and repel the attackers. Both sides suffered casualties, and in the middle of the battle, a
truce A ceasefire (also known as a truce), also spelled cease-fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions often due to mediation by a third party. Ceasefires may b ...
was declared, allowing the Arabs to evacuate their dead and wounded. However, due to heavy losses and dwindling ammunition, a decision was made to abandon Tel Hai and retreat. The evacuation with the wounded and the bodies of the dead from the courtyard of Tel Hai took place on a stormy, rainy night, and the path was filled with mud. The decision was made to retreat from Tel Hai and regroup only at Kfar Giladi and Metula. During the long battle, Trumpeldor, who was injured, was asked several times about his condition. The message in his responses was: These words and the important message they carried were highlighted in numerous testimonies published immediately after the battle. For example, in a letter written that same night, Avraham Herzfeld told his colleagues at the Agricultural Center that Trumpeldor said to him: "It's nothing; it's worth dying for the Land of Israel." Dr. Gary, who treated him, also testified that Trumpeldor replied: "It’s nothing; it’s worth dying for the country." Another wounded individual present next to Trumpeldor at that time recounted that "when Dr. Gary asked about his condition, he said, 'It is good to die for our country.'" It is possible that this statement originated from a well-known Latin proverb: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country." This statement by Trumpeldor became a symbol of supreme sacrifice and heroism for the people and the land. It became a national value on which many generations were raised. As Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin (; , ; 1 March 1922 – 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the prime minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977, and from 1992 until Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, his ass ...
said on Tel Hai Day: The writer Yosef Haim Brenner wrote in response to the events of Tel Hai: The
Haredi Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...
-Zionist thinker Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal also praised the pioneers building the land in his book ''Em HaBanim Semeicha'', stating: There is also a claim that Trumpeldor's original words were: "It is good to die for the land," but those who heard him slightly altered the phrasing to more proper Hebrew. By the time the group reached Kfar Giladi, Trumpeldor was no longer alive. The people of Kfar Giladi, fearing that the Arab and Bedouin attack would continue, did not allow the defenders of Tel Hai to sleep under their roof. They buried the fighters in a temporary
mass grave A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may Unidentified decedent, not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of exec ...
. Years later, the remains were transferred to the cemetery in Kfar Giladi. The Galilee Panhandle remained empty of Jews for several months. In July 1920, the French expelled Faisal from
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
, and in December 1920, France and Britain signed an agreement transferring the Galilee Panhandle to British control. Even before that, the farmers returned to Metula, and members of Hashomer and the Labor Battalion returned to Kfar Giladi and later to Tel Hai.


Commemoration

In memory of Trumpeldor and his comrades, eulogies were delivered from both sides of the political spectrum. The most well-known were "Tel Hai" by
Ze'ev Jabotinsky Ze'ev Jabotinsky (born Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky; 17 October 1880  – 3 August 1940) was a Russian-born author, poet, orator, soldier, and founder of the Revisionist Zionist movement and the Jewish Self-Defense Organization in O ...
, the founder of
Revisionist Zionism Revisionist Zionism is a form of Zionism characterized by territorial maximalism. Revisionist Zionism promoted expansionism and the establishment of a Jewish majority on both sides of the Jordan River. Developed by Ze'ev Jabotinsky in the 1920s ...
, eight days after the battle, and "Yizkor Am Yisrael" by
Berl Katznelson Berl Katznelson (; 25 January 1887 – 12 August 1944) was one of the intellectual founders of Labor Zionism and was instrumental to the Israeli Declaration of Independence, establishment of the modern state of Israel. He was also the editor of ' ...
, one of the leaders of Socialist Zionism. The story of Trumpeldor's heroism and death became a foundational story on which generations were educated. His death defending Tel Hai immediately became a symbol of Jewish resistance, in contrast to being slaughtered in
pogroms A pogrom is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe late 19th- and early 20th-century attacks on Jews i ...
without resistance. Leaders such as
Berl Katznelson Berl Katznelson (; 25 January 1887 – 12 August 1944) was one of the intellectual founders of Labor Zionism and was instrumental to the Israeli Declaration of Independence, establishment of the modern state of Israel. He was also the editor of ' ...
,
Ze'ev Jabotinsky Ze'ev Jabotinsky (born Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky; 17 October 1880  – 3 August 1940) was a Russian-born author, poet, orator, soldier, and founder of the Revisionist Zionist movement and the Jewish Self-Defense Organization in O ...
, Yosef Haim Brenner, and many others eulogized him and the others who fell at Tel Hai. One of Trumpeldor's dreams for cooperation among the workers' parties was realized in his memory on December 9, 1920, with the founding of the
Histadrut Histadrut, fully the New General Workers' Federation () and until 1994 the General Federation of Labour in the Land of Israel (, ''HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael''), is Israel's national trade union center and represents the m ...
. * Trumpeldor's trainees in the "HeHalutz" movement established a group of pioneers and settlers in his name, called the ''Labor and Defense Battalion in Memory of Joseph Trumpeldor'', or simply the Labor Battalion. The battalion was founded by eighty-eight members at a memorial on the six-month anniversary of his death on 11 Elul 5680, August 25, 1920, at a camp near Hamat Tiberias. * The kibbutz Tel Yosef, established by members of the Labor Battalion, was named after Trumpeldor. The kibbutz houses the "Trumpeldor House" museum, which once contained Trumpeldor's prosthetic hand, transferred to the Zionist Archives on the 100th anniversary of his death. * Streets in
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
and
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
(which, due to its location, also includes the cemetery known as Trumpeldor Cemetery), two streets in
Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...
(Joseph the One-Armed in
Hadar HaCarmel Hadar HaCarmel ( lit. "''Splendor of the Carmel''"; or simply known as the neighbourhood of Hadar , الهدار in Arabic language, Arabic) is a district of Haifa, Israel. Located on the northern slope of Mount Carmel between the upper and lower c ...
and Trumpeldor Boulevard in Neve Sha'anan) as well as streets and schools in many towns across Israel bear his name. A neighborhood in Tel Aviv and one in
Nahariya Nahariya () is the northernmost coastal city in Israel. As of , the city had a population of . The city was founded in 1935 by Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. Etymology Nahariya takes its name from the stream of Ga'aton River, Ga'aton (riv ...
are also named after Trumpeldor. *
Ze'ev Jabotinsky Ze'ev Jabotinsky (born Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky; 17 October 1880  – 3 August 1940) was a Russian-born author, poet, orator, soldier, and founder of the Revisionist Zionist movement and the Jewish Self-Defense Organization in O ...
, leader of the Revisionist movement and Trumpeldor’s close friend, founded the youth movement named after him –
Betar The Betar Movement (), also spelled Beitar (), is a Revisionist Zionism, Revisionist Zionist youth movement founded in 1923 in Riga, Latvia, by Ze'ev Jabotinsky, Vladimir (Ze'ev) Jabotinsky. It was one of several right-wing youth movements tha ...
: ''Alliance of Joseph Trumpeldor''. Jabotinsky admired Trumpeldor and described their shared path. To maintain the
acronym An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial Letter (alphabet), letter of each wor ...
, Beitar members continue to spell the name 'Trumpeldor' with a 'Tet.' On the story of Tel Hai, Jabotinsky wrote the ''Song of the Prisoners of Acre''. *
Kiryat Shmona Kiryat Shmona () is a city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley near the Lebanon, Lebanese border. In it had a population of . Located near the Blue Line (withdrawal line), Israel ...
, near the site of Trumpeldor's and his seven comrades' deaths and burials at Tel Hai, is named after them. Initially, it was called Kiryat Yosef, after Trumpeldor. Trumpeldor's heroism is reflected in Berl Katznelson’s introduction to the book "Events of 1936," written by Bracha Habas, where he compared the settlers' heroism in facing Arab terror during 1936–1939 to the heroism of the defenders of Tel Hai: On the centennial of Trumpeldor's birth, Professor Yigal Ilam wrote: Many songs and stories have been written about Trumpeldor. In Abraham Broides' song 'In the Galilee,' he wrote: The composer Emanuel Amiran wrote a piece in his honor and memory titled ''Joseph the Galilean'', which begins with the words: In the spring of 1920, Abba Schneller (later Abba Hushi) read the words of a song inspired by the heroic stand of Joseph Trumpeldor and his comrades in the courtyard of Tel Hai for the first time at a conference of "
Hashomer Hatzair Hashomer Hatzair (, , 'The Young Guard') is a Labor Zionism, Labor Zionist, secular Jewish youth movement founded in 1913 in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austria-Hungary. It was also the name of the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party, the ...
" in
Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
: Joseph Trumpeldor is buried in the cemetery of Kfar Giladi, near the graves of the Hashomer members, in a mass grave, along with the seven other fighters who were killed at Tel Hai. Above their grave stands the
statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...
of the "Roaring Lion," with the inscription "It is good to die for our country." Every year on 11
Adar Adar (Hebrew: , ; from Akkadian ''adaru'') is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar, roughly corresponding to the month of March in the Gregorian calendar. It is a month of 29 days. ...
, school students and members of youth movements visit the grave to commemorate the battle and what it symbolizes in a state ceremony attended by a representative of the
Government of Israel The Cabinet of Israel (; ) is the cabinet which exercises Executive (government), executive authority in the State of Israel. It consists of Minister (government), ministers who are chosen and led by the Prime Minister of Israel, prime ministe ...
. The life and heroism of Captain Joseph Trumpeldor are detailed on the Yizkor website – the memorial site for the fallen of Israel's wars, Ministry of Defense.


Writings

* ''From the Life of Joseph Trumpeldor: A Collection of Letters and Notes'', Jaffa:
Histadrut Histadrut, fully the New General Workers' Federation () and until 1994 the General Federation of Labour in the Land of Israel (, ''HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael''), is Israel's national trade union center and represents the m ...
, 1922: ** 2nd Edition, expanded; edited by Menahem Poznanski, Tel Aviv:
Am Oved Am Oved ("A Working People") is an Israeli publishing house. History Am Oved was founded in 1942 by Berl Katznelson, who was its first editor in chief. It was created as an organ of the Histadrut, Israel's federation of Labor, with a goal of publ ...
, 1945 * Abraham Yaari, ''Memoirs of the Land of Israel'' – Volume 2: ** Chapter 98, Joseph Trumpeldor, ''In the Mule Drivers Battalion'', 1915, pp. 1042–1047 – Negotiations with the British Command in Egypt, recruitment to the battalion, the journey to the front, at Gallipoli ** Chapter 107, Joseph Trumpeldor, ''The Defense of Upper Galilee Settlements'', 1920, pp. 1133–1156


Further reading


Fiction

* Nili Luzki, ''A Pioneer Like This – Joseph Trumpeldor'', Tel Aviv: Department of Education and Guidance – Beitar Israel, 1970 * Pesach Ben-Amram (Lipovetsky), ''Joseph Trumpeldor – His Personality, Life, and Actions'', 1st Edition: Semel, Kaunas, 1924; 2nd Edition: The Youth Department of the World Zionist Organization, 1947; 3rd Edition: Culture and Education Enterprises, Histadrut HaNoar HaOved, Tel Aviv, 1967. Abridged Edition: Histadrut HaNoar HaOved, 1930, 1947, 1967 * Nahum Benari, Eliezer Knaani (editors), ''Joseph Trumpeldor: His Work and Era'', (Tel Aviv): Culture and Education, (1960) * ''The Galilean Lion: 1920–1945'', erusalem Department of Culture and Propaganda of Beitar in Israel, 1945 * ''Joseph Trumpeldor: 18 Years Since His Heroic Death at Tel Hai, 1920 – 11 Adar – 1938'', Tel Hai Foundation in Israel, 1938 * Uriel Ofek, ''A Heroic Mystery'', Tel Aviv: Yosef Schreiber Publishing, 1970 * Moshe Nahmani, ''The National Hero: Chapters from the Life of Joseph Trumpeldor'', Jerusalem, 2020 * Oshrat Assayeg-Lopez, ''On My Bed at Nights'', Tel Aviv, 2022Website accompanying the book by Oshrat Assayeg-Lopez
/ref> ;In Yiddish * B. Weinstock, ''Joseph Trumpeldor: (The Life Story of a Personality)'', Buenos Aires: Druck, 1935 * Aaron Propps, ''The Life of Joseph Trumpeldor'', Warsaw: 1934 * ''Tel Hai: On the Tenth Anniversary of Joseph Trumpeldor and His Comrades'', Warsaw: (HeHalutz), 1930 * Abraham Liubas, ''On the Ninth Yahrzeit of Joseph Trumpeldor'', Warsaw: (Renoma Press), 1929


Research

*
Ben-Zion Dinur Ben-Zion Dinur (; January 1884 – 8 July 1973) was a Ukrainian-born Israeli historian, educator, and politician. He held the position of professor of Jewish history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and represented Mapai in the first ...
(editor), ''The History of the Defense'', Part 1, Jerusalem: Zionist Library of the Zionist Organization and Maarakhot, 1964. * Shulamit Laskov, ''Trumpeldor: His Life Story'', Haifa: Shikmona, 1972. 2nd Edition, Revised and Expanded, Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, Keter, 1982. (Biography) * Mordechai Naor, ''The Day Tel Hai Fell, Defend or Leave...'', "Derech Eretz–A People Lives in Its Landscapes", editor: Irit Zehrouni, Chief Education Officer – "Bamahane", Ministry of Defense Publishing House, 1984, pp. 272–279 * Nakdimon Rogel, ''Tel Hai: A Front Without a Rear'', Yariv-Hadar Publishing * Shimon Kushnir, ''A Man from the Land of Tel Hai'', Tel Aviv: Am Oved Publishing, 197
at Project Ben-Yehuda
* Menahem Poznanski, ''From the Life of Joseph Trumpeldor'', Tel Aviv: Am Oved Publishing * Mordechai Naor, ''Zalman Belkhovsky – A Man of Tel Hai'', Jerusalem, Yad Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, 2009


See also

* Trumpeldor Cemetery, Tel Aviv


Notes


References


Sources

* The personal papers of Joseph Trumpeldor are kept at the
Central Zionist Archives Central Zionist Archives (CZA; ) is the official archive of the institutions of the Zionist Movement: the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency, the Jewish National Fund, and Keren Hayesod/the United Israel Appeal as well as the archive ...
in Jerusalem. The notation of the record group is A42.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Trumpeldor, Joseph 1880 births 1920 deaths Labor Zionists Betar British Army personnel of World War I Jews from the Russian Empire Jewish Legion Russian Jews in the military Russian amputees Russian expatriates in Japan Russian military personnel of the Russo-Japanese War Russian Zionists Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the Ottoman Empire Deaths by firearm in Mandatory Palestine Recipients of the Cross of St. George Prisoners of war from the Russian Empire People from Pyatigorsk