The Great Synagogue, which became a major focus of life in Rishon LeZion, was built between 18. In November 1883 the first rows were planted, led by ten Russian farmers who were further trained at Mikveh Israel agriculture school, also funded in part by Rothschild. When Baron Edmond James de Rothschild took over, sending in his administrators and agricultural guide Shaul Helzner of Mikve Israel, major progress was made in the spheres of agriculture, citrus and viticulture. In 1883, Itzhak Leib Toporovski a blacksmith of the young village created the first iron plow in the land of Israel, and in 1885 the flag that would later become the flag of Israel was raised for the first time as part of the celebrations of the 3rd anniversary of the village. To mark this occasion, the village emblem was inscribed with a verse from the Torah: 'We have found water.' (Genesis 26:32) Fani Belkind, Israel Belkind, Shimshon Belkind, Yoel Drubin, Haim Hissin, and David Yudilovich were among the Biluim who arrived in Rishon Lezion at this time.

On 23 February 1883, the settlers found water in the wells. Īfter the Biluim arrived, the colony slowly began to develop. Wells were built at a depth of 20–25 meters. Baron Rothschild brought in experts who drilled for water, finding the groundwater table uneven. In addition to the problems posed by sandy soil and lack of water, the newcomers had no agricultural experience. Amzaleg signed a declaration to the settlers stating that none of the structures on this land will ever be his own. According to Marom, ‘Uyūn Qārā offered 'a convenient launching pad for early land purchase initiatives which shaped the pattern of Jewish settlement until the beginning of the British Mandate'. The British vice-consul in Jaffa, Haim Amzaleg, purchased 835 acres (337.91 ha) of land southeast of present-day Tel Aviv, the site of watering holes called ‘Uyūn Qārā (literally 'fountain of the crier') from Mustafa Abdallah ali Dajan. Reuven Yudalevich was also a member of the group. Rishon LeZion was founded on 31 July 1882, by ten Hovevei Zion pioneers from Kharkiv, Ukraine (then the Russian Empire) headed by Zalman David Levontin. History Rishon LeZion in the 1890s Ottoman period (1882-1900) Rishon LeZion in 1937 The name Rishon LeZion is derived from a verse from the Tanakh: 'First to Zion are they, and I shall give herald to Jerusalem' ( Hebrew: ראשון לציון הנה הינם, ולירושלים מבשר אתן) ( Isaiah 41:27) and literally translates as 'First to Zion'. The city is a member of Forum 15, which is an association of fiscally autonomous cities in Israel that do not depend on national balancing or development grants. As of 2017, it was the fourth-largest city in Israel, with a population of 257,128. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area.įounded in 1882 by Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire who were part of the First Aliyah, it was the first Zionist settlement founded in the Land of Israel by the New Yishuv and the second Jewish farm settlement established in Ottoman Syria in the 19th century, after Petah Tikva. First to Zion, Arabic: ريشون لتسيون) is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain eight kilometres (5 mi) south of Tel Aviv.

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