The Histadrut HaPoel HaMizrachi (Religious Workers’ Federation) was established in April 1922, rooted in the unique ideological vision of religious pioneer-workers seeking to combine agricultural settlement in the Land of Israel with a life of Torah observance. For the first time, the Jewish pioneer sought to hold a spade in one hand and a Torah scroll in the other, building a rural settlement in the Land of Israel that embodied both labor and faith.
During the Third Aliyah (1919–1923), hundreds of young religious Jews immigrated to Palestine. Their motivation was deeply influenced by significant historical events of the time:
1. The aftermath of World War I, which devastated many Jewish communities in Eastern Europe.
2. The granting of emancipation to Jews in newly independent nation-states (e.g., Poland, Romania).
3. The universal social ideals inspired by the Russian Revolution.
4. The Balfour Declaration (November 2, 1917), in which Britain recognized the right of the Jewish people to establish a national home in Palestine.
5. The British conquest of Palestine during World War I.
These events profoundly stirred Jewish youth across Europe and gave rise to a widespread sense that redemption was near. The Balfour Declaration, in particular, was perceived by many within the religious Zionist public as a form of “It’aruta D’le’eyla” (heavenly awakening), and many viewed it as the beginning of redemption (Atchalta De’Geula), prompting their immigration to the Land of Israel.
In parallel, young Jews were influenced by the social justice ideals of the Russian Revolution. They rejected the Diaspora lifestyle, disconnected from labor and creativity, and aspired to build a new society in the Land of Israel - one rooted in Jewish labor, especially agricultural labor. While many of these youth joined the broader HeHalutz (Pioneer) movement, they often found themselves at odds with the secular lifestyle it promoted.
These religious youth sought to engage in nation-building and labor, but found that the Mizrachi movement could only partially meet their needs. They felt a strong need for a dedicated organization to address their unique challenges.
Following a gathering of four religious workers’ groups in June 1921, the first national council convened in Jerusalem in April 1922 (during Passover, 5682), officially declaring the establishment of HaPoel HaMizrachi in the Land of Israel.
Mission of the Organization:
To build the Land of Israel in the spirit of Torah, founded on the values of labor, while establishing a framework that would support its members both materially and spiritually, enabling them to thrive as religious laborers.
Core Values:
1. Self-labor – refraining from exploiting others.
2. A life guided by Torah and tradition.
Organizational Functions:
1. Promoting Hebrew labor wherever possible.
2. Establishing workers’ collectives and agricultural settlements.
3. Facilitating professional and cultural development.
4. Establishing kitchens, health clinics, loan funds, dormitories, and other communal services.
5. Promoting Jewish learning, Hebrew language, and general culture.
Key Leaders and Ideological Shapers:
• Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Landau
• Rabbi Yehuda Shapira (“The Pioneering Rebbe”)
• Yosef Bernstein
• Shlomo Zalman Shragai
A succinct expression of the movement’s ideology appeared in the founders’ public declaration:
“We seek a life of labor and creativity rooted in traditional Judaism.
We cannot engage solely in spirituality, confined within the four cubits of Halacha, nor can we settle for superficial nationalism - language and land alone - while forsaking our Torah, which is the foundation of our national culture and character. We strive for a Judaism of Torah and Labor, through which Judaism connects with nature, life, and nationhood. It must not remain a mere legacy or symbol, but must become a living, internalized experience, flowing from the heart. We yearn to return to the ancient Hebrew way of life -to the original Biblical Judaism founded on justice, righteousness, and moral integrity.”
Source: Menachem Rothstein, 1985. “The Development of the Torah and Labor Ideology.” In: Torah and Labor – Vision and Practice. Published by the Executive Committee of the Histadrut HaPoel HaMizrachi.