In Cheshvan 5693 (October–November 1932), a formal plan for settlement was submitted by a dedicated committee established by the HaPoel HaMizrachi Federation. The plan proposed the establishment of a 25-family agricultural settlement on Jewish National Fund (JNF) land adjacent to Givat Chaim, the orchard enterprise founded by Zvi Shechterman. The key elements of the proposal were as follows:
1. Loans to Settlers: Each settler would receive a loan secured by a mortgage on their farm unit, under terms similar to those granted by the Workers’ Settlement Company (Hevrat HaHitnashvut HaPoalim) within the framework of the “Settlement of the Thousand” (Hityashvut HaElef) initiative.
2. Financial Management: A recognized banking institution would be selected to manage financial matters, and the lenders would receive guarantees through that institution.
3. Loan Repayment: Loans would be repaid from the income generated by the orchards. Until the full repayment was made, all orchard revenue would be pledged to the lenders.
4. Personal Contribution: Each borrower would contribute a set annual amount for a period of five years.
5. Employment Assurance: Settlers would be guaranteed employment through formal contracts with Shechterman’s estate and other agricultural enterprises in the area.
Financial Breakdown of the Settlement Plan
• A. Orchard Establishment:
• 175 dunams of citrus groves (7 dunams per family)
• Estimated cost: £6,736.250 Palestine Pounds (at £38.49 per dunam)
• B. Subsidiary Farm Units (including home, cowshed, chicken coop, fencing, etc.):
• 25 households
• Estimated cost per unit: £173.50
• Total: £4,337.600
• C. General Expenses: £287.500
Total Investment: £11,361.35
• Per-Family Investment Over 5 Years: £454.45
• Settler Contribution: £100
• Loan Amount per Family: £354.45
• Total Loan Required for 25 Families: £6,861.250
The budget was calculated based on an assumption that settlers would contribute the equivalent of 50% of their wages toward the investment. The plan was reviewed and approved in principle by the Executive Committee of HaPoel HaMizrachi approximately one month later, with several key recommendations:
• The initial investment should not exceed £400 per family.
• The Executive Committee would attempt to secure additional financing of £200 per family after settlement activities began.
• The HaPoel HaMizrachi organization would retain the right to receive regular reports and maintain continuous contact with the settlement’s administrative center.
It was also recommended to divide the 119 dunams of land currently available among 30 families (approx. 3.5 dunams per family), in order to facilitate future expansion, with 14 dunams set aside as public land.
In Av 5693 (August 1933), after the JNF had acquired approximately 400 additional dunams in the vicinity and committed to purchasing more land for future expansion, the final decision was made to formally establish the settlement of Kfar Yavetz.
Source: Museum Archives for the Documentation of the Tel Mond Bloc, Rina Idan, 1999, “Jewish Settlement in the Central Sharon Region, 1929–1939,” Ph.D. Dissertation, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.