By Yitzhak Waller
Although they are seven giant, towering trees, these trees have become almost hidden - swallowed among boulevards and homes, groves and lawns, roads and many farm buildings, surrounded by 54 families totaling 219 people and eighteen soldiers - young men and women of the second generation. These descendants of dreamers now serve in the IDF, from the slopes of Mount Hermon to the distant Sharm el-Sheikh.
The dream once held by Hebrew soldiers in distant lands became reality - it turned into a Jewish settlement, one link in the chain of Jewish communities throughout the State of Israel. The idea to establish the moshav was born among a group of Israeli soldiers who served in the British Army at the end of World War II. The organization for settlement they founded was not large, and just before moving to the land, a few more families joined - some were new immigrants who had served in the Polish Army and were living and working in Kfar Vitkin. Several settlement locations were offered to the group, including the Riskin orchard in the Tel Mond bloc. After touring the suggested sites, we chose the location where we sit today.
Eight of us moved to settle in the Riskin orchard. We lived in the water tower building and the packing house, on a small yard surrounded by hundreds of dunams of orchard and near hostile Arab villages. Still, we were full of faith - and we persevered. Over time, new members joined - released soldiers from the British Army. Wooden huts were built for families and tents for bachelors. Gradually, a new agricultural settlement took shape in the Land of Israel.
In our early days, there were many hardships, but there were also many joyful moments. We fondly remember Friday night gatherings in the dining hall, celebrations, sports games, and shared labor. Most members worked in the communal orchard, while others held jobs outside. We dreamed of the day when houses and a real village would be built. But then the War of Independence broke out, and most members were drafted. Once again, we were just eight families with young children, left in the isolated orchard. When the situation worsened, we had to evacuate our families to Moshav Herut, where a temporary camp was established at the eastern edge of the village. We lived under difficult conditions, waiting for the storm to pass.
In 1949, construction of the village began - 30 houses were built. We started cultivating the land, and thus the farm and the village developed. We absorbed more new members: demobilized IDF soldiers. After the establishment of the State, new immigrants arrived - part of the mass immigration from Poland and Romania. Later came immigrants from Tunisia, and also children from Moshav Herut.
Building the village was not without its difficulties, but we also experienced joy and deep satisfaction from the community’s growth and agricultural achievements. Many trees were planted along the roads, adding beauty and greenery. Lawns and flowers were planted near the homes, houses were expanded, families grew, sports facilities were built - and we look ahead with hope and faith that peace will prevail in the land, and that we will continue to grow and flourish.
From: “Our Sharon Plain – The Tel Mond Bloc,” published by the Hefer Valley Regional Council, 1972.