The journey of Bnei Dror’s founders stretches far - from a single tent beneath eucalyptus trees to a fully established cooperative village. It all began in 1941, when Jewish soldiers serving in the British Army’s Engineering and Ordnance Company 544 were stationed in Egypt. It was there that the dream of founding a moshav shitufi (cooperative village) began to take shape.
By 1944, organizing efforts were underway in Naples and Cairo, led by members of the unit. They envisioned a settlement close to a city, where they could make a living by providing professional technical services. The consolidation of the group took place through an exchange of letters between members stationed in Eretz Israel, Egypt, and Italy. After considering several options, the group chose to settle in the Tel Mond Bloc.
On 12 May 1946 (12 Iyar 5706), the group formally took hold of the land at a temporary encampment they named “Gan Eden” (Paradise). The founding ceremony was honored by the presence of Eliezer Kaplan Herzfeld of the Agricultural Center, Lieberman of the Jewish Agency, Supreme Court Justice Shneur Zalman Frumkin, and leaders from the Tel Mond region. The ceremony was both festive and moving: the new settlers stood in a semicircle while the children of the Tel Mond Bloc danced toward them in welcome, and Herzfeld led a spirited round of communal singing.
At that time, the site had just two huts and a few tents. There was no sustainable livelihood yet, so it was agreed that the Bloc would provide the group with employment in the local orchards and in potato harvesting.
By 1948, tensions with neighboring Arab communities had escalated. On 13 May, the settlers prepared for a confrontation with the nearby Arab village of Tira. Weapons that had been hidden in a secret arms cache (slik) by Yankele Shapira were brought out for combat. It was a tragic day for the young settlement: by evening, Yankele Shapira, Chaim Gutman, Zeev Litwin, and Yitzhak Davidovich - a young man about to be married - had all fallen in battle.
Later, Moshe Nitzan was killed in a shelling of the dining hall. It was decided to evacuate the women and children to “Gan Rivka”, a safer site near the orchards. Many of the men were drafted into the War of Independence, and those remaining shared tents - two couples to each.
The permanent settlement site - where Bnei Dror is located today - was established only later. The land had previously been inhabited by Arabs from the nearby village of Tiqla, who fled during the war. The founding members fell in love with the avenue of eucalyptus trees that ran through the area and decided to build their homes there.
Source: Uriel Ben-Ami (Ed.), 1996, Bnei Dror Jubilee Book, 1946–1996, Or Media Publishing.