The idea of establishing a settlement was gaining momentum. Zvi Lieberman, the Jewish Agency liaison, envisioned for the group an ambitious future in industry -even dreaming of a film enterprise. He went so far as to promise the strikingly beautiful Ruth a role as an actress.
Avraham Gurochov presented the group with a practical plan, while Haim Gutman, a core member of the group, proposed establishing an agricultural workshop in the Tel Mond region.
Following a series of proposals and deliberations, the group resolved in 1946 to settle in the Tel Mond Bloc. Gurochov was the first among them to be discharged from the British Army. Together with Uri Zusman and several other comrades, he loaded up the trucks at the Mashbir warehouse in Tel Aviv and made his way to the designated plot of land. Ruth, Chava, and Brakha Abramson were already present that very first day. One by one, additional members began to demobilize and arrive at the site. Female soldiers from the A.T.S. (Auxiliary Territorial Service) who had served in Egypt also joined, arriving with kitbags and two blankets each.
On 12 May 1946 (12 Iyar 5706), the pioneers formally took hold of the land, establishing a temporary encampment they affectionately named “Gan Eden” (Paradise) - a name that reflected how they felt. Sylvia recalled meeting Araleh, who told her he had no intention of returning to the city. “We’re going to build a new world,” he said, “a world rooted in justice, honesty, and labor. There will be no bourgeoisie here, no exploiters - only workers, all of us.”
She admitted she wasn’t quite sure how such a world would actually be built, but the idealism moved her, and she joined.
The settlement’s founding was marked with a festive and moving ceremony attended by prominent figures: Eliezer Kaplan Herzfeld of the Agricultural Center, Lieberman from the Jewish Agency, Supreme Court Justice Frumkin, and leaders of the Tel Mond Bloc. The group stood in a semicircle while the children of Tel Mond danced to welcome them at the gate. Everyone showered them with blessings, as Herzfeld led a rousing communal sing-along.
Source: Uriel Ben-Ami (Ed.), 1996, Bnei Dror Jubilee Book, 1946–1996, Or Media Publishing.