Back in the summer of 2019, when I visited the town of Zichron Ya'akov with a
friend, I briefly mentioned the Aaronsohn House in a
blog post. Last year I went back to visit the museum, which was established at the house
of the Aaronsohn family in 1956 and and was one of Israel's first museums. It
was renovated in the summer of 1998 and tells the story of the Aaronsohn
family, one of the leading families and founders of Zichron Ya'akov, one of the
first Jewish Zionist settlements in Palestine. During the First World War the
house was the headquarters of the NILI espionage group, a secret
organization which supported the British against the Ottoman Turks. Today it is
a museum, presenting the Aaronsohn family's unique history and the legacy of the
NILI group.
The NILI espionage group was founded in 1915 by siblings Aaron and Sarah
Aaronson. Aaron was a well-known botanist and agronomist and was the
discoverer of the
triticum dicocoides, the origin of domesticated
wheat. He was also the first car-owner in Palestine and one of the first to
own a bicycle, which he brought back from France.
The NILI group also included Aaron and Sarah's brother Alexander, their sister
Rivka, her fiancé Avshalom Feinberg of Hadera, and their friends, the brothers
Naaman and Eitan Belkind of Rishon Letzion and Yosef Lishansky of Metula. The
name NILI , or Netzach Yisrael Lo Yishaker, is an acronym for "The
Eternity of Israel will not Lie" (Book of Samuel I, chapter 15, verse
29).
During the First World War pre-state Israel was part of the Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman Turks were an oppressive ruling power who had joined sides with
the Germans, and threatened the existence of the Jewish settlements. From 1915
until 1917, the NILI group supported the British in Egypt in their fight
against the Ottomans by providing them with news and intelligence on the
Turkish army. The members of NILI went against the majority view of their
fellow Jews from the Yishuv (Jewish settlement), who feared persecution, but
the courage and heroism of the group ultimately helped the British to conquer
the region, and end the rule of the Ottoman regime. On 2nd November 1917 the
British issued a declaration in support of a national home for the Jewish
people in what would become the state of Israel.
In September of 1917 the NILI group's activities were exposed after the
discovery of a British gold coin in the Arab market in Ramle (the British
would give gold coins to support the Jewish effort and in return would get
detailed plans of Turkish movements). In addition, a postal carrier pigeon
accidentally landed in the courtyard of the governor of Caesarea, and Naaman
Belkind, one of the first NILI members, was arrested by the Turks. Following
those three incidents, the Turks began a campaign of threats and terror
against the Jewish community, in order to capture members of the NILI group.
Many members were captured and brutally tortured. Sarah Aharonson was arrested
and tortured and ultimately committed suicide in the family's house. Naaman
Belkind and Yosef Lishansky were executed by hanging, in Damascus. On 15th May
1919, under unclear circumstances, Aaron Aaronsohn was killed in an airplane
crash over the English Channel while on his way to France. After his death,
the director of British Military Intelligence confirmed that General Sir
Edmund Allenby's victory over the Turks would not have been possible without
the information supplied by the NILI group. General Sir Edmund Allenby
was the British imperial governor and one of Britain's most successful
commanders during the First World War.
The Aaronsohn home, Beit Aaronsohn, once the location of the NILI group's
headquarters, has been preserved as a museum and memorial to the NILI group.
Located adjacent to Zichron Ya'akov's historic Hameyasdim Street, the museum
tells the story of the Aharonson family and the underground espionage
network they led.
A visit to the museum includes an audiovisual presentation, an exhibition of
photos, letters and original historical documents that led to the creation
of NILI, and a tour of the family's home.
The residence of the Aaronsohn family dates from the late 19th century and
has been preserved in its original state, with its upscale furniture and
luxurious household goods. Visitors get to see the bathroom where Sarah
ended her life, the
slick where the NILI group hid their weapons, and the opening of the
secret escape tunnel used by members of the group. The site also houses a
library and an archive for study and research of the NILI group and the
Aaronsohn family.
The Aaronsohn House is a must-see in Zichron Ya'akov. In addition to the
work of the NILI group, which eventually helped to allow for the formation
of a Jewish state, it also shows one family's resilience, strength and
courage to stand up and do what was right.
West of Zichron Ya'akov is a
moshav called Givat Nili. The town of Nili in the western Binyamin region is
also named for Nili, and many streets throughout Israel bear the Nili name.
.png)
