Beit Aaronsohn – Nili Museum

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.

* This post has been shared on The Good. The Random. The Fun., Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) and My Corner of the World.