Dubrovin Stanislav
Encyclopedia
Dubrovin Farm was one of the first farms in the Hulah Valley
. It was established by Stanislav Dubrovin (1863–1967) who moved to Ottoman Syria
with his family in 1903.
Dubrovin left Astrakhan
and settled in the north of the country near Yesod HaMa'ala
. Dubrovin and his family were Subbotniks
, Russian Christians who kept the Sabbath
. After their conversion to Judaism
, they took Hebrew names. Stanislav became "Yoav", and his wife became "Rachel". The family farm, on a plot of 650 dunam
s, was located near a malaria-ridden swamp
. Two of Dubrovin's sons and two grandchildren died of the illness. Dubrovin eventually moved most of his family to Rosh Pina, leaving behind his eldest son, Yitzhak, to manage the buildings, fruit orchards, and gardens.
Dubrovin was granted many awards in agriculture. He died at the age of 104. In 1968, his son Yitzhak bequeathed the Dubrovin Estate to the Jewish National Fund
and the farm was converted into a museum that commemorates the early pioneers. The museum exhibits personal possessions and furniture brought with them from 19th century Russia. On the grounds of the museum are the ruins of a synagogue
dating between the 4th and 6th centuries, highlighting the historic Jewish claim to the region.
Hulah Valley
The Hula Valley is an agricultural region in northern Israel with abundant fresh water. It is a major stopover for birds migrating along the Syrian-African Rift Valley between Africa, Europe, and Asia. The marshland around Lake Hula, a breeding grounds for malaria, was drained in the 1950s...
. It was established by Stanislav Dubrovin (1863–1967) who moved to Ottoman Syria
Ottoman Syria
Ottoman Syria is a European reference to the area that during European Renaissance from the late 15th to early 18th century was called the Levant within the early period of the Ottoman Empire, the Orient until the early 19th century, and Greater Syria until 1918...
with his family in 1903.
Dubrovin left Astrakhan
Astrakhan
Astrakhan is a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on the left bank of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of below the sea level. Population:...
and settled in the north of the country near Yesod HaMa'ala
Yesod HaMa'ala
Yesud HaMa'ala was the first modern Jewish community in the Hula Valley. Built in 1882, the community was among a series of agricultural settlements founded during the First Aliyah...
. Dubrovin and his family were Subbotniks
Subbotniks
Subbotniks are one of the Russian religious bodies known under the general name of "Judaizing Christian sects". On the whole, the Subbotniks originally differed probably very little from other Judaizing societies. They first appeared during the reign of Catherine II, toward the end of the...
, Russian Christians who kept the Sabbath
Sabbath
Sabbath in Christianity is a weekly day of rest or religious observance, derived from the Biblical Sabbath.Seventh-day Sabbath observance, i.e. resting from labor from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, is practiced by seventh-day Sabbatarians...
. After their conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community. A Jewish conversion is both a religious act and an expression of association with the Jewish people...
, they took Hebrew names. Stanislav became "Yoav", and his wife became "Rachel". The family farm, on a plot of 650 dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s, was located near a malaria-ridden swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
. Two of Dubrovin's sons and two grandchildren died of the illness. Dubrovin eventually moved most of his family to Rosh Pina, leaving behind his eldest son, Yitzhak, to manage the buildings, fruit orchards, and gardens.
Dubrovin was granted many awards in agriculture. He died at the age of 104. In 1968, his son Yitzhak bequeathed the Dubrovin Estate to the Jewish National Fund
Jewish National Fund
The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
and the farm was converted into a museum that commemorates the early pioneers. The museum exhibits personal possessions and furniture brought with them from 19th century Russia. On the grounds of the museum are the ruins of a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
dating between the 4th and 6th centuries, highlighting the historic Jewish claim to the region.