Rosh Pinna
Encyclopedia
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
on the eastern slopes of Mount Kna'anin, the Northern District
North District (Israel)
The Northern District is one of Israel's six administrative districts. The Northern District has a land area of 4,478 km², which increases to 4,638 km² when both land and water are included...
of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The town was founded in 1882 by thirty immigrant families from Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, making it one of the oldest Zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
settlements in Israel. Rosh Pinna was officially recognized in 1953.
History
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
, then part of the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Rosh Pinna was established near the Arab village of al-Ja'una
Al-Ja'una
Al-Ja'una or Ja'ouna , was a Palestinian village situated in Galilee on the slopes of Mount Canaan near al-Houleh Plateau, overlooking the Jordan Valley. The village lay on a beautiful hill side 450–500 meters above sea level, 5 kilometers east of Safad near a major road connecting Safad with...
, which existed until 1948.
In the ancient Jewish Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
tradition, Rosh Pinna is the site where the Messiah will appear at the end of the world. For this reason, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
sought to buy a home in Rosh Pinna.
In 1883, it became the first Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel to come under the patronage of the Baron Edmond James de Rothschild
Edmond James de Rothschild
Baron Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild was a French member of the Rothschild banking family. A strong supporter of Zionism, his generous donations lent significant support to the movement during its early years, which helped lead to the establishment of the State of Israel.- Early years :A...
.
The first modern Jewish settlement in the Galilee, Gei Oni, was founded in 1878 by Jews from Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
, some of whom were descended from Spanish Jews exiled in 1492. However it was abandoned after three years of drought. A year later, in 1882, a group of Romanian Jews built the first lasting settlement in the Galilee and named it Rosh Pinna, or cornerstone, after Psalm 118:22: "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." Then in 1884 Baron Edmond de Rothschild sponsored the settlement and made it the administrative center for his holdings.
Laurence Oliphant collected funds for the settlement from Christadelphians
Christadelphians
Christadelphians is a Christian group that developed in the United Kingdom and North America in the 19th century...
and other sympathizers in Britain. He wrote about his visit to Rosh Pinna in 1886, "Jauna
Al-Ja'una
Al-Ja'una or Ja'ouna , was a Palestinian village situated in Galilee on the slopes of Mount Canaan near al-Houleh Plateau, overlooking the Jordan Valley. The village lay on a beautiful hill side 450–500 meters above sea level, 5 kilometers east of Safad near a major road connecting Safad with...
, which was the name of the village to which I was bound, was situated about three miles (5 km) from Safed, in a gorge, from which, as we descended it, a magnificent view was obtained over the Jordan valley, with the Lake of Tiberias lying three thousand feet below us on the right, and the waters of Merom, or the Lake of Huleh, on the left. The intervening plain was 3. rich expanse of country, only waiting development. The new colony hall been established about eight months, the land having been purchased from the Moslem villagers, of whom twenty families remained, who lived on terms of perfect amity with the Jews. These consisted of twenty – three Roumanian and four Russian families, numbering in all one hundred and forty souls. The greater number were hard at w ork on their potato-patches when I arrived, and I was pleased to find evidences of thrift and industry. A row of sixteen neat little houses had been built, and more were in process or erection. Altogether this is the most hopeful attempt at a colony which I have seen in Palestine. The colonists own about a thousand acres of excellent land, which they were able to purchase at from three to four dollars an acre. The Russians are establishing themselves about half a mile from the Roumanians, as Jews of different nationalities easily get on well together. They call the colony Rosch Pina, or "Head of the Corner," the word occurring in the verse," The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the comer."
Demographics
As of 2005, Rosh Pinna had a predominantly Jewish population of approximately 2,400. In 1948, the year Israel declared independence and the outbreak of the first Arab-Israeli war1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, Rosh Pinna had a population of 346. There are also Arab Israelis who live in Rosh Pinna.
Geography
Rosh Pinna is located north of the Sea of GalileeSea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
, on the eastern slopes of Mount Kna'an, approximately 2 km east of the city of Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
, 420 meters above sea level, latitude north 32° 58', longitude east 35° 31'. North of Rosh Pinna is Lake Hula, which was a swamp area drained in the 1950s.
Medical facilities
The Mifne Center, which means Turning PointTurning Point
Turning point may refer to:* A a point at which the derivative changes sign. See stationary point, in mathematics* A climax , in narrative structure* A discrimen, one of the two marked points on a cursus or classical-period race-track...
. was developed by Hanna Alonim. a program for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder is situated in Rosh Pinna.
Notable residents
- Ami AssafAmi AssafAmi Assaf was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Mapai from 1949 until 1961.-Biography:Born in Rosh Pinna, Assaf attended Herliya Gymnasium. After finishing school, he worked in agriculture...
(1903–63), politician - Ehud BanaiEhud Banai-Early life:Banai, of Persian Jewish and Afghan Jewish descent, was born in Jerusalem to the actor Yaakov Banai, the eldest of the Banai siblings, and moved to Givataim at the age of four.-Music career:...
( born 1953), singer and songwriter - Arna Mer-KhamisArna Mer-KhamisArna Mer-Khamis was an Israeli Jewish political and human rights activist.- Biography :Mer was born in 1929, in Rosh Pinna, then in Mandate Palestine. She fought with the Palmach and Israel Defense Forces during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War...
(1929–95), political and human rights activist
Attractions
- Mitzpe HaYamim, a world-class spaSpaThe term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
, is located on a mountainside in Rosh Pinna. Amenities include a range of health and cosmetic treatments, an art gallery where guests can view artists at work, art workshops and an organic garden. - The House of Dignitaries is a structure built in 1882 and used as a center of administration and finance for Rosh Pinna and other towns in the GalileeGalileeGalilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
region. From this building, a loudspeaker was used to broadcast the local news. - An ancient synagogue, which was commissioned by the Baron, also has been preserved.
- The Mer house was the home of Professor Gideon MerGideon MerGideon Mer was an Israeli scientist whose work was mostly concerned with the eradication of malaria.Gideon Mer was born in Lithuania, then part of Imperial Russia. He studied medicine in Russia and France where he also graduated....
, an expert on malaria,epidemiologist and an important contributor to the eradication of malaria in the 1930’s. The house presents a room dedicated to his memory and an exhibit of ancient items from various periods, such as old plows, laboratory equipment and textbooks. - PICA House provides an audio-visual presentation that tells the story of Rosh Pinna. PICA House served as an administrative center and residence for Baron Rothschild’s clerks, advisors, and agricultural counselors.
- The Baron Rothschild' gardens. The gardens were designed by a French landscape architect and planted in 1886. Many plants such as BougainvilleaBougainvilleaBougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina . Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus...
and pine trees were brought from France. - The grave of Honi HaM'agelHoni HaM'agelHoni Ha-Ma'agel , was a Jewish scholar prior to the age of the tannaim, the scholars from whose teachings the Mishnah was derived....
, a Jewish scholar, is located on the outskirts of Hatzor HaGlilit, a few kilometers from Rosh Pinna. - "Nimrod Lookout", a green spot with water views as seen from the viewpoint flowing through, facing the landscapes of the Hula Valley, the Golan Heights and Mount HermonMount HermonMount Hermon is a mountain cluster in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its summit straddles the border between Syria and Lebanon and, at 2,814 m above sea level, is the highest point in Syria. On the top there is “Hermon Hotel”, in the buffer zone between Syria and Israeli-occupied...
, will be built in the Pioneers National Restoration Site in old Rosh Pina.
Commemoratives
In 1962, the 80th Anniversary of the settlement of Rosh Pinna the State of IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
issued a stamp depicting the settlement and its surroundings.