Trumpeldor and the meaning of Tel Chai in Zion

 

​​Even before entering the Courtyard, visitors are struck by its beauty and its special character. The gate to the Courtyard offers a spectacular view of the Upper Galilee, the city of Kiryat Shemona (named for the eight heroes who fell at Tel Hai) and the lush green Hula Valley, along with the fresh air of the countryside.

The Story of Tel Hai

​​​The courtyard was built in 1907 at the initiative of the agronomist Chaim Margaliot Kalvarisky, clerk of the Jewish Colonization Association (JCA). During the First World War, a founding group settled there and changed its name, which was then Telha, to Tel Hai. At that time there were four Jewish settlements in the Upper Galilee: the village of Metulla, Tel Hai Courtyard, Kibbutz Kfar Giladi and Hamara.

Durin​​g World War I, the Ottoman Empire was defeated and the French won control of the Upper Galilee. However, the area was plagued by widespread unrest, based on religious and political conflict. 

Trumpeldor

In​ late 1919, the Galilee Defense Committee dispatched Joseph Trumpeldor, an acclaimed military officer and founder of the Zion ​Mule Corps and the Hechalutz movement to Tel Hai, where he took command. However, the sit​uation continued to deteriorate.

On the ​11th of Adar 5680 (March 1, 1920) a group of armed men came to Tel Hai. For a reason unknown to this day, shots were suddenly heard from upstairs.

Within seconds a​ gun battle broke out in the courtyard. The defenders of Tel Hai stood heroically against their assail​​ants. Towards​​ evening, they decided with a heavy heart that they had no choice but to evacuate.

​​​​​Trumpeldor was critically wounded. The doctor who treated him reported that just before his d​eath, Trumpeldor said, “It doesn’t matter, it is good to die for your country.”​​

Seven months after​ the battle, the settlers returned and rebuilt Tel Hai, Kfar Giladi and Metulla. The Upper Galilee was included in the territory of the British M​andate and later, within the boundaries of the State of Israel.​