Dubrovin Farm in the Galilee: A Pioneer Story

This is the story of a family that sacrificed everything to strike roots in their homeland in Israel.  

The Galilee, in northern Israel, was desolate, sparsely populated and ridden with disease at the end of the 19th century, when the Land of Israel was still under Ottoman rule.

The first wave of Jewish immigrants returning to build their ancient homeland began during this period, redeeming the land and restoring it to its biblical splendor. They toiled and sacrificed, but ultimately prevailed.

This is the story of one family of Israeli pioneers.

The Dubrovins came from Russia in 1903 and founded a new farm on the banks of the Hula Lake near Yesud HaMa’ala, one of the first to be established in the Galilee valley.

Dubrovin and his family of 13 children were Subbotniks, Russian Christians who kept the seventh day as the Sabbath. After converting to Judaism, they took Hebrew names. Stanislav became Yoav; his wife, Rachel. Yoav had already reached the age of 72 when he came to Israel.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

The area at the time was stricken with malaria and took its toll on the family. Most of their children were afflicted by the illness; two of them and three grandchildren succumbed to the disease.

Yoav left the farm to nearby Rosh Pina to save the lives of his remaining grandchildren. According to legend, before leaving the farm he stood in the synagogue before the open Holy Ark and swore that he did not regret converting to Judaism or coming to Israel.

Eventually, the pioneers conquered the swamp lands and drained them, turning the valley into lush fields.

Despite the Dubrovins’ heavy sacrifices, they were successful, and the family never completely left the site. Yoav died at the age of 104. The last family member to live on the farm, Yitzhak, donated the estate to the Jewish National Fund, which restored the site and opened it as a tourist attraction.

House of Heritage

The estate now hosts a museum that depicts the life of the pioneers. There is a reconstruction of the Dubrovin living rooms and kitchen, as well as several rooms that display old documents. The atmosphere of Russia of that period pervades throughout, including the pottery, furniture and clothes.

Remains of an ancient synagogue in the vicinity attest to the fact that on this very soil, a Jewish settlement had existed 1,600 years ago.

Author: Aryeh Savir
Staff Writer, United with Israel 

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