Eleazar Rokach
Eleazar Rokach (1854–1914), also known as Elazar Rokeach, was a Hebrew writer, journalist, publisher, and Hovevei Zion activist. Born in Jerusalem, he became involved in Jewish agricultural settlement in Ottoman Palestine and was one of the founders of Rosh Pinna. He also established and edited Hebrew periodicals in Romania and Galicia.
Early life
Rokach was born in Jerusalem in 1854. He came from a family associated with the Jewish community of Jerusalem and was a grandson of the printer and agricultural pioneer Israel Bak. He later became associated with Safed, where he developed an interest in agricultural settlement and the economic conditions of the Jewish community.[1]
Agricultural settlement
Rokach became an advocate of replacing dependence on charitable support with productive agricultural work. In the 1870s, he was involved in efforts by Jews from Safed to establish an agricultural settlement near the Arab village of Ja'una. In 1878, 17 Jewish families settled on the land and established Gei Oni, an early predecessor of modern Rosh Pinna. The settlement was intended to enable members of the Old Yishuv to support themselves through agriculture rather than through the traditional halukka system.[2]
The first settlement at Gei Oni was ultimately abandoned after agricultural difficulties, including drought and the settlers' lack of farming experience. A new group of Jewish immigrants arrived in the area in 1882 and re-established the settlement, which became known as Rosh Pinna. Rokach's role in the earlier settlement is recognized by the National Library of Israel, which describes him as one of the founders of Rosh Pinna.
Hovevei Zion
Rokach was active in Hovevei Zion and served as a secretary of the organization. His activities connected Jewish settlement efforts in Palestine with Jewish communities in Europe. He promoted agricultural settlement and economic independence and was involved in initiatives intended to strengthen the Jewish community outside the established structures of the Old Yishuv.
Opposition to the halukka
A major aspect of Rokach's activity was his opposition to the halukka, the system of charitable financial distributions that supported many members of the Old Yishuv. He advocated an economically independent Jewish community based on productive labor, particularly agriculture. A scholarly study of the Jewish community in Jaffa describes Rokach as a determined opponent of the halukka system and of the patronage associated with the Baronial administration, and notes his efforts to organize the Ashkenazi community on an independent basis.
Journalism and publishing
Rokach was also active in the Hebrew and Yiddish press. While living abroad, he established and edited several periodicals, including Yisrael, published in Jassy in 1881, Talpiyyot, published in Jassy in 1898–1899, and Ha-Yarden, published in Buczacz in 1906. The latter was co-edited with the Hebrew writer S. Y. Agnon. The National Library of Israel likewise records Rokach as having founded and edited Hebrew periodicals in Romania and Galicia.
Political views
Rokach did not fully identify with the political Zionism associated with Theodor Herzl. An archival description at the National Library of Israel characterizes him as an opponent of Herzl's political Zionism. His approach emphasized Jewish settlement and agricultural development in Palestine rather than relying exclusively on diplomatic or political efforts.[3]
Later life
Rokach continued his journalistic and public activities in Jewish communities outside Palestine, including in Romania and Galicia. His publications and correspondence connected him with the wider Jewish settlement movement and with activists working to promote Jewish agricultural settlement in Palestine. He died in 1914.
References
- ↑ "Eleazar Rokach (1854-1914)". The National Library of Israel.
- ↑ "Elazar Rokeach of Amsterdam | Texts from the Sefaria Library". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2026-08-14.
- ↑ "Tzadikim". dailyzohar.com. Retrieved 2026-08-14.
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