From Jericho to Petah Tikva: How the 'Mother of Settlements' Was Founded

Jericho today is a contentious Arab city with about twenty thousand residents. Archaeologically, it's considered the oldest city in the world, the first large city surrounded by a wall. It's also the first city in the Land of Israel that the Israelites conquered. Joshua made it a 'Cherem' (ban) and left it desolate. Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt it arrogantly and paid with his children's lives. However, after its reconstruction, the ban was lifted, and Jews lived there. The Hasmoneans enhanced it, making it their vacation city. It boasted palaces, gardens, and other luxuries.

About one hundred and fifty years ago, Jericho's condition was dire. Few lived there. The Ottoman authorities demanded taxes from landowners as was customary, but the owners claimed they couldn't pay since their lands yielded no profit and most were abandoned. In 1872, the Ottomans decided to sell two-thirds of Jericho's lands as a response. Musa Pasha Al-Husseini from Jerusalem wanted to purchase them but was unwilling to pay a hefty sum, aware of the high taxes he'd face.

Thirteen years earlier, an extraordinary man arrived in Jerusalem. His name was Rabbi Meir Auerbach. He had been a rabbi in Kalish and also a businessman and property owner. At 44, he decided to leave his rabbinical duties and community to settle in the Holy Land and devote himself to Torah study. His book, "Imrei Binah," is a genius work requiring the reader to be a scholar themselves. In Jerusalem, the locals wouldn't let him rest. Rabbi Shmuel Salant appointed him as chief justice and later the Chief Rabbi of the Ashkenazi community in Jerusalem. He established kosher Ashkenazi slaughterhouses despite facing scandals with the Turkish Sultan. He also decreed the famous ordinance allowing only one musical instrument at weddings in Jerusalem to remember the Temple's destruction.

Rabbi Meir saw an opportunity to establish a new Jewish settlement in Israel. He reached out to Moses Montefiore, Rabbi Nathan Adler - Chief Rabbi of London, Rabbi Yoel Moshe Salomon, and other affluent individuals. Together, they submitted a proposal to purchase lands in Jericho, which was more attractive than those of the Jerusalem-based effendi. It seemed they were about to acquire the land and realize their vision. Rabbi Meir suggested naming the new Jewish city 'Petah Tikva,' based on a verse in Hosea describing redemption: "And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope." The Valley of Achor refers to Jericho, as seen in the Book of Joshua.

"The Jericho Land Acquisition Company," established by the group, issued shares on the stock exchange, expecting the Jewish world to support and trade in its shares. They issued calls to Jews worldwide to gather and move to the new Jewish city in the Land of Israel. They organized large financial transfers from Russian Jews. The Russians were suspicious of money being transferred to Turkish territory, with which Russia was at war, but they were convinced it was solely for Jewish settlement. Everything was ready for the establishment of the new Jewish city, the holy city of Jericho – Petah Tikva. The agreement with Ottoman officials was signed, awaiting only the Sultan's approval.

The agreement was sent to Constantinople for the Sultan's approval, but he inquired: "Who are the new landowners?" Here, opinions among the entrepreneurs differed. Some proposed registering the land under Ottoman subjects' names to avoid arousing the Sultan's suspicion. However, European investors who invested vast sums were unwilling, fearing those Ottoman subjects registered as owners might claim the land.

The project’s initiators and Jerusalem's Jews awaited the Sultan's response for weeks with tension. The response, unfortunately, was unfavorable. When the Sultan learned the buyers were Europeans, he feared foreign control over "his country." Unable to cancel the agreement without cause, he offered a much higher price for the land. The investors couldn't and dared not compete, canceling the initiative.

Yoel Moshe Salomon mournfully declared: "And Jericho is shut tight against the Israelites." But Jews do not despair. Salomon and his associates, with Rabbi Meir Auerbach's generous aid, purchased a plot then known as "Malibus" near the Yarkon swamps and there founded "Petah Tikva," though the name originally belonged to the Jericho area. The new name stuck, and over time, this small settlement grew into the large city of Petah Tikva.