REVEALED: Kfar Hasidim was almost built in Gaza – Here's what we just discovered

Until World War I, Gaza hosted a thriving Jewish community. After the war, several attempts were made to reestablish Jewish presence in the city. In 1921, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Golomb arrived in Gaza as a ritual slaughterer (shochet) and established a liquor store branch. Earlier, Golomb had managed a branch of the Rishon LeZion Winery in the city, which helped him develop strong ties with wealthy local residents.

The Zionist Commission, led by Dr. Chaim Weizmann and Menachem Ussishkin, sent Nachum Tisch as their representative to explore possibilities for renewing Jewish settlement in Gaza. Tisch met with Hacham Nissim Elkayam, Eliezer Margolin, and Golomb. Elkayam, who helped establish Jewish communities in Gaza, Be'er Sheva, and Ruhama Farm (1864-1930), recommended Golomb as the ideal contact for land acquisition due to his excellent relationships with the local population.

Golomb's business connections in Gaza were extensive. As manager of the Rishon LeZion Winery branch and later as a liquor store owner, he developed close relationships with local muftis and respected sheikhs. These connections later proved invaluable for his role in mediating land purchases for Zionist institutions.

A recently discovered letter reveals that behind Golomb's activities was the support of the "Pioneer Rebbe," Rabbi Yeshayahu Shapira (1891-1945). The Rebbe, a member of the Hapoel Hamizrachi movement who worked extensively to establish religious Jewish agricultural settlements in Palestine and helped establish Kfar Hasidim and Kfar Ata, has now been revealed as an enthusiastic supporter of Jewish settlement in Gaza.

The letter, written for the Rebbe's 50th birthday, was found in the private archives of Minister Yoske Shapira, the Rebbe's son. In it, Golomb describes their first meeting in 1923 at the Mizrachi office, where the Rebbe encouraged him to remain in Gaza. Their connection continued with Golomb's subsequent visit to the Rebbe's home in Jerusalem.

The connection between the Hasidic shochet from Gaza and the Pioneer Rebbe, while logical, had remained unknown until today. This discovery adds a significant chapter to the history of Jewish settlement attempts in the region.

Kikar HaShabbat contributed to this article.