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Rothschild, Baron Edmond James de (1845-1934)
Philanthropist
and supporter of Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisrael.
I. His Life
Born in Paris, Edmond de Rothschild did not enter the family banking empire,
but devoted himself instead to art and culture. In 1877 he married Adelaide,
the daughter of Wilhelm Karl Rothschild. His most outstanding achievements
were involved in responding to the threats facing the Jewish people in Europe
in the late 19th century by supporting massive land purchases and underwriting
Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisrael.
Although he visited Eretz Yisrael numerous times, his home was in Paris.
His generosity and interest in Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisrael completely
changed the possibilities for Jews. During his lifetime, his work on behalf
of the yishuv was highly praised by Zionist leaders representing the entire
spectrum of opinion. In recognition of his work, he was named honorary
president of the Jewish Agency in 1929.
He died in Paris in 1934. In 1954 his remains and those of his wife
were brought to Ramat HaNadiv in Zikhron Ya'akov.
II. His Accomplishments
Edmond de Rothschild first became involved in Jewish affairs after the pogroms
in Russia in the 1880s. Almost immediately, he also became interested in
settlers in Eretz Yisrael. When early settlements faced financial ruin,
Rothschild was approached by Rabbi Samuel Mohilever and the leaders of Rishon
LeZion. He lent his assistance to both Rishon LeZion and Zikhron Ya'akov
and then helped found Ekron. An early supporter of quiet settlement initiatives,
after World War I, he joined the political activity of the Zionist Organization
by aiding Chaim Weizmann and Nahum Sokolow.
Before 1900, Rothschild's visits to Eretz Yisrael were largely meant
as settlement tours. He became known as the "Father of the Yishuv" because
of his full and partial involvement in so many young settlements. In the
1890s, he clashed with Theodor Herzl on the interpretation of political
Zionism. In the early 1900s he had a similar disagreement with Ahad Ha'am
and members of the Hovevei Zion. The result was a group of 12 settlements
under the auspices of Rothschild's Jewish Colonization Association (ICA).
By 1914, Rothschild was able to visit expanded settlements as well as
a number of his major and minor investments. He was also growing closer
to the Zionist Organization.
This cooperation increased during World War I as preparations were made
for the Balfour Declaration. Toward the end of the war, his son, James,
arrived in Eretz Yisrael with the British army and was among the recruiters
for the Jewish battalions in the yishuv. In 1923, James took the helm
of the newly-organized Palestine Jewish Colonization Association (PICA).
Its first settlement was Binyamina (his father's Hebrew name was Avraham
Binyamin). By 1925, the Rothschild name had become synonymous with settlement
activity which included cultural, spiritual and political features. His
work was recognized and praised everywhere in the yishuv and among the
members of the Zionist Organization.
Rothschild became honorary president of the expanded Jewish Agency in
1929. When he died in Paris in 1934, he left a legacy which included the
reclamation of nearly 500,000 dunams of land and almost 30 settlements.
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