Jewish settlement in the Hauran

Jewish settlement in the Hauran began in the 19th century during the First Aliya. The Settlements were established in the Hauran region that today is located in the southern part of Syria.

The original Kushans for the land of Baron Rothschild in Hauran

Background

In 1884, members of the Jewish community of Sofia, organized under the "Shalom and Blessing" study house in order to purchase agricultural land in the Land of Israel, funded by member contributions. In 1885, Isaac Levi and Aharon Ben Addo explored land purchase options with assistance of Bulgarian Jews already living in Palestine. Eventually the high costsof the land near Rishon LeZion, Petah Tikva and an Arab village put a stop to their goal. By 1890 in Iași, Romania thousands of members joined "Lovers of Zion" organizations, while in Bulgeria efforts for land purchase were also revived by 1894. This led to collaboration with "Ezra BeTzar" and the acquisition of 88,000 dunams in Mezraib (later Daraa Governorate), Syria, facilitated by Yosef Zeidner, under the auspices of Baron Rothschild. The land purchase agreement was finalized in writing, with 200 dunams designated to each settler at a price of eight French Francs per dunam. This agreement enabled families from Bulgaria and Romania to settle the land.

The settlements

In 1894, Baron Rothschild sent representatives to map the Hauran region and prepare it for Jewish settlement. The first settlement, Tiferet Binyamin, was established near the Arab village of Saham al-Jawlan, followed by administrative facilities, farms, and small settlements like Nachalat Moshe and Ahava.

Map of the Zionist movement's territorial claims, presented as an annex to the Zionist memorandum at the Paris Peace Conference on February 3, 1919, illustrates the proposed boundaries of the Jewish state, marked with a dashed line.

On October 4, 1895, five families traveled to the area, named Tushanbabshun (near modern Daraa in Syria). They began constructing stone houses, planting mulberry trees for silk production, and building basic agricultural infrastructure. Despite initial successes, including a growing population and communal living arrangements, challenges arose, such as Ottoman resistance, local disputes, and thefts. By 1897, approximately 72 Jewish families lived in nine settlements, but increasing conflicts and restrictions, caused most settlers to leave by 1901.

Settlement abandonment and nationalization of the lands.

In early 1898, a typhus outbreak struck the settlements, leading to one death and patients transfared to Rosh Pina for treatment. At the same time, increasing hostility from local Arab residents and the lack of Ottoman intervention caused settlers to gradually abandon the settlements. By mid-1898, 18 Jewish families remained, but thefts worsened their economic situation. On Baron Rothschild's representative's advice, the settlers relocated temporarily to Rosh Pina and Safed.

Some settlers returned later that year, but found that houses were destroyed by Bedouins during a rebellion against the Ottoman authorities. Following Ottoman pressure, including arrests and forced commitments not to return, the settlers permanently left the Hauran region. They resettled in Safed and Metula. These groups, known as the "Jaham Golan" or "Saham Golan" settlers, lived on Baron Rothschild's support and eventually formed the core of the Yavne'el settlement in the Galilee.

After World War I, the Hauran region was included in Jewish territorial claims at the Paris Peace Conference for the future Jewish National Home. However, the 1923 Paulet–Newcombe Agreement placed it under the French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon.

In 1924, a delegation from Hapoel Hatzair surveyed Baron Rothschild's lands in the Hauran, reporting positively on their potential. During the 1920s-1930s, efforts were made to establish training farms for Jewish youth from Syrian cities, but these plans failed. By 1942, the land was registered under PICA in Syria, but by 1948, the Syrian government had expropriated the Jewish-owned lands.

After PICA's dissolution in 1957, land ownership was transferred to the Jewish National Fund. These lands included approximately 6,000 dunams in the Golan Heights (now in Israel) and 53,000 dunams in Syria, encompassing villages, residences, and agricultural areas.