Former Vered Jericho Leader Recalls First Night in Jordan Valley Settlement
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Gideon Baker, former chairman of the Vered Jericho steering committee, recalled the settlement's first night as part of a project by the Ministry of Heritage to document Israeli pioneers. He described arriving to a small apartment and being visited by a settler during a rainstorm who shared wine and a toast. The project aims to preserve the stories of early settlers across various Israeli regions.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Gideon Baker, former Vered Jericho chairman, shared memories of the settlement's first night.
- The story is part of a Ministry of Heritage project documenting Israeli settlement founders.
- Baker recalled arriving to a small apartment with his family during heavy rain.
- A settler visited Baker's home that first night and shared a bottle of wine.
- The project includes hundreds of interviews across multiple Israeli regions.
Gideon Baker, former chairman of the Vered Jericho steering committee, has shared his memories of the settlement's first night as part of a project documenting the founders of Israeli settlements. The initiative, run by the Ministry of Heritage and the Council for the Preservation of Heritage Sites in Israel, aims to record the stories of early settlers across various regions of Israel for future generations. Baker recounted the initial arrival, describing a small, 48-square-meter apartment for his family and the heavy rain that fell on their first afternoon.
During that first night, Baker recalled a knock on the door. A man in a wet military coat stood outside, asking if he could come in. When asked if something had happened, the man replied, "We are settling." The visitor then produced a bottle of wine and three glasses from his coat, poured drinks, and offered a toast, "To life." Baker stated that this gesture deeply moved him.
The documentation project, which includes hundreds of interviews, covers the establishment of settlements in the Jordan Valley, Judea, Samaria, Benjamin, the Golan Heights, and the Galilee. The interviews are being conducted by Mordechai Krasner and Noam Demsky.