Rabbi Eliezer Bergman Nearly Established European Jewish Community in Sidon, Lebanon

In 1835, Rabbi Eliezer Bergman, later a key figure in Jerusalem's old Jewish settlement, spent several months in Sidon, Lebanon, contemplating founding a European Jewish community there. Having recently emigrated from Germany with his wife and five children, Bergman saw potential in Sidon as a new home for Jewish immigrants from Europe. However, he ultimately decided to continue to Jerusalem after four months.

A surviving letter to his father-in-law, published in the book "Yisau Harim Shalom," reveals the reason behind his decision. Bergman had encountered the book "Kaf-Tur Ve-Perach" by Rabbi Eshtori Ha-Parhi, which discusses the halachic boundaries of the Land of Israel. From this, Bergman concluded that Sidon, Beirut, and parts of Lebanon and Syria were considered part of the Land of Israel, a view that was debated among rabbinic authorities. This discovery nearly convinced him to remain in Sidon permanently, as he believed settling there was within the biblical land promised to Abraham.

Rabbi Bergman’s background includes early studies in Bavarian yeshivas and surviving anti-Semitic riots in Würzburg in 1839. He married into a rabbinic family and is an ancestor of prominent Lithuanian rabbinic figures, including Rabbi Meir Tzvi Bergman. Historian Israel Shapira highlights this episode as a forgotten chapter in the history of Jewish settlement efforts in Lebanon, underscoring Bergman’s close connection to Sidon and his near decision to establish a lasting community there.

This story sheds light on the broader historical and halachic debates about the borders of the Land of Israel and Jewish settlement patterns in the 19th century. It also enriches the understanding of the early pioneers who shaped the Jewish presence in Jerusalem and the surrounding region.