On March 1, 1920, Joseph Trumpeldor and seven of his comrades were killed defending the courtyard of Tel Hai, a small Jewish settlement in the upper Galilee. Trumpeldor’s last words, according to legend, were: “It is good to die for our country.” Whether he actually said that or something considerably less heroic (accounts vary), the story of Tel Hai became one of the founding myths of the State of Israel.
The Battle
Tel Hai was a farming outpost in the finger of the Galilee, an area caught between French and British zones of control as the Ottoman Empire collapsed. Arab fighters attacked the settlement, and the small garrison of defenders, led by the one-armed Russian-born veteran Trumpeldor, fought back. Eight defenders were killed, including Trumpeldor, and the settlement was abandoned.
The event galvanized the Jewish community in Palestine. Tel Hai became a symbol of self-defense and sacrifice, and the date of Trumpeldor’s death, the 11th of Adar, is commemorated annually in Israel.
The Courtyard Museum
The reconstructed courtyard of Tel Hai is now a museum documenting the battle and the broader story of Jewish settlement in the upper Galilee. The original buildings have been restored, and exhibits include weapons, photographs, and personal items from the defenders. The famous Roaring Lion memorial by sculptor Avraham Melnikov stands in the adjacent cemetery, overlooking the Hula Valley.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Tel Hai is a powerful stop on any upper Galilee itinerary. Hoshen Tours pairs it with Metula, Tel Dan, and the pioneering story of the north.