Givataym in the 1920s

Building the Borochov Neighborhood in Givatayim

The First Buildings of Borochov Neighborhood, 1922–1923, Givatayim

A glimpse into the earliest days of Borochov, the neighborhood that would become the foundation of modern Givatayim. Established in 1922 and named after Dov Ber Borochov, one of the leading figures of the Jewish labor movement and a founder of Poale Zion, Borochov became the first urban workers’ neighborhood in the Land of Israel.

Its residents were not only building homes, they were creating institutions. The neighborhood established the country’s first public consumer cooperative, alongside pioneering educational and youth institutions that would leave a lasting mark.

The cornerstone ceremony took place on April 2, 1922. As the neighborhood expanded, residents took responsibility for roads, water infrastructure, schools, kindergartens, and community life - largely without support from the Mandate authorities. These challenges eventually helped drive the idea of unifying neighboring communities, leading to the creation of a joint local council in 1942.

This image captures more than construction, it reflects the ambition and collective effort behind one of the earliest urban communities of the Yishuv.

📍 Borochov Neighborhood, Givatayim
📸 1922/1923