Petah Tikva during 1930s

Religious Pioneers of Rodges and the Roots of the Religious Kibbutz Movement

Religious Pioneers in Rodges, Petah Tikva (1930–1936)

Between 1930 and 1936, a group of religious Jewish pioneers from Germany settled in Rodges, near Petah Tikva. They named the settlement after the agricultural training farm in Germany where many had prepared for life in the Land of Israel.

Built around agriculture, Rodges became an important center for members of the Brit Halutzim Datiim (Bachad) movement, which helped religious Jews immigrate to Palestine before World War II.

Rodges played a significant role in the development of the religious kibbutz movement. From here, pioneers went on to establish communities such as Tirat Zvi and other religious kibbutzim. The last remaining group later founded Kvutzat Yavneh, which became one of the most influential religious kibbutzim in Israel.

This photograph captures a lesser-known chapter in the story of Religious Zionist settlement and highlights the contribution of German Jewish pioneers to the building of modern Israel.

📸 Photo: The Religious Kibbutz Archive via PikiWiki, Israel Free Image Collection Project (Public Domain).