[Avodah] Return to the Land of Israel

[Prof. Levine via Avodah]

There has been discussion about why the Jews when 
they returned to Israel did not adopt the 
practices of EY regarding the leining of the 
Torah and other issues.  This got me to wondering 
about when the Jews did return to Israel.  The 
following is from 
http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/return_to_the_land_of_israel/


EARLY MIGRATIONS

During the time of the Muslims, life for the Jews 
here was for the most part easier than under the Christians.

In 1210, following the demise of the Crusaders, 
several hundred rabbis, known as the Ba’alei 
Tosefot, re-settled in Israel. This marked the 
emergence of the first Ashkenazic European community in Israel.

In 1263, the great Rabbi and scholar Nachmanides 
also known as the Ramban, established a small 
Sephardic community on Mount Zion which was 
outside the walls. (See Part 47.) Later, in the 
1400s, that community moved inside the walls and 
they established the Ramban Synagogue which still exists today.

When Nachmanides came to Jerusalem there was 
already a vibrant Jewish community in Hebron, 
though the Muslims did not permit them entry into 
the Cave of the Machpela (where the Jewish 
Patriarchs and Matriarchs are buried). Indeed, 
this ban continued until the 20th century.

More Jews started to migrate to Israel following 
their expulsion from Spain in 1492. In the 16th 
century, large numbers of Jews migrated to the 
northern city of Tzfat (also known as Safed) and 
it became the largest Jewish population in Israel 
and the center of Jewish mysticism­the Kabbalah.

In mid-1700s a student of the Ba’al Shem Tov by 
the name of Gershon Kitover started the first 
Hassidic community in Israel. This community was 
part of what was called Old Yishuv. (Today, when 
in the Old City of Jerusalem, you can visit the 
“Old Yishuv Court Museum” and learn some fascinating facts about it.)

Another very significant event in the growth of 
the Jewish community of Israel took place in the 
early 19th century. Between 1808 and 1812 three 
groups of disciples of the great rabbi Rabbi 
Eliyahu Kramer, the Vilna Gaon , numbering about 
500 people, came to the land of Israel. Initially they settled in Tzfat in the
Galilee, but after several disaster including a 
devastating earthquake, they settled in 
Jerusalem. Their impact was tremendous. They 
founded several new neighborhoods (including Mea 
Shearim) and set up numerous Kollels (Yeshivot 
where married men are paid a monthly stipend to 
study Torah). Their arrival revived the presence 
of Ashkenazi Jewry in Jerusalem, which for over 
100 years had been mainly Sephardi and had a huge 
impact on the customs and religious practices of 
the religious community in Israel.

By 1880, there were about 40,000 Jews, living in 
the land of Israel among some 400,000 Muslims

See the above URL for more.

YL

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