RAAB (Ben-Ezer), JUDAH

RAAB (Ben-Ezer), JUDAH (1858–1948), pioneer and one of the first Jewish guards in Ere? Israel. Born in the village of Szent István in western Hungary into a farming family which had contacts with the Jewish community in Ere? Israel, Raab went to Ere? Israel with his father in 1876. He joined the group of Jerusalemites who founded Peta? Tikvah and plowed the first furrow in its fields in 1878. He was one of the first guards and was responsible for the settlement's security during its early years. When Peta? Tikvah was abandoned during the sabbatical year (shemittah) of 1882, Raab became an instructor for new settlers in Rishon le-Zion and the Bilu settlers. In 1883, when Peta? Tikvah was resettled, he returned and instructed new immigrants ("the Byalistokites") in agricultural techniques. Raab was appointed a foreman by Baron de *Rothschild's officials and struggled to maintain the agricultural character of Peta? Tikvah. His memoirs, Ha-Telem ha-Rishon (1956) recorded by his son, B. Ben-Ezer, constitute valuable material on the early history of Jewish settlement in Ere? Israel. His daughter Esther *Raab (1894–1981) was born in Peta? Tikvah and joined kibbutz Deganyah in her youth. After her marriage she lived in Egypt for five years and then in Tel Aviv, returning afterward to Peta? Tikvah. Her early lyric poetry, characterized by its descriptions of the landscape of Ere? Israel, is collected in Kimshonim (1930). Her collected poems were published in Kol ha-Shirim (1988).

bibliography:

Y. Yaari and M. Harizman, Sefer ha-Yovel shel Peta? Tikvah (1929), 126–9, 187–92; Tidhar, 1 (1947), 119–21.

[Yehuda Slutsky]