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the first house he erected in Neveh Tzedek, having been
the first to plunge the stake into that hill of sand, in the
desolation of the wilderness – which he removed – and a
stake for all the surrounding neighborhoods. How happy
he was, and how he laughed with joy! When I asked him,
“My friend Shimon, what is the meaning of this laughter?”,
he answered with radiant, beaming countenance: “How
could I not laugh and be happy, having been privileged
to add another settlement to a desolate land, despite our
opponents who strove with all their power to impede my
way?” The departed then prophesied: “Now I look ahead,
and it is not far off: around this settlement of ours there
now will multiply new settlements and neighborhoods, and
Rokach House in Tel Aviv we will be able to establish for ourselves a purely Jewish
center,” and his good heart saw correctly, for is not Tel Aviv
construction. He secured money for building the houses, the scion of Neveh Tzedek? Who knows, if there had been
obtained a construction loan for the first ten homes, and
construction began. Thus was founded Neveh Tzedek, the no Neveh Tzedek, whether we would have even Tel Aviv
first Jewish neighborhood in Yafo and the foundation for and its suburbs?” (p. 28).
the construction of Tel Aviv. Shimon Rokach passed away one hundred years ago, on 12
Shevat 5682 (February 1922), while convalescing in Vienna.
To his dying day, Shimon Rokach remained a patron of
Neveh Tzedek. Such was his love for the neighborhood that His body was transferred to the Land of Israel, arriving
he never agreed to move to any other place, though he had in Yafo on 10 Adar. At the mass funeral conducted in his
ample enough means to easily construct grand palaces in honor were attendees from the Old and the New Yishuv,
Tel Aviv. He arranged a personal minyan which was always young and old, and not a few Muslims and Christians, who
conducted in nusach sefard, following the Chassidic practice. greatly admired him.
In 1923, one year after Rokach’s passing, his friends and Among those delivering eulogies was Rav Kook: “The central
admirers published a captivating volume in his honor, characteristics of the departed were – (first,) the desire for
entitled Tziyyun le-Nishmat Shimon Rokach. One of the accounts our public life to be adorned with the flavor of Judaism. He
in the book recalls that: “If Rav Kook bound his destiny for had an unbridled hatred for looseness and intemperance
all time to our land, for this we must thank Shimon Rokach, in public life in particular. Second, the approach that he
who was among the first (together with Yechiel Michael set as a personal goal: to engage greatly in action, but
Pines) to urge the Yafo community to bring him from Russia not in bombast that is like flowers that never yield fruit.
and install him as rabbi of Yafo. Although the entry ban Third, he was well acquainted with the character of those
was at the time enforced to the fullest extent of the law living outside the Israelite camp and was able to coexist on
and government functionaries looked askance at any Jew peaceable terms with the neighbors, and thus to heighten
arriving from abroad, Rokach successfully influenced the the honor of Israel in the land.”
government itself to participate in the welcome arranged Rokach House stands to this day in Tel Aviv, housing a
for Rav Kook and to send cavalry to ride ahead of the rabbi’s museum dedicated to the memory of Shimon Rokach.
vehicle” (p.17).
Unfortunately, the museum does not give expression to
Also published in the book was a memorial essay by Rav Rokach’s deep faith and commitment to Chassidut. This
Kook himself, who as the rabbi of Yafo worked together with responsibility falls to us, the religious public. We must
Rokach. “If we had numerous forces of this type,” wrote Rav lionize the memory of those who purely and sacredly built
Kook of Rokach’s uncommon character as a public leader, up the Jewish presence in our country, and continue their
“I believe we would find the strength to steer the ship of important work.
renewed settlement to calm and safe harbor. As for now,
we regret that such vision remains rare among us.”  Originally published in Hebrew in Olam Katan.
His colleague, Sephardi Chief Rabbi Ya’akov Meir, related: Moshe Nachmani is a writer for Olam Katan specializing in Religious
“I remember when the departed was able to celebrate Zionist history.

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