Plaque Wording: An excerpt from an article in HaAretz newspaper. Reporter: M. Samilanski One cloudy, cold and wet day as I was riding across the muddy trails and tracks of the Hula Valley, suddenly, in a blink of an eye what did I see? Was I dreaming? Witnessing a magical vision? At the confluence of the three streams: Dan, Hatzbani and Banias - where they form the river Jordan, I spot a small encampment on the riverbank. . Three canvas tents, three shelters (succot, almost) made from the reeds so common to the Hula, they looked almost like huge rugs; two Hebrew girls jumping around between the tents. Who are they? What are they doing alone, up here, a mere arrow shot from the Syrian border? No, they are not alone. There are 8 young men with them. A singular minyan in the swamps of the Hula. They are illegals. As far as the authorities are concerned, the budget-holders who control the purse strings, the land has been allocated to them but the funds have not been approved. They made Aliya anyway. This minyan is part of the kibbutz group called Huliot. Only four months previously, in December 1940, mid-winter, they made their way to this spot and settled in the middle of the Hula marshes: no roof over their heads and no road to connect them to the rest of the surrounding settlements. Independently, unauthorised, they ploughed and planted more than 1,000 dunams (250 acres). And the heavens responded. Crops were successful. I have never witnessed a more beautiful, inspiring sight. There has been nothing to compare to that beautiful scene.
March 1941