The farmers’ simple wish to observe the Sabbatical year of 1889-1890 – despite their patron’s opposition – thrust them into the swirling epicenter of worldwide controversy. Reviled by the Baron’s administrators, vilified in the press, ridiculed and nearly abandoned even by some of their religious countrymen, they stood firm. Their fight for what later became Mazkeret Batya sheds dazzling historical light on some of the very issues facing Israel today.

Richly illustrated with maps and vintage photography, this riveting account takes the reader on a journey of remarkable courage and self-sacrifice – a journey history has forgotten.