Reuven Yudalevich

Who was Reuven Yudalevich?

Reuven Yudalevich, was a funder and founder of the city of Rishon Le Zion, Israel. He was born in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, to his father Yehuda. He eventually married Batya Wissel, daughter of Avraham Wissel and had one son, Moshe, before leaving Ukraine. He received a traditional education and began work as a clerk in a warehouse. He may have been a member of the Hovevei Zion movement.

His generosity began at age twenty when he and his friend purchased a lottery ticket in monthly payments. Eventually his friend could not keep up the payments, so Reuven continued paying for his friends portion of the lottery. He eventually won a large sum of money and gave half of the winnings to his friend as if his friend had continued paying all along. It is assumed he used the money to then travel to Israel. He apparently met a group of Bilu pioneers made up of twelve men where, at the port of Smyrna, all of their money was stolen from their cashier, Israel Belkind. Reuven gave them 100 rubles and continued the trip to Palestine. In Jaffa he joined the "Pioneers of Jewish Settlement Committee" or "Halutzey Yesud HaMaala" which eventually bought the land for Rishon Le Zion from Tzvi Leventine.