Association of Tens

Tens Association An association of workers from the first immigration, who worked in the Rehovot settlment. Founded by Aharon Eisenberg in 1891 as “Brothers Association” (Agudat Ha’aḥim) and later called the “Association of the Tens” (Agudat Ha‘asarot). It was a secret association of “the most educated and good among the workers, who would be the ones who would organize and be responsible for managing the rest of the workers and jointly maintain their institutions.” The association had about eighty members, who were organized under the command of the “Lords of Tens”, “Lords of Fifties”, and “Lords of Hundreds”, with strong, military, and secret discipline. They fostered a spirit of dedication and love for work. They sent messengers to the port of Jaffa to welcome the new immigrants to Eretz Yisrael and direct them to work in the settlements. The members of the association were given the management of the workers’ kitchen, the hospital, and the security in the settlement. Every member who was accepted into the association pledged a solemn oath not to leave Eretz Yisrael. The slogan of the association was: “To life and death in the land.”

The association required its members to engage in gymnastics and study war tactics, because they were to “serve as the nucleus of the Hebrew army, which would liberate the Land of Israel.” Thanks to the actions of the association members, the security in the settlement and its surroundings was greatly improved.

The ceremony for accepting members into the association was taken from the ceremony of the Sons of Moses association, whose members included many of Rehovot’s founders.

The Association of Tens did not exist for long, because following the crisis in the aliyah, which occurred in 1891, the number of workers in the settlement was greatly reduced and the association’s activities ceased.