"Nili" - Story of the First Jewish Underground

Acronym for: ' Netzach Israel Lo Yishaker '- The Eternity of Israel will not deceive. (Samuel 1, 15.29)


The story of the 'N.I.L.I.' is bound with the story of the Aaronsohn family, one of the founding families of Zichron Ya'akov (1882), in the Yishuv which was part of the Ottoman Empire at that time. During World War 1, the rule became oppressive and cruel, threatening the very existence of the Jewish settlements in Eretz Israel.

Aaron, the eldest of the Aaronsohn children, was a scientist, and having discovered the original prototype of wheat, for which he received international acclaim, he established an agricultural experimental station in Atlith.

Aaron's, chief assistant was Avshalom Feinberg, a young man from Hadera, a family friend, and fiancé of Rivka Aaronsohn the youngest daughter of the family.

At the outbreak of World War 1, a locust plague attacked Palestine and Aaron was appointed to find a solution to bring it to a conclusion, and Avshalom, as his deputy in the Experimental Station, accompanied him on this mission.

After witnessing the ravaging of the Yishuv by the Turks, Avshalom and Alexander, Aaron's brother, prevailed upon Aaron to establish the ' N.I.L.I. 'as an underground spy ring to provide the English Army with information against the Turkish Army.

The first action taken was by Avshalom who traveled to Egypt and made contact with the British, and was then returned by a British ship to Palestine. For some time after this a British boat arrived in Atlith where N.I.L.I. members supplied information and instructions.

In 1916, no further British ships arrived and Aaron travels to Britain, establishing contact with the War Office and two months later proceeds to Egypt supplying the British with information.


The Aims of the ' N.I.L.I.' were:

* To assist the British in conquering Eretz Israel by gathering information.
* To support the Jewish Yishuv, with Relief Fund money, at a time of famine and illness.
* To draw to world attention what was happening in Eretz Israel
* To fulfill the dream of the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz Israel.

Political Activity:

When the contact between Aaron and the British was disrupted, Avshalom decides to depart for Egypt by crossing through the Sinai desert, together with Yoseph Lishansky. Avshalom is killed en route. His burial place was discovered near Rafiah, after the Six Day War and his remains were brought to Israel for a State funeral.

The contact between Aaron and the British was renewed. Sara was put in charge of the command of the spy ring in Eretz Israel and transferred important information, gathered from the spy network in Israel, to the British.

The information transferred by the N.I.L.I. was about the Turkish Forces: their numbers, movements, advances, and availability of water supplies in the desert for British troops.

Due to this information from the 'N.I.L.I.' the numbers of British soldiers killed and wounded in battle were reduced, and final victory by the British brought an end to the war in the region.

Through contacts with the 'N.I.LI.' the Yishuv received relief funds as the members served as a conduit for this money.

Additionally through the N.I.L.I. the Jews in the Diaspora were updated with information on the situation of the Yishuv.

The codes and signs used by its members are all described in the museum by means of a movie, and a guided tour of the Aaronsohn house culminating the story of how the heroes were captured.