In 1921, Baron Rothschild established the Great Flour Mills in Haifa. At the time, it was one of the largest buildings in the region. But it wasn’t just built for industry, it was built on a promise.

By building the mills, the Baron was making a physical statement: he believed that new immigrants would soon arrive, settle the land, and need bread to eat. It was an act of profound beliefe and Hope.

The Hebrew “Start”

This connection between a “beginning” and “hope” is actually woven into the Hebrew language itself. In Genesis 4:26, when the Bible speaks about the generations beginning to call on the name of the Lord, it uses the verb הוחל (Huchal), meaning “began.” This comes from the root ת.ח.ל (the same root as Lehatchil – to start).

From this exact same root, we get the word תוחלת (Tochalet), which means Hope.

The Heart of the Matter

History and language show us the same truth: Every beginning is fueled by hope. When Baron Rothschild laid the stones for those mills in Haifa, he was “starting” (Hechel) because he had “hope” (Tochalet).

Every beginning is fueled by hope.

To the right stands the Great Mill of Haifa; to the left, the matzah factory.

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