ABSTRACT
Jews were involved with the Holy Land throughout their history. Shadarim, emissaries of the Jewish communities in the holy cities of Jerusalem, Safed, Hebron and Tiberias, travelled around Europe collecting money. When in 1809 two of those emissaries, Jacob Rapoport and Raphael Matalon, visited the Netherlands, a new initiative was born. Izak Goedeinde, Abraham Prins and Hirschel Lehren set up Pekidim Veamarkalim Arei Hakodesh (Officials and Supervisors of the Holy Cities). At first members of the organization merely accompanied the emissaries on their fundraising trips through Europe, but very soon it took over the collection of money.
