Lehman had previously intended to establish the village in the Harod Valley,[2] but decided against it after learning that Anopheles mosquitoes in the marshes could pose a deadly hazard to future students.

[3][4] Its aim was to endow children with a Zionist ethic, teach them to work the land, and install an appreciation of responsibility.

[2] The village also became home to a sheep pen, a horse stable, chicken coops, apiaries, a vineyard, a cowshed, a vegetable garden and wheat fields.

[9] During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the isolated village was under siege by the Arab Legion; eleven youths were killed in one attempt to bring in supplies.

[11] Notable graduates include Shimon Peres, Shulamit Aloni, Moshe Katsav, Dan Ben Amotz, Micha Tomkiewicz, Amitai Etzioni, Maru Teferi and Haim Saban.