Yosef Vitkin was born in 1876 in
Byelorussia (today
Belarus) and moved to Palestine in 1897 at the age of 21. At first he worked as a laborer but later, because he was well-educated, became a teacher. He worked as a teacher and headmaster in
Gedera,
Kfar Tabor and
Rishon LeZion. In March, 1905, he published his pamphlet (
A Call to the Youth of Israel Whose Hearts are with Their People and Zion) which encouraged the young Jews of Eastern Europe to return to Palestine and build the national home based on the principles of physical labor. It was written in Hebrew and made a moving appeal that greatly influenced idealistic Jewish youth in Russia. Yosef Vitkin was also among the founders and leaders of
Hapoel Hatzair, the Young Workers Party, in 1905. ==Death and legacy==