LAND OF MILK AND HONEY

A Web Book About Modern Israel

by Rabbi Shmuel Jablon

with Polly Wilkenfeld

INTRODUCTION

The Land of Israel is, and has always been, the homeland of the Jewish People.

According to Jewish belief, over 3,800 years ago, God told Avraham to leave his homeland and go to a special place that He would show him.

Avraham did not know it at the time, but that place would be The Land of Israel.  He and his wife Sarah followed God's command.

Later, Avraham was promised that he would be the father of a great nation, and that the nation would inherit the Land of Israel. 

He did not know it at the time, but he and Sarah would have a son- Yitzchak.  Yitzchak and his wife Rivka also had a son- Yaakov.  Yaakov and his wives, Rachel and Leah, also had children.   Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivka, Yaakov and Rachel and Leah were the fathers and mothers of the People of Israel.

After the Exodus from Egypt, the Jewish People received the Torah at Mount Sinai.  They then wandered in the Sinai Desert for 40 years.  After Moshe's death, they entered Israel with Yehoshua (Joshua) as their leader.  Finally, they were in the "Promised Land"--also called the Land Flowing with Milk and Honey.

The Jewish People lived in the Land until they were sent away to Babylon.  They returned, but in 70 C.E. the Romans destroyed the Jewish State.  Jews went into exile.  Though most Jews were away from their Land, they never gave up hope of returning.

Jews prayed for a return to the Land.  In the mid-1800's, many Jews started to return.  One Sephardic Rabbi, Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai, wrote in the 1850's about the need for the Jewish People to return to Israel to create a Jewish home.

At the end of the 1800's and into the 1900's, hundreds of thousands of Jews braved hatred, poverty and disease to come to the Land of Israel. They established settlements, homes, schools and literally turned the desert green.

In the year 1948 (which was the Jewish year of 5708) the Jewish People proclaimed the State of Israel.  Throughout its history, Israel has had to fight to survive.

Israel is a modern state, a Holy Land and the hope of a People.

Your Web-book...

Israel is a modern country with an ancient history.  This Web-book is the story of the State of Israel.  You will find lots of information on how Israel became a country, as well as how Israelis live today.  

I hope that you will like what you learn enough to want to visit yourself.  Israel is still the land flowing with milk and honey!!

Rabbi Shmuel Jablon

SECTION 1: THE LAND

For Jews, the entire Land of Israel is Holy.  Jews believe that God gave the Land of Israel to the Jewish People.  Abraham was told to walk throughout the land to show him that it would, one day, belong to Isaac and Jacob's children and grandchildren.

In more recent times, when a large number of Jews came to Israel on Aliyah, it was not so easy to settle the land.  They found that the land was mostly desert with some swamps.  They began to build up the land by bringing water to the desert and by planting trees everywhere.  

Jews throughout the world tried to help the Jews in the Land of Israel by giving money to (among other things) support their settlements and to plant trees.  Many people gave to a very famous organization called the Keren Kayemet L'Yisrael-the Jewish National Fund. 

Their "Blue Box"  became one of the most important symbols of helping the Jews in the Land of Israel.

The Rabbis say that the Land of Israel is a place where only Jews can do a good job in growing plants and trees...They are right.  The Jews who came to settle the Land really made the desert bloom!  Land that had been only a desert was able to grow crops for Jewish farmers.

 Rabbi Ben Tzion Uzziel, the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Eretz Yisrael, wrote a beautiful prayer.

How Israelis Live...

Now we will learn about a number of important cities in Israel.  We will visit Jerusalem, Hevron, Haifa and Tel Aviv-Yaffo. 

Let's start exploring in Jerusalem!

JERUSALEM

Sometimes Jerusalem is called the “city of gold.”  There are special big stones in Jerusalem.  People build with them. When the sun shines on these stones, the city looks golden.

 Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel just like Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States.  That means that all of the government is there.  The Prime Minister and the President live there.  The Knesset is there.  Jerusalem is also the most important place in the world to many Jewish people.  It is a holy city where the Temples used to be.  It is where King David and King Solomon lived.  Try to find Jerusalem on a map of Israel.

 In the oldest part of Jerusalem, there is a wall left from around The Temple.  We call it the Kotel.  For hundreds of years, people have put prayers on little slips of paper and put them in the cracks between the stones of the Kotel. Now you can even fax prayers to the Kotel.   The Kotel is such an important place, that there is even a camera there where you can look at the Kotel at any time.  

Other religions also have holy sites in Jerusalem.  In 1948, when Israel became a state, Jerusalem was supposed to be available to all of the religions.  Unfortunately, that never happened. Jordan, a country next to Israel captured part of Jerusalem and did not let Jews go to the Kotel or to old parts of the city.  The soldiers from Jordan destroyed hundreds of Jewish yeshivot in the Old City.

 In 1967, many other countries attacked Israel and tried to destroy the country.  Israel fought back and a miracle happened.  Not only did Israel win the war in only six days, but they also got back the old part of the city with the Kotel.  Rabbi Shlomo Goren, who was the Chief Rabbi of the army, blew a shofar there. 

Even now we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) on the 28^th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, the day when the Jewish People got back all of Jerusalem.

Of course, now that Israel has the entire city of Jerusalem, people from all religions can visit their holy places.

Jerusalem is also a city with many beautiful museums.

 People in Jerusalem mostly live in apartments because houses are very expensive.  They have movies, shopping malls and everything else that cities today have.  Jewish People are now able to live all over Jerusalem, in both the new and old parts of the Holy City.

We have just told you a little bit about Jerusalem.  To visit more places, you can click here.

http://jeru.huji.ac.il/

Hevron

Like Jerusalem, Hevron is one of the four holy cities of Israel (The other cities are Tiberias and Tzfat).   Even when Jews were not in charge of the Land of Israel, some Jews still lived in Hevron.  Like Jerusalem, Hevron is also in a part of Israel called Judea. It is called “Judea,” because Jacob’s son Judah lived there.  

Hevron was the first Jewish city.  The Torah tells us that Avraham bought a cave, maarat hamachpelah, to bury his wife, Sarah.  Later, Avraham, Yitzchak (Isaac) and Rivka (Rebecca), Yaakov (Jacob) and Leah were all buried there.

Hevron was one of the cities that Israel won back during the Six Day War.  Now, there is a yeshiva and small Jewish neighborhood in the city.  

Most of the Jews live in small apartments in Hevron.  They are in their own section of the city, apart from the Arabs who live there.  Many of the Arabs do not want Jews to live in Hevron.

ALT="LISTEN BY CLICKING HERE" You can hear a song by Lenny Solomon about Hevron by pressing here.  The song is in memory of Shalhevet Pass, a Jewish baby girl killed in Hevron by people who did not want Jews to live there.

Jews come from all over the world to visit the place where so many special people are buried. 

Haifa

Find the city of Haifa on the map of Israel.  You will see that it sticks out of the country and that it is on the Mediterranean Ocean.  It forms a bay.  

The Talmud mentions that Haifa was a fishing village.  Since that time, it has become Israel’s biggest port.  A port is a place on the water where ships come. Some come with metals and other materials to make things.  Some come with food.   Some ships come with passengers (people). The Israeli Navy also has many ships in the port.

Many people who came on aliyah to Israel first set foot on the soil of Eretz Yisrael in Haifa.  The port also became famous because when some Jews were caught by the British trying to enter Israel (before Israel became a Jewish State), Haifa was the only place in Israel they got to see.  They were sent to prison camps from Haifa port to places like Cyprus (which is an island in the Mediterranean Sea). 

Many different kinds of people from different religions have lived in Israel.  When Israel became a country, many of the Arabs who lived in Haifa refused to live in a Jewish Country and thousands of them left.

Mount Carmel is one of the world’s most beautiful mountains.  It is mentioned many times in the Bible.  It was the place where the Prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal and won.  He showed everyone that there is only one God.

Just like in big cities in the U.S., different people live in different types of places in Haifa.  In the city, most people live in apartments.  In the suburbs and places further from town (like the Carmel area), there are more houses.  Haifa has a subway system, as well as a university and museums.

Tel Aviv-Yaffo

The ancient city of Yaffo has been around since before the time of Abraham but has not always had Jews living in it.  About 100 years ago, the Arabs who lived there were not getting along with the Jews.  At that time, many Jews were making aliyah to Israel.  They wanted a city that was all Jewish.  Next to Yaffo, there were miles of sand.   In 1909, the Jews decided that they could build a city on the sand.  They decided to call it “Tel Aviv”  because that was the name that Theodore Herzl had imagined for the first Jewish City when he wrote his famous book, Altneuland, predicting a new Jewish Land.  Some Jews stayed in Yaffo.  The very famous Rabbi of Yaffo was Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook (before he became Chief Rabbi of all of Israel).

Now, Tel-Aviv is a modern city.  It is the first all Jewish city in thousands of years.  The Shalom Tower is the tallest building in the Middle East.  The beaches on the ocean are always filled.  There are many hotels, stores, and places to eat.  There is a great orchestra and theater.  

After Israel became a country, Tel-Aviv and Yaffo became one city.  Most of the people who live in Yaffo are still Arabs.  Most of the people who live in Tel Aviv are Jews.  The very old city and the very newest  city are now one great city.

SECTION 2: HISTORY

BUILDING A STATE

It is not easy to build a new country.  It is even harder to do it when everyone in the world seems to be against you.

That's what the Jewish People who built Israel faced.  They wanted to make the Land of Israel the Jewish homeland.  But it wasn't easy.  Though many Jews came on aliyah, the British in charge of the Land of Israel did not want more Jews to come.  They were afraid that if more Jews came, the Arab countries might get even more angry and not sell oil to the British.

Many Jews were able to sneak into the Land of Israel.  But many others who tried were caught and put in jail.  Some even drowned trying to get to Israel by boat.

In 1947, the United Nations met to talk about what to do with the Land of Israel.  The United Nations is a place where the governments from almost every country in the world meet to talk about what to do.  The United Nations decided that the Land of Israel (then called Palestine) should be cut in half.  Half would be a state for the Jews.  Half would be an Arab state.  Jerusalem would stay with the United Nations.

The map below shows the United Nations' plan for two countries in Palestine (the Land of Israel).  Jordan had already become its own country, even though it had been part of Palestine.

Although many Jews were sad that they would not have some of the Land of Israel, they were happy that they would finally have a state of their own.  Other people would, of course, be able to live there.  But, Jews would have a place where they could live and be free.  They were ready to declare the birth of Israel!

The Arabs, though, were not happy.   Arab soldiers started attacking Jewish People.  When Israel was finally born on the 5th of Iyyar- May 14th, 1948, every Arab country attacked little Israel.   Israel, with only about 700,000 Jews, was attacked by Arab armies from countries with millions and millions of people.

Even though the Arabs had more guns, planes, and soldiers, Israel managed to win the war.  However, half of Jerusalem was taken over by Jordan.  They destroyed Jewish synagogues and sent all Jews away.

Even after Israel won the war, it was not easy.  Often there was not enough food.  Many countries would not sell things to Israel.  But, for the first time in almost 2,000 years every Jew in the world had a place they could go to live as free Jews and to be in their own land. 

That's why so many Jews came on aliyah.

Arab countries continued to try to fight Israel.  In 1956 and again in 1967 there were wars.  In 1967, Israel won a war in only six days (That's why it is called the Six Day War.)!  In that war, Israel won all of Jerusalem.  Jews would soon be able not only to pray freely at the Kotel, they would be able to live in the entire Holy City. 

In 1973, Egypt attacked Israel on Yom Kippur.  Though thousands of Jews died, Israel again survived.

Since then, there have been other battles.  Many people in the world still do not think Israel should be a country.  They still do not think that Jews should have a state of their own.

However, even though it has been hard, Israel has grown into a strong and beautiful country.  It has a democratic (free) government and a strong economy.   Over 4,000,000 Jews live in Israel.  All kinds of Jews have come together to be one country.  That does not mean that they always agree.  But, there is a Jewish State in the Land of Milk and Honey!

ALIYAH

Do you know anyone who moved to Israel?  The Rabbis tell us that moving to Israel is a great mitzvah.  So the people you know were doing a mitzvah.   When a Jew moves to Israel, we say that they are going on “aliyah” or that they are  “making aliyah.”  “Aliyah” is the Hebrew word for “going up.”  It is the same word that we use when someone goes up to say a beracha (blessing) before the Torah is read.

Many people made aliyah because they wanted to build up a country for Jewish people.  Some people were running away from people who wanted to hurt the Jews. 

Before Israel became a Jewish State, it was sometimes illegal for people to come to Israel.  The people who were in charge of the country didn’t want more Jews.  But Jews came anyway.  Some of them walked hundreds of miles to get there.  Some of them came on ships across the ocean.  Whenever Jews came, the Jews who were already there helped them, even if it meant sneaking them into the country.  You will learn about Menachem Begin, Henrietta Szold and David Ben Gurion, all heroes who helped Jews come to Israel.

After the Shoah and World War Two, many of the people who survived the Holocaust wanted to come to Israel.  Some had lived through the terrible concentration camps.  Others had been saved by righteous (very special) non-Jews who saved their lives.  You have probably heard of at least one of these special people, Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat who saved thousands of Jews. 

He disobeyed his country's orders and gave visas to Jews so they could escape Europe.  He even saved the entire Mir Yeshiva!

Still, even though Jews had suffered so much, the British, who were in charge in the Land of Israel, did not want to let many more Jews in.  But, like always, there were Jews who helped sneak many of their brothers and sisters into Israel.  Sadly, many died and many were put in prison.

In 1948, when Israel officially became a Jewish State, many more Jews came.  The country made a law saying that Jews anywhere would always be welcome to live in Israel.  This is called "The Law of Return."  Since Israel is the homeland of all Jews, people wouldn't be moving to a new country.  They would be returning!  Jews returned from all over the world.  Here are some stories about Jews returning from some interesting places.:

In a country called Yemen, people lived in small villages and were very poor. They had always wanted to move to Israel. 

They believed that like HaShem said in the Torah, they would be flown to Israel “On the wings of a big bird.”

They had never seen an airplane.  When they finally saw one that was sent to take them to Israel, they thought that it was the big bird that HaShem had promised.

In Europe, there is a country called Russia.  For over 70 years, Russia was part of the Soviet Union.  In the Soviet Union, Jews were not allowed to show that they were Jewish.  Learning Torah or Hebrew was a crime!  Saying you wanted to go to Israel meant that you might go to jail.  Since they were refused permission to go to Israel, they were called REFUSENIKS.  Still, many Jews tried.  In the 1970's, about 140,000 Jews from the Soviet Union left for Israel.  Most Jews were not able to go until the 1990's, when over 1,000,000 Jews from Russia went to Israel.

In Africa, there was a group of Jews in a country called Ethiopia who also lived in small poor villages.  They had never even seen a toilet in a house.  They had lived for many years without ever meeting Jews from other countries.  When Jews in other countries found that these Jews were alive in Africa, they sent airplanes to bring them to Israel. Most of this had to be in secret.

All kinds of Jews from all kinds of countries made aliyah to Israel.  They had black, brown, and white skin.  They were rich and poor.   Now they are all citizens of Israel.

Jews have moved to Israel from all over the world.  There are Jews in Israel from the U.S., Canada, South Africa, South America and everywhere that there have been Jews.  Maybe one day you will live there, too.

Archeology

The land of Israel is thousands of years old.  It is so old that much of the country is buried underground. Whole cities are buried and other cities have been built on top of them.  It has happened that someone digging a basement for a new house suddenly finds things from an ancient (very old) city.  Other times, people know from history where to look for ancient items.  The people who look for ancient things and ancient places are called “archeologists.” 

When Israel became a state in 1948, many archeologists began looking for ancient places.  Sometimes, they found whole cities.  Sometimes they found bowls or coins or small oil lamps that people used in their homes.  When archeologists work, they work slowly and carefully so that they do not break anything fragile when they dig.  It can take months to find one little pot.

Archeologists need to put the pieces back together.  One of the most famous archeological sites in Israel is not even under ground!  It is a place called Masada.  Masada is a huge fort in the desert.  It used to be a palace for King Herod, who ruled the country in the days when it was called Judea. The Jews lived in it when they fled Jerusalem.  When the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem, more Jews ran away to Masada.  It has many rooms for people to see and even a shul.  Look how high up it is.  It was very hard for anyone to attack it.

If you would like to read information about Masada in Hebrew, click here. 

When Israel got back more of the country after the Six Day War, archeologists had even more places to look.  Archeologists discovered that the Kotel was only one part of the wall that was left from around the Temple.  It was around the Western side of the Temple.  Archeologists also found a southern wall.  They began to dig lower than the Kotel and discovered that much of the Kotel was actually underground.  They built tunnels next to the Kotel so that people could see the bottom of the wall.

There were many important places to explore in Jerusalem.  Archeologists found dishes and other things from the ”Burnt House,” a house that archeologists believe was burned by the Romans when they destroyed Jerusalem.

Archeologists were able to look for ancient places in the Shomron, another part of Israel that the Jews got back during the Six Day War.  A group of archeologists was looking at Mt. Eval, the mountain mentioned in the Torah.  They found very little there until suddenly they found a large group of stones built into something.  But what was it?

They looked at it closely.  It had no door or floor so it wasn’t a house.  They used special tests to figure out how old it was.  They looked in the Tanakh to read about the time of Joshua.

They finally figured out that it might be the altar that Joshua used for a sacrifice when he first brought the Jewish people into the Land of Israel.  This was just one of many exciting discoveries that archeologists found.

SECTION BONUS QUESTIONS

Try to answer the following bonus questions on this section.

What was the first country to recognize the new State of Israel?

Where was the Israeli Declaration of Independence signed?

If Israel had been created with only the land given to it by the United Nations, how much would have been desert?

Where do many people give money to help Israelis?

hen did Jews from Yemen go to Israel? What was the mission called that brought them there?

What were the missions called that brought Jews from Ethiopia to Israel?

What do Archeologists do?

Who was Herod?

CHALLENGE QUESTIONS:

Which Israeli Minister of Religious Affairs was saved by Sugihara?

What happened in Caesaria during the Bar Kochba war?

If you are a FMS student and try the challenge questions, email the author your answers at sjablon@fuchsmizrachi.org.

SECTION 3: HEROES

Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak haCohen Kook

Rabbi Avraham Kook was born in 1865.  He was the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi in the Land of Israel (Ashkenazi Jews are Jewish people from Germany, Russia, Poland, and other nearby countries.).

Rav Kook came to Israel in 1904 to be the Chief Rabbi of Jaffa.  In 1921, he became Chief Rabbi over all of Israel.

Rav Kook believed that settling the Land of Israel was one of the most special mitzvot (commandments) that a Jewish person could do.  He also taught that it was important for every Jew to love one another, even if they were very different.  This is why he worked closely with non-religious Jews in order to help build Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel.

Rav Kook was one of the most important Religious Zionist rabbis.  A Religious Zionist believes that Jews should have their own state in the Land of Israel not just because it will make them safer, but because it will be a center of Torah and mitzvot.  Rav Kook started Mercaz haRav Kook in Jerusalem, which became the most important Yeshiva of Religious Zionism.  His son, Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook, eventually followed his father as head of the Yeshiva, and as perhaps the most important rabbi of Religious Zionism.

Rav Kook passed away in 1935, before Israel would become a State.  However, his view of Religious Zionism- as well as his Yeshiva- live on forever

Benjamin Zev (Theodore) Herzl

Theodore Herzl had a dream...He dreamed of the Jewish People having a land that they call their own.  A land where Jews would be safe from those who wanted to hurt them.  And although, in 1898 when he was the head of the First Zionist Congress, this seemed impossible, he said, "If you want it, it is no dream."

A ZIONIST is a Jewish person who believes that the Jewish People should have a homeland in the Land of Israel. (Zion is another name for Israel).  The Zionist Congress was the group of Jews who came together to try to make a Jewish State.  Although they had many different opinions about many different things, all of them wanted to work together to help the Jewish People.

Herzl was born in 1860 in Budapest.  He was not very religious.  He grew up in a home where his parents did not know very much about Judaism.  However, he had a strong Jewish soul.  As he saw that even people in "free countries" hated Jews, he became even more concerned for his Jewish brothers and sisters.  He knew that in order to be truly free, Jews would need a land of their own!  He wrote a book called Altneuland in which he talked of the "Old-New Land" where Jews would build a state.

Herzl died in 1904.  His dream came true, though he would never see it.

Eliezer Ben-Yehuda

Can you imagine if your family was the only family in the world to speak Hebrew?  You would not have many friends because people wouldn't understand what you were saying..  You could not ask for help in a store.  You could only speak to the people in your home.

That is what it was like in the home of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda.  Actually, that was not even his real name.  He was born in Russia in 1858 with the name Eliezer Perelman.  Eliezer wanted very much to learn Torah but his family was terribly poor.  They sent him to a rich uncle who could pay to send him to a Yeshivah.  The uncle was not nice to Eliezer .  He did not believe that Eliezer should read any new books.  Eliezer’s uncle  threw Eliezer out of his house.  With no money, Eliezer wandered to another town and fell asleep in the shul there.  A kind wealthy man invited him to his home.  Eliezer soon became like a son to the man and lived with this family.  Now he learned Torah but also learned General Studies subjects, too.  He even went to France to get a better education. 

During all of this time, Eliezer had a dream.  He wanted to make Hebrew the spoken language of the Jews.  At that time, over 100 years ago, Hebrew was only used for reading or studying the Tanakh.  However, a few people had begun to write articles and poetry in Hebrew.  Eliezer changed his name to Ben-Yehudah, so that he would have a Hebrew name.

He married the daughter of his new family.  She agreed to learn Hebrew and together they moved to Jerusalem.  At that time, Jerusalem was a difficult place in which to live. There was not much food, the city was dirty, and everyone was poor.  Eliezer and his wife Devora both taught to make a living.  When their son, Ben-Zion was born, Eliezer and Devora decided that he would speak only Hebrew.  They would not allow him to hear other languages.  Ben Zion would be the “first Hebrew child.”  He would be the first child in thousands of years to speak only Hebrew.

Life was very hard for the family.  They were poor.  Ben Zion was not allowed to play with other children because he might hear them speak other languages.  Since Hebrew had not been spoken in thousands of years, there were no words for many things.  Eliezer had to invent words for “cereal” and “choirs.”  Can you think of other things that were not in the Torah that might need new words?  How would you  make those words?  It was a tremendous job that took hours and hours of Eliezer’s time.  Eliezer worked on the first modern dictionary of the Hebrew Language.  He also published a Hebrew newspaper.  Some Orthodox Jews did not like what Eliezer was doing.  They thought that Hebrew was a holy language that should only be used for prayer and for studying Torah. 

Finally, Devora was very tired and very sick with a disease called tuberculosis.  She died when Ben-Zion and his brothers and sisters were very young.  Then three children in the family died, too.  Eliezer became very sad.  He had no time for Ben Zion and his sister.  But, after a short time he married Devora’s sister Hemda.  At first, Hemda did not know any Hebrew.  She spoke Russian.  Hemda realized that she needed to learn Hebrew.  It took her just six months.  From that time on, she spoke only Hebrew.  Meanwhile, in 1897, just before Herzl held the first World Zionist Congress where the Israeli flag was created and Hatikvah  was sung, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda published the first modern Hebrew dictionary of 1,000 words.  All of the copies were sold immediately.  Later, he published a dictionary with thousands of words.  They filled four enormous books.  Although their life was hard, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda’s family was proud to be part of his work.  Many call Ben-Yehuda the Father of the modern Hebrew Language.

HENRIETTA SZOLD

Before Israel became a state, Henrietta Szold was one of the most famous  Zionists in the world. 

Szold was born in the United States in 1860.  Her father was a Reform Rabbi.  She was an important teacher, helping to teach Jews from Russia how to read and write English, as well as editing books for the Jewish Publication Society of America.  For six months in 1909-1910, she visited The Land of Israel (then called Palestine) with her mother .  When she was there, she saw how badly Jews there needed basic medical care (like medicine, help for new born babies, etc.).

On Purim in 1912, she helped to found the National Women's Zionist Organization, also known as Hadassah.  Hadassah became the largest Zionist organization in the entire world.  

Hadassah is an organization that helps with medical needs in the Land of Israel.  In 1913, they sent two American nurses there.  After World War One, they set up health clinics and hospitals throughout the land (including in Tel Aviv in 1921 and in Haifa in 1922).  Later, they established a large hospital in Jerusalem called the Hadassah Hospital.

In 1920, Szold moved to the Land of Israel.  She lived in Jerusalem.  She continued to work with Hadassah.  In 1927, she was the first woman ever elected to the Zionist Congress's Executive Board.

In 1934, she began to work on another project that was near and dear to Hadassah- Youth Aliyah.  Youth Aliyah not only helped Jewish children escape from Europe, they helped settle them in the Land of Israel by giving them schooling, teaching them skills, and other things to help them feel at home.

Henrietta Szold passed away in 1945.  But her work lives on in Jewish communities and hospitals throughout Israel.

DAVID BEN GURION

David Ben Gurion was the first Prime Minister of the State of Israel.

l

He was born in 1886 in what was then Russia.  He made Aliyah when he was twenty years old.

When Ben Gurion moved to the Land of Israel, the Ottomon Turks were in charge.  At first, he thought that the Turkish government would be very friendly to Zionism.  However, he soon found out that that was not the case.  The Turks (and Germans) were fighting the British in World War One, and they thought that the Jews in the Land of Israel were helping the British.  In 1915, the Turks arrested Ben Gurion and sent him to Egypt.

David Ben Gurion spent much of the rest of the war in America.  He worked to convince American Jews that after the war was over they should help to settle the Land of Israel.  When he was able to return to Israel after the war, he helped to organize different Zionist groups.  In 1935 he became the chairman of the Jewish Agency.  He worked to help Jews to immigrate to Israel and to convince the nations of the world that there should be a Jewish State.

In 1948, the Jews in the Land of Israel had to decide whether they should declare the new State of Israel.  Even though the United Nations said that they could, the Arab countries did not want there to be a Jewish State.  Even many people who agreed there should be a Jewish State thought it was too dangerous for Israel to be born.

Ben Gurion was very brave.  He said that even though it may mean war, this was the moment that the Jewish People had waited for the last 1900 years.  It was time to make the State of Israel a reality.  He was correct.  Israel won the war and the Jews of the world finally had a place to call their own.

Ben Gurion was the first Prime Minister of the State of Israel.  He served from 1948 to 1953, and again from 1955 to 1963.

MENACHEM BEGIN

Menachem Begin was one of the most interesting figures in Israeli history.       

Menachem Begin was born in Brest Litovsk (also called Brisk), Poland in 1913.  Because he was born on Shabbat Nachamu (the Sabbath of Comfort, which is after the Ninth of Av), he was called Menachem (which means, "he will comfort").

Begin worked his entire life to bring comfort to his people.  In 1939, he became head of the Betar movement.  When World War Two started, he ran away to Lithuania to escape the Nazis.  He was arrested by the Soviets and held in prison. 

In 1942, he was released and went to the Land of Israel (then called Palestine).  At that time, the British were in power there.  He joined the Irgun, and eventually became the commander.

At that time, the Jewish People did not control Israel.  It did not have an official army.   The Irgun was a military group.  In addition to helping Jews enter Israel (even though the British did not want them to), they attacked British soldiers.   The Irgun even did an incredible prison escape out of the prison in Acco (Acre)!

Some Jews thought Begin and the Irgun were heroes.  Others thought they were hurting the Jewish cause by attacking soldiers.  Some Jews even tried to help the British to capture Begin and his Irgun soldiers.  However, Begin refused to fight against fellow Jews.

In 1948, after Israel became a state, Irgun soldiers were on a boat trying to bring guns into Israel.  They said that Israel needed the guns.  Other Jewish soldiers sunk the boat, saying that the Irgun wanted to take over Israel.  Again, Begin refused to fight against fellow Jews.

Begin led the Herut (Freedom) and later the Likud party in Israel.  In 1977, he was elected Prime Minister.  Begin was a soldier, but also a peace maker.  In 1978, he signed a peace treaty with Egypt.  

Begin was a traditional Jew who was very close with such great rabbis as Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook and the Lubavicher Rebbe.

Menachem Begin truly spent his life trying to bring comfort to the Jewish People and to Israel

GOLDA MEIR

Over 100 years ago, Golda Mabovitch was born in Russia.  As a little girl, she quickly learned that the Russian Government was cruel to the Jews and not fair to them.  She also learned that there were people who wanted to fight against the government and other people who wanted to move to Israel. 

Golda’s family decided to move to the United States  They did not have enough money for everyone to move. Golda’s father, who was a carpenter, went first to earn money to pay for the rest of the family to come.  Finally, the whole family was together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Golda was excited to be in the United States.  In Russia, her family did not have water from faucets.  In Russia, they were always afraid.

But Golda’s  family was not always happy.  They fought a lot and Golda’s sister Sheyna ran away from home and got married.  Later, Golda’s parents did not want her to go to high school.  They wanted her to work in their store or to get married.  She was only 14 years old.  Golda ran away to live with her sister and brother-in-law in Denver, Colorado.  Their home was always filled with people talking about building a country in Israel.  Golda helped them to raise money for the Jewish National Fund which was trying to buy land for the Jews in what was then called Palestine.  Golda changed her name from Mabovitch to a Hebrew last name, Meir.

Golda met a wonderful man, Morris Meyerson,  who also wanted to move to Israel.  They married and moved to a new kibbutz.  Golda had many jobs there.  At one point she was the head of the chicken coop (just like Rody in the story, Chicken Man).  She was so good at her job that people came from all over the country to learn from her how to raise chickens. 

Life on the kibbutz was difficult.  Many people got sick and there were no doctors or medicine to help them.  Golda’s husband wanted to leave the kibbutz.  Together, they decided to try living in Jerusalem.  There they had a child, Menachem.  Golda had a hard time taking care of their small apartment.  The kitchen was outside and there was always dirt around.  She missed working with other people. She decided to teach school for a while and then to get a job in the government.  Golda was wonderful at whatever job they gave her.  She helped create a political party called the Mapai.  She went to the United States to help get tzedakah money for the new State of Israel.  She spoke so beautifully that she convinced people to give five million dollars, which is more than anyone had raised before.

Later, she was a representative of the new State of Israel to Russia.  This was amazing.  Fifty years before she had escaped from Russia, hoping for freedom.  Now, she was there to represent the Jewish State!  Many Jews in Russia were very proud of her...Many eventually were able to make aliyah to Israel.

Golda Meir had many different jobs in the government of Israel.  Finally, in 1969, she was elected Prime Minister (the head of the government) of Israel. It was very unusual for a woman to be a Prime Minister.  Several times she wanted to retire from the government.  She was sick with cancer.  Finally, in 1978 Golda Meir died.  There has not been another woman Prime Minister since her in Israel.

SECTION BONUS QUESTIONS

Try to answer the following questions on this section.  Some of them have "hint links" to help you.

Where was Rav Kook born?

What is the date of Rav Kook's death?

HINT LINK

How many years before Israel became a country did Rav Kook die?

What famous Zionist died the year that Rav Kook came to Israel?

HINT LINK

ADVANCED: Find out more information about another Religious Zionist Rabbi.  Click HERE!

In what country is Budapest?

HINT LINK

What Orthodox group was part of the first World Zionist Congress?

HINT LINK

How many years before Israel became a country did Herzl die?

Where is Herzl buried?

Was Herzl the first Jew to believe in returning to Israel?  Why was he important?  

hint links: 

HINT LINK #1

HINT LINK #2

In what city was Szold born?

HINT LINK

What Kibbutz is named after Szold?

HINT LINK

Where is Szold buried?

HINT LINK

When was Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem opened?

HINT LINK

A very famous artists has beautiful stained glass windows in the hospital synagogue.  Who is the artist?  What are the windows about?

Before David Ben Gurion changed his name, what was he called?

Why did he change his name?

What did Ben Gurion do when he moved to the Land of Israel?

When did the Ottoman Turks rule the Land of Israel?

How much did Israel's population grow between 1948 and 1963?

When and where did Ben Gurion die?

How long was Menachem Begin Prime Minister?

When did Begin die?

What was the name of the Irgun ship that was sunk in 1948?

What was another name for the Irgun?

When Begin signed a peace treaty with Egypt, who was Egypt's leader?

In what city was Golda Meir born?

HINT LINK

Golda Meir raised money for the Jewish National Fund.  What kinds of things do they do for Israel?

HINT LINK #1

HINT LINK #2

Who was Prime Minister right before Golda Meir?

HINT LINK

What college's library is named after Golda Meir?  Why do you think they did that?

HINT LINK

  SECTION 4: HOW THE NATION RUNS

ECONOMY

When we talk about the economy of a country, we are talking about how people in the country make money.  We are also talking about how the country makes money (so that it can help its people).

Israel is a modern (meaning up-to-date) country, very much like the United States.  Israel has doctors, lawyers, business people, teachers, cab drivers, soldiers, secretaries and almost every other job you can imagine.  It also has many people working in "High Tech."  "High Tech" is the term used for high technology--computers (like the one you are using to read this book), software (computer programs), internet connections (which lets you get this book on your computer), etc., etc., etc.

Of course, even though Israel is in some ways like every other modern country, it is also one of a kind. 

A major business in Israel is tourism.  Tourists are people who come to visit a place.  Since Israel is so rich in religion and history, many people from all over the world take trips to Israel.  They come to see things that they have read about in the Bible and in history books, or perhaps to visit family and friends.  Some go to Israel to study in a Yeshiva, seminary or university for a year (or more). Many fly El Al Airlines- the first Jewish airlines in the world!

Another major business in Israel is agriculture.  Agriculture means farming.  In Israel, many people work on large farms and orchards.  They grow oranges, dates and lots of other fruits and vegetables.  Often, they are exported (which means sent to another country).  Maybe you have even seen Israeli fruits or vegetables in your grocery store!  Jaffa oranges are really famous.

In Israel, the money they use is the Shekel Chadash- New Israeli Shekel.  Israelis use paper money as well as coins- and, of course, credit cards- when they go shopping.

Government

Israel is our Jewish homeland.  But many kinds of people with different opinions live there.  Some are Orthodox Jews and some are not.  Some are not Jews at all.  They may be Christians or Muslims.  The job of the government is to make sure that there are rules so that everyone can live together.  The government also decides how much money people will pay for services like roads, helping poor people, schools, and for an army to defend the country.  Because Israel is a Jewish country, many of the laws are based on Halacha (Jewish Law.)

In the United States, there is a Congress to make laws.  In Israel, there is a parliament, called the “Knesset,” to make laws.   In the United States, we usually choose our President and Congress from two  groups of people, Democrats or Republicans.  These groups are called political parties.  In Israel, there are many, many political parties.  People from these parties all want the government to do certain things.  When Israelis go to vote for members of Knesset, they think about what they would like the government to do or whether the political party that they are voting for has people like them. 

  l

There are 120 members of the Knesset and now they are from 15 different political parties.  Imagine how many opinions they have!  For example, the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon (who used to be an important general in the Israeli army), is from the Likud Party.  Likud thinks that Israel should be as big as possible. 

Other political parties think that Israel should give some of its land to other people.  The National  Religious Party was created by the same Mizrachi organization that founded our school.  Rabbi Haim Druckman is one of its representatives.  The National Religious Party believes that all of the government should be run by halacha.  However, they have always worked with ALL Jews, regardless of their beliefs.

A famous man from Russia, Natan Sharansky, founded a political party for other people who come from Russia.  When he lived in Russia, Sharansky was in jail for wanting to move to Israel!

 

The Arabs who live in Israel also have political parties.   People in Israel take a lot of time to learn about the parties and to vote for the one that they think is the most important.

The Knesset chooses the Prime Minister.  The Prime Minister is the person in charge of the government.

Israel also has a President who is elected every seven years.  Right now, the President’s name is Moshe Katsav.  President Katsav was not born in Israel.  He made aliyah from Iran, a country where Jews do not have much freedom.  The President of Israel does not have as much power as the President of the United States.  He mostly represents the government to other countries and to important people.                                                         

If you would like to learn more about the Knesset, you can go to their website:  www.knesset.gov.il.  There you can take a “tour” and see different rooms in the Knesset building.  You can even e-mail members of the Knesset and tell them what you think or ask them questions.

The Military

When Israel became a state, it needed an army to protect itself.  The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) was formed from some earlier groups who had protected the Jewish People in the Land of Israel.  To read about these earlier groups, you can click here.

There are three branches of the IDF.:  The Army, the Air Force, and the Navy.  Almost everyone in Israel serves in the IDF.  

For many years, Jews were treated badly by other people. Jews are very proud that now they have their own military to defend the Jewish People and the State of Israel.  They serve in it for at least three years.  Many Orthodox men spend five years in a combination of learning at a Yeshiva and being in the IDF.  The Yeshivot that they learn in are called Yeshivot Hesder.

After high school, most 18 year olds go to the IDF.  Both men and women must serve their country.  Many students in Yeshivot study for a few years before joining the army.  Their rabbis believe this makes them both better students and better soldiers since they better understand the mitzvah of defending the Jewish People.

Some people, including some Orthodox women, who cannot be in the army, join Sherut Leumi and provide other service to the country besides fighting. 

Even after they finish their time in the IDF, Israelis remain in the Reserves.  That means that they have to train for one month a year and be ready if Israel needs them. 

Unfortunately, sometimes people die when fighting in the military.  Israel has a special day, Yom HaZikaron, the day before Independence Day, to remember these brave soldiers.

 The Three Branches of the IDF...

THE ARMY

 The Army is the main part of the IDF.  It is made up of many different parts.  In addition to regular soldiers, there are teachers, soldiers who drive tanks and other special brigades. “Brigades” are special sections of an army. Besides defending the country, the Army also does works of chesed in other countries.  They have helped people who were bombed in Kenya, Africa.  They also have helped when there were earthquakes or other problems all over the world.

THE AIR FORCE

The Israeli Air Force is the newest branch of the IDF.  It was formed just before Israel became a State.  At first it was very hard to find planes. Nobody wanted to let Israel buy planes to defend itself.  Sometimes the Israelis had to take apart old planes from other countries and sneak the pieces into Israel.  Then they put the planes back together. Below is what one of the first Air Force planes looked like:

When Israel was fighting to become a State in 1948, the Air Force was able to rescue many places that were cut off by Arab armies.

During the Six Day War, the Israeli Air Force managed to knock out more than half of Egypt’s Air Force before Egypt's planes even left the ground.  This meant that Egypt could not hurt Israel.

In 1976, Arab Terrorists hijacked (stole) an airplane that was traveling from Israel to France.  They refused to release the Jewish passengers.  They took the plain to Entebbe, a city in Uganda, Africa.  In a very famous rescue, the Israeli Air Force was able to sneak up on the terrorists and save the passengers of the plane.  Unfortunately, the young captain of the rescue team, Yonatan Netanyahu, was killed trying to save other people.  Yonatan’s brother became very famous in the government.  Can you find out who he is? 

In 1981, the Israelis learned that Iraq, a nearby Arab country was about to make nuclear weapons.  These weapons were to be used against Israel and other countries.  The IDF sent an Air Force plane like this one to bomb the plant.  In less than two minutes, a plane like this one destroyed the weapons factory:

Today the Israeli Air Force has the most modern planes in the world.  They use them to defend the country and also to help people.  Below is a picture of them rescuing Jews from Ethiopia who wanted to make aliyah.

 Not everyone who wants to can serve in the Air Force.  It is considered a great honor.  You have to be very smart, have great eyesight and be very brave.

THE NAVY

Before Israel became a State, some Jewish groups had their own ships to help sneak Jews into the Land of Israel from other countries.  In 1948, just months before Israel became a State, the Navy was formed.  Its job is to protect the waters around Israel from enemy attacks.  If a ship attacks, the Navy tries to destroy it.  The Navy uses submarines, too, to help defend the country.  Not everyone can join the Navy.  It takes at least a year of training to learn the complicated electronics and systems that make the Navy run.

 Dabur boats are used to defend the coastline.  They often catch terrorists trying to sneak into Israel to hurt people. 

Below is one of Israel’s newest ships.  It is a command ship.  Airplanes can land on it and it has weapons to fire on enemy ships.

The military is something that everyone wishes was not needed.  However, since there are still many people in the world who want to hurt Israel and Israelis, Israel still needs its defense forces to be strong.

HOW ISRAELIS LIVE

Some people think that because Israel is the Jewish State, that all Israelis live in the same way.  It is true that Hebrew is the language of Israel.  Children go to school (just like you do) at the type of school their parents choose (and they do it for six days a week).  Of course, many Israelis like falafel, schwarma and soccer (which is called "football" in Israel). 

Many Israelis like hiking, computer games, swimming, scuba diving and good music.  But there are many different cultures in Israel.  Some are not even Jewish.

You have already learned that Jews have made aliyah to Israel from all over the world.  When they came to Israel, they brought many different traditions with them.

For example, when you visit Israel, you might visit a Sephardic community. 

Sephardim are Jews from Arab and other Middle Eastern countries.   Before they lived there, Sephardic Jews lived in Spain (Sephard is Hebrew for "Spain.").  

Sephardic families tend to be very close.  They show lots of respect for their elders.  In a Sephardic synagogue, the entire prayer service is sung or said out loud.  The Torah scrolls have a hard cover, and the Torah is always upright when it's read.

Even Sephardic Jews that are not Orthodox tend to be religious and love tradition.  They are also very proud of their Sephardic heritage. 

There are many Jews from Persia (Iran) and Yemen in Israel.  There traditions are similar to Sephardic traditions.  Jews from Yemen speak a very careful Hebrew.  You can tell the difference between how they say aleph and ayin, chet and chof, etc. 

In Israel there are many Hassidim.  Hassidism is a kind of Orthodox Judaism.  Most Hassidim are Ashkenazim (Jews whose grandparents came from Eastern Europe.).  Chassidim wear very traditional clothing, the same kind of clothing that Jews wore in Poland in the 1500's.  But there are many kinds of Hassidim.  Some live only with other Hassidim.  Many live in a neighborhood in Jerusalem called Meah She'arim.   Other Hassidim, such as Chabad Hassidim, like to be around Jews who are not Orthodox to show them what Orthodox Judaism is like.  

In Israel there are many Jews who study Torah all day in Yeshivot.  There are many Jews who go out to live in new settlements in areas with few Jews.  They do this so that Jewish People will be living in all parts of the Land of Israel.

In Israel there are Jews who are not Orthodox who live like many Americans you know.  But there is a difference.  Even if they are not religious, they are fulfilling the mitzvah (commandment) of living in the Land of Israel.

There are also non-Jewish people in Israel. In Israel, there is freedom of religion.  This means that everyone is allowed to believe in their own religion.  When you go to Israel, you will see Arab citizens.  Many are Moslem.  Some are Christian.  You will see Bedouin tribesman in the Negev Desert and Druze in the Golan Heights. 

Israel may be the Jewish State...But there are many different kinds of Israelis that make up the country.

SECTION BONUS QUESTIONS

Try to answer the following questions on this section.  Some of them have "hint links" to help you.

When I fly to Israel, at what airport will I most likely land?

What is in front of the Knesset building?

How is the President of Israel elected?  Who was the first President of Israel?

When was President Katzav born?  Is he Ashkenazi or Sephardi?

Where is the Knesset?

HINT LINK

Who is Yoni Netanyahu's brother?

HINT LINK #1

HINT LINK #2

Name a Yeshivat Hesder.

HINT LINK #1

HINT LINK #2

How many IDF soldiers have died while in the army?

HINT LINK

HINT LINK

What is the name of the Yeshiva in Hevron?

HINT LINK

CHALLENGE QUESTIONS:

When Natan Sharansky was in Russia, what was his name?  Why was he in jail?  How was he freed?  What was the name of his political party?

HINT LINK #1

HINT LINK #2

There have been soldiers from outside of Israel who have helped Israel by being in the IDF.  What are these groups called?

When did Sephardic Jews leave Spain?  Why did Sephardic Jews leave Spain?

If you are a FMS student and try the challenge questions, email the author your answers at sjablon@fuchsmizrachi.org.

Now click here to pick a project as your test on this book.

www.fuchsmizrachi.org