#83 Hertzl, Ben Gurion, & Golda Meir: Zionist Leaders

#83 Hertzl, Ben Gurion, & Gold Meir: Zionist Leaders

In this lesson, you will learn about different types of leaders in Jewish history. You will meet some modern day leaders starting with the leaders of Zionism. These Zionist Leaders helped to lead the way for the Jewish People to live in the land of Israel, with the modern State of Israel.

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#1 KNOW THIS:  Useful Vocabulary

The term “Zionism” (in Hebrew: צִיּוֹנוּת, tziyonut) is derived from the word Zion (in Hebrew צִיּוֹן, tziyon), referring to one of two hilltops that make up the ancient city of Jerusalem. Wherever Jews have lived in the world, tradition has us face Jerusalem – synagogues are built with the ark facing that way, and therefore, facing Zion. Throughout eastern Europe in the late 19th century, numerous grassroots groups were promoting the resettlement of the Jews from there to their homeland, as well as the revitalization and cultivation of the Hebrew language. These groups were collectively called the “Lovers of Zion“. This was mostly a secular, and not a religious, movement within Judaism. The first use of the term is attributed to the Austrian Nathan Birnbaum, founder of a nationalist Jewish students’ movement Kadimah.

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#2. MEET THEODORE HERTZL

Theodore Herzl is specifically mentioned in the Israeli Declaration of Independence and is officially referred to as “the spiritual father of the Jewish State”, i.e. the visionary who gave a concrete, practicable platform, and framework to political Zionism. His writings about what a Jewish country could be like, from buildings to art, from language to highways, from politics to music, because the literal and figurative blueprint for the State of Israel.

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#3. MEET DAVID BEN GURION

David Ben-Gurion was the primary national founder of the State of Israel and the first Prime Minister of Israel.

Ben-Gurion’s passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946. As head of the Jewish Agency from 1935, and later president of the Jewish Agency Executive, he was the de facto leader of the Jewish community in Palestine, which was the government in Israel, before there was a real government. On 14 May 1948, he formally proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel, and was the first to sign the Israeli Declaration of Independence, which he had helped to write.

 

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#4 MEET GOLDA MEIR

Golda Meir was an Israeli teacher, kibbutznik, stateswoman, politician and the fourth Prime Minister of Israel and first female Prime Minister.

Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel on March 17, 1969, after serving as Minister of Labor and Foreign Minister.[2] The world’s fourth and Israel’s first and only woman to hold such an office, she has been described as the “Iron Lady” of Israeli politics. She was often portrayed as the “strong-willed, straight-talking, grey-bunned grandmother of the Jewish people”.


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#5 RESPOND AND REACT

1. What is Zionism?
2. Who was the spiritual father of Zionism?
3. Who was the First Prime Minister of Israel?
4. Who was the Iron Lady of Isreali Politics?
5. What leadership qualities did these leaders display?

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Also, at the end of the session, remember to review your responses in your Tamid Workbook so you can get credit for this lesson. Behatzlacha (Hebrew for good luck)!

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