Today in Israeli History: November 8 – November 14

Nov. 8, 1923 — Pashkaner Rebbe Is Born

Rabbi Yisrael Meir Friedman Ben-Shalom inspired Israelis from Haredim to secular Jews. YouTube screen grab.

Yisrael Meir Friedman Ben-Shalom, the future Pashkaner Rebbe, is born to a Hasidic and Zionist family in Bohush, Romania. He joins the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement, which is Zionist and secular, while maintaining a religious life and studying Torah. He and his wife, Zipporah, smuggle themselves into Palestine in 1946 and soon create a secular kibbutz with Holocaust survivors. They later move to a religious kibbutz.

Nov. 9, 1952 — Israel’s First President Dies

Chaim Weizmann, shown in 1949, played an important role in obtaining the Balfour Declaration and became Israel’s first president. By Hans Pinn, National Photo Collection of Israel, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Chaim Weizmann, the first president of Israel, dies at his Rehovot home after a yearlong illness. Born in the Polish shtetl of Motol in 1872, he left home at 18 to study biochemistry in Germany and became involved in Zionism in Berlin. In 1904 he moved to England, where his scientific contributions helped the country in World War I. He developed friendships with political leaders that contributed to the Balfour Declaration in 1917.

Nov. 10, 2004 — ‘Hatikvah’ Officially Becomes National Anthem

Naftali Herz Imber’s poem “Tikvatenu” (“Our Hope”) provided the lyrics for Israel’s national anthem. Courtesy of Harvard University’s Widener Library.

The Knesset officially adopts the Zionist song “Hatikvah” (“The Hope”) as Israel’s national anthem more than half a century after the founding of the state. Although the song, based on a poem by Naftali Herz Imber, has been popularly used as the anthem since the birth of modern Israel, its official adoption has been delayed because of concerns that non-Jewish Israelis feel excluded by the same Zionist lyrics that appeal to Jewish citizens.

Nov. 11, 1902 — Air Force Founder Yisrael Amir Is Born

Yisrael Amir died just 10 days short of his 100th birthday. By Ya’acov Sa’ar, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Yisrael Amir, the first commander in chief of the Israeli Air Force, is born in Vilna in Lithuania. Amir makes aliyah in 1923 and soon begins to rise through the ranks of the Haganah while studying agriculture. Despite Amir’s lack of aviation experience, David Ben-Gurion names him the air force commander in May 1948. Within two months, Amir expands the force from eight light planes to 60 aircraft, including heavy bombers.

Nov. 12, 2009 — Labor Politician Eliyahu Speiser Dies

Former Knesset member Eliyahu Speiser dies at 79. A native of Haifa, Speiser begins working for Israel’s dominant political party, Mapai, in 1965 and is involved in the merger that produces the Labor Party in 1968. He serves as deputy mayor of Tel Aviv and chairs the Association of Cities of the Dan Area. He is elected to the Knesset three times, beginning in 1977 on the Alignment list, which includes Labor and leads the opposition to Likud.

Nov. 13, 1893 — Artist Reuven Rubin Is Born

Acclaimed Israeli painter Reuven Rubin is born Rubin Zelicovici into a poor, religious family in Galatz, Romania. He gains attention with his drawings in his teenage years, then sells his bicycle in 1912 to afford to travel to Jerusalem and enroll in the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts. He also studies in Paris and travels around Europe and to the United States before settling in Tel Aviv in 1922.

Nov. 14, 1956 — Knesset Debates Sinai Pullout

Six days after Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion announces that Israeli troops will withdraw from the Sinai as part of a cease-fire with Egypt, the Knesset debates the plan amid calls to keep the army in place until Egypt enters peace negotiations. Israel had captured the Sinai in five days in an operation coordinated with France and Britain. Despite U.S. pressure for an immediate withdrawal, Israeli soldiers remain until March 1957.

Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.