BALFOUR DECLARATION · BALFOUR DECLARATION “His Majesty’s government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their

BALFOUR DECLARATION

“His Majesty’s government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this objective...”The Balfour Declaration was written on November 2, 1917, by Arthur James Balfour, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, to Baron Rothschild, a wealthy banker, politician, and leader of the British Jewish community. It served as the official endorsement of the British government of the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.

(1917)

EVENT q�»� o~ 1

1

EVENT � q�»�o~

www.theicenter.orgwww.jewishcamp.org

PRE-STATE ALIYAH

Approximately 450,000 Jews from Europe and the Middle East made a new home in Palestine prior to World War II. Some were driven from their home countries by anti-Semitism, while others came to pre-state Israel because of religious beliefs and/or Zionist ideology. These immigrants established cities, towns, and farming communities. Immigrants who fled Nazi Germany in the years prior to the war strengthened the urban areas of pre-state Israel and helped solidify the community’s financial well-being.

(1881-1939)




2

ALIYAH BET

Aliyah Bet refers to the illegal immigration of Jews to Palestine during the period when the British maintained strict immigration quotas. During the Holocaust, these quotas prevented many Jews from finding a safe haven in Palestine. After World War II, these quotas prevented Holocaust survivors from starting new lives in pre-state Israel. Passengers on Aliyah Bet ships intercepted by the British were detained on the island of Cyprus or in Atlit, near the port city of Haifa. The best-known ship, The Exodus, gained fame when it was the subject of Leon Uris’ book of the same name.

(1939-1948)




3

UNITED NATIONS VOTE

Following intense negotiations, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two states — one for the Jews and one for the Arabs. The vote, which came as a result of Britain’s decision to withdraw from Palestine, was decided by a 33-13 margin, with 10 abstentions. The Jews accepted the plan, while the Arabs rejected it. Celebrations by Jews in Palestine and around the world were eclipsed by intensified fighting between the two sides.

(November 29, 1947)


4



WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

(1948-1949)


On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence and immediately Israel’s neighboring countries — Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt — invaded the new state. The war had an enormous human cost: 6,000 Israelis were killed, representing 1% of the state’s Jewish population, including Holocaust survivors and other new immigrants. The war, which ended in an armistice agreement in 1949, resulted in Israel expanding its borders beyond the land that the UN Partition Plan had provided. However, Jerusalem was divided; the Old City was controlled by Jordan and Jews were barred from the Western Wall.



5

ALIYAH FROM ARAB COUNTRIES

(1949-1952)


As Israel gained independence in 1948, life became unstable for hundreds of thousands of Jews in Arab countries throughout the Middle East. Between 1949 and 1952, 49,000 Yemenite Jews were brought to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet, and more than 120,000 Iraqi Jews arrived via Operation Ezra and Nehemiah. During these years, centuries-old Jewish communities in countries such as Libya and Egypt suffered, and mass emigration (to Israel and the West) reduced their numbers significantly.



6

EICHMANN TRIAL

(1961)


Adolf Eichmann was a key figure in planning and implementing Nazi Germany’s “Final Solution” for the Jewish people. After the war, he disappeared and eluded arrest. In 1960, agents of the Israeli Mossad intelligence service captured him in Argentina and brought him to Israel. After a widely publicized trial, Eichmann was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was hanged near Tel Aviv in 1962, and is the only person Israel has ever sentenced to death.



7

SIX-DAY WAR

(June 5-10, 1967)


Early in 1967, Egypt took provocative steps that violated decade-old international agreements, including expelling UN peacekeepers. Fearing an imminent invasion, Israel pre-emptively attacked Egypt’s air bases on June 5. Syria and Jordan promptly joined the war, attacking Israel from the east. After six days of fighting, Israel won the war and tripled in size, gaining the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai, and the Golan Heights. Jerusalem was reunified and Jews were able to visit the Western Wall for the first time since the establishment of the modern state.



8

MUNICH MASSACRE

(September 1972)


During the 1972 Munich Olympics, Palestinian terrorists held 11 Israeli athletes hostage in the Olympic Village, demanding the release of hundreds of security prisoners held in Israeli and West German jails. The West German police’s ill-fated rescue attempt resulted in the massacre of all the Israeli athletes, and the death of 5 of the 8 terrorists. Israel’s secret service agency, the Mossad, later assassinated the remaining terrorists in a covert operation that became the subject of Steven Spielberg’s 2005 film “Munich.”



9

YOM KIPPUR WAR

(October 6-25, 1973)


On Yom Kippur, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack against Israel. Most soldiers had been given leave for the holiday, so the IDF was ill-prepared for the onslaught on its northern and southern borders. During the time it took the IDF to mobilize its troops, some feared Israel would be wiped out. A massive US military airlift, ordered by President Nixon, helped turn the tide. While Israel was victorious, the war had a sobering impact. During the 20-day war, more than 2,500 Israeli soldiers were killed and many more were wounded.



10

OPERATION ENTEBBE

(July 4, 1976)


On June 27, 1976, Palestinian terrorists hijacked an Air France plane flying from Tel Aviv to Paris and diverted it to Entebbe, Uganda. They demanded that Israel release Palestinian prisoners held in its jails. After separating theIsraeli and Jewish hostages from the rest, the terrorists released the non-Jews. A week later, on July 4, the Israel Air Force sent 100 commandos on a daring rescue mission that saved all but four of the hostages. Colonel Yonatan (Yoni) Netanyahu (the brother of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu), who led the mission, was killed in the operation.



11

ISRAEL-EGYPT PEACE TREATY

(March 26, 1979)


After Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel in 1977, Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed a formal peace agreement. This treaty, the first between Israel and an Arab country, was brokered by US President Jimmy Carter and signed at the White House. Egypt became the first Arab country to recognize Israel and Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula. Most Israelis endorsed the treaty, but Egypt paid a heavy price: it was expelled from the Arab League and two years later Sadat was assassinated.



12

LEBANON WARS

(1982 and 2006)


Israel launched the First Lebanon War in 1982 after years of cross-border attacks by Palestinians operating from South Lebanon. What was to be a 3-day operation aimed at pushing the Palestine Liberation Organization 25 miles north finally ended when the last IDF troops returned home in 2000. The Second Lebanon War was ignited in July 2006 when Hezbollah killed three Israeli soldiers and kidnapped two more. Israel mounted an air attack against targets in Lebanon, and Hezbollah sent 4,000 rockets into Northern Israel before a UN-brokered ceasefire took effect in August.



13

ETHIOPIAN ALIYAH

(1984-85 and 1990)


Operation Moses, the first secret airlift from Ethiopia to Israel, brought 7,000 Ethiopian Jews from refugee camps in Sudan to Israel. Risking their lives to escape oppression, they left their villages and walked across the desert to neighboring Sudan. During Operation Solomon, 14,400 Jews were transported covertly from refugee camps in the Ethiopian capital to Israel. The rescue mission occurred in response to political instability in Ethiopia, as the government confronted attacks from rebel parties. Fearing that Ethiopian Jews were in danger, Israel rescued as many as possible in the 36 hour-long operation.



14

FIRST AND SECOND INTIFADA

(1987-1991 and 2000-2005)


The First Intifada (literally “shaking off” in Arabic) was sparked in 1987, when an Israeli truck driver struck and killed a Palestinian child in Gaza. Thinking it was intentional, the local population erupted in rage, throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers and civilians. The uprising spread to the West Bank and continued for more than three years. After a failed peace summit at Camp David in 2000, Palestinians launched an ongoing series of terror attacks which became known as the Second Intifada. The attacks included suicide bombings and attacks on buses and public places. The IDF responded with multiple military operations, and Israeli-Palestinian normalization efforts ended.



15

RUSSIAN/SOVIET ALIYAH


Under Soviet rule, Jews who applied to immigrate to Israel often suffered persecution and were forced to wait years for exit visas. In the 1970s, the Soviet authorities allowed approximately 250,000 Jews to emigrate, but then the gates closed again. Natan Sharansky, imprisoned in a Soviet jail, was the symbol of the millions of Russian Jews who couldn’t leave, known as refuseniks. In 1990, as the Soviet Union was collapsing, the gates reopened. In the next decade nearly a million Soviet Jews made aliyah in a massive relocation effort called Operation Exodus.



16

OSLO ACCORD


Israel and the Palestinian leadership began a process aimed at achieving peace, leading to the signing of the Oslo Accord in a ceremony on the White House lawn. President Clinton presided as Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres signed the agreement. According to the terms of the agreement, the two sides recognized each other, the PLO rejected terrorism, and Israel agreed to grant autonomy to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Polls showed that a majority of Israelis were more optimistic than ever that peace was possible.

(September 13, 1993)



17

ASSASSINATION OF PRIME MINISTER

YITZHAK RABIN


In an act that brought Israel to a stand-still, a right-wing Orthodox student who opposed the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The shooting took place at a large peace rally in Tel Aviv’s central square, moments after Rabin had joined the crowd in singing Shir L’Shalom, “Song for Peace.” A bloodied copy of the song’s lyrics was found in Rabin’s pocket. The overwhelming majority of the Israeli public rejected the religious and political extremism that led to the act. The square was renamed Rabin Square in his memory.

(November 4, 1995)



18

GAZA DISENGAGEMENT AND AFTERMATH


In 2005, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip unilaterally. Soon thereafter, Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, gained control of Gaza, and Israel has kept the crossing points closed to most traffic. In 2008 and 2012, in response to rocket attacks from Gaza, Israel unleashed massive air attacks on terror targets in missions dubbed Operation Cast Lead and Operation Pillar of Defense. During the latter confrontation, most Hamas rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, developed by Israel and the US.

(2005-Present)



19

SOCIAL PROTESTS


In the summer of 2011, tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets to protest the high cost of living. Many spent weeks living in tents along Rothschild Blvd., a key artery in Tel Aviv’s financial district, and in similar tent encampments in other cities across the country. Rallying around a chant of “The people demand social justice,” protesters demanded relief from the high cost of housing and inadequate education and social welfare systems. The government responded by promising to work on improving the situation. Subsequent efforts to revive the protests have failed to spark public passion.

(2011)



20

PEOPLE ��z n� r� l~ 1

DAVID BEN-GURION

Born 1886 in Plonsk, PolandDied 1973 in Sde Boker, IsraelFirst Prime Minister of Israel

� Leader of the Jewish community in pre-state Israel� Declared the Independence of the State of Israel with

Jerusalem as its capital� Established the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)� Served as Israel’s first Prime Minister from 1948-54;

and again from 1955-63� Believed in the importance of the Negev desert and

later retired there, in Kibbutz Sde Boker

“In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe

in miracles.”

1

PEOPLE � ��z n� r� l~


THEODOR HERZL


Born 1860 in Budapest, HungaryDied 1904 in Vienna, AustriaFather of Modern Zionism

� In 1897, Herzl predicted the founding of the Jewish state within 50 years

� Envisioned a Jewish state, but considered locations other than Israel

� Grew up as an assimilated European Jew� Impacted greatly by anti-Semitism and the Dreyfus

Affair in which a French Jewish army officer was wrongly convicted of treason

� During the1st Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, in1897, he founded the World Zionist Organization and became its president

� Visited Palestine only one time



“Im tirtzu, ein zo agada – �

r� u r� q~ ��s� �� o~ �»�j� u n� ��

n~ –

If you will it, it is no dream

.”

2

CHAIM WEIZMANN


Born 1874 in BelarusDied 1952 in Rehovot, Israel

First President of Israel 1948-1952

� Settled in England as a renowned chemist and built strong ties with British leadership

� Played a key role in prompting the British government to issue the 1917 Balfour Declaration in support of establishing a Jewish homeland

� Held senior posts in the Zionist movement� Helped establish the Hebrew University and the

scientific research center that became the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot



“I head a nation of a million presidents.”

3

GOLDA MEIR


Born 1898 in Kiev, UkraineDied 1978 in Jerusalem

Fourth Prime Minister of Israel

� Israel’s only female Prime Minister to date and one of two women to sign the Declaration of Independence

� Grew up in Milwaukee and made aliyah in 1921 at age 23

� Raised $50 million in the US for Israel’s War of Independence

� Served as Prime Minister from 1969-74 in a period marked by the Munich Massacre and the Yom Kippur War

� Held preliminary cabinet meetings at home, in her kitchen, which led to them being called her “kitchen cabinet”



“I can forgive them for killing our children. I can’t

forgive them for forcing our children to kill theirs.”

4

MOSHE DAYAN


Born 1915 in Kibbutz Degania AlefDied 1981 in Tel Aviv

Defense Minister during Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War

� One of the first children born in Degania Alef, the first kibbutz established by Jewish pioneers in Palestine

� Best known for his military involvement, from serving in the Haganah before the creation of the state to becoming the Defense Minister during the Six-Day War (1967) and the Yom Kippur War (1973)

� Lost his left eye during World War II and wore an eye patch

� Involved in negotiating the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty



“If you want to m

ake peace, you don’t talk to

your friends. You talk to your enemies.”

5

YITZHAK RABIN


Born 1922 in JerusalemAssassinated in 1995 in Tel Aviv

First Israeli-born Prime Minister

� Served as Prime Minister from 1974-77 and 1992-95� Pre-1948, led Palmach fighting group which

became IDF� IDF Chief of Staff during the Six-Day War (1967)� Prime Minister during Operation Entebbe (1976)� Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 with Yasser

Arafat and Shimon Peres for efforts to resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict

� Assassinated in 1995 by a right-wing Orthodox student in Tel Aviv at a peace rally



“We, like you, are people w

ho want to build a home, to

plant a tree, to love, live side by side with you in dignity,

in empathy, as hum

an beings, as free men. W

e are

today giving peace a chance and again saying to

you in a clear voice: Enough.”

6

SHIMON PERES


Born 1923 in PolandPresident of Israel 2007-2014

� Immigrated to Palestine with his family as a child� Aide to David Ben-Gurion during the early years of

the state� Never served in the army, but was the first person

in charge of Israel’s military industry and nuclear program

� Served as Prime Minister from 1984-86 and 2005-06

� Received the Nobel Peace Prize along with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat (1994)

� First to serve as both Prime Minister and, later, as President of Israel



“For me, dream

ing is simply being pragm

atic.”

7

MENACHEM BEGIN


Born 1913 in Brest, BelarusDied 1992 in Tel Aviv

Sixth Prime Minister of Israel

� Founder of Likud, a right-wing political party in Israel� Led the Zionist militant group Irgun in pre-state Israel,

which blew up the King David Hotel while fighting the British authorities

� First non-Labor Party Prime Minister, serving from 1977-83

� Negotiated the Camp David Accords (1978), which led to the signing of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (1979)

� Won the Nobel Peace Prize with Sadat (1978)



“No more w

ar. No more bloodshed. W

e shall

negotiate and reach agreement.”

8

ARIEL SHARON


Born 1928 in Kfar Malal, pre-state IsraelDied 2014 in Tel Hashomer, Israel

Prime Minister of Israel 2001-2006

� Commanded IDF unit that conducted cross-border raids in the 1950s

� Retired from IDF and rose to the post of Defense Minister in 1981

� Resigned after a commission of inquiry found he bore “ministerial responsibility” for the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians by Christian Lebanese fighters during the First Lebanon War (1982)

� Elected Prime Minister in 2001 on a promise to restore public security at the height of ongoing Palestinian terror attacks targeting civilians

� Orchestrated Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip



“For me, peace should provide security to the

Jewish people.”

9

BENJAMIN (BIBI) NETANYAHU


Born 1949 in Tel AvivPrime Minister of Israel 1996-1999 and 2009-

� Born in Tel Aviv, but spent many years living and studying in the US

� Older brother, Yoni, was killed during Operation Entebbe (1976)

� Served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, where he gained prominence as an eloquent spokesman

� Served twice as Prime Minister, from 1996-99 and 2009-present



“Our policy is very sim

ple. The Jewish state w

as

set up to defend Jewish lives, and w

e always

reserve the right to defend ourselves.”

10

NATAN SHARANSKY


Born 1948 in Ukraine, Soviet UnionFormer Soviet Refusenik, Israeli Political Figure

� Lived in the Soviet Union during a period when harsh Soviet policies punished Jews for requesting to emigrate to Israel

� Requested to leave in 1973, was refused, and four years later, was charged with spying for the CIA and sentenced to 13 years in prison

� Became the face of the refusenik movement � Released in 1986 and immediately made aliyah to

Israel� Became a Knesset Member and then Head of the

Jewish Agency � Serves as a public face of human rights activism



“Free societies are societies in which the right of

dissent is protected.”

11

ELIEZER BEN-YEHUDA


Born 1858 in Luzhki, LithuaniaDied 1922 in pre-state IsraelFather of Modern Hebrew

� Moved to Jerusalem in 1881� Determined to revive Hebrew as a spoken language� His children became the first modern native Hebrew

speakers� Started a Hebrew-language newspaper and wrote a

17-volume Hebrew dictionary� In 1922, British authorities recognized Hebrew as the

official language of the Jews living in Palestine



“The Hebrew language w

ill go from the synagogue

to the house of study, and from the house of study

to the school, and from the school it w

ill come into

the home and…

become a living language.”

12

YOSEF TRUMPELDOR


Born 1880 in RussiaDied 1920 in Tel Hai, pre-state Israel

Early Zionist Activist

� Lost his arm in battle for the Russian army in the Russian-Japanese War

� After making aliyah in 1912, lived in Kibbutz Degania� Expelled by the Ottoman authorities when he refused

to accept Ottoman citizenship� Returned to pre-state Israel in 1918, where he

founded Hechalutz, an organization that prepared young people to make aliyah

� Died in a battle defending Tel Hai, in Upper Galilee, against Arab fighters



“It’s good to die for one’s country.”

13

HANNAH SENESH


Born 1921 in Budapest, HungaryDied 1944 in Hungary

Jewish Paratrooper During World War II

� Made aliyah at 17 to pursue her dream of participating in the creation of a Jewish state

� Joined the partisans when World War II began and helped rescue Jews from Europe

� Parachuted into Yugoslavia with over 30 other paratroopers and crossed into Hungary, where she was captured and then executed after four months in a Gestapo prison

� Famous for her inspirational poems and songs, especially “Eli, Eli; Oh Lord, My God”



“There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth

though they have long been extinct. There are people

whose brilliance continues to light the w

orld even

though they are no longer among the living. These

lights are particularly bright when the night is dark.”

14

RACHEL THE POET


Born 1890 in Russia Died 1931 in Tel Aviv

Poet

� Visited pre-state Israel for the first time in 1899 and settled in a kibbutz near the Kinneret

� Worked with Jewish refugee children when World War I prevented her from returning to Israel from a visit in Europe

� Contracted tuberculosis, preventing her from working in her kibbutz

� Spent her final years in Tel Aviv writing about the beauty of Israel’s landscapes

� Many popular Israeli songs have been inspired by her poetry



“Perhaps it was never so.

Perhaps

,�QHYHU�ZRNH�HDUO\�DQG�Z

HQW�WR�WKH�ÀHOGV�

To labor in the sweat of m

y brow.”

15

TAL BRODY


Born 1943 in Trenton, New JerseyAmerican-born Israeli Basketball Star

� Helped the US basketball team win a gold medal in the 1965 Maccabiah Games during his first trip to Israel; returned to US and graduated from the University of Illinois

� Turned down the NBA draft to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv

� Led Israel’s national team to the Euroleague basketball championship in 1977

� After Maccabi won the semi-final game against the powerhouse Soviet team, Brody exclaimed, “We are on the map! And we are staying on the map – not only in sports, but in everything!”



“Every Jew and every citizen of Israel is an

ambassador for Israel.”

16

ILAN RAMON


Born 1954 in Ramat GanDied in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, 2003

First Israeli Astronaut in Space

� Participated in the 1981 bombing of an Iraqi nuclear reactor

� First astronaut ever to request kosher food in space� Brought a Torah that had survived the Bergen-Belsen

concentration camp and a mezuzah into space� Looking down on Earth, Ramon and another astronaut

said they saw no borders and it reminded them of John Lennon’s song “Imagine”

� Died, along with all six other crew members, when the Columbia crashed upon reentry



“I feel I am representing all Jew

s and all Israelis.”

17

JUSTICE SALIM JOUBRAN


Born 1947 in Haifa, pre-state IsraelIsraeli Supreme Court Justice

� A Christian Arab, he studied law at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem

� Appointed to the Supreme Court in 2003 and became the first Israeli Arab to hold a permanent seat on the Court

� In 2012, was criticized for not singing Hatikvah in a televised ceremony. Prime Minister Netanyahu defended his right to not sing the anthem

� Became the first Israeli Arab judge to chair the Central Election Committee, overseeing the country’s municipal elections



“I sometim

es quote from the Torah in m

y

opinions. I can also translate issues into Sharia

law for M

uslim petitioners.”

18

ARIK EINSTEIN


Born 1939 in Tel AvivDied 2013 in Tel AvivRock Music Pioneer

� Prime Minister Netanyahu called his music “the soundtrack of the country”

� Created a string of bestselling albums that spanned 50 years and is one of Israel’s most revered singers

� His most popular songs include the classics “Ani Ve’Ata” and “Oof Gozal”

� As a youth, he was Israel’s high jump champion



“You and I will change the w

orld.”

19

DAVID BROZA


Born 1955 in HaifaIconic Singer-Songwriter

� Wrote “Yihye Tov” (Things Will Get Better) with Yonatan Gefen on the eve of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s visit to Israel in 1977

� The song has become a classic, and new verses were added after other major Israeli events

� Grew up in Israel, Spain and England� Recorded bestselling albums at live concerts atop

Masada� Mixes folk music with traditional Sephardic melodies� Records with Arab musicians from Israel and the West

Bank



“There has to be a generation that will plant the

seeds, and those that will sit in the shade, and

those that will eat the fruit.”

20

HADAG NACHASH


Hip Hop Group

� Founded in 1996 and led by Sha’anan Street, Hadag Nachash is one of Israel’s leading hip-hop bands

� Name literally means “Snake Fish,” but is also a play on the Hebrew term for New Driver: Nahag Chadash

� The popular “Sticker Song” used slogans from dozens of bumper stickers reflecting on Israeli society

� Some of the band’s songs reflect their left-leaning political views



“We have it hard in this country. W

e want to

create a better society and a better life for

everybody living here.”

21

YAACOV AGAM


Born 1928 in Rishon Lezion, pre-state IsraelArtist

� Son of a rabbi� Pioneer of kinetic art whose works often involve

moving parts, lights, music, and viewer participation� One of his most well-known installations is the fountain

atop Dizengoff Circle in Tel Aviv� Created a Hannukah Menorah on 5th Avenue at 59th

Street in New York City that is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest Hannukah Menorah in the world



“My aim

is to show w

hat can be seen within the

limits of possibility w

hich exists in the midst of

coming into being.”

22

HANOCH PIVEN


Born 1963 in Uruguay Portrait Artist

� Best known for his caricatures of prominent Israelis and foreign leaders

� Realizing his strength was not in drawing, he began to work with random objects to create images that tell stories

� His work appears in books, newspapers and magazines including TIME, Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly



“Collage is the ultimate playful technique, and

it really suits me.”

23

YEHUDA AMICHAI


Born 1924 in GermanyDied 2000 in Jerusalem

Poet

� Called “the most widely translated Hebrew poet since King David”

� Made aliyah to pre-state Israel with his family at age 11

� Fought in the pre-state Palmach and in the War of Independence

� Wrote poems that address daily life in Israel and man’s search for meaning

� From the poem “Tourists”: “Redemption will come only if their guide tells them, ‘You see that arch from the Roman period? It’s not important: but next to it, left and down a bit, there sits a man who’s bought fruit and vegetables for his family’”



“A man needs to love and to hate at the sam

e

mom

ent, to laugh and cry with the sam

e eyes,

with the sam

e hands to throw stones and to gather

them, to m

ake love in war and w

ar in love.”

24

DAVID GROSSMAN


Born 1954 in JerusalemBestselling Novelist and Nonfiction Writer

� Wrote books that have been translated into more than 30 languages

� Recipient of many literary prizes � Along with other prominent cultural figures, voiced

opposition to Israel’s policy in the Second Lebanon War (2006); son Uri was killed in the war’s final hours

� Vocal critic of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians, his works include the nonfiction The Yellow Wind and the novels To the End of the Land and The Zig-Zag Kid



“The primary urge that m

otivates and engenders

writing... is the w

riter’s desire to invent and tell a

story, and to know him

self.”

25

ETGAR KERET


Born 1967 in Ramat Gan, IsraelWriter of Fiction, Essays and TV Programs

� Short stories and graphic novels use a rich array of slang and dialects that capture the spirit of present-day Israel

� Writes for Israeli TV satire programs and a number of popular films

� Work has been translated into many languages, and he appears regularly in the New York Times, on NPR and elsewhere

� Recipient of prizes including the Prime Minister’s Award for Literature and first place at the Alternative Theater Festival for his play “Entebbe: A Musical”



“If you want to learn how

to be happy, you have

WR�NQRZ�ZKDW�LV�VDGQHVV�ÀUVW�µ

26

PLACE �Ì� r� 1

Located in the heart of the country, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city. It fuses ancient and modern; the walled Old City includes the remnants of the ancient Second Temple’s Western Wall (Kotel), and the new city features shopping districts and sprawling residential neighborhoods. Old and new, all buildings are built from limestone, known locally as Jerusalem stone. Light reflecting off the limestone causes the city to glow in the sun, inspiring the song “Jerusalem of Gold.” Jerusalem is holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims.

JERUSALEM

PLACE � �Ì�r�


1


WESTERN WALL

Widely viewed as one of the holiest sites in the world for Jews, the Western Wall (Kotel) is the remnant of the outer retaining wall that surrounded the Second Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. Jews traditionally pray at the Western Wall, especially on Shabbat and major holidays. Between 1948 and 1967, the Western Wall was controlled by Jordan, and Jews were not allowed to approach it. During the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel recaptured the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Western Wall.



2


MT. HERZL MILITARY CEMETERY

Mt. Herzl, the national cemetery of Israel, was established in 1951 and is located in Jerusalem next to Yad Vashem, the National Holocaust Memorial. Also known as Har HaZikaron, Mount of Remembrance, the mountaintop is the burial place of many of Israel’s leaders, heroes and fallen soldiers.



3


YAD VASHEM

Israel’s National Holocaust Memorial site, Yad Vashem, was established in Jerusalem in 1953 and is best-known for its research, museum and documentation center. Yad Vashem’s effort to compile the names of all victims of the Holocaust is unsurpassed. The site includes a Children’s Memorial and an area that recognizes Righteous Gentiles who saved Jews during the Holocaust despite great personal risk.



4


The business and cultural capital of Israel, Tel Aviv features Israel’s tallest buildings, amazing beaches along the Mediterranean Sea, a thriving nightlife, shopping districts, and restaurants. Originally named Ahuzat Bayit, the city was founded by 60 families in 1909, making it the first Jewish city established in the modern era. In 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared Israel’s independence in Tel Aviv.

TEL AVIV



5


This mountainous region in Northern Israel supplies one-third of Israel’s water needs. Located on the border of Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, Israel captured the territory from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981. Neither Syria nor the rest of the world recognizes Israel’s sovereignty, and indirect negotiations have been held over the years in an effort to resolve the region’s status. The Golan includes Israel’s highest peak, Mt. Hermon, at over 7,000 ft., which turns into a ski resort during the winter months.

GOLAN HEIGHTS



6


Tsfat is known as the city of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, and as a center of art. An ancient, spiritual city in the North of Israel, it is considered one of four cities in Israel that are holy to Jews. The tradition of Kabbalat Shabbat, “Welcoming Shabbat,” began in Tsfat in the 16th century.

TSFAT



7


A mountainous region in Northern Israel, the Galilee is home to Jews, Arabs, Druze, and other diverse populations. It boasts many nature preserves, hiking trails, Christian religious sites, and ancient synagogues.

GALILEE



8


Lake Kinneret is the country’s largest body of fresh water and its main source of drinking water. Also known as the Sea of Galilee, it is located in Northern Israel. The first kibbutzim were founded around Lake Kinneret years before Israel gained independence.

LAKE KINNERET



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ATLIT DETENTION CAMP

Located in Northern Israel, the Atlit Detention Camp was established by the British Mandate officials during the 1930s, primarily to hold Jews who were captured while trying to enter Palestine illegally (known as Aliyah Bet.) In the early years, most of the detainees were refugees from Nazi Europe, and in the late 1940s many were Holocaust survivors. In a 1945 raid planned by the young Palmach officer Yitzhak Rabin, 200 detainees were freed. After Israel declared independence in 1948, the camp was used to house prisoners of war and was declared a National Heritage Site in 1987. Today, it is a museum of Jewish immigration to pre-state Israel.



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Built along the hills of Mt. Carmel in the north, this port city is known for peaceful co-existence between its Jewish and Arab residents. The Baha’i Gardens and World Center create a beautiful landscape in the city center.

HAIFA



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The Jordan River is an important source of fresh water for Israel and its neighbors. It flows on the eastern side of Israel and the western border of Jordan. This river connects Lake Kinneret with the Dead Sea, and is a popular site for rafting and kayaking.

JORDAN RIVER



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Also known by the Biblical names of Judea and Samaria, the disputed territory was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War. Named for its location west of the Jordan River, the West Bank is home to more than 2 million Palestinians living under the autonomous rule of the Palestinian Authority, and over 300,000 Israeli Jews. The area’s rich Biblical history makes it holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians, and complicates prospects for a negotiated settlement. Israel says that the final status of the territory will be decided through Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

WEST BANK



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The lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea is 1,300 feet below sea level. In Hebrew, its name is Yam Ha-Melach (Sea of Salt.) The salt content is so high that no living things can survive in it and people can float while enjoying the natural minerals that form in the mud.

DEAD SEA



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The capital of the Negev desert, Be’er Sheva is Israel’s 7th largest city, with a population of nearly 200,000. The city is host to Ben-Gurion University, named for Israel’s first Prime Minister, who believed that settling the desert was the key to Israel’s success.

BE’ER SHEVA



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MASADA

A large fortress overlooking the Dead Sea in Southern Israel, Masada was built by King Herod in the 30s BCE. Approximately 100 years later, Jewish zealots fled to Masada after the Romans destroyed the Second Temple. They lived there until the Roman siege in 73 CE, when their lives ended in a mass suicide. Today, people hike up Masada to watch the sunrise over the Dead Sea and view the remains of the ancient Herodian civilization.



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Israel’s southern desert, the Negev, covers more than half of the country’s land but is home to less than 10% of its population. The word “Negev” relates to the Hebrew word for “dry;” in the Bible, Negev means “south.” The Negev includes the city of Be’er Sheva, David Ben-Gurion’s desert home in Sde Boker, military bases, Bedouin villages and towns, and many kibbutzim.

NEGEV



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A tropical city at Israel’s southern tip, Eilat is a popular vacation spot for Israelis and tourists, known for its resorts, beaches, hiking trails, and Red Sea coral reef. Eilat is adjacent to Egypt and Jordan and within view of Saudi Arabia.

EILAT



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HATIKVAH (“THE HOPE”)

Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem, was written by poetNaphtali Herz Imber in the late 1870s. It celebrates the Jews’ dream of returning to the Land of Israel.

�� n� qÆ j� q~��Ì� j°�� q·�� r� j� nË q��»� o� r� j� nË�� r� j� r~�~Ô��Ì� »� o� j� q~ j·�� n° j� r�� q��Ì� j� n�

Our hope is not yet lost / The hope of 2000 years / To be a free people in our land

Od lo avda tikva-teinu / Ha’tikvah bat sh’not al-payim /Lih-yot am chofshi b’ar-tzeinu

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DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

The Declaration of Independence, read by David Ben-Gurion on May 14, 1948, in Tel Aviv, details the Jewish people’s historic connections to the Land of Israel and chronicles the struggle to regain a sovereign home. In the absence of a formal constitution, it serves that function and sets forth a vision that ensures “complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”

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KNESSET

The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, has 120 members and is located in the capital city, Jerusalem. Knesset members are designated through democratic elections that are open to every Israeli citizen over the age of 18. Knesset members include Jews, Arabs, men, women and people from every walk of life. The Knesset enacts laws and conducts hearings on issues of importance to the public.

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LAW OF RETURN

The Law of Return states that people with at least one Jewish grandparent, and their spouses and children, are entitled to Israeli citizenship. It was established in 1950 to enable Jews throughout the world to become Israeli citizens and promote aliyah (“ascending” or immigrating to Israel.) The law, intended to ensure that every Jew has a safe haven in Israel, is based on the notion that all Jews trace their roots to Israel and are entitled to return to their homeland.

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KIBBUTZ

Kibbutz (derived from the Hebrew word for “group”) is a uniquely Israeli communal settlement. The first kibbutz was established in the early 1900s. During this time, most European immigrants embraced socialist values and agricultural development. The first kibbutz was Degania, built along the shores of Lake Kinneret. Today, there are over 250 kibbutzim in Israel. Kibbutz residents often eat in communal dining halls and participate in running collective businesses, including farming, factories and tourism.

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ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES (IDF)

David Ben-Gurion established the Israel Defense Forces soon after declaring independence. The IDF brought various pre-state fighting forces under one command and has earned a reputation as one of the world’s best armies. Acharai, Hebrew for “follow me,” is a key IDF value: Commanders lead their troops into the most dangerous battles rather than supervising from afar. IDF service is mandatory for most Israelis at age 18. Men serve for 30 months and women for 24. Most men and some women are required to serve in the reserves, called upon to supplement the standing army as needed.

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SHUK

A shuk (outdoor marketplace) is a popular shopping venue that is found throughout Israel. Each major city has a permanent shuk, such as Shuk HaCarmel in Tel Aviv and Machane Yehuda in Jerusalem. Locals come to buy fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, spices, clothing and more. Friday is the busiest day in the shuk, as many people rush to do their shopping before the stores close for Shabbat.

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ISRAEL NATIONAL TRAIL (SHVIL YISRAEL)

Shvil Yisrael is Israel’s national hiking trail, extending from Kibbutz Dan in the north to the southern city of Eilat. Its 600-mile route traverses mountains and plains and multiple climatic zones. Marked by painted symbols, Shvil Yisrael is popular with hikers all year long.

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TEL AVIV PRIDE PARADE

Tel Aviv held its first Pride Parade in 1997, and the annual event, held in June, now draws more than 150,000 people, making it the largest gay pride parade in Asia. Other cities in Israel also hold annual gay pride parades, highlighting the rights and equal treatment enjoyed by LGBTQ Israelis. Gay and lesbian Israelis serve openly in the IDF and are protected by laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Tel Aviv has been called one of the world’s gay-friendliest cities.

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SECURITY BARRIER

In response to multiple terror attacks launched from the West Bank, Israel began in 2002 to build a barrier separating Israeli and Palestinian populations. Made mostly of barbed-wire fencing, about 5% of the barrier is a solid concrete wall. The Israeli government says the barrier is not a border and that the final border will be determined through negotiations. Palestinians say the barrier causes great hardship for many of them who are cut off from school, work or family. Since its construction, terror attacks have become a rare occurrence.

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DRIP IRRIGATION

Faced with severe water shortages, Israeli farmers have always faced a challenge. In 1959, they invented drip irrigation, directing water to the places it is most needed and minimizing waste. The technology has been embraced by farmers around the world, saving billions of gallons of water annually.

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TEAM SPACEIL

The Israeli nonprofit Team SpaceIL is competing in the Google Lunar X Prize to become the first team to create and land a spacecraft on the moon. Founded by three young Israeli engineers brought together by a Facebook post, Team SpaceIL hopes to ignite interest in the fields of science, technology and math. SpaceIL is enhancing cutting-edge Israeli nano and micro satellite technologies to build the smallest, smartest, most efficient spacecraft ever to land on the moon. SpaceIL has received support from leading Israeli business, academic, aerospace and political figures, including President Shimon Peres.

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ISRAAID

The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid, established in 2001, brings together 35 Israeli and Jewish humanitarian aid groups to send relief missions to every corner of the earth. IsraAID was the first organization to set up a field hospital in Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake there, and provided aid to refugees from the Syrian civil war. IsraAID volunteers from Israel and the American Jewish community were on the frontlines in Oklahoma City after that city’s deadly tornadoes in 2013. Other efforts have impacted countries from Japan and the Philippines to Kenya and South Sudan.

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SHEKEL

Israel’s currency, the New Israeli Shekel (NIS), uses the currency mentioned in the Bible. Banknotes – in denominations of 20, 50, 100 and 200 shekels – currently bear the likeness of political leaders from the country’s early years and Nobel Prize-winning author S.Y. Agnon. New notes featuring Modern Israeli literary figures are scheduled to be issued in 2014. Like many European countries, Israeli bills are issued in a range of bright colors.

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SIREN ON YOM HAZIKARON

Israel marks Memorial Day for fallen soldiers during the 24 hours before Independence Day. The commemoration begins with a nationwide siren for one minute at 8 pm on the eve of Yom Hazikaron, bringing all traffic to a stop as people stand at attention and pay their respects. The following morning, at 11 am, the siren sounds for two minutes, stopping traffic and opening memorial services across the country. The timing of Yom Hazikaron is intentionally linked to Independence Day: Without the sacrifices of those who fight to keep Israel safe, the country would not be able to celebrate its independence.

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MACHAL (VOLUNTEERS

FROM ABROAD)

Machal (based on the Hebrew name ‘Mitnadvei Chutz L’aretz’ – Volunteers from Abroad) enables people from around the world to volunteer for service in the IDF. Volunteers played a major role in the 1948 War of Independence, with American Mickey Marcus (of “Cast a Giant Shadow” fame) perhaps the most well known. More recently, Americans such as Alex Singer (pictured above) and Michael Levin, who volunteered for IDF service in the first and second Lebanon wars, respectively, have given their lives in the line of duty.

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Documents

BALFOUR DECLARATION · BALFOUR DECLARATION “His Majesty’s government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their