Session 5
Maya Hadar
 First Years of Statehood
 The Histadrut, the Hagana
 The Yishuv as a democratic society
 Nation building 1948-1967
 The Kibbutz
 The ‘new Jew’
 The Revival of the Hebrew language
 The Suez Crisis (1956)
On The Agenda
2
The Yishuv
 The Jewish community in mandatory Palestine 1922-1948
 Grew from about 80k to 650k
 Labor/Revisionist/General Zionism
 Who were they? Where did they come from and why?
 What challenges did they have to face?
 What made the Yishuv viable? => institutions
First Years of Statehood
The ‘Histadrut’ (1920)
 The General Federation of Jewish [Hebrew] Laborers in Palestine
 A trade and labor union aimed at organizing the economic activities of Jewish
workers
 Fulfilled a wide range of functions
 Operated as a trade union and as an employer
 Ran a job placement agency
 Involved in settlement activity
 Had its own economic institutions (bank, insurance company, pension fund) + provided
health care
 Had its own education system, a daily newspaper, a publishing house and a theatre
group
The ‘Histadrut’ (1920)
 Founding members were influenced by the Russian-Jewish
socialist tradition characteristic; As strict socialists, they
firmly believed that the representatives of the workers
should not earn more than the workers themselves
 1920: 4,400 members, 1922: 8,394, 1927: 25k members:
75% of the entire Jewish Palestine labor force
 ”A state within the state in the making”
 Maintained a powerful position in Israeli society since its
inception
The ‘Histadrut’ (1920)
The Histadrut was responsible for the absorption of Jewish immigrants =>
Labor Zionism
The ‘Histadrut’ (1920)
 For many years, the Histadrut was in charge of the
military arm – the Hagana (defense)
 Played a central role in organizing illegal Jewish
immigration to Palestine in defiance of Mandatory
laws
 The Histadrut leadership also became the dominant
political force in the Yishuv, and in the Zionist
organization (1930s onwards) => the Histadrut’s
activity complemented the the Yishuv’s
The ‘Hagana’ (Hebrew- ‘defense’)
 A militia (defense force) attached to the ‘Histadrut’
 Emerged from the reality of rural self-help, formed against Arab violence
 Founded by Ben Gurion and Ben Tzvi in 1907; by 1914 had four squads’, by
1936 had 3k men and women at arms
The Yishuv as a Democratic Society
 The Yishuv featured almost all the attributes of a democratic state except
sovereignty
 Organized and functioned along the lines of a parliamentary democracy
(even its underground paramilitary arm, the Hagana, was subject to the control
and authority of the democratically elected civil leadership)
 This impressed the various committees that investigated the situation in
Palestine (Peel Commission:1937, UN Special Committee on Palestine:1947)
 The strong institutional structure established by the Yishuv was later manifested
in the smooth transfer from foreign rule to becoming an independent state
The Yishuv as a Democratic Society
What were the sources of inspiration for the Yishuv's democratic practices?
 The self-governing tradition of the Jewish communities in the Diaspora
 The Zionist Organization had functioned in a democratic manner since its inception in
1897
 The Mandatory power => Britain!! (parliamentary democratic)
 The heads of the Yishuv + leaders of the Zionist movement were exposed to the conduct
of a democratic regime that encouraged them to use methods acceptable by London
decision makers
 The need of the Zionist movement to gain the support of public opinion in
democratic states: it was attuned to the values of such states and to the views of
the Jewish communities that supported the Yishuv (politically + financially)
The Yishuv as a Democratic Society
What were the sources of inspiration for the Yishuv's democratic practices?
 It’s voluntary character => Unlike a sovereign government with coercion
authority, voluntary organizations are based on free will and persuasion
Countervailing sources of influence
 Most of the Yishuv members + leaders lived under totalitarian regimes
 Certain circles in the Yishuv admired the Soviet Revolution and accepted the
notion of "the dictatorship of the proletariat"
 The Jewish religion itself contains non-democratic elements (unequivocal
reliance on the Halacha: Jewish religious law)
The Yishuv as a Democratic Society
 Democratic sources of influence toned down the opposing factors and the
Yishuv acted as a formal democracy (majority rule)
 The Yishuv was spared dilemmas faced by liberal democracies
(individual/minority rights of the individual and of the minority) since such issues
were outside its authority
 The lack of sovereignty had a positive effect on sustaining the democratic
character of the Yishuv => Mandatory gov. in charge
 Yishuv didn’t need to build and maintain infrastructure (roads, health system, army, police)
 The Mandatory regime provided a protective umbrella that enabled Yishuv + its
institutions to gradually expand and strengthen
 the Mandate increased internal cohesiveness, strengthened by the conflict with the Arabs.
The Kibbutz
 Cooperative form of settlement, unique to Zionism
and the State of Israel
 Based on the Zionist aspiration to re-establish
Jewish presence in the Land of Israel under
socialist values => equality between people
alongside economic and ideological cooperation
 Established as a social and economic unit, in
which property and means of production are
communally owned and decisions are made by
the general assembly of its members.
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 A relatively gated community
 Small (usually 300-1000 people)
 Historically based on agriculture
Features of a Kibbutz
 The kibbutzim began as utopian communities that advocated the full
cooperation of property and equality, both in production & consumption
 The slogan of the classic kibbutz was the communist slogan: "From each
one according to his ability and to each according to his needs”
1949
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Features of a Kibbutz
 Sharing property and responsibility => the kibbutz society was based on
the "common fund" that meets the needs of its members
 While demanding from its members responsibility and commitment
to the community, the kibbutz provides them with their needs from
infancy to old age
 Based on the premise of equality of human value => the right of a
person to satisfy his needs stems from the fact that he is a human
being and should not depend on his physical
ability/technical/managerial skills or the wealth of his family
 Members had no individual property
 The kibbutz enabled territorial extension
 Created Jewish peasants
 The kibbutzim served as a central tool for the
realization of Zionism and were considered
the social elite of the Yishuv in the first years
of statehood
 Provided the image of a heroic Zionist pioneer
 Provided manpower for the nucleus of an army
Ein Hashofet, 1947
Features of a Kibbutz
Women Kibbutzniks
The "New Jew"
The New Jew =>
 Strong and brave
 Farmer/worker
 Socialist
 Village dweller
 Into Sports/hiking
 Rooted in the land
 Normalized
Adaptation of “Non-Jewish” image
The Exile Jew =>
 Nervous and afraid
 Merchant/banker
 Capitalist
 Urban
 Talmud learning (religious studies)
 Easily wandering
 Different, not-normal, foreign
Adaptation of anti-Semite image
An attempt to create a dichotomy between the ‘new Jew’ and the Exile Jew
The "New Jew"
The New Jew => The Exile Jew =>
An attempt to create a dichotomy between the ‘new Jew’ and the Exile Jew
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The Decline of the Kibbutz
 Political issues =>
 The internal political strife among & between political aspects of Kibbutzim
 The fragmentation of Labor Party and the economic crisis
 Economical issues =>
 Capitalization after the 1970s, liberalism, neo-liberalism and massive urbanization
 Agriculture => industry => hi-tech
 Social issues =>
 The decline of the Kibbutz as an Elite
 The Settler, Halutz/ Pioneer myth has changed- from Labor to Occupation.
21
• Nowadays kibbutzim are diversifying their production branches,
expanding into various kinds of industry and services
The Decline of the Kibbutz
• Although the kibbutzim constitute 1.7%
of Israel's population (267
settlements), their share of the country's
production far exceeds this proportion:
• Grow 16% farm produce
• Manufacture about 4% industrial
output (excluding diamonds)
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• Tourist facilities, catering and factory outlet stores have recently become
an important part of the kibbutz economy
• The Kibbutz is currently seeking ways to meet the challenges of modern
life in the technological age while maintaining its original egalitarian
framework
• While such adjustments necessitated far-reaching changes, it is believed
that the ability to adapt is the key to its survival.
The Decline of the Kibbutz
The Hebrew Language
 Yiddish was the common language of
European Jews
 Hebrew was a biblical language used in the
bible and prayer (not spoken)  Biblical
Hebrew had to be made vernacular
 The revival of the Hebrew language, an
outstanding socio-linguistic events of modern
times, is attributed to Eliezer Ben-Yehuda
 (Modern) Hebrew created a common culture
and ’a cut’ from the past
Vernacular- the
language or dialect
spoken by the ordinary
people in a particular
country or region
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
 Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, born in Lithuania in 1858
 Began learning Hebrew from a very tender age as
part of a religious upbringing, excelled and was sent
to a talmudic academy (yeshiva) to become a rabbi
 Became interested in the secular world and ultimately
exchanged the yeshiva for a Russian gymnasium
 Deeply influenced by revival of European nations in
the 19th centaury (Greeks: 1829, Italians:1849,
Bulgarians:1877), captivated by the idea of restoring
national rights and reviving a nation on its national
soil
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
 Conclusion => the European concept of national fulfilment should
also be applied to his people, the Jews
 Published articles in Hebrew periodicals on the triple question of the
renaissance of the Jewish people, their land, and their language
(Zionism)
 1881 => arrived in Palestine with his revival plans for the Hebrew language,
settled in Jerusalem (where most Jews lived)- base for spreading his revivalist
ideas throughout Palestine and the Diaspora
 Plan of action => “Hebrew at Home,” “Hebrew at School” “Words, Words,
Words”
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
 “Hebrew at Home” => spoke Hebrew with every Jew he met (even
in Europe), Jews could speak Hebrew (not perfect), lacked words on
certain topics, wasn’t their main language
 Wanted the Jews in Palestine to speak Hebrew exclusively
“If a language which has stopped being spoken … can
return and be the spoken tongue of an individual for all
necessities of his life, there is no room for doubt that it
can become the spoken language of a community.”
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
 1882 => Ben Yehuda fathered a son: Ittamar. Made his wife
promise to raise the boy as the first all-Hebrew speaking child in
modern history: Important symbolic event for the future of the
revival
 Drastic precautions taken by Ben-Yehuda so that Ittamar will only
hear and thus, speak Hebrew => when visitors came to the house
who did not know Hebrew, Ben-Yehuda would send Ittamar to bed so
that he would not hear their foreign languages
 Ittamar started speaking late
 A child in the house accentuated the need to find appropriate Hebrew words for
the mundane things of everyday life => doll, ice-cream, jelly, towel, bicycle …
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
 Ben-Yehuda and his Hebrew-speaking family became a living
legend, an embodiment of the revival for others to emulate
 “Hebrew at School” => most important
 Ben-Yehuda preached that rabbis + teachers should use Hebrew as
the language of instruction in Jewish schools in Palestine for all
subjects (religious + secular)
 Argued that the revival could succeed only if the younger generation would
begin to speak Hebrew freely (taught In a Jewish school in Jerusalem)
 Necessity of using Hebrew at school => children from several different Jewish
communities studied together, no common language
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
 Method of teaching Hebrew through Hebrew, a direct system, no
translation into other tongues
 Ben-Yehuda only taught for a brief period but his Hebrew teaching
was successful => After just a few months, the children were able
to chatter fluently in Hebrew on daily topics
 Ben-Yehuda's personal example and his teaching success made a great
impression on other teachers
 Problems => lack of trained teachers, lack of textbooks, lack of materials
(games/songs), solved with time => a young all-Hebrew speaking generation
emerged => successful revival
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
 1884 => started publishing his own newspaper ‘Hatzvi’
to serve as an instrument for teaching modern Hebrew
to adults (all topics)
 Believed that if he will publishe the newspaper at a low
price, people would read it & become convinced of their
ability to fully express themselves in Hebrew
 Used the newspaper to introduce new words to the public (newspaper, editor,
telegramme, subscriber, soldier, fashion)
 Jews being avid readers, Ben-Yehuda’s newspaper did much to spread his
linguistic coinages (both in Palestine and in the Diaspora)
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
 As long as Ben-Yehuda spoke Hebrew at home/with his friends, he
was able to use the language more or less as he wished, but he
wanted the entire society to use Hebrew => words must be
precise and accurate, according to strict philological rules
 Ben-Yehuda became a scientific lexicographer => compiled a
dictionary
 17 volume: “A Complete Dictionary of Ancient and Modern Hebrew”, completed
by his second wife and son after his death
 A funny fact: many words that Ben Yehuda invented were based on the sound
object make (“BAKBUK”- bottle, “Zvuv”-fly)
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
 1890 => Founded the Hebrew Language Council, to solve
problems pertaining to Hebrew (terminology, pronunciation,
spelling and punctuation)
 Forerunner of today's ‘Hebrew Language Academy’
 Ben-Yehuda did not revive the language along => was
supported by the society around him
 Local population (limited and at times hostile)
 1881 (arrived in Palestine): beginning of the immigration waves of Jewish settlers
=> young, educated, idealistic, came from similar east European Jewish socioeconomic
background => receptive to his ideas, spoke Hebrew to their children,
and in the kindergartens and schools they set up throughout the country
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
 In the forty years between 1881-1921, a core of young
Hebrew-language speakers was formed, with Hebrew as
the unique symbol of their linguistic nationalism
 Acknowledged by the British mandate authorities, who
on 1922, recognized Hebrew as the official language of
the Jews in Palestine. Ben Yehuda died a month later.
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
“For everything there is needed only one wise,
clever and active man, with the initiative to
devote all his energies to it, and the matter will
progress, all obstacles in the way
notwithstanding... In every new event, every
step, even the smallest in the path of progress,
it is necessary that there be one pioneer who
will lead the way without leaving any
possibility of turning back”
The Revival of the Hebrew Language
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-revival-of-hebrew/
Reviving Hebrew Culture in Israel
 Hebrew language as spoken language + secular => opposing Yiddish and
other languages
Est. 1918
 Hebrew Education and high learning
(e.g., the ‘Hebrew university’,
Jerusalem)
 Hebrew secular culture
 Jewish festivals (nature, agricultural)
 New image (the ‘new Jew’)
 1950 – 1955 => Israel came under relentless attack of suicide terrorists
in 435 cross-border raids into Israel murdering over 800 Jews
 Israeli troops hit back, but the violence continued
 1956 => The Suez crisis/ Sinai War
 Jewish refugees continue to come from Arab lands to Israel
 1964 => The “Palestinian Liberation Organization” forms in Cairo, the
birthplace of its’ founder, Yasser Arafat
 The PLO attempts to unite all Arab Terrorist groups
 Its’ charter calls for the destruction of Israel
1949-1966