When David Ben-Gurion Met Chazon Ish

9/4/2020 When David Ben-Gurion Met Chazon Ish

When David Ben-Gurion Met Chazon Ish

A summary of the ideological debate between Zionism and ultra-Orthodox

Judaism can be found in one meeting held in Bnei Brak way back in October
of 1952
This morning I went to Bnei Brak for a meeting with Chazon Ish. The press thought it to be a sensational visit, and I
encountered crowds along the way and around his house. A group of his followers waited outside and in the
nearby rooms. Yitzhak Navon was the only one who came in with me. I asked him the question to which I have yet
to receive a sufficient answer from my observant friends. We are divided in different ways; in the matter at hand we
are divided by our views of religious tradition. There are Jews like you and like me, how do we live together? How
will we become a unit?
(From the diaries of David Ben-Gurion, October 20th, 1952)
There are some battles that seem to last for an eternity. Such was the meeting between two of the most prominent
figures of the Jewish people in their generation. The encounter took place on October 20th, 1952, between Israel’s
first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, and one of the leaders and shapers of ultra-Orthodox Judaism in Israel,
Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz (commonly known as Chazon Ish).
On that fateful evening in the rabbi’s humble and austere Bnei Brak apartment, the prime minister, his assistant
(and future Israeli president) Yitzhak Navon and the leader of the tiny ultra-Orthodox community in Israel crowded
into the living room and sat down for a discussion. The prime minister opened with the ever so pertinent question:
“How will we, religious and non-religious Jews, live (together) without exploding from within? We have different
views. How do we live together?”
https://blog.nli.org.il/en/hoi_bg_chazon/?utm_source=Twitter_en&utm_medium=Social 1/26
Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, the Abraham

Schwadron Collection at the National Library of Israel
It seemed the answer given by Chazon Ish was prepared ahead of time. He referred to a well-known Talmudic
parable about two camels travelling down a narrow path, one carrying a large burden and the other carrying
nothing. According to Halacha, Jewish law, the rabbi explained, the unburdened camel was to make way for the
one carrying the burden. Chazon Ish left no room for interpretation and explained the parable himself: We, the
ultra-Orthodox community, bear the burden of the Torah and its commandments. Therefore, the non-religious
Zionists must defer to us and move out of our way. Ben-Gurion, not exactly the leader to cower in front of anybody,
promptly replied: “And what of the absorption of immigrants? What of security? What of establishing the State? Are
these not burdens?”
It soon became clear that the two men held completely different views. Though Ben-Gurion acknowledged the
grave importance of studying the Bible, he wanted the ultra-Orthodox community to contribute to and become
integrated with the state in the making. Chazon Ish was appalled at what he saw as the desecration of the Sabbath
and the Zionist rejection of the yoke of the commandments – the burden of the practicing religious Jew. He
believed that recreating the world of the Torah that was destroyed in the Holocaust was the only thing that could
save the Jewish people.
At the end of that meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office issued the following press statement:
PM D. Ben-Gurion met privately with Rabbi A. Y. Karelitz (“Chazon Ish”) in Bnei Brak yesterday. The purpose of the
visit was to exchange general views regarding the following issue: How can observant and non-observant (Jews)
live together harmoniously in the State of Israel? The question of recruiting women (to the army) was not discussed
and the visit had no relation to current political matters.
More Author:
When Jews from the Land of Israel Vacationed in Lebanon >
The National Day of Mourning… and Fundraising? >
How the Western Wall Became One of Judaism’s Holiest Sites >
“Ben-Gurion Meets With ‘Chazon Ish'” – A report in Maariv on the

momentous meeting, published on October 20th, 1952
Contrary to the report, the meeting was much more than a “general exchange of views.” The prime minister made
a gesture towards the ultra-Orthodox community by agreeing to continue the exemption of a limited number of
Torah scholars from military service. As early as February 1948, before the State of Israel had even been formally
established, a limited number of young ultra-Orthodox men were exempted from being drafted into the armed
forces, which were already fighting in what would come to be known as Israel’s War of Independence. On January
9th, 1951, the prime minister ordered the Israeli army’s chief of staff to exempt yeshiva students from regular
service. Ben-Gurion’s meeting with the Chazon Ish did not set the ground for the current ultra-Orthdox exemption
from military service, but it did give the controversial early arrangement a substantial political boost, and equally
significant – symbolic support.
Comments for this article
When Jews from the Land of Israel

Vacationed in Lebanon
There was a time when Lebanon's coastal cities and snowy peaks were
leading tourist destinations for the Jewish residents of Mandatory Palestine
As a result of the famous Sykes-Picot agreement, a line was drawn in the Middle East, separating Israel,
Transjordan and Iraq, which were given to the British, and Syria and Lebanon, which were given to the French.
This border wasn’t as inflexible as the modern boundaries we know today. Though tensions certainly existed, these
were mainly felt between the various ethnic and religious groups of the region, Arabs and Jews among them.
When it came to relations between the respective governments that ruled Mandatory Palestine and Lebanon (and
Syria), ties were in fact quite cordial: merchandise was sent from one place to the other, the railways laid down by
the Ottomans connected distant lands, and most importantly – people traveled freely across the region.
As a result, just as Jewish merchants moved between Jerusalem, Damascus, Halab, and Beirut during the days of
the Ottoman Empire, citizens of Mandatory Palestine – both Jews and Arabs – continued to visit their northern
neighbors while living under British rule. The local tourist industry in particular, flourished during this period.
Lebanon was considered a fascinating and attractive destination: its southern shores, the vibrant metropolis of
Beirut and the beautiful snow-capped mountains – a rare sight in the Middle East. The Hebrew press and bulletin
boards were filled with advertisements appealing to the Jewish readers to come and relax in Lebanon.
From the Ephemera Collection at the National Library of Israel
Hundreds of enticing illustrations and advertisements were frequently published in the papers. Ads promoting the
country’s many hotels emphasized the cool, almost European weather and the cedar trees viewable from one’s
window. These tourist establishments were often given French names to increase their prestige in the eyes of the
holiday goers. Just like ads common to this day, they emphasized the short distance from the hub of Beirut, and
promised lavish accommodations at affordable prices.
“Gather strength and health in Lebanon – Gaiety and comfort at low

cost”, from Do’ar Hayom, June 14th, 1935
An ad promoting the Grand Hotel Casino at Ain Sofar, promising the

latest modern appliances – an elevator, central heating, kosher
European cuisine, 5 o’ clock tea – all supervised by “Viennese
management”, for just 55 francs per day. From Do’ar Hayom, July
29th, 1934
What else attracted potential Hebrew tourists? Ski! In the arid Land of Israel, there weren’t many snowy places to
engage in this popular European hobby, but in Lebanon, winter sports flourished, even in springtime. Ski
instructors were brought in from Europe, and the promise of enjoying snow so close to home attracted many.
An ad promoting ski trips to Sofar, Lebanon, with two Swiss ski

instructors, from Do’ar Hayom, March 5th, 1935
The snowy peak of Jabal Al Barouk in the Chouf Mountains,

Lebanon, 1929. From the archives of the Hebrew Reali School of
Haifa, the Bitmuna Collection
So let’s say you decided to spend your summer vacation in Lebanon. How would you get there? You could take the
train of course, but why settle for that? Tourists were invited to board one of the ships departing from the port of
Haifa and stopping at various ports en route to Beirut, and beyond. You could also choose to travel by bus – these
departed from the central bus station in Tel Aviv. The Egged Museum still holds travel tickets to these exotic
destinations. And for several hundred Palestine pounds (liras), you could even take a taxi from Haifa.
From the Ephemera Collection at the National Library of Israel
On the way to Baalbek, 1929. Photo: Jenka Ratner, the Bitmuna

Collection
Of course, you could choose to spend your vacation on an organized trip. The travel company would take care of
everything. That way, you could be sure not to miss any significant destination or attraction. Where did these
tourists visit? It was unheard of to complete a trip to Lebanon without a tour of the coastal cities, driving up to the
Lebanese mountains, and last but not least, visiting the ancient ruins of Baalbek.
An ad promoting a 10-day organized trip to “Lebanon, the Alawite

State and Syria”, including stops in Beirut, Tripoli, Aleppo and
Damascus. From the Ephemera Collection at the National Library of
Israel
Without doubt, Lebanon was considered an attractive, intriguing destination for many. In the 1930s, competition
was so fierce, that hotels even enticed Jewish holidaymakers with the promise of kosher food. Hebrew newspapers
published advertisements for acquisitions or partnerships in these hotels, and lectures on the geography of Syria
and Lebanon were often given by senior lecturers, educators, and geographers of the Hebrew community in
Mandatory Palestine.
An ad listing Lebanese hotels offering kosher meals, from Ha’aretz,

July 1st, 1935
Apparently, the practice was so widespread, that summer trips to Lebanon were still being promoted during the
early days of the 1936–1939 Arab revolt. However, it seems as though during this period, some of the hotels went
bankrupt. A hotel in Metula at the northern tip of the Land of Israel named itself “The Snows of Lebanon” (Sheleg-
HaLevanon) and invited the local holiday-goers to its premises, instead of spending money abroad, in such times
of hardship.
The Snows of Lebanon Hotel in Metula, the Bitmuna Collection
Adverts about trips to Lebanon were advertised even during World War II, although after the Germans conquered
France, enemy soldiers were stationed in Syria and Lebanon. However, after Lebanon gained independence in
1943, travel resumed, although to a lesser extent, due to the escalation of the Jewish-Arab conflict in what was still
Mandatory Palestine.
More Author:
The National Day of Mourning… and Fundraising? >
New Digital Platform Celebrates Else Lasker-Schüler >
An ad from 1945 advertising an organized week-long trip to Syria

and Lebanon. From the Ephemera Collection at the National Library
of Israel
Of course, the War of Independence and the establishment of the State of Israel brought an end to this popular
practice. And until we can resume skiing down the slopes of the Chouf Mountains, or sunbathing on Beirut’s
beaches, we invite those of you who may recall a family trip to Lebanon, to tell us about it here in the comments,
on Facebook, or Twitter.
The National Day of Mourning… and

Fundraising?
Home > Gesher L’Europa > The National Day of Mourning… and Fundraising?
In the early 20th century, Zionists rallied around Tisha B’Av
Both Jewish Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed on the same date, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, or
“Tisha B’Av“. Besides destroying the national religious and spiritual center – the very home of the divine presence
on Earth, according to Jewish tradition – each destruction was accompanied by mass carnage, unspeakable
violence and forced expulsion still mourned thousands of years later.
The Destruction of the Temple, as depicted in an early 18th century

Dutch prayer book. From Seder Hamisha Taaniot, printed in
Amsterdam by Abraham Attias, ca. 1727. Click image to enlarge
The Biblical “Sin of the Spies” over three millennia ago; the disastrous end of the Bar Kokhva Revolt in the year
135 CE; the beginning of the First Crusade and its murderous destruction of Jewish communities across Europe;
the Medieval expulsions of Jews from England, France and Spain; and the bombing of the AMIA Jewish
community center in Buenos Aires in 1994 are just a few of the events that have also occurred on or around Tisha
B’Av over the centuries.
To this day, Tisha B’Av is a day for mourning these national tragedies. Traditionally observant Jews mark it by
fasting and refraining from worldly pleasures. Somber poetry, written across the generations, is read while
community members sit on the floor, morning the destruction of the Temples and the other national calamities
associated with the day.
Yet, in the early 20th century, there was a major effort to turn this day of grief and sadness into one of hope,
renewal and redemption. In fact, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) made Tisha B’Av into a major fundraising day,
soliciting contributions from around the world to support the renewal of Jewish life in the Land of Israel.
An early 20th century Jewish National Fund postcard showing

founder Theodor Herzl, Zionist pioneers and the Old City of
Jerusalem. Publisher: “Lebanon” publishing company, Warsaw;
From the Postcard Collection, National Library of Israel archives.
According to Dr. Hezi Amiur, curator of the Israel Collection at the National Library of Israel, “Tisha B’Av is
considered a national day of mourning and the JNF would often utilize ‘national days’ such as Hannukah and Tu
B’Shvat for fundraising purposes. These were called ‘Ribbon Days’, and they presented a major source of income
for the young Zionist movement.”
While fundraising is not generally associated with this most somber day, JNF would use it to raise serious funds
from thousands of communities across the globe. In fact, from the organization’s founding in 1901 by Theodor
Herzl, Tisha B’Av was commemorated by asking Jews across the world for money to help rebuild the common
ancestral homeland.
Within just a few decades, the calls for support declared that there was no more free land left to accommodate the
burgeoning Zionist enterprise. Contributions were needed to buy more land in Palestine, and to continue building
infrastructure to support the courageous halutzim (pioneers).
One call to action published in 1926 under the banner “Remember Jewish National Fund on Tisha B’Av” asked
“every true Jew to donate on the Ninth of Av, the day of national mourning, a piece of land in Palestine for the
Jewish people.”
All were implored to be generous according to their means, with everyone asked to give at least enough to
purchase 1/4 of a dunam (roughly 1/16 of an acre, or 250 square meters) of land. After all, continued the cry,
“Fellow Jews! The sacrifice we ask of you is insignificantly small in comparison with the sacrifices of our brave
Halutzim who are giving their all for the restoration of the homeland.”
Excerpt from an article urging international contributions to JNF on

Tisha B’Av, published in The B’Nai B’Rith Messenger on July 16,
1926. Click for the full article
A mixture of Jewish guilt and Biblical inspiration was employed to encourage donors to open their wallets:
“Consult your own conscience, your Jewish heart, your racial pride and do your duty to your People. Claim
no exception, attempt not to evade your own sense of duty, bring your brick towards the great structure,
help redeem Erez Israel! From the grief over the Desolation, onward to the joy of Restoration!”
While different years had slightly different styles and themes, often relating to current events, it was generally the
same call to action: Brave Jews in the Land of Israel need your support!
In 1924, donors were enticed with commemorative illustrated receipt booklets, a visual reminder of their help
rebuilding the Land. Three years later, Tisha B’Av came just a few weeks after a devastating earthquake rattled the
Levant. Jews were forbidden from praying at the Western Wall, after the authorities forbade it as a precaution
following massive damage caused to many of Jerusalem’s structures. Nonetheless, instead of lamenting this
additional point of sadness on the national day of mourning, the JNF encouraged donors around the globe to
“shake to the core the indifference… of the many who could aid mightily in the speedy up-building of a Jewish
Palestine”, and turn the day into “a splendid beginning… by swelling the coffers of the Jewish National Fund this
Tisha B’Ab.”
Jerusalem following the 1927 earthquake. From the Pritzker Family

National Photography Collection at the National Library of Israel.
Click image to enlarge
In 1939, Biblical verses and powerful imagery were used to gather contributions and rally opposition to the recently
published White Paper, which severely limited Jewish immigration to British Mandatory Palestine. Less than a
decade later, the State of Israel was born, largely thanks to decades of financial and political support from Jews
across the world.
“If I forget you Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning.” This
image, published in The Sentinel on July 20, 1939, appeared as
part of JNF efforts to raise funds and opposition to the White Paper.
Click for the full article
It may seem strange or even inappropriate to use the saddest day on the Jewish calendar – one commemorating
destruction, slaughter and expulsion – to fundraise. Yet, in a way, turning mourning into hope and action is a
reflection of the resilient Jewish spirit over the centuries, and even more so of the Zionist dream to rebuild and
resettle the very land from which the Jewish people were exiled millennia ago.
This article has been published as part of Gesher L’Europa, the National Library of Israel’s initiative to share stories
and connect with people, institutions and communities in Europe and beyond.
If you liked this article, try these:
Rare Images: When the Land of Israel Shook in 1927
The Beautiful Postcards Theodor Herzl Sent to His Daughter
The Epidemic That Brought Jews Back to Jerusalem
More Author:
Tel Aviv’s First Firefighters >
Tags
Gesher L’Europa
How the Western Wall Became One of

Judaism’s Holiest Sites
When and how did Jews begin praying at the Western Wall?
When reading the headline above, those familiar with Jewish sources may be quick to respond by quoting the
Midrash: “The Divine Presence has never departed from the Western Wall.” Yet those very knowledgeable people
surely know that the Western Wall mentioned by our sages of blessed memory is not the same enormous wall we
today call the Western Wall. How then, did the western retaining wall of the Herodian Temple Mount come to be the
most prominent national-religious site for Jews around the world?
Jewish women wearing shawls pray in front of the Western Wall.

From the Postcard Collection at the National Library of Israel
Let’s start at the beginning. As mentioned, the Western Wall next to which people pray today is one of the four
retaining walls built by King Herod as part of the expansion and renovation of the Temple Mount compound and the
Temple that stood in the center of it. Yet another quote from the sages concerning the Herodian Temple states the
claim: “He who has not seen the Temple of Herod has never seen a beautiful building” (Babylonian Talmud, Baba
Batra 4a). And while most sages probably never got a chance to glimpse the Taj Mahal or the Palace of Versailles,
it does seem accurate to say that Herod’s Temple must not have been too shabby. This Temple came to its end in
the infamous year 70 CE, when the Roman legions burned it down during the conquest of Jerusalem and
suppression of the Great Revolt.
When the sages wrote of “the Western Wall” (HaKotel HaMa’aravi in Hebrew), they probably were still able to see
the remains of the western wall of the actual Temple building itself, in addition to the retaining walls of the Temple
Mount plaza. This was an impressive relic that apparently remained standing after the Roman fire. This was the
wall closest to the Holy of Holies, and its miraculous survival probably added to the sense of awe and sanctity of
the place. According to historical estimates, its final destruction occurred by the end of the seventh century at the
latest, when the recently arrived Muslims built the Dome of the Rock on the same site. We will return to this lost
Western Wall later.
The Western Wall and Jerusalem from a map of holy places in the
Land of Israel. Click here to view the this full map from the National
Library’s Eran Laor Cartographic Collection
At some point, the Temple building’s western wall was destroyed, and what remained was the western wall of the
Temple Mount – the retaining wall of Herod’s plaza. However, anyone who has ever looked over the Old City must
have noticed that this is not the only wall of the Temple Mount left standing. The southern and eastern walls of
Herod’s mighty building project also remain, and still support the Temple Mount plaza. Only the northern wall has
not been fully preserved. The southern and eastern walls were actually incorporated into the walls of the Old City
itself. The famous Gate of Mercy, also known as the Golden Gate, through which the Messiah is traditionally
supposed to enter Jerusalem, was carved into the eastern Wall.
Indeed, testimonies of travelers who visited the Land of Israel as early as the Byzantine period do not mention
prayers taking place on the western side of the Temple Mount necessarily. The account of the “Pilgrim of
Bordeaux”, who visited in 333 testifies that Jews still ascended the Temple Mount once a year (probably on the 9th
of Av), “and wept and mourned over one stone that remained from their Temple and anointed it with oil.” Could this
have been the Foundation Stone which sits today inside the Dome of the Rock? In any case, whether for halakhic
reasons or due to the objections of various rulers, Jews stopped ascending the mount itself and contented
themselves with frequenting adjacent areas.
Prayer at the Western Wall. From the Postcard Collection at the

National Library of Israel
Later testimonies mention the Western Wall, but not necessarily the place of worship known to us today. A text
from the Cairo Genizah written in the 11th century records prayers near the Western Wall, but further north, at a
site directly facing the destroyed Holy of Holies. The famous 12th-century Jewish traveler Benjamin of Tudela cites
the Western Wall by name, stating that Jews prayed there. However, he also placed the Gate of Mercy in the same
wall, though, as mentioned, this gate is actually found in the eastern wall. To this must be added the fact that Jews
were generally barred from entering the city during this period, and therefore it is unlikely that he personally
witnessed Jews praying near today’s Western Wall.
The Western Wall adorns a map of Jerusalem from the 19th

century. Only a few maps of the city prominently display the
important site, as most portrayed the city from the east. Click here
to view the full map from the National Library Eran Laor
Cartographic Collection
Other contemporary travelers mention the Western Wall, but not the custom of praying next to it. Some even point
out how the Western Wall stands alone, with none coming to pray or view its massive stone blocks. In the 14th
century, Ishtori Haparchi, another famous geographer of the region, wrote of Jews praying at any of the Temple
Mount walls which they managed to access, without any particular preference for the one to the west. This
description is reinforced by inscriptions engraved by the pilgrims on the various walls (including on the Western
Wall) – a common practice in the past among visitors to holy sites.
Men and women praying at the Western Wall, mid-19th century.

Photo: Felix Bonfils, the Pritzker Family National Photography
Collection at the National Library of Israel
Only in the 17th century did clear evidence of Jewish prayer in the specific location begin to appear. Initially, it was
individuals praying, and slowly, over the years, we see increasing reports of public prayers held at the site. At first,
these were special prayers on the Ninth of Av, and later a general prayer site formed that became ingrained in the
hearts of all Jews. What strengthened the position of the Western Wall over the other retaining walls of the Temple
Mount? There seem to be two main reasons: one is that it is the same Western Wall is mentioned by the Jewish
sages. Even if there is confusion in identifying the western wall in question, the current Western Wall is indeed still
the closest to the Holy of Holies, the ascent to which, at some point, was forbidden. The second reason is perhaps
more prosaic: in the middle of the 15th century, the Jews left their neighborhood on Mount Zion and settled instead
in the location of today’s Jewish Quarter. The proximity of this new quarter to the Western Wall helped to turn it into
the preferred prayer site for Jerusalem’s Jews. An earthquake in the 16th century apparently uncovered more parts
of the Western Wall, enabling the creation of the place of worship familiar to us today. It seems the exclusive
sanctification of the Western Wall can be traced to this century.
Prayer at the Western Wall, early 20th century. It is possible to see

the inscriptions engraved on the wall. Photo: Zadok Basan, from the
Moshe David Gaon Archive
This, then, is the story of the most important national-religious site in Judaism today. This is how the wall became
the symbol of the Jewish people’s longing for Zion. And, this was the story told by the representatives of the Jewish
community in the Land Israel to the British Commission of Inquiry set up following the riots of 1929 which erupted
following a dispute over prayer at the Western Wall. And what of the notes crammed into the spaces between the
stones? This seems to be a “recent” custom introduced only in the 19th century. It took a firmer hold following the
British ban on engraving names on the Western Wall, a practice that is no longer accepted today. Other prayer
customs at the Western Wall have also changed over the years: today, for example, mixed prayer between men
and women is not permitted by the site’s Orthodox rabbis, though this was the practice during the Ottoman period.
It turns out that customs, which may seem timeless to us, are in fact based on traditions which have a habit of
changing and developing over time.
If you liked this article, try these:
A Glimpse of 19th Century Jerusalem
The Epidemic That Brought Jews Back to Jerusalem
More Author:
Tel Aviv’s First Firefighters >
Feeling Israel: Helen Keller in the Holy Land >
Is “Chad Gadya” the First Children’s Song in Recorded History?
Loading more article

When David Ben-Gurion Met Chazon Ish

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

When David Ben-Gurion Met Chazon Ish

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

When David Ben-Gurion Met Chazon Ish

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What was the ideological debate between Ben-Gurion and Chazon Ish?

What was the ideological debate between Ben-Gurion and Chazon Ish?

How did their views on the role of religion in the state of Israel differ?

How did their views on the role of religion in the state of Israel differ?

9/4/2020 When David Ben-Gurion Met Chazon Ish

When David Ben-Gurion Met Chazon Ish

A summary of the ideological debate between Zionism and ultra-Orthodox

(From the diaries of David Ben-Gurion, October 20th, 1952)

Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, the Abraham

When Jews from the Land of Israel Vacationed in Lebanon >

The National Day of Mourning… and Fundraising? >

“Ben-Gurion Meets With ‘Chazon Ish'” – A report in Maariv on the

Comments for this article

When Jews from the Land of Israel

From the Ephemera Collection at the National Library of Israel

“Gather strength and health in Lebanon – Gaiety and comfort at low

An ad promoting the Grand Hotel Casino at Ain Sofar, promising the

An ad promoting ski trips to Sofar, Lebanon, with two Swiss ski

The snowy peak of Jabal Al Barouk in the Chouf Mountains,

From the Ephemera Collection at the National Library of Israel

On the way to Baalbek, 1929. Photo: Jenka Ratner, the Bitmuna

An ad promoting a 10-day organized trip to “Lebanon, the Alawite

An ad listing Lebanese hotels offering kosher meals, from Ha’aretz,

The Snows of Lebanon Hotel in Metula, the Bitmuna Collection

The National Day of Mourning… and Fundraising? >

New Digital Platform Celebrates Else Lasker-Schüler >

An ad from 1945 advertising an organized week-long trip to Syria

Comments for this article

The National Day of Mourning… and

In the early 20th century, Zionists rallied around Tisha B’Av

The Destruction of the Temple, as depicted in an early 18th century

An early 20th century Jewish National Fund postcard showing

Excerpt from an article urging international contributions to JNF on

Jerusalem following the 1927 earthquake. From the Pritzker Family

If you liked this article, try these:

Rare Images: When the Land of Israel Shook in 1927

The Beautiful Postcards Theodor Herzl Sent to His Daughter

The Epidemic That Brought Jews Back to Jerusalem

New Digital Platform Celebrates Else Lasker-Schüler >

Tel Aviv’s First Firefighters >

Comments for this article

How the Western Wall Became One of

Jewish women wearing shawls pray in front of the Western Wall.

Prayer at the Western Wall. From the Postcard Collection at the

The Western Wall adorns a map of Jerusalem from the 19th

Men and women praying at the Western Wall, mid-19th century.

Prayer at the Western Wall, early 20th century. It is possible to see

If you liked this article, try these:

A Glimpse of 19th Century Jerusalem

The Epidemic That Brought Jews Back to Jerusalem

New Digital Platform Celebrates Else Lasker-Schüler >

Tel Aviv’s First Firefighters >

Feeling Israel: Helen Keller in the Holy Land >

Is “Chad Gadya” the First Children’s Song in Recorded History?

Comments for this article

Loading more article

You might also like