1830 - 1892. Born in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire , Judah Leib Gordon was among the most influential Hebrew poets. He is considered one of the greatest poets of Haskalah and is known for his sharp fight against the rabbinic establishment. Source: The David B. Keidan Collection of Digital Images from the Central Zionist Archives. At a young age, he studied Torah with some of the most renowned educators. He quickly proved to be a great student, memorizing hundreds of Talmud pages. At 17, he began learning European culture and languages. After graduating at 22, he started his career as a teacher in 1853. During the twenty years he spent as a teacher, he produced his most significant work as a poet and author. He wrote various pieces including satirical stories, fables, and polemic essays, all advocating for the revival of the Hebrew language . Despite denouncing prejudice against Jews, he also fought against Jewish society's societal ills and its religious conservatism. In 1865, Gordon became the principal of the Hebrew public school in Telz (Lithuania) where he established a girls' school. He resigned from teaching in 1872 and moved to St. Petersburg to work as secretary of both the community and the Society for the Promotion of Culture among the Jews of Russia. However, in 1879, he was jailed for alleged anti-Czarist activities. Gordon was cleared of these charges in 1880 and returned to St. Petersburg, where he became the editor of the Hebrew-language daily newspaper Ha-Melits . He also anonymously wrote editorials and columns, using various pseudonyms, and published stories, columns, and book reviews. Two periods characterize his work: the first was characterized by romantic poetry on biblical subjects, and the second by satirical and militant poetry on public affairs. He was averse to religious fanatics, and at the same time, averse to assimilators who distanced themselves from their Jewish heritage. His poem called " Hakitza Ami " (available in Hebrew here ) is a great illustration of the second period. "Hakitsa Ami" is a Hebrew poem written in 1866, and was an ideological manifesto of the Jewish Enlightenment movement. In the poem, Gordon addresses his people and demands that they stand up and integrate into European societies. This is following the social and philosophical developments of that time. The following verse appears in the 10th stanza and is a great example of that vision. "הֱיֵה אָדָם בְּצֵאתְךָ וִיהוּדִי בְּאָהֳלֶךָ" " Be a man in the streets and a Jew at home " The poem became a proclamation toward emancipation, at a time when anti-Semitism and discrimination were decreasing. The Jew has no choice but to become a naturalized citizen of his European mother country. He must become educated, learn the local language, and integrate into the economy to be a citizen with equal rights and duties. However, he should not forget his Jewish heritage and identity. The verse "Be a man when you go out and a Jew in your tent" became the slogan of the Jewish Haskalah in the second half of the 19th century, on how to combine both parts of you, the citizen and the Jew. On the other hand, the poem was fiercely criticized when published. Indeed, Judah Leib Gordon did not belong to the Hovevei Zion movement and did not encourage its ideas. He doubted the national solution proposed by the movement. He did not see in the Land of Israel the possibility of immediate and safe refuge for Jews. Apparently, he even feared the rabbis taking over a future settlement that would be rebuilt there. He called for Jewish immigration from Russia to America. Judah Leib Gordon died in Saint Petersburg in 1892. In his later years, he wrote a letter that was published 30 days after his death, upon his request. In this letter, he expressed that he had changed his mind and decided to participate in the collective efforts for the settlement of the Land of Israel. Here are links to other poems: HaErev Likui Hama Gam Ze Letovah Baalot Hashahar Sources: https://www.ithl.org.il/page_13638 https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/יהודה_לייב_גורדון

1922 - 1995. Yitzhak Rabin was Israel's former IDF Chief of Staff, the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Rabin was born in Jerusalem to Eastern European Jewish immigrants, and he grew up in a Zionist household. His parents were members of the Labor Unity party. His journey in the military began at age 14 when he joined the Hagannah , the Yishuv's military force. A few years later, he was one of the first to enlist in the Palmach (1941-1948), where he held different positions, including commander of the Harel Brigade (today part of the Southern Command). In the War of Independence , he was the operations officer of the Southern Front. He played a pivotal role in fighting the  Egyptian army in the Negev and in Jerusalem where he directed some operations. During the first truce, Rabin commanded IDF forces on the beach of Tel Aviv , confronting the Irgun during the Altalena Affair. In early 1949, he participated in the Israeli delegation for armistice talks with Egypt on Rhodes, resulting in the 1949 Armistice Agreements that concluded the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. After the war, he became the highest-ranking ex-Palmach member in the IDF post-demobilization. Later, Rabin contributed significantly to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), shaping its training doctrine in the early 1950s and leading the Operations Directorate from 1959 to 1963. His leadership culminated in becoming Chief of the General Staff in 1964, overseeing Israel's triumph in the 1967 Six-Day War . On this link , you can listen to an extract of his speech at Har Hatzofim in Jerusalem after the 6 days War. The full speech is Written in English on that link . Here are some words, still relevant today, that he pronounced when he visited soldiers. After the war, he led the reorganization of the army, which was required to spread over many territories and protect long borders. Rabin's diplomatic endeavors included serving as Israel's ambassador to the United States from 1968 to 1973, strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship. Following Golda Meir 's resignation, he assumed the role of Prime Minister in 1974 (after winning against Shimon Peres the primaries for the Haavoda Party). During his first term, Rabin signed the Sinai Interim Agreement, which included Israel's withdrawal from Sinai, and authorized the 1976 Entebbe raid. He resigned in 1977 following a financial scandal. In the 1980s, Rabin held the position of Israel's Minister of Defense, navigating challenges during the First Intifada (1987). He also worked to establish a security zone in southern Lebanon. In 1992, he was re-elected as Prime Minister (as the leader of the Haavoda Party), focusing on the Israeli–Palestinian peace process via the Oslo Accords, in which he played a crucial role. He headed direct negotiations with the PLO leadership, which led to the establishment of Palestinian autonomy in the Gaza Strip and Jericho, as a follow-up to the first part of the Oslo Accords of 1993. His commitment to peace was recognized in 1994 when he, along with Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. That same year, Rabin also signed a peace treaty with Jordan, with King Hussein being his counterpart. Tragically, his pursuit of peace was cut short in November 1995 when he was assassinated by extremist Yigal Amir, who opposed the Oslo Accords. You can have more information about the day of his death by clicking on this article , which explains the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day. Here is an extract from his last speech. Here is a Video about the official announcement of his death. He remains an enduring symbol of hope for peace. Rabin's legacy endures as the first native-born prime minister of Israel, the sole prime minister to be assassinated, and the second to die in office after Levi Eshkol . He married Leah Schlossberg and had two children. Like most of the ruling class of that time, Rabin was a secular Jew embracing a Jewish identity ( more details) . Sources: https://www.mod.gov.il/About/ministers/Pages/rabin.aspx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yitzhak_Rabin

Sexta was an Israeli girl band active between 1978 and 1983. The group had five female singers: Panina Barik, Hani Eliakim (Bodgov), Iris Shemi, Ruthi ben Avraham, and Warda Nega, who replaced Samdar Wimzar in June 1979. The band released three pop albums before it split up, and was successful mainly at various festivals. Some of the most popular songs (available on Spotify ) are " I was born for Peace ", " Cinderella ", " The Dudaim ", and " I make myself melodies ". The band tried to perform twice at the Eurovision competition but was unsuccessful, and in 2003, it returned to activity and released a new "Sexta" album. You can see the band singing (on YouTube videos) the songs " I was born for Peace " and " HaDudaim ". .

1854 - 1938. David Shuv was an Orthodox rabbi and a Proto-Zionist and was among the founders of the city of Rosh Pinna . Below is his incredible story! David Shuv, source: Wikipedia. Public Domain. Moshe David Shuv stood at the harbor of Beirut with his wife after a journey marked by both sorrow and determination. Arriving from their hometown of Buhuși, Romania, they carried the weight of a recent loss—the passing of their newborn child just hours before reaching the Beirut port on their journey to Safed . Fearing the scrutiny of Ottoman soldiers at the port, Shuv instructed his wife to conceal their grief and pretend to nurse their lifeless infant. The soldiers permitted their passage, unaware of the heartache hidden beneath the surface. Shuv's story embodies the spirit of Rosh Pinna, vividly illustrating this initial hardship- a testament to the unwavering spirit he would later instill in the community. As he recounts in his book 'Memories of the House of David': “The ship anchored at the shore of Beirut to drop off a few families there. Among them was my family. On the way, between Constantinople and Beirut, my young daughter fell ill on the ship, and before the ship reached Beirut, she passed away. All the passengers told me they had never seen anyone like her in beauty and alertness, and she was praised and marveled at by everyone. They said she died only because of the evil eye. However, they feared that the authorities might quarantine all the passengers on this ship and force them to stay in Beirut for who knows how long. Therefore, they pleaded with my wife to conceal the death of the child with all her might, to suppress her grief, and to carry the dead child in her arms as if she were alive, so the guards at the shore would not notice. It is easy to imagine how much my poor wife and my elderly mother suffered, who, in addition to their sorrow and pain, had to restrain their tears for the sake of the passengers. Thus, the unfortunate mother carried the dead child until they were inside the city, where they then took her for burial. This was my first sacrifice upon my family's arrival.” In 1882, Shuv arrived not only with his family and community but also with a vision. The ship "Thetis" carried not just passengers but also the seeds of a new future. Their final destination was Gei Oni, at the foothills of Safed, a place ravaged by despair and abandonment but begging for a second chance at renewal.  They began by renaming it Rosh Pinna, meaning "keystone" in Hebrew , inspired by Psalms 118: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone." Gei Oni was founded in 1878, four years before Shuv’s arrival. The first residents descended from Safed towards the foothills overlooking the Hula Valley. They were desperate for a change: from relying on charity funds ( more details ) to earning their livelihood from the land, its fruit, and their own efforts. However, due to drought, hunger, diseases, lack of experience, and a shortage of funds, they quickly encountered significant difficulties, forcing them to abandon Gei Oni and return to Safed in humiliation. But despite all the challenges, three families—Friedman, Kellar, and Schwartz—remained, and their descendants still live there today, living off the land and its fruits. Years later, the legacy of Moshe David Shuv still echoes in Rosh Pinna, notably along the historic road that bears his name—David Shuv Street. This route, still serving as the primary connection to Safed despite a new and modern highway, retains its significance, much like Shuv's pivotal role in establishing Rosh Pinna. Shuv's influence extends beyond Rosh Pinna and has also left its mark on Israel's education system. In 1886, Baron Rothschild appointed Shuv as the principal of Rosh Pinna's school, marking the establishment of the first Hebrew school in the region. He introduced a groundbreaking teaching approach, teaching "Hebrew in Hebrew" despite facing significant challenges and controversy. Moshe David Shuv was not only a pioneer and leader but also an Orthodox rabbi and a Proto-Zionist. His vision, like others in his generation, was born from the long history of Jewish exile, persecution, and pogroms, and was also inspired by the rise of nationalism. Shuv, like many in his generation and in contrast to over a thousand years of Jewish life in exile, did not want to wait for a miracle; he wanted to take action ‘to strike the rock’ just like Moses in the desert and return with his people to their ancestral homeland, realizing the centuries-old yearning to return to Zion. Today, David Shuv Street in Rosh Pinna is a testament to this spirit. This historic route, bustling with life, still connects Rosh Pinna and its neighbors to Safed and beyond, echoing the footsteps of a leader whose journey from tragedy to triumph leaves an everlasting mark on Israel's history. On the 23rd of Adar, 5698 (1938), Shuv passed away in Jerusalem , leaving behind a profound legacy of dedication to the Land and people of Israel, and was laid to rest in Rosh Pinna. Today, one hundred and forty-two years later, Rosh Pinna is a thriving community, home to over 3,000 residents, a center for the neighboring communities, with many restaurants, shops, galleries, cafes, and more. More details about the Old Yishuv period are on this link . Article Written by Yehuda Folberg Tour Guide in the Galilee and Israel Contact details for local tips: Instagram & Linkedin

El Hatzipor ("To the Bird") is Nahman Bialik 's first published poem (1892). This song expresses the longing for Jerusalem, sung by a bird returning from the Promised Land to a European window border. The original poem is longer than the examples below and includes 16 stanzas. The Sharon region, Mount Hermon as well as the Jordan River and Jerusalem are evoked. You can hear via these YouTube videos three different interpretations by Israeli singers and musicians: Avishai Cohen , Avi Toledano (with lyrics), and a recent version from Hadag Nahash . Translation of the first stanza: Welcome upon your return sweet bird, From the warm countries to my window - How my soul longs to hear your pleasant voice in winter when you leave my dwelling. On this link , you'll find the full Hebrew version, and on this one , a shorter version translated into English.

1855 - 1914. David Wolffsohn was a Lithuanian-Jewish businessman, an early Zionist, and the second president of the Zionist Organization. Source: Wikipedia. Public domain. Born in Lithuania in 1856, David Wolffsohn received a traditional Jewish education. In his twenties, he traveled a lot and worked in many jobs. He connected with the writer David Gordon and absorbed his ideas on the importance of the return to Zion. Throughout his travels, Wolffsohn remained active in Jewish affairs. However, it was in Cologne (Germany) that he first became involved in Zionist activities. In 1888, he settled there and became a successful businessman. In 1893, Wolffsohn established the Cologne Association for the Development of Agriculture in Palestine, part of the Hovevei Zion movement. In 1896, he read Herzl's publication "Der Judenstaat" , and traveled to Vienna to meet with him. After returning from Vienna, Wolffsohn established in Cologne the epicenter of the Zionist Organization in Germany - the "National Jewish Association". The fundamental beliefs of the association were a combination of the Hovevei Zion movement's ideas and Herzl's Zionist ones. In 1897, elections were held in Germany for the German Zionist Organization, where he was elected treasurer. Together with Herzl, they embarked on a tour to Istanbul and the Land of Israel, where they met with Kaiser Wilhelm II to discuss the establishment of a Jewish State. During the trip, the ties between Wolffsohn and Herzl grew stronger, and as a tribute to his friend, Herzl named the main character in his book "Altneuland" David. David Litbeck is the name of the character. Wolffsohn played a key role in establishing the Jewish Colonial Trust (the first Zionist bank founded at the Second Zionist Congress and incorporated in London in March 1899). Zalman David Levontin was its first president. Wolffsohn experienced differences with Herzl, who interfered with bank operations despite his lack of financial expertise. But despite these challenges, he remained loyal to Herzl, even during the Uganda Plan controversy. After Herzl's death, Wolffsohn became President of the World Zionist Organization and continued his predecessor's political and diplomatic priorities. He served as chairman of the organization until 1911 when he resigned after facing opposition from practical Zionists (who wanted to quickly implement concrete actions in the Land of Israel, even if no diplomatic and political results were obtained). Despite this setback, Wolffsohn continued his work with the Jewish Colonial Trust until his death in Hamburg in 1914. In 1952, Wolffsohn and his wife Fanny's coffins were reinterred in Israel. Sources: https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/דוד_וולפסון https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/david-wolffsohn

1873 - 1934. Source: National Photo Collection of Israel. Haim Nahman Bialik was a Jewish poet who wrote in Hebrew and Yiddish and was one of the pioneers of modern Hebrew poetry. Being a noted essayist and storyteller, he also translated major European works. Even though Bialik died before Israel became a state, he was later recognized as Israel's national poet. Haim Nahman Bialik was born in Radi, in the Russian Empire. After his father's death, he moved to Zhytomyr to live with his Orthodox grandfather and received a traditional Jewish religious education. However, he also explored European literature and was attracted to the Jewish Enlightenment movement. At 18, he moved to Odessa, the center of modern Jewish culture in the southern Russian Empire. There, he studied Russian and German language and literature and became involved in the Hovevei Zion movement. He greatly appreciated Ahad Ha'am , who significantly influenced his Zionist outlook. Alone and needy, he made his living teaching Hebrew . His first poem, El Hatzipor ("To the Bird"), published in 1892, eased Bialik's way into Jewish literary circles in Odessa. The poem is written in accordance with the Ashkenazi pronunciation and expresses a longing for Jerusalem. This dedicated article will give you more context about this poem , and you can see on this YouTube video one of its interpretations, by Avishai Cohen. He married Manya Averbuch and worked as a bookkeeper and Hebrew teacher in various places before returning to Odessa in 1900. For the next two decades, Bialik taught and continued his activities in Zionist and literary circles, as his reputation and fame continued to rise. This is considered Bialik's "golden period". In 1901 his first collection of poetry was published in Warsaw and received critical acclaim. He was hailed "the poet of national Renaissance." Bialik relocated to Warsaw briefly in 1904 as literary editor of the weekly magazine HaShiloah founded by Ahad Ha'am, a position he served for six years. In the early 20th century, Ravnitzky, Simcha Ben Zion, Elhanan Levinsky , and Bialik founded a Hebrew publishing house, Moriah. This house issued Hebrew classics and school texts. He translated into Hebrew various European works, such as Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Miguel De Cervantes's novel Don Quixote . Between 1899 and 1915, Bialik published around 20 Yiddish poems in various periodicals in the Russian Empire. He also worked on "Sefer HaAggadah", a three-volume collection of folk tales and proverbs from the Talmud, which was widely praised. Bialik edited Ibn Gabirol's poems and began a modern commentary on the Mishnah. Bialik also added several commentaries to the Talmud. In 1919 in Odessa, he was also able to found the Dvir publishing house, which would later become famous. This publishing house, now based in Israel, still exists, but is now known as Kinneret Zmora-Bitan Dvir. In 1924, Bialik moved to Tel Aviv with his publishing house Dvir, and focused on cultural and public affairs. He became a literary figure. He headed the Hebrew Writers Union and founded the Oneg Shabbat Society, promoting Shabbat observance (with singing and Torah studies). He believed that public observance of the Sabbath was essential to the preservation of the Jewish people, even though he wasn't religious in his personal life. In Tel Aviv, Bialik built an original and special house. Construction and maintenance were expensive, and the house almost impoverished him. Historical evidence describes Bialik as a man who didn't like the house he built. He found himself living inside a building that was a kind of Mediterranean palace, but one that took a lot of energy from him. Only after his death, the house became a memorial place. Bialik died in Vienna, Austria, on July 4, 1934, from a sudden heart attack. He was buried in Tel Aviv, and as you can see on this YouTube video , a large mourning procession followed from his home on the street named after him to his final resting place. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayim_Nahman_Bialik https://eureka.org.il/item/17103/מי-היה-המשורר-חיים-נחמן-ביאליק

1913 - 1992. Menachem Begin was an underground Commander, Opposition Leader, and Israel’s sixth Prime Minister. Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1978. Source: USAF, public domain. As one of the most outstanding Jewish leaders of the 20th century, his life followed the trajectory of the travails and successes of the Jewish people in their Exile and their Return to Zion.  He was born into a traditional Jewish family life but one open to the world around. His birthplace, Brest/Brisk, was then part of Russia, later Poland and today, Belarus, and the year was 1913. His father, Ze'ev Dov, served as the secretary of the Jewish community and his mother was a housewife. He had an older sister and brother. His brother disappeared during the Holocaust while his sister survived, residing in Uzbekistan. His mother was murdered by the Nazis while in hospital, and his father was thrown into the nearby Bug River, stones bound around his neck. He was involved in Zionist youth activity from a young age. After briefly participating in the leftist HaShomer HaTzair movement, he joined Betar shortly after his Bar Mitzvah and met Ze'ev Jabotinsky , leader of the Revisionist Zionists, a year later. Parallel to his university law studies in Warsaw, he became very involved in Betar, eventually, in early 1939, assuming the leadership position of the movement in Poland with its tens of thousands of members. According to Eli Lake, what made Begin the man he was is an element of the ideology of Betar: hadar , a Hebrew word meaning self-respect, honor, and dignity. Despite the Jewish condition of victimhood, of living at the mercy of anti-Semites, they would no longer accept being spectators to their humiliation and annihilation. The new Jew would be proud. He would fight back. Upon the outbreak of World War Two , he and his wife, Aliza, fled eastwards to Vilna but there, a year later, he was arrested by the Soviet regime. Charged with counter-revolutionary activity as a Zionist nationalist, he spent a year in detention including a period in the Pechora gulag camp. Following the German invasion of Russia, he was freed with other Poles and joined Anders' Army (Polish Armed Forces) and made his way with the troops to the Land of Israel, under British Mandate . He arrived in April 1942 and rejoined his wife. By December 1943 he had been appointed commander of the anti-British Irgun underground. For the next four years and more, he was hunted by the British Mandatory regime, changing living quarters and identities, while leading the Irgun. His strategy, according to Professor David Charters, was to simultaneously undermine British rule in Palestine while promoting the Irgun’s image and message thereby creating ever-increasing damage to British prestige, while the act itself would enhance the reputation of the Irgun. Following the armed resistance campaign, buttressed by the actions of the Lechi underground and the Palmach, as well as the clandestine immigration by boats, the British turned to the UN to relieve them of the Mandate responsibility. Operations such as the King David Hotel bombing (on 22 July 1946), the Acre prison break-out, the hanging of two British sergeants and attacks on army camps and police stations and dozens of others made British rule impossible. With the establishment of the state of Israel, the Altalena ship incident in June 1948 almost marred the stability of the new government when David Ben-Gurion reneged on an agreement over the arms distribution brought in by the Irgun but Begin ordered his men not to engage in any civil strife. He headed Herut , the main opposition party to the Mapai hegemony. In 1967, on the eve of the Six Days War , he joined a national unity coalition, ending his ostracism. He served as a Minister until 1970 when he resigned after the government agreed to a compromise with Egypt, accepting the Rodgers’ Plan. Finally, in 1977, the new political bloc Begin headed, Likud, won a plurality of Knesset seats and established a government. Begin served as Prime Minister , and additional ministerial posts, until he resigned in the fall of 1983. Among his accomplishments were the bombing of the Iraq nuclear reactor, Project Renewal to rehabilitate underprivileged neighborhoods, a peace treaty with Egypt which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize, reforms in the domestic field, elimination of tuition fees for secondary education and, among others, introduction of a national income support system. A trend began that nudged Israel more to a capitalist economy. After a year of the First Lebanon War and the death of his wife, Begin resigned in September 1983. For the next decade, he lived as a recluse and passed away in March 1992. He was considered the epitome of a ‘Jewish’ statesman, a politician with high moral standards and integrity, one who upheld Israel’s security as primary while paying the utmost respect to Jewish traditions and honoring Israel’s minorities and their civil rights.  Recommended Reading: Menachem Begin, The Revolt Menachem Begin, White Nights Daniel Gordis, Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israel's Soul  Yehuda Avner, The Prime Ministers Harry Hurwitz and Yisrael Medad, Peace in the Making: the Begin-Sadat Correspondence Article Written by Yisrael Medad Israeli journalist and author, and former director of educational programming and information resources at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem. Personnal Blog: myrightword.blogspot.com

Throughout the 19th century, the city of Jaffa served as one of the main entry points to the land of Israel for Jews from around the world returning to the Land of Israel. Later in the century, during the 1880s, new neighborhoods started to emerge outside Jaffa like Neve Tzedek, Neve Shalom, Ohel Moshe, and Kerem Hataimanim. The turning point of today's Tel Aviv was in 1909 when a new neighborhood called “Ahuzat Bayit” was created. On 11 April 1909, 66 Jewish families gathered on a desolate sand dune and parceled out the land by a lottery system using seashells. This gathering is considered the official date of the establishment of Tel Aviv. Akiva Aryeh Weiss, an architect, and city planner, organized the lottery. 41 people gathered in the lottery*. As Akiva Aryeh Weiss said: "It was impossible for anyone to prepare objections in advance, so the lottery got off to an auspicious start"*. The 66 families, members of the "Ahuzat Bayit" house-building association, drawing lots for the 60 plots on which to build, on the piece of land the association had acquired. Photo by Avraham Soskin, April 1909. Within a year, Herzl , Ahad Ha’am , Yehuda Halevi , Lilienblum , and Rothschild streets were built; a water system was installed, and 66 houses were completed. Meir Dizengoff and his wife Zina  were among the first 66 families to Establish in Ahuzat Bait. In 1910, the first shop (a kiosk) was built. This shop still exists today at the same location. The same year, the neighborhood’s name was changed to "Tel Aviv" according to Sokolov's translation of Herzl's book " Altneuland ". Sokolov, who was looking for a fitting Hebrew translation for the book's title, which literally means "old-new land", found it in the name Tel Aviv, the Spring Hill. The people of Ahuzat Beit also found the name "Tel Aviv" an appropriate expression for their ambition to establish a Hebrew city in the spirit of modern European cities on the historical homeland of the Jews. Menachem Sheinkin , who proposed the new name, justified it by saying : "With this name, our leader Herzl expressed the hope in our future in the Land of Israel. The name Tel Aviv has a local, Arab tone, and all the inhabitants of the country will soon get used to it." The desire to combine the old with the new and integrate into the region while maintaining cultural differentiation (and perhaps, some would say while maintaining the European roots), is the leading motif in the story of Tel Aviv's establishment. The first building erected in the city was the "Herzliya Gymnasium" (under the influence of Borgrashov and Sheinkin), built in 1909 at the northern end of Herzl Street, the first street in the city. The building was then destroyed in 1959, and replaced by today’s Shalom Meir Tower . Many immigrants from the middle class arrived in the city in the 1920s and 1930s, duplicating the way of life they were familiar with like drinking coffee and eating strudels in cafes, having a leisurely walk by the sea, or watching movies. This is how the "Tel Avivi" lifestyle began to develop, characterized by a leisure culture of sitting in cafes and cinemas. During the beginning of the 20th century, the new expanding city absorbed the previous quarters such as Nahalat Binyamin in 1913. In 1934, Tel Aviv was granted the status of an independent municipality by the British, separate from Jaffa. After the War of Independence in 1947/1949, the city started to annex parts of Jaffa. In 1950, the city was officially renamed Tel Aviv -Yafo. On the following link , you can see the construction of Tel Aviv (starting at 08:00) in the early 20th century. On this link and this one , you have some testimonies of the first people who lived in Ahuzat Bait and the early days of Tel Aviv. Here is our special map of Tel Aviv, with the street names explanations. Herzliya Gymnasium building, view from Herzl Street, 1912. Source: http://www.zionistarchives.org.il/ The Herbert Samuel promenade in the late 30’s. Source: http://www.zionistarchives.org.il/ Herzl Street and the Herzliya Gymnasium building. Source: http://www.zionistarchives.org.il/ Same Kiosk from a Google Maps perspective Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Aviv#/media/File:PikiWiki_Israel_49257_Nachlat_Binyamin_.jpg https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/tel-aviv-from-spring-hill-to-independence https://www.touristisrael.com/jaffa-yafo-tel-aviv/360/ *Tel Aviv-Yafo City Museum Photos : http://www.zionistarchives.org.il/en/datelist/Pages/achuzat-bayit.aspx / http://www.zionistarchives.org.il/Pages/TalilaBiset.aspx /

The "Norwegian Law" affects the appointment of ministers and Knesset members. The legislation became known as the 'Norwegian Law' due to a similar system in Norway. It enables any Knesset member selected as a minister or deputy minister to temporarily resign from their position but remain a minister. This allows the next person on the party's list to take their place. If the Knesset member then resigns or is dismissed from the new position, he/she would automatically return to the Knesset at the cost of the new Knesset member who did the replacement. The Knesset approved the amendment by 64-51 on 30 July 2015. An expanded version was passed by the Knesset plenum on June 15, 2020. This version allows all ministers to resign and be replaced. It allows between one and five party members who hold a minister to relinquish their Knesset seats to other party members (lower down on the party's list). The number of government members who are allowed to temporarily resign and later return to the Knesset is calculated based on the size of the parliamentary group. It is also calculated based on the number of Knesset members who are part of the faction but do not hold any ministerial or deputy ministerial positions. Source: https://m.knesset.gov.il/en/news/pressreleases/pages/press1662020q.aspx

Name The name "Knesset" comes from the ancient Knesset HaGdola, or "Great Assembly" in Hebrew, which was a group of 120 scribes, sages, and prophets in the Jewish tradition. This assembly existed from the end of the Biblical prophets to the development of Rabbinic Judaism. This spanned two centuries until around 200 BCE. There is no organizational connection between the ancient and the modern-day Knesset, except that they both included 120 members. Unlike the modern Knesset, the ancient Knesset was a religious body not elected by the people. Members of the Knesset are known in Hebrew as "Haver HaKnesset" if male, or "Havrat HaKnesset" if female. Assembled for the first time on February 14, 1949, it succeeded the Assembly of Representatives (Asefat HaNivharim) during the British mandate in Palestine and replaced the Provisional State Council (Moetzet HaMedina HaZmanit, with 37 deputies). The building is located on top of Givat Ram Hill in Jerusalem and was financed by James Armand de Rothschild, the elder son of Edmond de Rothschild . Role The Knesset is Israel's legislative body, consisting of one chamber. It holds the highest authority in the state and has complete control over the entire Israeli government, except for the checks and balances provided by the courts and local governments. The Knesset performs various essential functions, such as passing all laws, selecting the president and Prime Minister (although the president ceremonially appoints the prime minister), endorsing the cabinet, supervising the government's work, and electing the state comptroller. Additionally, the Knesset can remove the president and state comptroller from office. It can also waive its members' immunity, dissolve the government through a constructive vote of no confidence, and dissolve itself to hold new elections. Although the prime minister can also dissolve the Knesset, the Knesset remains in charge until supplementary elections are conducted. The Knesset has parliamentary supremacy and can pass any law with a simple majority (61 votes). This is even if it potentially conflicts with the Basic Laws of Israel unless the basic law has specific conditions for modification. As part of a plan established in 1950, the Knesset can adopt and modify the Basic Laws in its role as a Constituent Assembly. The Knesset is regulated by a Basic Law called "Basic Law: the Knesset." Although there is no formal constitution in Israel, and no Basic Law has been passed to grant the judiciary the power of judicial review, the Supreme Court of Israel has since the early 1990s asserted its authority to invalidate provisions of Knesset laws it finds inconsistent with the Basic Law. Organization Below are the explanations for each number. The Knesset Speaker or one of the Knesset Speaker’s deputies sits in the center of the dais while directing a plenum sitting. To the left of the Speaker sits the Knesset Secretary General. To the right of the Speaker is the podium for the person addressing the plenum. When the Knesset Sergeant-At-Arms attends a sitting, usually on festive occasions, he/she is also seated on the dais. Behind them stands the Israeli flag. The center table , which is shaped like a horseshoe, is reserved for members of the Government . At the head of the table sits the Prime Minister, with ministers on both sides. Each Knesset member has a permanent seat. At each Knesset Member’s table, there is a copy of the Knesset Rules of Procedure. There is also the agenda of the sitting, background materials relevant to that day's discussions, and a touch screen used for electronic voting. The results are displayed on two large screens on both sides of the Plenum Hall. On the left side of the wall hangs a portrait of Theodor Herzl etched on a dark zinc tablet. Interesting fact: The seats are arranged like a menorah (7-branched candelabra). Sources: https://m.knesset.gov.il/en/activity/pages/plenumhall.aspx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knesset

The Knesset plenum is the central and supreme authoritative body of the Knesset, made of 120 members. Bills, motions for the agenda, questions for government ministers, and no-confidence motions in the government are discussed, and debates on many topics (political events, national security, social issues, and the economy) are conducted there. The plenum Hall. Source: Knesset. The presence of all Knesset members is not mandatory for plenum activities. Unless a specific large majority of the total number of members is required by law, Knesset resolutions are passed by a majority vote (61) in the plenum. Plenary sessions record all Knesset members' statements and voting outcomes. Plenum sittings are typically held in Hebrew on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and members can speak Arabic. The Knesset Presidium, which includes the Knesset Speaker and their deputies, establishes the Knesset's agenda. The Knesset elects its Speaker and deputies through open elections. Until the Speaker is elected, the most senior Knesset member (who doesn't hold a minister position) serves as acting Speaker. The Presidium has authorities and duties pertaining to the Knesset's routine work. One sitting a week is dedicated to debating motions for the agenda raised by Knesset members. It also includes preliminary reading of bills submitted by individual Knesset members or groups of Knesset members. Bills can be submitted by the government, Knesset members, or committees and may propose new legislation, amendments, or cancellations to existing laws. Each bill is passed through four readings, including a preliminary reading and three additional readings, even though bills introduced by the government or Knesset committees skip the preliminary debate. Between each reading, debates occur within Knesset committees to prepare the bill for the next stage. After passing the third reading, the bill becomes law.