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RELIGIOUS ZIONIST LEADERS

Continuing our series about the leaders who have
shaped Religious Zionism over the last 150 years

rabbi yitzchak ya’akov reines

orn on 19 Cheshvan 5600 ACTIVITIES FOR ERETZ YISRAEL the spiritual center of Judaism.
(October 27 1839) in Karolin, Their purpose was twofold: on the
BBelarus, Rabbi Yitzchak Two years after the establishment one hand, they wanted to heighten
Ya’akov Reines studied at Volozhin of the World Zionist Organization, awareness among religious Jews
Yeshiva under the Netziv. His ability Rabbi Reines began to actively towards the possibility of Aliyah, and
to immediately grasp and memorize work on its behalf. He was one of on the other, they wanted to influence
the first rabbis to answer Herzl’s
information while he was still very call to become part of the Zionist the non-religious Zionists by creating
young was renowned. By the time Movement, and beginning with the an atmosphere of tolerance and
he was 18, he had been ordained by Third Zionist Congress in 1899, he equality between the two factions.
some of the most famous and well- attended almost all meetings and During Mizrachi’s first year, 210
respected rabbis of the time. congresses of the world body. groups were established in Russia,
Poland and Lithuania, aside from
In 1867 he was appointed Rabbi of the Mizrachi groups in other
Saukenai, Lithuania, where he spent countries. In the general gathering
less than two years. He then moved of Zionists in Minskin in 1902, 160
to Sventsyany (a district of Vilna) to Mizrachi members attended the
serve as Rabbi and Av Beit Din. congress. Previously, at the Fifth
Zionist Congress, Rabbi Reines
It was in Sventsyany that Rabbi
Reines set up a revolutionary yeshiva fought strongly to keep the Zionist
Movement from splitting and thus
in which secular subjects were voted for the Uganda Resolution.
taught along with the regular yeshiva After the 10th Zionist Congress in
curriculum. He wished to narrow 1911, when the responsibility for
the gap between yeshiva students education did indeed fall under the
and enlightened Jews so that a wings of the WZO, the Mizrachi
yeshiva graduate would be able to Movement split. However, through
understand and deal with the world Rabbi Reines’ personal intervention
around him. and efforts, Mizrachi remained
within the organization apart from
However, this aroused great the Frankfurt branch. Rabbi Reines
opposition among the religious remained head of Mizrachi until his
and more established members of In 1901, at the Fifth Zionist death.
the community. They viewed the Congress, when the National
inclusion of secular subjects as a Federation (or Democratic Rabbi Reines died on 10 Elul 5675
desecration of the holy, and the Federation) attempted to have all (August 29 1915) and his name has
yeshiva was forced to close after education placed under the auspices been memorialized in many areas
a short time. Yet Rabbi Reines of the World Zionist Organization in Eretz Yisrael. Neve Ya’akov, a
never abandoned the idea and was (WZO), he fought strongly against suburb of Jerusalem established in
destined to see its fruition many the idea. 1924, rebuilt after the Six-Day War
years later. Under his guidance and influence, the of 1967, is named after him. The
first moshav of HaPoel HaMizrachi,
He then went to Lida, where he First Congress of Religious Zionists Sede Ya’akov, established in 1927,
served as Rabbi and Av Bet Din and met in Vilna in 1902. There, they is also named in his honor, as are
by 1905 his reputation gave him the chose to call themselves Mizrachi, many streets in Israeli cities.
ability to establish a yeshiva called an abbreviation of Merkaz Ruchani Rabbi Reines’ importance rests
Torah UMada (Torah and Science). (spiritual center). not only with the fact that he
During its 10-year existence, the Indeed, the Mizrachi party established Mizrachi – the
yeshiva enjoyed a well-earned envisioned itself as the spiritual Religious Zionist Movement – but
reputation and produced hundreds center of the Zionist organization also that many of his ideas became
of graduates. and desired to make Eretz Israel reality in the modern State of Israel.

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