Page 47 - HaMizrachi #15 2019 Chanuka USA

RELIGIOUS ZIONIST LEADERS

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

rabbi yehuda solomon alkalai

ehuda Solomon Alkalai was the Midrash and homiletic literature, devoted himself to spreading these
born in Sarajevo (Bosnia) in that the Messiah, son of Yosef, would ideas through writing and speeches
Y1798. He spent his childhood first come to lead the people of Israel within Western European Jewish
in Yerushalayim studying with in the apocalyptic war of Gog and communities. He approached such
various rabbis and it was there he Magog and would then re-conquer the leaders as Moses Montefiore and
came under the influence of the Land of Israel, freeing it from foreign Adolph Cremieux for their political
Kabbalah – Jewish mysticism. In domination. and financial support.
1825, he became the Rabbi of Semlin
(in Serbia). At that time, the Serbs, as Rabbi Alkalai’s views were Rabbi Alkalai was convinced that
well as other nationalities within the further reinforced in 1840, with it would be possible to buy part or
Balkan States, were greatly influenced the occurrence of the Damascus even most of the Holy Land from the
by the Greek War of Independence Blood Libel, which shook the very Turkish government, as Avraham had
and the prevailing atmosphere of foundations of the Jewish world, and done at the cave of Machpela when
rebellion against foreign Turkish rule. elements of the non-Jewish world too. he bought land from Ephron the
Hittite. He dreamed of establishing
With this resurgence of national pride a worldwide organization along
and desire for independence, the the lines of the various national
entire Balkan area became divided organizations, then prevalent among
among different nations and peoples. other European nations. The purpose
There is no doubt that these events
influenced Alkalai and brought of these organizations would be
him to the realization that the time to buy and reclaim land, as well as
had come for Jewish nationalism providing loans for new settlers.
to reassert itself among the Jewish These ideas were subsequently
people. adopted by Herzl and the World
Zionist Organization.
In 1834, with the publication of a
small booklet entitled Shema Yisrael, Rabbi Alkalai also traveled to
Rabbi Alkalai raised the issue of different cities attempting to set up a
Jewish political independence and basic structure for the organization
the Land of Israel for the first time. he envisioned. One such group was
In his essay, he proposed a beginning established in London but it did
of Jewish settlement in the Land of not last long enough to have any
Israel as a precursor to the Messianic substantial impact upon the masses.
Redemption. This scandal convinced Rabbi
Alkalai (and many other members Rabbi Alkalai wanted to convince
Such an idea was not only original of the younger generation such people that his plan for at least part
but was considered heretical among as Moses Hess) that freedom and of the Jewish nation to re-establish
many Jews who believed that the security for the nation could and itself in the Land of the Forefathers
Messianic Redemption would come would only be achieved in the was one of realistic proportions and
only through a miraculous event Land of the Forefathers, and that that the realization of an independent
caused by G-d. Within Alkalai’s the redemption would only come state could be achieved. Towards the
proposition of a natural process of about through positive action on end of his life, he moved to Israel and
redemption, there was the inclusion the part of the Jewish community. died there without seeing any of his
of the Rabbinic doctrine, expressed in From this moment, Rabbi Alkalai dreams fulfilled.

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