Page 26 - HaMizrachi # 21 Tisha B'Av 2020 USA
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AM, ERETZ, TORAH RELIGIOUS ZIONIST LEADERS
OUR SERIES ON LEADERS WHO HAVE SHAPED RELIGIOUS ZIONISM OVER THE LAST 150 YEARS
Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel
s his name ‘Ben-Zion’ or ‘son time, the realities of the moment traveled to Iraq and the United
of Zion’ states, Rabbi Uziel were his major concern. While States to generate interest in aliya
Awas born in Jerusalem in serving as the Rabbi of Salonika, and financial support for the
1880, the newest member of a very Greece for three years (a post he Yishuv. He also served as a Mizrachi
prestigious Sephardi family. His accepted temporarily and with the delegate to the Zionist Congress
father, Joseph Raphael, was the Av permission of the Jaffa community), from 1925-46. He was a prolific
Beit Din of the Sephardi community he was able to set up a system of writer. Regarding the Redemption
in Jerusalem. Following in his Talmud Torahs and yeshivot. It is of Israel he wrote:
father’s footsteps, by the age of 20, said that during his leadership, the
Ben-Zion Uziel was teaching at the community was completely devoted “We all desire that the ingathering
Tiferet Yerushalayim Yeshiva and to keeping Shabbat and Kashrut. of the exiles should take place
helped found the Machzikei Torah from all areas where they have
Yeshiva for Sephardim. been scattered; and that our holy
language will be upon our lips and
In 1911, Rabbi Uziel was upon the lips of our children, in
appointed ‘Chacham Bashi’ of the building the Land and its flowering
Sephardi community in Jaffa and through the hands and work of
immediately attempted to improve Israel; and we will all strive to see
the community functions, raising the flag of freedom and redemption
the status of the community in the waving in glory and strength
eyes of the rest of the Yishuv. Here upon the walls of Jerusalem. But
he became friendly with Rav Kook we cannot agree with those who
and together they worked for better view the buying of land as a final
inter-communal relations between objective. Such purchases serve as
Ashkenazim and Sephardim. He the first step in the clothing of the
set up yeshivot, improved the soul of life and the Torah of the
Beit Din and helped build various nation and for this, we must strive…
community centers.
Those who say that the laws of
During World War I, he worked our Torah have become useless,
tirelessly for the protection of the antiquated relics and its values have
rights of the Jews in Eretz Yisrael. outlived their purpose are gravely
He was exiled to Damascus along Upon returning to Israel, he became mistaken. For we know with clear
with the rest of the community by the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv and and true knowledge that the laws
the Turkish rulers in 1917 but was in 1939, Chief Sephardi Rabbi of
allowed to return before the coming Eretz Yisrael. In this capacity, he of G-d are truth and each day they
are as new as the day they were
of the British. In 1920 he joined the represented his community to the
Mizrachi Movement and worked on British Mandatory Government. given at Mount Sinai, and all human
behalf of Mizrachi and the Sephardi enlightenment until our present day
communities in Eretz Yisrael and in Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel has not succeeded in revealing and
the Diaspora until his death. was responsible for founding the reaching the level of moral justice
Sha’ar Zion Yeshiva and had a hand in society as well as in the family,
Rabbi Uziel’s travels took him to in the beginning of the Porat Yosef nor the same level of righteousness
many countries where he sought Yeshivot, which now exist in many of the Torah of Israel, whose ways
to persuade the Jews to come cities of Eretz Yisrael. As a member are ways of pleasantness and all her
to Israel. However, at the same of the Mizrachi Movement, he paths are peace.”
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