Page 19 - HaMizrachi Chanukah 2021 - USA

1947 1948 1949
On November 29 the United Nations General The State of Israel is born The first Mizrachi convention is held in Israel,
Assembly votes in favor of the partition of in the midst of Israel's addressed by Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
Palestine and the creation of a Jewish state War of Independence

ages and throughout the lands of exile. ofEretz Yisrael had been designated for In her biography of her father, Rabbi
From the time of Joshua to the present an Arab state, Rabbi Maiman declared Maiman In His Generations (Mossad HaRav
day,for a period of 3,318 years, Jews have that this U.N. decision is "the start of Kook, 1998), Rabbi Maiman's daughter
lived in the Land of Israel in an unbroken our redemption, the dim twilight of a Geulah Bat-Yehudah describes the fate-
sequence. After the destruction of the First new morning which is steadily coming ful moment of Israel's birth:
Temple by Babylon and again after the towards us."
destruction of the Second Temple by the "The moment has arrived. Ben-Gurion
In May 1948, Rabbi Maiman would reads the 'Foundation Scroll' (Declara-
Romans, Jews continued to dwell on this
famously play a critical role in the dec- tion of Independence) clause by clause.
sacred soil. Those who were exiled to for-
eign lands strove at all times to strengthen laration of the State of Israel. While the When he reaches the sentence, 'We hereby
People's Council gathered in Tel Aviv to declare the establishment of a Jewish State
the Jewish population of Palestine mate-
vote on independence, Rabbi Maiman in Bretz Yisrael, to be known as the State
rially and spiritually. From the days of
was trapped in Jerusalem under an Arab of Israel,' the assembled rise and break
Daniel to the present day, every Jew has
turned his face towards Jerusalem as he siege. In need of Rabbi Maiman's support out with prolonged applause. Ben-Gurion
for an immediate declaration of inde- continues to read, 'Placing our trust in the
says his prayers ...
pendence, Ben-Gurion sent a small plane Rock of Israel...' and when he finishes, he
Throughout the ages, we find Jews to Jerusalem to pick up Rabbi Maiman says, 'let us accept the Foundation Scroll
making efforts to reach the Land of Israel. and fly him to Tel Aviv. The airplane of the Jewish State by rising.'
Many would leave their homes and prop- was a single-man craft without space
erty, their families and friends, to wander Rabbi Maiman rises, shaking with emo-
for a passenger, and so Rabbi Maiman
from country to country in an attempt instructed the pilot to tie his tallit and tion, his throat choking with tears, and
to reach the Holy Land ... The Mizrachi using the Divine Name, recites the She-
tefillin tightly to the back of the pilot's
Organization, which is wholly religious seat. They promptly flew to Tel Aviv, hecheyanu blessing, 'Who has kept us
in character, has been enabled ... to take alive and sustained us to this season.' Cries
with Rabbi Maiman's legs hanging out
part in the reconstruction of the country. over the side of the aircraft! of 'Amen' from the assembled resound
Dozens of {Mizrachi] villages have been through the air."
established together with elementary Upon arriving in Tel Aviv, Rabbi Maiman After the ceremony, the founders of
and secondary schools, and they exert a demanded that G-d be acknowledged in Israel all signed their names to the
most profound influence ... Religious Jewry the Declaration oflndependence, which bottom of the Declaration of Indepen-
wants to see the new Jewish life in this led to angry opposition by the atheists dence. When signing his name, Rabbi
country built upon the foundations of the and communists on the Council. Ulti- Maiman added the words 'il mn,::i, "with
law of Israel..." mately, a compromise was reached, with the help of G-d," ensuring G-d's name
the Declaration's concluding paragraph
On November 29, 1947, three months would be inscribed upon the founding
stating:
after the committee's visit to Palestine, document of the Jewish State. In doing
the United Nations voted to partition "Placing our trust in the Rock of Israel so, Rabbi Maiman represented believing
Palestine and support a Jewish State. (Thur Yisrael), we affix our signatures to Jews worldwide, who had yearned for so
Despite his disappointment that parts this proclamation ... " long to see this day. ■

Arieh's Special Task: on Declaration Day

mong those watching the foundation of the movement Handler - described by Rabbi Lord
A David Ben-Gurion read out in Britain. Jonathan Sacks as "one of the true
Israel's declaration of inde- giants of our community" - was
Handler's task that day was to
pendence was Mizrachi UK leader the last surviving witness of the
drive Rabbi Maiman home before
Arieh Handler. signing of the Declaration of Inde-
the start of Shabbat, only hours through countless revisions in
pendence. He passed away in 2011.
He had earned his place in the hall away. That day's announcement the days and hours leading up
Now, photographs, grainy film
by his dedication to Zionism and of the birth of the state was a to the event. As Handler himself
footage and a voice recording are
his heroic work to rescue Jewish milestone. For Arieh and for Jews said later: "I had this feeling in me
all that remain of that historic day.
children during the Second World everywhere, it marked the reali- that this was an historic moment,
War. He became one of the pio- zation of a dream: the establish- And, of course, the declaration not just for the Jews but for the
neers of Bnei Akiva, overseeing ment of a Jewish state. itself - a document that went world."
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