Page 54 - HaMizrachi # 23 Sukkot Simchat Torah 2020 USA

THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND RELIGIOUS ZIONIST LEADERS

OUR SERIES ON LEADERS WHO HAVE SHAPED RELIGIOUS ZIONISM OVER THE LAST 150 YEARS

Rav Yehuda Leib HaKohen Maimon

av Yehuda Leib HaKohen He served as Israel’s first Minister of whom he greatly admired and whose
Maimon (born Fishman, 1875- Religion; helped draft Israel’s Decla- name was Moshe ben Maimon.
R1962) was born in Bessarabia, ration of Independence and was one
then part of the Russian Empire. Rav of its signatories, and played a pivotal Rav Maimon was appointed Minister
Maimon studied in Lithuanian yeshi- role in promoting Judaism in the new of Religion and Minister in Charge of
vot and after receiving semicha from Jewish State. A polymath and pro- War Casualties in both the provisional
Rav Yechiel Mechel Epstein, author lific author, he was awarded the Israel government and the First Knesset.
of the Aruch HaShulchan, he served Prize for his contribution to rabbinic Elected to the first Knesset in 1949
as maggid in Marculesti and then as literature (1958). as a member of the United Religious
Rabbi of Ungeni (1905-13). He became Front (an alliance of Agudat Yisrael,
active in the Chibbat Tzion move- Poalei Agudat Yisrael, Mizrachi and
ment, for whom he wrote passionate HaPoel HaMizrachi), he retained his
ministerial role in the first and second
pro-aliyah material and, after meeting governments, resigned from the Israeli
Rav Isaac Jacob Reines (1900), the cabinet over a dispute with Ben-Gu-
founder of Mizrachi, he took an rion, ceased his political activities
active part in Mizrachi’s found- after the death of his wife in
ing conference in Vilna (1902) 1957 and then devoted himself
and in its first world confer- entirely to literary work.
ence in Pressburg, Bratislava.
Rav Maimon played what
After making aliyah (1913), was unquestionably the
Rav Maimon was among dominant role in promot-
the founders of Mizrachi’s ing Judaism in the founding
broad educational network in of the new Jewish State and
Eretz Yisrael. Imprisoned by in its nascent governmen-
the Turkish authorities at the tal institutions, particularly
outbreak of World War I and through his remarkable friend-
condemned to death, he was ulti- ship with Ben-Gurion, who held
mately freed due to active interven- him in the highest regard.
tion by Jewish American leaders. He
traveled to the United States, where He was instrumental in ensuring that
he helped organize and strengthen all government institutions, including
Mizrachi and, after returning to Eretz the army, serve only kosher food, in
Yisrael on the first ship to reach its Rav Maimon was one of many gov- promoting public Shabbat observance
shores after World War I, he and Rav ernment ministers who, at Ben-Guri- (including by government officials),
Kook established the institution of the on’s request, Hebraicized his original, and in convincing Ben-Gurion to vest
Chief Rabbinate. In 1936, he founded exilic name. Not surprisingly, he did the Chief Rabbinate with authority
Mossad HaRav Kook, which still pub- not much care for the name גד שיא (the over marriage and divorce matters.
He is also credited with the wide
lishes religious books. As Chairman of literal translation of Fishman); as he acceptance amongst Zionist halachic
the Jewish Agency Executive, he was explained it, he chose the name ןומימ authorities of reciting Hallel on Yom
interned by the British on “Black Sat- because his family was descended HaAtzmaut. n
urday” in June 1946. from the Rambam (Maimonides),

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