Volume 4, Issue 9
December 13, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 349,331
Menachem Begin Prize 2007
A large, distinguished enthusiastic audience filled the Reuben Hecht Auditorium on Tuesday night for the ceremony to award the Menachem Begin Prize to the Bnei David Pre-Army Yeshiva and citations to former President of Israel’s Supreme Court and to the Ariel University Center in the Shomron. Among the guests were a number of retired and current Supreme Court Justices as well as former Minister of Defense and former Foreign Minister, Prof. Moshe Arens.
All this took place against the backdrop of the lighting of the 8th candle of Chanukah by Yosef Wittelson, who is a member of the International Board, with musical accompaniment by a multi-piece klezmer-fusion style band, HaTizmoret HaAmamit. The evening was emceed by Herzl Makov, the Chairman of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center.
Harry Hurwitz, founder and president of the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation opened the proceedings and made remarks about each of the honorees and took the opportunity to recall the three young Israeli soldiers who were abducted and are still in captivity—Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.
"I pray that they will return home soon, strong, and in good health." He congratulated the Ariel University on the change of its status and expressed the hope that one day, when it is a full university, its leaders will give it the name of Ze'ev Jabotinsky or Menachem Begin.
When he spoke about Meir Shamgar, he said that this was "the time to recall the role of the late Chief Rabbi Louis Isaac Rabinowitz of South Africa, who had traveled in and out of the Gilgil Camp in Kenya carrying documents pictures, passports and other material to assist Ya'acov Meridor and his five associates to escape from the camp. Tonight is a good opportunity to recognize the Rabbi's distinguished role and to salute him."
A greeting was also given by Gershon Stav, the Chairman of the management committee, of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. "By giving the Begin Prize over the last decade, as well as tonight, we are promoting the deeds of individuals and organizations whose activities will be 'a foundation for educating the young generation about all that is good and magnificent in huma n life' as Begin said."
Preceding the award of scholarships to students who are part of the PERAH program and have undertaken to tutor a child from a disadvantaged area, Yechiel Kadishai used the occasion to stress the importance of the Hebrew language to the people of Israel and the Jews of the world. He and Chassia Milo, daughter of Menachem Begin, awarded the prizes.
After accepting the citation for the Ariel University Center, its president, Prof. Dan Meyerstein spoke of the growth of the Center to University proportions. They expect more than 10,000 students this year and the number is constantly growing. Their academic departments are of a high standard and it will indeed be a valuable addition to the complex of universities in Israel. The prize was presented by the president of the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation, Zvi Harry Hurwitz.
The fathers of Major Ro'i Klein and Lt. Col. Emmanuel Moreno, the two heroes who died in action in the second Lebanon War, were called upon to present this years Menachem Begin Prize to the Bnei David Pre-Army Yeshiva Academy. In accepting the prize, its founder Rabbi Eli Sadan spoke of the miracle of Chanukah and said that in the life of this nation it was not only weaponry that decided its security, but the strength, spirit, faith and patriotism which the academy has taught to thousands of students.
General Iddo Nehushtan, the head of the planning division of the Israel Defense Forces, spoke briefly about the make-up of the IDF and spoke on the subject of the contribution made to Israel by highly motivated soldiers. He said that the most important weapon in Israel's army is its human resources and therefore, a great deal is invested in education and ways to inspire the men and women in the ranks of the IDF. He paid tribute to the Bnei David Yeshiva, the Ariel University Center and to all other institutions that perform this vital role. He and Herzl Makov had served together in the Israel Air Force and shared some of their military expe riences.
The individual prize this year went to Meir Shamgar who, as a young member of the Irgun Zvai Leumi, was exiled to Gilgil prison in Kenya. There began his legal studies, the start of his distinguished legal career, culminating in the highes t position in Israel's system of justice.
Judge Shamgar spoke of Menachem Begin's devotion to the Court, the "supremacy of the law" and his frequent remark "there are judges in Jerusalem." He added that Menachem Begin contributed to and was dedicated to the idea of a constitution for Israel and that Begin was completely committed to the principle of the Law being supreme in the land. He also spoke of his own dedication to serving the supremacy of the law and justice. Judge Shamgar said that he wished to honor his comrades in the camp and was proud of his days in the Irgun, and recalled especially his two friends who fell in action, Avram Avramovitch and Shmuel Levy.
Begin's Writings Still Relevant Today
In an important article in last Friday's Yediot Ahronot about the Supreme Court in Israel today, the Israel Prize-winning journalist Nahum Barnea used a 200-word excerpt from Menachem Begin's recently republished booklet "World View and National Outlook" from the chapter which deals with the supremacy of the law.
This lead to widespread discussion in legal circles and the library of the Supreme Court called the Begin Center to ask for copies of the booklet.
"World View and National Outlook" is available in both English and Hebrew and is for sale at the Begin Center.
Rare Material Donated to the Archives
The Archives of the Begin Center received a gift of a rare treasure from the Begin family this week.
They are a number of audio tapes carrying the voice of Menachem Begin spoken after his retirement from public office. His children and grandchildren had asked him to tell the story of the Peace Process and he did so for 40 minutes—from the beginning to the signing of the Peace Treaty. The other tapes are recordings of his rare interviews on Israel radio after his retiremen t. This invaluable material will be used in the near future in appropriate radio programs or at public events in the Begin Center.
The heads of the Begin Foundation and Begin Center are grateful to Dr. Ze'ev Binyamin Begin and his sisters Chassia and Leah for this rare gift.
Begin Honored at Rishon L'Tzion Park
At the end of November, a ceremony took place in Rishon L'Tzion where a garden honoring national leaders was opened. It contains six large statues Israel's national leaders: Theodor Herzl, Chaim Weizman, David Ben Gurion, Ze'ev Jabotinsky, Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Rabin.
Visitors
Judge Alfred Clayman of New York visited the Begin Center last week with his granddaughter who lives in Jerusalem. He is a prominent, long-time leader of the ZOA.
* * * * *
Naomi and Uzi Landau brought some overseas guests to the Begin Center on Wednesday afternoon.
* * * * *
Ariela Cotler of Montreal visited the Begin Center at the beginning of the week. Her husband, Prof. Irwin Cotler is a former Minister of Justice in Canada and is now a Member of Parliament.
Showing posts with label Begin Center Bulletin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Begin Center Bulletin. Show all posts
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Begin Center Bulletin, Vol. 4, Issue 8
Volume 4, Issue 8
December 5, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 345,874
60 Years Ago: The Inevitability of the Jewish State
The festive State celebration of the 60th anniversary of the UN resolution regarding the future of Palestine which was adopted on 29 November 1947 recalls the remarkable meeting in Tel Aviv between the Chairman of the UN Committee on Palestine, Judge Sandstrom, Dr. Victor Hoo, the Assistant Secretary General of the UN Organization, and Dr. Ralph Bunch, Secretary of the UN Organization Trustee Council, with Menachem Begin, Commander of the Irgun Zvai Leumi, Chaim Landau and Shmuel Katz. The details of the meeting were desc ribed by Begin in his first book, The Revolt.
In the course of the meeting Menachem Begin said, "What we wish is complete evacuation of the British, the removal of British rule, the setting up of a provisional government and the creation of a Jewish State."
He stated that the Irgun consider themselves lawful fighters engaged in a legitimate fight and that they considered the British to be here illegally. He said that the Irgun is absolutely convinced that it fights not only for the independence of Palestine, but for the rights of all free men.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Sandstrom said: "I am sorry that the other members of the Committee could not hear you. We shall report to them, but there is always a difference in effect in what you hear for yourself and what you hear second hand." Dr. Hoo left saying, "Au revoir, in an independent Palestine." And Dr. Bunch was the warmest of all. Shaking Begin's hand he explained feelingly. "I can understand you. I am also a member of a personal minority."
A few days later, it was revealed that the British were angry that such a meeting took place. "We have been looking for him for five years!" It was pointed out. "And we have not succeeded in getting anywhere near him. Yet, it appears that the Chairman of the UN Committee found him with the greatest of ease."
The Irgun leader subsequently met the South American members of the Committee, Dr. Granados of Guatemala and Prof. Fabregat of Uruguay. Both had been in exile and underground while fighting against tyranny in their own countries.
When, at the end of the meeting, they learned with whom they had been speaking, they were overcome with emotion. Fabregat put his arms around Begin's shoulders and hugged him and declared "We are brothers in arms." Begin replied, "All the world's fighters for freedom are one family."
All this is recalled to stress that it was not the UN vote that created the State of Israel, but the Zionist struggle of many years which terminated in the struggle of the underground movements that obliged the British to hand back the mandate for Palestine to the UN. The meeting on 29 November gave recognition to the inevitability of the rise of the Jewish State.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chag Chanukah Sameach!
from the Menachem Begin Heritage Center
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leonard Asper Stops by the Begin Center
Mr. Leonard Asper, President and CEO of CanWest Global Communications Corp., came to the Begin Center on Monday for a meeting with the Fo under, Harry Hurwitz and the Chairman of the Center, Herzl Makov. He was accompanied by the Director of his office, Mr. Michael Woollatt.
In the morning, he had made a deep impression at the Ariel University Center of Samaria where he was the keynote speaker at an all-day conference on "The Media and the Middle East," which is held annually in memory of the late David Bar Illan.
In his 40 minute address, Asper spoke of Israel's PR battle and analyzed some suggestions and failures that he had in defending Israel's position. His late father, Izzy Asper, had fought a valiant battle in this area on television, radio and the print media. It was he who had initiated strong roots in Israel by his connections with various important institutions such as the Menachem Begin Heritage Center of which the family is very proud.
Leonard Asper was shown several new features in the building which were not yet completed at the time of his visit several years ago.
Visitors
The mayor of Haifa, Mr. Yona Yahav and his wife came unannounced at the beginning of the week to the Begin Center. They viewed the "30 years after Sadat's visit" exhibition and then went into the Menachem Begin Museum, which impressed them very much. They said afterwards that they hoped to arrange a visit for their children to such an important and impressive place.
* * * * *
Benny Raphael, who presently lives in Ohio, but is originally from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, visited the Begin Center where he met briefly with its Founder, Harry Hurwitz.
December 5, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 345,874
60 Years Ago: The Inevitability of the Jewish State
The festive State celebration of the 60th anniversary of the UN resolution regarding the future of Palestine which was adopted on 29 November 1947 recalls the remarkable meeting in Tel Aviv between the Chairman of the UN Committee on Palestine, Judge Sandstrom, Dr. Victor Hoo, the Assistant Secretary General of the UN Organization, and Dr. Ralph Bunch, Secretary of the UN Organization Trustee Council, with Menachem Begin, Commander of the Irgun Zvai Leumi, Chaim Landau and Shmuel Katz. The details of the meeting were desc ribed by Begin in his first book, The Revolt.
In the course of the meeting Menachem Begin said, "What we wish is complete evacuation of the British, the removal of British rule, the setting up of a provisional government and the creation of a Jewish State."
He stated that the Irgun consider themselves lawful fighters engaged in a legitimate fight and that they considered the British to be here illegally. He said that the Irgun is absolutely convinced that it fights not only for the independence of Palestine, but for the rights of all free men.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Sandstrom said: "I am sorry that the other members of the Committee could not hear you. We shall report to them, but there is always a difference in effect in what you hear for yourself and what you hear second hand." Dr. Hoo left saying, "Au revoir, in an independent Palestine." And Dr. Bunch was the warmest of all. Shaking Begin's hand he explained feelingly. "I can understand you. I am also a member of a personal minority."
A few days later, it was revealed that the British were angry that such a meeting took place. "We have been looking for him for five years!" It was pointed out. "And we have not succeeded in getting anywhere near him. Yet, it appears that the Chairman of the UN Committee found him with the greatest of ease."
The Irgun leader subsequently met the South American members of the Committee, Dr. Granados of Guatemala and Prof. Fabregat of Uruguay. Both had been in exile and underground while fighting against tyranny in their own countries.
When, at the end of the meeting, they learned with whom they had been speaking, they were overcome with emotion. Fabregat put his arms around Begin's shoulders and hugged him and declared "We are brothers in arms." Begin replied, "All the world's fighters for freedom are one family."
All this is recalled to stress that it was not the UN vote that created the State of Israel, but the Zionist struggle of many years which terminated in the struggle of the underground movements that obliged the British to hand back the mandate for Palestine to the UN. The meeting on 29 November gave recognition to the inevitability of the rise of the Jewish State.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chag Chanukah Sameach!
from the Menachem Begin Heritage Center
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leonard Asper Stops by the Begin Center
Mr. Leonard Asper, President and CEO of CanWest Global Communications Corp., came to the Begin Center on Monday for a meeting with the Fo under, Harry Hurwitz and the Chairman of the Center, Herzl Makov. He was accompanied by the Director of his office, Mr. Michael Woollatt.
In the morning, he had made a deep impression at the Ariel University Center of Samaria where he was the keynote speaker at an all-day conference on "The Media and the Middle East," which is held annually in memory of the late David Bar Illan.
In his 40 minute address, Asper spoke of Israel's PR battle and analyzed some suggestions and failures that he had in defending Israel's position. His late father, Izzy Asper, had fought a valiant battle in this area on television, radio and the print media. It was he who had initiated strong roots in Israel by his connections with various important institutions such as the Menachem Begin Heritage Center of which the family is very proud.
Leonard Asper was shown several new features in the building which were not yet completed at the time of his visit several years ago.
Visitors
The mayor of Haifa, Mr. Yona Yahav and his wife came unannounced at the beginning of the week to the Begin Center. They viewed the "30 years after Sadat's visit" exhibition and then went into the Menachem Begin Museum, which impressed them very much. They said afterwards that they hoped to arrange a visit for their children to such an important and impressive place.
* * * * *
Benny Raphael, who presently lives in Ohio, but is originally from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, visited the Begin Center where he met briefly with its Founder, Harry Hurwitz.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Center Bulletin Vol. 3, No. 50
Volume 3, Issue 50
September 25, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 326,097
Menachem Begin Once Again Number 1
Once again, Menachem Begin has emerged in the annual poll conducted by the Ma'ariv newspaper as the best Prime Minister Israel has had since the creation of the State. The numbers are more or less constant with past years and with different polls conducted by polling organizations for newspapers, television and radio stations.
Menachem Begin is number 1 with 26.8%, followed by David Ben Gurion at 25.6%, Itzhak Rabin at 17.4%, Ariel Sharon is number 4 with 9.1% and Yitzhak Shamir is number 5 with 5.4%. The lower middle group is Levy Eshkol with 4.8%, Binyamin Netanyahu with 4.4%, Golda Meir with 3%, and Shimon Peres with 2.5%. At the bottom of the list are Moshe Sharett at 0.9%, Ehud Barak at 0.2% and Ehud Olmert at 0.0%.
Druze Celebration of Menachem Begin
On 19 September in Daliat Al Carmel, the Druze community held a memorial day which recalled the positive effect Menachem Begin had on the Druze people and how he improved the relationship between the Druze and the Jews in Israel. The lunchtime event was opened by Sheikh Muwafak Tarif, a spiritual leader of the Druze, and by Amal Nasseraldeen, former Member of Knesset and head of the Druze Yad L'Banim. The event was emceed by Rafik Chalabi, former director of the Israel Broadcast Agency, who also made a few short films about Menachem Begin for th is event. Also in attendance and providing short remarks were former Speaker of the Knesset, MK Ruby Rivlin; former Foreign Minister, David Levy; recently confirmed Minister without Portfolio, MK Ami Ayalon; former MK Amnon Linn; and other leaders of the Druze.
In all, the event was attended by more than 100 of the most important leaders of the Druze in Israel—including representatives in the fields of education, spirituality and politics.
MK Ami Ayalon said in his remarks that although he had never been a supporter of Begin, "he learned that he was a true democrat and one of the most important leaders Israel has ever had."
Upcoming Publications
English
White Nights:
This book of Menachem Begin's recollections of his period of incarceration, interrogation at the hands of the infamous NKVD, his exile to forced labor camps in Northern Russia is being republished. This edition will contain, for the first time in English, selected documents from the NKVD protocols found in the KGB archives which were brought to Israel in 1989. This book was last published in English in 1979 by Harper and Row.
Basic Outlines of our World View and our National Outlook:
Out of print for decades, Menachem Begin's first major political/ideological tract, originally published in 1952 and based on a speech before the second Herut conference in 1951, is being translated for the first time into English. The pamphlet is prominently displayed at the beginning of the Roth Family Avenue of the Heritage and has been requested by many visitors. It is currently available in Hebrew.
Gidi: The Life Story of Amichai Paglin:
The Begin Center is sponsoring the publication in English of a book about Amichai Paglin (Gidi) who was the Irgun's Chief of Operations. Among the topics detailed in the book are the bombing of the British Mandate Government Offices and the Army HQ in the King David Hotel's South wing, the demolition of the Jerusalem Railway station and the conquest of Jaffa.
You may place orders through the Begin Center in advance for any of these titles.
Hebrew
1. Revolt of the Irgun: 60 Years After:
In 2004, upon the anniversary marking 60 years since the declaration of revolt against the British by the Irgun, two academic conferences were conducted by the Begin Center and the Jabotinsky Institute. A collection of the various lectures delivered during the conferences will be published by the Ministry of Defense publishing house in cooperation with the Begin Center and Jabotinsky Institute. The book will contain 18 of the lectures relating to all aspects of the revolt, covering political, military and diplomatic themes.
Israel's Strike Against the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor:
This collection of articles and lectures in Hebrew was originally published in 2003 and is now being reprinted. Many of the authors of the articles and lectures were active participants in the action on June 7, 1981 and provide a unique perspective on those historic events. This booklet is also available in English.
On Bookshelves Now
Several years ago, Udi Leibel's doctoral thesis on the discrimination practiced by the state authorities against the fallen of the Irgun and the Lechi received a student award from the Begin Center. We are now pleased to inform our friends that his thesis has been published as a book in Hebrew. Entitled The Path to the Pantheon – Irgun and Lechi and the Parameters of Israel's Commemoration, the book was published by Carmel with the participation of the Begin Center. Yechiel Kadishai wrote a Forward.
The book details the "politics of grief" in Israel and the practices of David Ben-Gurion and later Mapai politicians to minimize and set as outcasts those members of the fighting underground groups that did much to liberate the state of Israel from the British occupier. Non-recognition, lack of payments and other forms of discrimination are detailed as well as the eventual process of reclaiming the fallen in later years, especially after the Likud 1977 election victory.
The book can be ordered from the Begin Center or on-line at http://www.text.org.il/index.php?book=0704044.
September 25, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 326,097
Menachem Begin Once Again Number 1
Once again, Menachem Begin has emerged in the annual poll conducted by the Ma'ariv newspaper as the best Prime Minister Israel has had since the creation of the State. The numbers are more or less constant with past years and with different polls conducted by polling organizations for newspapers, television and radio stations.
Menachem Begin is number 1 with 26.8%, followed by David Ben Gurion at 25.6%, Itzhak Rabin at 17.4%, Ariel Sharon is number 4 with 9.1% and Yitzhak Shamir is number 5 with 5.4%. The lower middle group is Levy Eshkol with 4.8%, Binyamin Netanyahu with 4.4%, Golda Meir with 3%, and Shimon Peres with 2.5%. At the bottom of the list are Moshe Sharett at 0.9%, Ehud Barak at 0.2% and Ehud Olmert at 0.0%.
Druze Celebration of Menachem Begin
On 19 September in Daliat Al Carmel, the Druze community held a memorial day which recalled the positive effect Menachem Begin had on the Druze people and how he improved the relationship between the Druze and the Jews in Israel. The lunchtime event was opened by Sheikh Muwafak Tarif, a spiritual leader of the Druze, and by Amal Nasseraldeen, former Member of Knesset and head of the Druze Yad L'Banim. The event was emceed by Rafik Chalabi, former director of the Israel Broadcast Agency, who also made a few short films about Menachem Begin for th is event. Also in attendance and providing short remarks were former Speaker of the Knesset, MK Ruby Rivlin; former Foreign Minister, David Levy; recently confirmed Minister without Portfolio, MK Ami Ayalon; former MK Amnon Linn; and other leaders of the Druze.
In all, the event was attended by more than 100 of the most important leaders of the Druze in Israel—including representatives in the fields of education, spirituality and politics.
MK Ami Ayalon said in his remarks that although he had never been a supporter of Begin, "he learned that he was a true democrat and one of the most important leaders Israel has ever had."
Upcoming Publications
English
White Nights:
This book of Menachem Begin's recollections of his period of incarceration, interrogation at the hands of the infamous NKVD, his exile to forced labor camps in Northern Russia is being republished. This edition will contain, for the first time in English, selected documents from the NKVD protocols found in the KGB archives which were brought to Israel in 1989. This book was last published in English in 1979 by Harper and Row.
Basic Outlines of our World View and our National Outlook:
Out of print for decades, Menachem Begin's first major political/ideological tract, originally published in 1952 and based on a speech before the second Herut conference in 1951, is being translated for the first time into English. The pamphlet is prominently displayed at the beginning of the Roth Family Avenue of the Heritage and has been requested by many visitors. It is currently available in Hebrew.
Gidi: The Life Story of Amichai Paglin:
The Begin Center is sponsoring the publication in English of a book about Amichai Paglin (Gidi) who was the Irgun's Chief of Operations. Among the topics detailed in the book are the bombing of the British Mandate Government Offices and the Army HQ in the King David Hotel's South wing, the demolition of the Jerusalem Railway station and the conquest of Jaffa.
You may place orders through the Begin Center in advance for any of these titles.
Hebrew
1. Revolt of the Irgun: 60 Years After:
In 2004, upon the anniversary marking 60 years since the declaration of revolt against the British by the Irgun, two academic conferences were conducted by the Begin Center and the Jabotinsky Institute. A collection of the various lectures delivered during the conferences will be published by the Ministry of Defense publishing house in cooperation with the Begin Center and Jabotinsky Institute. The book will contain 18 of the lectures relating to all aspects of the revolt, covering political, military and diplomatic themes.
Israel's Strike Against the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor:
This collection of articles and lectures in Hebrew was originally published in 2003 and is now being reprinted. Many of the authors of the articles and lectures were active participants in the action on June 7, 1981 and provide a unique perspective on those historic events. This booklet is also available in English.
On Bookshelves Now
Several years ago, Udi Leibel's doctoral thesis on the discrimination practiced by the state authorities against the fallen of the Irgun and the Lechi received a student award from the Begin Center. We are now pleased to inform our friends that his thesis has been published as a book in Hebrew. Entitled The Path to the Pantheon – Irgun and Lechi and the Parameters of Israel's Commemoration, the book was published by Carmel with the participation of the Begin Center. Yechiel Kadishai wrote a Forward.
The book details the "politics of grief" in Israel and the practices of David Ben-Gurion and later Mapai politicians to minimize and set as outcasts those members of the fighting underground groups that did much to liberate the state of Israel from the British occupier. Non-recognition, lack of payments and other forms of discrimination are detailed as well as the eventual process of reclaiming the fallen in later years, especially after the Likud 1977 election victory.
The book can be ordered from the Begin Center or on-line at http://www.text.org.il/index.php?book=0704044.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Center Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 37
Volume 3, Issue 37
June 26, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 295,876
Book Launches At The Begin Center
Next Monday, July 2, there will be the festive launch of a new book of poetry of Uri Tzvi Greenberg, regarded as the national poet in his time. The book has been published as a joint venture of the Uri Tzvi Greenberg Center, the Menachem Begin Heritage Center and the Bialik Institute. The book is an anthology of Uri Tzvi Greenberg's poems, published after years of research.
Opening remarks will be given by Geula Cohen of the Uri Tzvi Greenberg Institute and Herzl Makov of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. Dr. Ariel Hirschfeld, Prof. Dan Meron and Dr. Aliza Korev will be speaking, and Dan Kanner will be reading Uri Tzvi Greenberg's poetry.
- - -
Last Friday morning, 250 people attended the launching of the book "Blood Libel at Dir Yassin," by Dr. Uri Milstein, the well-known military historian.
In his lecture, Dr. Milstein dealt with the distortion of history against the Irgun Zvai Leumi for its attack on an Arab stronghold in which Iraqi soldiers hid in homes and shot at the advancing Jewish forces, threatening the road to Tel Aviv.
An appearance was made by Shimon Monetta, who was a Hagana agent at the time acting undercover with the Lechi. He reported to Ben-Gurion that there had been no massacre and that the stories emanating from Dir Yassin were lies.
Shulamit Livnat participated in the entertainment with songs from the underground.
Begin In Cuba – New In The Archive
Some items of unusual interest were received recently by the archive of the Begin Center. Among them are photographs taken during Menachem Begin's first visit to Havana, Cuba, soon after the end of the struggle against the British Mandate authorities. He was the guest of the enthusiastic Jewish community and appeared at numerous events. Photographs now in the archives show Menachem Begin addressing the enthusiastic audiences. He was wearing a white suit, typical attire in Cuba at the time – and probably even today.
Feinstein And Barazani In The Media
This past Saturday night, Channel One TV's religious-oriented program, entitled "Motzei Shabbat", broadcast an interview with Advocate Tuviah Goldman, the son of Rabbi Yaakov Goldman. As already related in this bulletin, the Begin Center sponsored last April, together with the Underground Prisoners' Museum in the Russian Compound of Jerusalem, a special ceremony marking the return to the Feinstein Family of the illustrated Bible that Meir had presented to the British policeman, Thomas Goodwin, on the eve of his hanging.
Rabbi Yaakov Goldman spent the last evening with the two underground fighters, Moshe Barazani of Lechi and Meir Feinstein of the Irgun, just prior to them taking their own lives in a grenade blast. The TV program interviewed him and then broadcast a film clip on the ceremony and thus reinforced the historical heritage pursued by the Menachem Begin Center.
Begin Center Hosts City Of David Program
Very attractive posters in various parts of Jerusalem proclaim "Where it all began" – The City of David. This advertises a special course for potential tour guides to study the period of the Second Temple in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The course will be conducted by Professor Isaiah Gafni, Dr. Hagi Amitzur, Avner Goren, Ahron Horovitz and others on Tuesday, July 17 to Thursday July 19.
The participants in the course will meet at the Begin Center at the start of each day and will proceed from there to the different sites in The City of David and other parts of Second Temple Jerusalem. The buses will return to the Begin Center at the end of each day.
Apology
The Begin Center apologizes to members of the public who had reserved tours of the building and the museum on Thursday, June 21 and were unable to gain admittance. The same applies to the regular participants in the Parashat HaShavua program of that week.
The center was closed on instructions of the police, who had thrown a ring of security precisely around the area in which the Begin Center is situated – opposite the Liberty Bell Park. It is there that clashes were expected between the participants in the gay parade and the ultra-orthodox community.
As it was, the program in the Liberty Bell Park was called off by the authorities, and the activities ended much sooner than anticipated. Nevertheless, it was too late to resume the regular program at the Begin Center.
Visitors
Jane and Larry Sherman of Detroit, Michigan, who are staunch supporters of the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation visited the Center last week and held discussions with the founder of the Institute, Harry Hurwitz. They discussed various aspects of the development of the commemorative program and especially the Junior Knesset, which they specifically support.
Ivan Ferrer, a member of the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation board, visited the Begin Center and held discussions with Harry Hurwitz. He was in Jerusalem for the meeting of the Actions Committee of the Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency Assembly.
June 26, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 295,876
Book Launches At The Begin Center
Next Monday, July 2, there will be the festive launch of a new book of poetry of Uri Tzvi Greenberg, regarded as the national poet in his time. The book has been published as a joint venture of the Uri Tzvi Greenberg Center, the Menachem Begin Heritage Center and the Bialik Institute. The book is an anthology of Uri Tzvi Greenberg's poems, published after years of research.
Opening remarks will be given by Geula Cohen of the Uri Tzvi Greenberg Institute and Herzl Makov of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. Dr. Ariel Hirschfeld, Prof. Dan Meron and Dr. Aliza Korev will be speaking, and Dan Kanner will be reading Uri Tzvi Greenberg's poetry.
- - -
Last Friday morning, 250 people attended the launching of the book "Blood Libel at Dir Yassin," by Dr. Uri Milstein, the well-known military historian.
In his lecture, Dr. Milstein dealt with the distortion of history against the Irgun Zvai Leumi for its attack on an Arab stronghold in which Iraqi soldiers hid in homes and shot at the advancing Jewish forces, threatening the road to Tel Aviv.
An appearance was made by Shimon Monetta, who was a Hagana agent at the time acting undercover with the Lechi. He reported to Ben-Gurion that there had been no massacre and that the stories emanating from Dir Yassin were lies.
Shulamit Livnat participated in the entertainment with songs from the underground.
Begin In Cuba – New In The Archive
Some items of unusual interest were received recently by the archive of the Begin Center. Among them are photographs taken during Menachem Begin's first visit to Havana, Cuba, soon after the end of the struggle against the British Mandate authorities. He was the guest of the enthusiastic Jewish community and appeared at numerous events. Photographs now in the archives show Menachem Begin addressing the enthusiastic audiences. He was wearing a white suit, typical attire in Cuba at the time – and probably even today.
Feinstein And Barazani In The Media
This past Saturday night, Channel One TV's religious-oriented program, entitled "Motzei Shabbat", broadcast an interview with Advocate Tuviah Goldman, the son of Rabbi Yaakov Goldman. As already related in this bulletin, the Begin Center sponsored last April, together with the Underground Prisoners' Museum in the Russian Compound of Jerusalem, a special ceremony marking the return to the Feinstein Family of the illustrated Bible that Meir had presented to the British policeman, Thomas Goodwin, on the eve of his hanging.
Rabbi Yaakov Goldman spent the last evening with the two underground fighters, Moshe Barazani of Lechi and Meir Feinstein of the Irgun, just prior to them taking their own lives in a grenade blast. The TV program interviewed him and then broadcast a film clip on the ceremony and thus reinforced the historical heritage pursued by the Menachem Begin Center.
Begin Center Hosts City Of David Program
Very attractive posters in various parts of Jerusalem proclaim "Where it all began" – The City of David. This advertises a special course for potential tour guides to study the period of the Second Temple in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The course will be conducted by Professor Isaiah Gafni, Dr. Hagi Amitzur, Avner Goren, Ahron Horovitz and others on Tuesday, July 17 to Thursday July 19.
The participants in the course will meet at the Begin Center at the start of each day and will proceed from there to the different sites in The City of David and other parts of Second Temple Jerusalem. The buses will return to the Begin Center at the end of each day.
Apology
The Begin Center apologizes to members of the public who had reserved tours of the building and the museum on Thursday, June 21 and were unable to gain admittance. The same applies to the regular participants in the Parashat HaShavua program of that week.
The center was closed on instructions of the police, who had thrown a ring of security precisely around the area in which the Begin Center is situated – opposite the Liberty Bell Park. It is there that clashes were expected between the participants in the gay parade and the ultra-orthodox community.
As it was, the program in the Liberty Bell Park was called off by the authorities, and the activities ended much sooner than anticipated. Nevertheless, it was too late to resume the regular program at the Begin Center.
Visitors
Jane and Larry Sherman of Detroit, Michigan, who are staunch supporters of the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation visited the Center last week and held discussions with the founder of the Institute, Harry Hurwitz. They discussed various aspects of the development of the commemorative program and especially the Junior Knesset, which they specifically support.
Ivan Ferrer, a member of the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation board, visited the Begin Center and held discussions with Harry Hurwitz. He was in Jerusalem for the meeting of the Actions Committee of the Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency Assembly.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Center Bulletin Volume 3, Issue 36
Volume 3, Issue 36
June 20, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 294,541
Popular Events At The Begin Center
The Begin Center is a popular venue for many events arranged by important government departments, City of Jerusalem and other public bodies in these weeks marking the end of the school year, the start of the summer vacation, and festivals in Jerusalem.
At the beginning of July, the Ruben Hecht Auditorium will be one of the central venues for the Israel Film Festival, which will run for several weeks.
The last weeks of June will feature a major event organized by the Hasbara Center for teachers and schools.
On Monday evening, June 18, the B'nai Brith held its annual award ceremony for journalism. The principle award was given to Avner Hofstein, a certificate of merit to Amir Mizroch, and a lifetime achievement award to Yeshayahou Ben-Porat. The guest lecture on the subject of "The Media in the Second Lebanon War" was given by the Justice (ret) of the Supreme Court of Israel, Dalia Dorner, President of the Israel Press Council.
On Friday, June 22, a book on the subject of Dir Yassin will be launched in the Center. The author of the book, military historian Dr. Uri Milstein, is expected to present an insightful lecture on the subject.
An evening devoted to the poetry of the national poet Uri Tzvi Greenberg is to be held on July 2.
Junior Knesset on Television
The Begin Center's leading educational program, the Junior Knesset, was again featured on Israeli television, which highlighted a discussion among students from Kiryat Gat that participated in the program, and told the story of the Junior Knesset.
The director of the Begin Center, Herzl Makov, was interviewed briefly, and he used the occasion to explain the purpose of the Junior Knesset and its operational program.
Begin Center Founder Addresses 500 Guests
The founder of the Menachem Begin commemoration project, Harry Hurwitz and his wife Freda were guests of honor at the inaugural dinner for a group of nearly 500 participants in the 20th anniversary celebration tour of Israel for the Word of Life organization.
The organization's leaders, Pastor Ulf and Birgitta Ekman, were the hosts of the evening. In his brief address to the gathering of people from 34 different countries, Mr. Hurwitz spoke of the liberation and unification of Jerusalem and what these events meant to the people of Israel at the time and now. He said that the war, in advance of which Nasser of Egypt threatened to destroy Israel, is still going on. He asked these devoted friends of Israel to pray for the kidnapped Israeli soldiers: Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser.
Pastor Ekman led the assembly with prayers for their safety and early release.
Ariel College Visits The Begin Center
Among the groups visiting the Begin Center in the past ten days was a top-level mission from the College of Judea and Samaria in Ariel, which was led by the retiring director of external affairs, Michael Stoltz.
The mission included a number of professors of the college and supporters of it.
After a tour of the Begin Center, they gathered in the Ben and Rose Milner lecture room, where they were addressed by Danny Ayalon, who was until recently Israel's ambassador in Washington D.C. and is now the chairman of Nefesh B'Nefesh.
Congratulations
We congratulate Yisrael Medad, the director of information and educational resources at the Begin Heritage Center on the recent celebration of his 60th birthday.
A private function was attended by members of his family from Israel and the US and a small number of persons with whom he has worked over the years, from his days in Betar New York to the Knesset, where he was secretary of the Techiya faction, his efforts for Israel's Media Watch and in recent years, his role at the Begin Center.
Recently, a special invitation was extended to Mr. Medad, to participate in an academic seminar addressed by University of Pennsylvania's Professor Ian Lustick. The seminar, convened by the Political Science Department of the Hebrew University on June 13, heard Prof. Lustick lecture on "Leaving the Middle East: Israel and the Middle East Muck" in which he expanded, inter alia, on the current perspectives and trajectories of Jabotinsnky's "Iron Wall" policy. Present at the seminar was the chairman of the Political Science department, senior professors and doctoral students.
Visitors
New York State Senator Seymour Lachman and his wife Susanne visited the Begin Center at the end of last week and were greatly impressed by its educational activities and moved by the hi-tech museum. Senator Lachman was a friend of Menachem Begin and especially of his son Dr. Ze'ev Benjamin Begin.
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Halperin of Detroit, Michigan, visited the Begin Museum on Wednesday and were greatly impressed by its presentation and message.
June 20, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 294,541
Popular Events At The Begin Center
The Begin Center is a popular venue for many events arranged by important government departments, City of Jerusalem and other public bodies in these weeks marking the end of the school year, the start of the summer vacation, and festivals in Jerusalem.
At the beginning of July, the Ruben Hecht Auditorium will be one of the central venues for the Israel Film Festival, which will run for several weeks.
The last weeks of June will feature a major event organized by the Hasbara Center for teachers and schools.
On Monday evening, June 18, the B'nai Brith held its annual award ceremony for journalism. The principle award was given to Avner Hofstein, a certificate of merit to Amir Mizroch, and a lifetime achievement award to Yeshayahou Ben-Porat. The guest lecture on the subject of "The Media in the Second Lebanon War" was given by the Justice (ret) of the Supreme Court of Israel, Dalia Dorner, President of the Israel Press Council.
On Friday, June 22, a book on the subject of Dir Yassin will be launched in the Center. The author of the book, military historian Dr. Uri Milstein, is expected to present an insightful lecture on the subject.
An evening devoted to the poetry of the national poet Uri Tzvi Greenberg is to be held on July 2.
Junior Knesset on Television
The Begin Center's leading educational program, the Junior Knesset, was again featured on Israeli television, which highlighted a discussion among students from Kiryat Gat that participated in the program, and told the story of the Junior Knesset.
The director of the Begin Center, Herzl Makov, was interviewed briefly, and he used the occasion to explain the purpose of the Junior Knesset and its operational program.
Begin Center Founder Addresses 500 Guests
The founder of the Menachem Begin commemoration project, Harry Hurwitz and his wife Freda were guests of honor at the inaugural dinner for a group of nearly 500 participants in the 20th anniversary celebration tour of Israel for the Word of Life organization.
The organization's leaders, Pastor Ulf and Birgitta Ekman, were the hosts of the evening. In his brief address to the gathering of people from 34 different countries, Mr. Hurwitz spoke of the liberation and unification of Jerusalem and what these events meant to the people of Israel at the time and now. He said that the war, in advance of which Nasser of Egypt threatened to destroy Israel, is still going on. He asked these devoted friends of Israel to pray for the kidnapped Israeli soldiers: Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser.
Pastor Ekman led the assembly with prayers for their safety and early release.
Ariel College Visits The Begin Center
Among the groups visiting the Begin Center in the past ten days was a top-level mission from the College of Judea and Samaria in Ariel, which was led by the retiring director of external affairs, Michael Stoltz.
The mission included a number of professors of the college and supporters of it.
After a tour of the Begin Center, they gathered in the Ben and Rose Milner lecture room, where they were addressed by Danny Ayalon, who was until recently Israel's ambassador in Washington D.C. and is now the chairman of Nefesh B'Nefesh.
Congratulations
We congratulate Yisrael Medad, the director of information and educational resources at the Begin Heritage Center on the recent celebration of his 60th birthday.
A private function was attended by members of his family from Israel and the US and a small number of persons with whom he has worked over the years, from his days in Betar New York to the Knesset, where he was secretary of the Techiya faction, his efforts for Israel's Media Watch and in recent years, his role at the Begin Center.
Recently, a special invitation was extended to Mr. Medad, to participate in an academic seminar addressed by University of Pennsylvania's Professor Ian Lustick. The seminar, convened by the Political Science Department of the Hebrew University on June 13, heard Prof. Lustick lecture on "Leaving the Middle East: Israel and the Middle East Muck" in which he expanded, inter alia, on the current perspectives and trajectories of Jabotinsnky's "Iron Wall" policy. Present at the seminar was the chairman of the Political Science department, senior professors and doctoral students.
Visitors
New York State Senator Seymour Lachman and his wife Susanne visited the Begin Center at the end of last week and were greatly impressed by its educational activities and moved by the hi-tech museum. Senator Lachman was a friend of Menachem Begin and especially of his son Dr. Ze'ev Benjamin Begin.
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Halperin of Detroit, Michigan, visited the Begin Museum on Wednesday and were greatly impressed by its presentation and message.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Center Bulletin - Vol. 3, Issue 27
Volume 3, Issue 27
April 19, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 274,324
Begin Center Beflagged for Yom HaAtzmaut
Once again the Begin Center is beflagged from end to end and as the flags flutter they can be seen even across the valley at the foot of Mt. Zion and near David's citadel. In the evenings, the building is illuminated. All this is to mark the great national holiday of Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel's 59th Independence Day). The Center is full of activities that bring hundreds of people to it every day.
Yom HaShoah Ceremony
As the siren sounded at 10:00am on Yom HaShoah (Heroes and Martyrs Remembrance Day), the staff, volunteers, students, and some visitors stood on the upper terrace at attention before entering the Ben and Rose Milner Seminar Room for a short memorial service for the 6 million Jews who were murdered by the Germans.
Yisrael Medad recited the El Malei Rachamim. Gaby Mizrahi read an excerpt from the booklet by Rav Menachem Hacohen, The Silver Platter, and Harry Hurwitz introduced the playing of a recording of the Hatikva sung by the remnants of survivors upon their rescue by British Forces. Chap. Rev. Leslie Hardman invited the inmates to sing in the first hours of their freedom. This recording was recently discovered and circulated. (To listen please click here.)
A Small World, Indeed: A Hero Remembered
The story of Virginia Tech engineering professor Liviu Librescu has now appeared all over the world where tribute is paid to his courage in saving his students from the mass killer who took 32 lives, including Prof. Librescu's.
His two sons live in Ra'anana, Israel, and they arranged for his body to be flown here. He is to be buried in Ra'anana. In addition to the many details that have appeared in the world press, it has now been revealed that he was kept in restriction by the Romanian authorities and only when Prime Minister Begin visited Bucharest in 1977 to meet Nicolae Ceauşescu he presented a list of Jews and asked for their release. Librescu was among them, according to Marlena, Librescu's wife, who will now be returning to Israel from the US where the professor worked for a number of years. According to his son, Prime Minister Begin intervened to get the family an immediate exit permit. They moved to Israel in 1978.
Tammuz Premier Packed to Capacity
Last Friday, close to 1,000 people crowded the Begin Center as hundreds moved out of the Reuben Hecht Auditorium while others moved into fill the seats again. Several hundred more filled the large seminar room. All this for three screenings of the film Tammuz, produced by Nir Toib, which was also screened on TV last night.
The documentary details the planning, preparation and execution of Prime Minister Begin's decision to destroy Iraq's atomic reactor at Osirak near Baghdad erev Shavuot, 1981. The pilots who took part in the operation speak about it in the documentary. "There is only one hero of the operation—Prime Minister Menachem Begin."
Singer Family Celebration
Carole and David Singer of Sydney, Australia and members of their family who live there and in Israel celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Sam Weiss at a lunch in the Asper Grand Foyer of the Begin Center on Wednesday. Sam is the son of Debbi (the Singer's daughter) and Greg Weiss. The grandparents, children and their friends first attended the Bar Mitzvah service at the Kotel and then came to the Begin Center for the festive lunch.
Haifa High School Reunion
Ruth Borman and her husband, Prof. Joe Borman, hosted thirty friends on their visit to the Begin Center. They were all together at school in Haifa with Ruth Borman. They were received and addressed by Harry Hurwitz, the founder and head of the Begin Center, and Herzl Makov, its Director General who accompanied them part of the way in the museum and met them again as they exited at the end of the tour. They were then shown the Reuben Hecht Auditorium and the Beit Midrash Menachem.
Publishing Committee Makes Plans for 2007-8
The Begin Center Book Publishing Committee, chaired by Basil Gamsu, gathered to discuss a plan for publishing or participating in the publication of a number of books in 2007-2008, which marks thirty years after Menachem Begin led the Likud in the successful Knesset election in 1977.
Visitors
Hart Hasten, President of the US Friends of the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation, who with his family spent Pesach in Israel, had a meeting with Harry Hurwitz and Herzl Makov at the Center. They discussed plans for extending various activities in the US.
* * * * *
Dr. Ra'anan Dinur, Director General of the Prime Minister's Office, and Yisrael Maimon, Secretary of the Government, were in the Begin Center for discussion with its heads on various topics.
* * * * *
Yossi Achimeier, Director of the Jabotinsky Institute, and Ephraim Evan, recently elected Chairman of the Irgun Veterans Association, held a meeting with the heads of the Begin Center on Tuesday. They discussed a detailed program of events in which the three organizations will cooperate.
* * * * *
Floyd and Shula Berman of Birmingham, Alabama, who spend some time every year in Israel, came to the Begin Center where they met with Harry Hurwitz. They visited the Menachem Begin Museum and were greatly impressed by it.
Visitor Comments:
v Fantastic, new, nice, interesting museum! In Dutch you say "Geweldig!" – Holland
v We enjoyed a very informative and interesting experience. We wish the Museum much success in its work. – Melbourne, Australia
v An astonishing experience—very powerful and informative. Wholly worthwhile. – Cape Town and Durban, South Africa
April 19, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 274,324
Begin Center Beflagged for Yom HaAtzmaut
Once again the Begin Center is beflagged from end to end and as the flags flutter they can be seen even across the valley at the foot of Mt. Zion and near David's citadel. In the evenings, the building is illuminated. All this is to mark the great national holiday of Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel's 59th Independence Day). The Center is full of activities that bring hundreds of people to it every day.
Yom HaShoah Ceremony
As the siren sounded at 10:00am on Yom HaShoah (Heroes and Martyrs Remembrance Day), the staff, volunteers, students, and some visitors stood on the upper terrace at attention before entering the Ben and Rose Milner Seminar Room for a short memorial service for the 6 million Jews who were murdered by the Germans.
Yisrael Medad recited the El Malei Rachamim. Gaby Mizrahi read an excerpt from the booklet by Rav Menachem Hacohen, The Silver Platter, and Harry Hurwitz introduced the playing of a recording of the Hatikva sung by the remnants of survivors upon their rescue by British Forces. Chap. Rev. Leslie Hardman invited the inmates to sing in the first hours of their freedom. This recording was recently discovered and circulated. (To listen please click here.)
A Small World, Indeed: A Hero Remembered
The story of Virginia Tech engineering professor Liviu Librescu has now appeared all over the world where tribute is paid to his courage in saving his students from the mass killer who took 32 lives, including Prof. Librescu's.
His two sons live in Ra'anana, Israel, and they arranged for his body to be flown here. He is to be buried in Ra'anana. In addition to the many details that have appeared in the world press, it has now been revealed that he was kept in restriction by the Romanian authorities and only when Prime Minister Begin visited Bucharest in 1977 to meet Nicolae Ceauşescu he presented a list of Jews and asked for their release. Librescu was among them, according to Marlena, Librescu's wife, who will now be returning to Israel from the US where the professor worked for a number of years. According to his son, Prime Minister Begin intervened to get the family an immediate exit permit. They moved to Israel in 1978.
Tammuz Premier Packed to Capacity
Last Friday, close to 1,000 people crowded the Begin Center as hundreds moved out of the Reuben Hecht Auditorium while others moved into fill the seats again. Several hundred more filled the large seminar room. All this for three screenings of the film Tammuz, produced by Nir Toib, which was also screened on TV last night.
The documentary details the planning, preparation and execution of Prime Minister Begin's decision to destroy Iraq's atomic reactor at Osirak near Baghdad erev Shavuot, 1981. The pilots who took part in the operation speak about it in the documentary. "There is only one hero of the operation—Prime Minister Menachem Begin."
Singer Family Celebration
Carole and David Singer of Sydney, Australia and members of their family who live there and in Israel celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Sam Weiss at a lunch in the Asper Grand Foyer of the Begin Center on Wednesday. Sam is the son of Debbi (the Singer's daughter) and Greg Weiss. The grandparents, children and their friends first attended the Bar Mitzvah service at the Kotel and then came to the Begin Center for the festive lunch.
Haifa High School Reunion
Ruth Borman and her husband, Prof. Joe Borman, hosted thirty friends on their visit to the Begin Center. They were all together at school in Haifa with Ruth Borman. They were received and addressed by Harry Hurwitz, the founder and head of the Begin Center, and Herzl Makov, its Director General who accompanied them part of the way in the museum and met them again as they exited at the end of the tour. They were then shown the Reuben Hecht Auditorium and the Beit Midrash Menachem.
Publishing Committee Makes Plans for 2007-8
The Begin Center Book Publishing Committee, chaired by Basil Gamsu, gathered to discuss a plan for publishing or participating in the publication of a number of books in 2007-2008, which marks thirty years after Menachem Begin led the Likud in the successful Knesset election in 1977.
Visitors
Hart Hasten, President of the US Friends of the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation, who with his family spent Pesach in Israel, had a meeting with Harry Hurwitz and Herzl Makov at the Center. They discussed plans for extending various activities in the US.
* * * * *
Dr. Ra'anan Dinur, Director General of the Prime Minister's Office, and Yisrael Maimon, Secretary of the Government, were in the Begin Center for discussion with its heads on various topics.
* * * * *
Yossi Achimeier, Director of the Jabotinsky Institute, and Ephraim Evan, recently elected Chairman of the Irgun Veterans Association, held a meeting with the heads of the Begin Center on Tuesday. They discussed a detailed program of events in which the three organizations will cooperate.
* * * * *
Floyd and Shula Berman of Birmingham, Alabama, who spend some time every year in Israel, came to the Begin Center where they met with Harry Hurwitz. They visited the Menachem Begin Museum and were greatly impressed by it.
Visitor Comments:
v Fantastic, new, nice, interesting museum! In Dutch you say "Geweldig!" – Holland
v We enjoyed a very informative and interesting experience. We wish the Museum much success in its work. – Melbourne, Australia
v An astonishing experience—very powerful and informative. Wholly worthwhile. – Cape Town and Durban, South Africa
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Center Bulletin - Volume 3 Number 19
Volume 3, Issue 19
February 21, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 260,253
"We served in the Government"
A well-known journalist Lili Galili, who writes regularly for the HaAretz newspaper, made comparisons between the attitude of some of today's leaders and the conduct of Menachem Begin.
She wrote:
We wanted to draw your attention to an interview with Menachem Begin, which was broadcast to mark the 15th anniversary of his death. The details with which he described the diplomatic and political processes of that time, which may not even have been to your liking, are not what's important. We wanted you to pay attention to the way in which he spoke. First of all, he spoke about his party by using the word "we." When, in recent times, have you used the word "we" when speaking about your workplace – aside from the moment when you wanted to turn personal responsibility into collective responsibility?
But the strangest thing was hearing Begin say in the interview – twice – "when we served in the government." What a surprising turn of phrase! Not "sat" in the government, but "served" in it! That is the entire difference. Serve us. We'll do the rest on our own.
50 Years Ago…
Alexander Zvielli has reported in his From Our Archives column in the Jerusalem Post that 50 years ago, on February 15, a rare meeting between Menachem Begin as Head of the Opposition and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion took place. Zvielli wrote: "The meeting, the first of its kind, touched on many subjects, but its primary objective was to discuss the Opposition's wish for a national referendum on the nation's preparedness to face international sanctions."
New in the Hasten Library
On Tuesday, the 20th of February, Bruriah Ben-Senior, the Center's Librarian, walked into the office of the Head of the Center, Harry Hurwitz. She showed him a book, bound in leather-like material and marked Edition Speciale. The book, in French, is entitled Salam. Shalom, was published in 1978 as the observations of the first Arab journalist to visit Israel while accompanying Anwar Sadat on his visit to Jerusalem.
The author, Mohamed Maradji, inscribed the book to Menachem Begin on 20th February 1978 – 29 years ago to the day. In his inscription, Maradji express his hope, "with all my heart, for peace with dignity, for all mankind".
Visitors
Justice Christopher Nicholson of South Africa's Supreme Court, who was in Israel last week for the first time, paid a special visit to the Menachem Begin Heritage Center and its hi-tech museum, which impressed him very much.
He was the guest of the Head of the Center and his wife, Freda.
Judge Nicholson's book about the influence of Richard Wagner on Hitler was a major attraction at the Jerusalem International Book Fair. It received widespread recognition in Israel's media and is much talked about. Judge Nicholson spent 15 years on research to write the book which shows clearly the direct influence of Wagner on the Nazi philosophy.
Before leaving the Begin Center, Judge Nicholson wrote in the visitors' book: "A deeply moving experience—it will be an inspiration to us all in the future!"
* * * * *
The newly elected Chairman of the Irgun Veterans Association, Mr. Ephraim Even and two leading veterans, Haim Korfu and Yehoshua Lender had a meeting in the Begin Center with its Head Harry Hurwitz and Director General Herzl Makov. They discussed cooperation in various areas in the year to come starting this week, the 15th anniversary of the death of Menachem Begin.
* * * * *
Brisk, where Menachem Begin was born, was of special interest to the Grant family, who came to Israel to celebrate a bat mitzvah this Monday. The respectable elder of the family originated in Brisk and was intrigued to come to the Begin Museum and to look around the first exhibit which is of Brisk, and to hear Menachem Begin's descriptions of the town during World War I.
Part of the tour of the Grant family included a dinner with Yehuda Avner, one of Menachem Begin's advisors, who gave a talk about the man on whom he has written numerous articles over the last few years.
Naomi Homnick, a friend of Mark Hasten of Indianapolis, Indiana, came to the Begin Center with members of her family. They were very impressed by both the Center and the Museum.
Earlier this week, Tom Peleg, grandson of Smoky and Myra Simon of Tel Aviv, Israel, visited the Begin Center and Museum.
Visitor Comments:
v This was a wonderfully moving tribute to one of the great leaders of the Jewish people and the country of Israel. – New York, New York, USA
v A wonderful Prime Minister whose dreams should and will become reality. – Brooklyn, New York, USA
February 21, 2007
Total Number of Visitors Since October 2004: 260,253
"We served in the Government"
A well-known journalist Lili Galili, who writes regularly for the HaAretz newspaper, made comparisons between the attitude of some of today's leaders and the conduct of Menachem Begin.
She wrote:
We wanted to draw your attention to an interview with Menachem Begin, which was broadcast to mark the 15th anniversary of his death. The details with which he described the diplomatic and political processes of that time, which may not even have been to your liking, are not what's important. We wanted you to pay attention to the way in which he spoke. First of all, he spoke about his party by using the word "we." When, in recent times, have you used the word "we" when speaking about your workplace – aside from the moment when you wanted to turn personal responsibility into collective responsibility?
But the strangest thing was hearing Begin say in the interview – twice – "when we served in the government." What a surprising turn of phrase! Not "sat" in the government, but "served" in it! That is the entire difference. Serve us. We'll do the rest on our own.
50 Years Ago…
Alexander Zvielli has reported in his From Our Archives column in the Jerusalem Post that 50 years ago, on February 15, a rare meeting between Menachem Begin as Head of the Opposition and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion took place. Zvielli wrote: "The meeting, the first of its kind, touched on many subjects, but its primary objective was to discuss the Opposition's wish for a national referendum on the nation's preparedness to face international sanctions."
New in the Hasten Library
On Tuesday, the 20th of February, Bruriah Ben-Senior, the Center's Librarian, walked into the office of the Head of the Center, Harry Hurwitz. She showed him a book, bound in leather-like material and marked Edition Speciale. The book, in French, is entitled Salam. Shalom, was published in 1978 as the observations of the first Arab journalist to visit Israel while accompanying Anwar Sadat on his visit to Jerusalem.
The author, Mohamed Maradji, inscribed the book to Menachem Begin on 20th February 1978 – 29 years ago to the day. In his inscription, Maradji express his hope, "with all my heart, for peace with dignity, for all mankind".
Visitors
Justice Christopher Nicholson of South Africa's Supreme Court, who was in Israel last week for the first time, paid a special visit to the Menachem Begin Heritage Center and its hi-tech museum, which impressed him very much.
He was the guest of the Head of the Center and his wife, Freda.
Judge Nicholson's book about the influence of Richard Wagner on Hitler was a major attraction at the Jerusalem International Book Fair. It received widespread recognition in Israel's media and is much talked about. Judge Nicholson spent 15 years on research to write the book which shows clearly the direct influence of Wagner on the Nazi philosophy.
Before leaving the Begin Center, Judge Nicholson wrote in the visitors' book: "A deeply moving experience—it will be an inspiration to us all in the future!"
* * * * *
The newly elected Chairman of the Irgun Veterans Association, Mr. Ephraim Even and two leading veterans, Haim Korfu and Yehoshua Lender had a meeting in the Begin Center with its Head Harry Hurwitz and Director General Herzl Makov. They discussed cooperation in various areas in the year to come starting this week, the 15th anniversary of the death of Menachem Begin.
* * * * *
Brisk, where Menachem Begin was born, was of special interest to the Grant family, who came to Israel to celebrate a bat mitzvah this Monday. The respectable elder of the family originated in Brisk and was intrigued to come to the Begin Museum and to look around the first exhibit which is of Brisk, and to hear Menachem Begin's descriptions of the town during World War I.
Part of the tour of the Grant family included a dinner with Yehuda Avner, one of Menachem Begin's advisors, who gave a talk about the man on whom he has written numerous articles over the last few years.
Naomi Homnick, a friend of Mark Hasten of Indianapolis, Indiana, came to the Begin Center with members of her family. They were very impressed by both the Center and the Museum.
Earlier this week, Tom Peleg, grandson of Smoky and Myra Simon of Tel Aviv, Israel, visited the Begin Center and Museum.
Visitor Comments:
v This was a wonderfully moving tribute to one of the great leaders of the Jewish people and the country of Israel. – New York, New York, USA
v A wonderful Prime Minister whose dreams should and will become reality. – Brooklyn, New York, USA
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