Albert Einstein and Menachem Begin

Serious students of Zionism and Israel history are aware that during Menachem Begin's first trip to the United States in November-December 1948, he was greet with a rather vicious letter which appeared in the New York Times. One of the signatories was Albert Einstein.

Adam Kirsch, a contributing editor to Tablet Magazine and the author of Benjamin Disraeli, a biography in the Nextbook Press Jewish Encounters book series, reviewed a new book, "Einstein on Israel and Zionism". In his review, we found this:

...an account of Einstein’s 1952 meeting with an Egyptian journalist, Mohamed Heikal. Jerome interviewed Heikal in 2006, and he remembered his long-ago visit to Princeton to see Einstein. There the great man spoke with anguished sincerity about his desire to make peace between Jews and Arabs, and tried to use to Heikal to open up back-channel talks with Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt’s new ruler. Clearly hoping to find common ground with Heikal, Einstein said that “when it comes to people like Menachem Begin and his massacre of Arabs in the village of Deir Yassin … these people are Nazis in their thoughts and their deeds.”

And what was Heikal’s response? “Ben-Gurion is no less a Nazi than Menachem Begin.” Here we see the ugly reality behind Einstein’s dream of a binational state, and Jerome’s present-day anti-Zionism. There was, in 1948, no way to ensure the survival of Jewish Palestine without a Jewish state, which meant an army, a flag, borders, and all the insignia of sovereignty that Einstein detested. Likewise, there is no way to establish a true peace in Palestine today as long as so many Palestinians, elite and ordinary, are committed to Israel’s destruction. Still, Einstein has one advantage over his new editor: his reservations about Israel were voiced from the standpoint of his unquestionable commitment to Zionism. For that reason, he makes a less useful ally than Fred Jerome appears to think.

Center Bulletin, Vol. 5, No. 39

Menachem Begin Heritage Center Bulletin Vol. 5, No. 39 | 23 July 2009


TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITORS SINCE OCTOBER 2004: 505,093


EVENING IN MEMORY OF ZE'EV JABOTINSKY

The special evening hosted by the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in cooperation with the Public Council of the Prime Minister's Office to commemorate the 69th anniversary of the passing of Ze'ev Jabotinsky was conducted at the Center in an extremely successful and honorable manner. The theme of the evening was "Ze'ev Jabotinsky: The Poet and the Author". This kind of event for Jabotinsky is unique because it highlights the artistic side of Jabotinsky as a poet and writer and how these qualities informed his leadership.

More than 500 people crowded into three viewing areas – the Hecht Auditorium, the Lecture Hall and the Israel Asper Foyer (the latter two with closed-circuit viewing) – and were treated to a more than two-hour program that began with the singing of the Betar Anthem. Herzl Makov, Chairman of the Begin Center, opened the ceremony and began his remarks with a quote from Menachem Begin who described Jabotinsky as "one of the few giants and geniuses in the world on par with Aristotle, da Vinci and Maimonides" because of the variety of talents demonstrated by Jabotinsky as an author, a poet, a translator, a great orator and a visionary. Makov went on to say that Jabotinsky was a herald of national liberalism in Jewish history. Roni Milo, chairman of the Public Council for the Commemoration of the Legacy and Achievements of Ze’ev Jabotinsky of the Prime Minister's Office, also gave opening remarks praising the Center for the event and for the insert in the Ma'ariv newspaper (mentioned in last week's bulletin). He went on to describe the importance of Jabotinsky's heritage today in all aspects of life. Izzy Mann of Kol Yisrael was the moderator for the evening.

Chanan Yovel sang several of his previous tunes set to poems of Jabotinsky and premiered a new melody to a Jabotinsky translation. The Bnei Binyamina Choral Group sang Betar favorites, including Shir Assirei Acco and "Two Banks Has the Jordan".

Prof. Yehuda Friedlander spoke on the topic a Jabotinsky as an author, writer, translator and a poet noting the tension Jabotinsky successfully contended with as a cosmopolitan and Jewish nationalist, trying to awaken the spirit of his people to a nationalist idea on one hand and on the other hand, the spirit of Jabotinsky the artist as a writer. Poet Miron Isakson said that Jabotinsky was a dreamer and a visionary and that through his poems and stories we can see his dreams and aspirations.

Rami Shtivi of the Begin Center produced two moving video clip compilations of Jabotinsky in sound and video which was much appreciated by the audience. Thespian Oded Tehomi read excerpts from Jabotinsky’s articles, poems and from the novel Samson.

Special guests included the Ze'ev Jabotinsky (the grandson) and Dr. Karni Jabotinsky and their families, former MK Geula Cohen, Freda Hurwitz, Basil Gamsu, Ariela Cotler, Matti Drobles, Israel Prize recipient and and lecturer/singer of the Begin Center's program on national songs, Nahum Heyman, the mayor of Binyamina, Motti Kirmeyer, officials of the Begin Center and Foundation.

For video clips from the evening, please click the link here.


PASSINGS THIS WEEK

Walter Cronkite, the legendary CBS newsman, was the voice of the news for many years in the United States. Many people in older generations remember that it was his voice and image that informed them of the ordinary day's events, but also the events that marked world history. One such event was the history-changing three-way conversation on November 14, 1977, between Prime Minister of Israel, Menachem Begin; President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat; and Walter Cronkite. This conversation led to Anwar Sadat's visit to Jerusalem the following week. Variety has listed this as one of Cronkite's top ten moments. The link to the article is here. For a transcript of this conversation, readers may refer to this site.

In Israel this week, another death was recorded. Former Minister, Knesset Member and third Mossad Chief Meir Amit has passed away. Born in Tiberias in 1921, he spent the majority of his life serving Israel from gaining independence, serving in the army and intelligence, serving in the government and also using business to help build Israel. In 1977, he served as transportation minister and communications minister in Menachem Begin's government.


NATIONAL MOVIES AT THE BEGIN CENTER

On 23 July at 8:30pm the movie Hitna'ari will be shown as part of the National Movies series at the Begin Center, a series that is co-sponsored by the 12 Tribe Foundation and the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. The movie is a documentary utilizing the personal point of view of the director about the expulsion of Jews from their homes and how it affects their attitudes about the State of Israel and Israeli society. Menorah Hazani, the director, will be on hand for the discussion afterwards.
The movie is in Hebrew with English subtitles and the discussion afterwards will be in Hebrew. The cost is 30NIS.


FIVE YEARS AND HALF A MILLION

The Menachem Begin Heritage Center is planning an event to celebrate 5 years since the building on Ketef Hinnom was opened to the public and having welcomed over half a million visitors. The event will be on August 27. Details will follow in later bulletins.


NEW AT THE BEGIN CENTER

The Begin Center has replaced its sign on the corner of David Remez Street and King David Street where it merges with Emek Refaim.

Also, the retractable pillars are complete and in use, both as a clear barrier in the evenings and as a safe and effective method of easing delivery truck entry.

See here.

Video Clips from the Jabotinsky Memorial Evening

Chanan Yovel with Annabel-Li:

A first performance of a new melody to a Jabotinsky translation:

The Bnei Binyamina Choral Group singing Shir Betar:

Pictures of New Additions

The new retracting poles at the entrance of the Center:





The new direction sign at the corner of Nahon Street and Mendes-France Square next to St. Andrews Church:

Center Bulletin, Vol. 5, No. 38

Menachem Begin Heritage Center Bulletin 38, v 5 | 16 July 2009


TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITORS SINCE OCTOBER 2004: 503,122


EVENING IN MEMORY OF ZE'EV JABOTINSKY

The Menachem Begin Heritage Center in cooperation with the Public Council of the Prime Minister's Office will host an evening commemorating Ze'ev Jabotinsky at 7:00pm on July 21, 69 years after his death. The theme of the evening will be "Ze'ev Jabotinsky: The Poet and the Author". Herzl Makov, Chairman of the Begin Center, and Roni Milo, of the Public Council, will give opening remarks. Poet Miron Isakson and Prof. Yehuda Friedlander will give speeches. Hanan Yovel will premier a new song set to the words of a Jabotinsky poem. The Binyaminim will sing Betar songs and songs written by Jabotinsky. The event will be in Hebrew. Entrance is without cost, but reservations are required. A bus will leave Metzudat Ze'ev in Tel Aviv at 4:00pm and costs 10 NIS per person. Please make reservations for the evening and the bus at the Begin Center (02) 565-2020.

***For all our readers in Israel: A special informational insert about Jabotinsky will be published this weekend in the Ma'ariv newspaper. The insert contains an excerpt from Samson, a few poems and highlights from Jabotinsky's life.



1 ROSENBAUM – AN INSPIRATION

In the Ha'aretz newspaper this week, an article about Michal Aharoni Regev, author of the fantasy book The Journey to the Kingdom of Oridor, discusses the fact that this is the first book written originally in Hebrew in the fantasy genre. Regev, a religious woman with 11 grandchildren, talks about some of the literary influences throughout her life – one of which was spending time in the Begins' living room.

She says:

Every Saturday evening they [her family including her father Yaakov Aharoni, who had been in the Irgun] would visit friends from the Irgun in Tel Aviv, Aliza and Menachem Begin and sometimes poet Uri Zvi Greenberg. The Begin home was like a cultural and literary salon.

"I was an absolutely still audience when they read aloud, Greenberg's 'The Streets of the River,' with pathos," she says. "I was enchanted. Those meetings shaped me. Those people were imbued with a sense of mission."

To read the text of the whole article, click here.


NATIONAL MOVIES AT THE BEGIN CENTER

On 23 July at 8:30pm the movie Hitna'ari will be shown as part of the National Movies series at the Begin Center, a series that is co-sponsored by the 12 Tribes Foundation and the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. The movie is a documentary utilizing the personal point of view of the director about the expulsion of Jews from their homes and how it affects their attitudes about the State of Israel and Israeli society. Menorah Hazani, the director, will be on hand for the discussion afterwards.

The movie is in Hebrew with English subtitles and the discussion afterwards will be in Hebrew. The cost is 30NIS.


NEW IN THE ARCHIVES; NEW IN THE LIBRARY

New acquisitions were received in both the archives and library this week. Dan Pattir, former press secretary to Menachem Begin, donated 59 audio tapes to the archives named in honor of Yechiel and Esther Kadishai. The contents of the tapes are Menachem Begin's speeches and interviews over the years. The audio tapes will be digitized for easier access for researchers and will be transcribed.

The Hasten Library received a newly published book, Memories: A Lawyer's Life, by Irwin Yitzhak Heimowitz. Yitzhak Heimowitz served as Menachem Begin's personal lawyer before and after Heimowitz's Aliyah to Israel in 1968. Heimowitz, formerly head of Betar USA and a Revisionist and Herut/Likud activist for several decades, reveals many interesting and riveting behind-the-scenes incidents involving Begin, including documentation as well as the history of Betar USA and, of course, his own family and professional life.


FROM THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

The Junior Knesset has had quite a number of groups from South and Central America participating in the shortened workshop developed by the Education Department at the Begin Center. Groups have come from Mexico, Argentina and Venezuela. There are preparations being made for a group that may come from Brazil. The program is not yet in Portuguese, but many of the guides for the program speak Brazilian Portuguese.
The army workshops are continuing through the summer. The first Air Force group of high level officers in the engineering corps came to participate in a Judaism and Democracy workshop. This signifies that all the branches of the Israeli military have participated in the workshops in the Begin Center. More importantly, Major Ainav Kaduri wrote a letter of thanks to the Begin Center's Education Department which she sent copies of to her colleagues in the Air Force in the hope of encouraging them to come to these very valuable workshops.

For one special group of officers in the Reserves, Yoske Nachmias spoke about the struggle for independence and Begin's leadership in the Etzel. Nachmias runs Beit Gidi, a museum of the Irgun, and was a representative on many missions for the Irgun in both English-speaking and Arabic-speaking countries during the years of Irgun activity.


PARASHAT HASHAVUA

This week is the last lecture of the Parashat HaShavua for this year. The Parashat HaShavua lecture series will begin again after Sukkot in October. Tonight's lecturer is Rabbi Aviah HaCohen.


VISITORS

A special group of Republican Jewish Coalition Board members came to the Begin Center for a special luncheon that included a discussion with Yechiel Kadishai, former secretary to Menachem Begin. Kadishai also led them through the museum. One of the members of the group was especially enthusiastic about the recreation of 1 Rosenbaum, the Begins' living room, and discussed his memories of visiting there.

Amram Mitzna Recalls Begin

Letter to Begin 1982.

At the conclusion of the hostilities, while serving as chief of staff of the Syrian front, Mitzna criticized the defense minister, Ariel Sharon, whom he had admired since the Yom Kippur War, over the aims of the war in Lebanon. After sending a letter to Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Mitzna was invited to the Prime Minister's Office. To his surprise, he says, he was not thrown out of the army.

What was Begin like in the meeting? Why weren't you thrown out of the army?

"Because there was apparently a hidden internal conflict between the chief of staff, Raful [Rafael Eitan], and Sharon, the defense minister; and Begin probably knew by then who he was messing with."

What was the conflict about? Did you feel alone?

"On the contrary, I felt that I was expressing a widespread opinion."

Walter Cronkite is Dead

Menachem Begin, left, and Anwar Sadat being interviewed by Walter Cronkite during Sadat's trip to Jerusalem in November 1977.

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