From Remembrance to Independence: Behind the Scenes of Israel’s Founding

by Avi Abelow
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Toldot Yisrael, in cooperation with the Rabbinical Council of America, has produced a complete ready-to-use one hour Yom HaZikaron-Yom Ha’Atzmaut program designed for congregations and communities to watch together. The program is built around eyewitness accounts to Israel’s founding by Harry Truman, Rabbi Norman Lamm, Yehuda Avner, and others. In addition, it includes inspiring words from Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, and a moving El Maleh Rachamim by Shlomo Katz.

Guns were smuggled into the Land of Israel by English speaking volunteers in order to fight off the Arab attacks on Israel. There were very few Jewish fighters, and they had less guns than soldiers. Some soldiers spent the war driving a machine gun from one part of the front to the other side of the front. The number of soldiers that held back hundreds of well-armed Egyptian soldiers were often nothing more than a small company of 20 or 20 soldiers.

There is no truly rational explanation for the victory of the fledgling State of Israel. But, historians, will obviously analyze and reanalyze the amazing accomplishments of a small non-descript under-funded, out-manned Army beating back a much larger force with better weapons. Don’t believe the lies of Arabs being disorganized and confused. The key difference was that the Arabs were driven by bloodlust and looting. The Jews were driven by survival and true love of the Land of Israel. But more than any other factor, it was clear that G-d was working overtime in the busy days of 1948-1949.

Click here for additional educational information on this program.


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