Berl Katznelson

Berl Katznelson (also: Kazenelson, Kaznelson; * 1887 in Bobruisk, Belarus; † August 13, 1944 in Jerusalem) was an Israeli labor leader, journalist and politician, among other things founded the Israeli health insurance ( Kuppat Holim ) and was confidant and friend of Ben-Gurion.

Life

Katznelson was the son of Choveve Zion member, already engaged at a young age in Jewish- socialist organizations in Russia and went in 1909 as a farm laborer to Palestine. In Belarus, he had worked as a librarian and as a teacher of Hebrew and Jewish history and the youth entrusted to him in the Zionist sense educated.

In World War I he served in the Jewish Legion and then in 1919 with Ben Gurion and Ben-Zvi co-founder Ahdut haAvoda ( Zionist- Socialist Party, initially the strongest voice of the Yishuv ), 1920 co-founded the Histadrut and Mapai in 1930.

In 1925 he founded Dawar ( German: " word" ), the first daily newspaper of the workers' movement in Palestine, and remained its editor until his death. His numerous essays are characterized by sharp dialectic and conciseness of the Hebrew style. In the sheet (at that time the most common Hebrew daily newspaper in Palestine) he fought against both communist as revisionist tendencies and was one of the most recognized spokesman of the Yishuv. He sat down, in contrast to most of the leaders within the ( non-religious ) labor movement for the preservation of Jewish values: observation of Shabbat, holidays, kashrut, circumcision, etc.

As from 1939 the Jewish immigration increasing resistance, especially on the part of the British, were opposed, Berl Katznelson became an initiator and advocate of illegal immigration, organized even concrete assistance for Jewish refugees in the countries occupied by the Nazis areas in Europe.

After Ussishkins death in 1941 he was succeeded in the leadership of the Jewish National Fund, a committee of three, which also Berl Katznelson was ( until his death ), the other two were Meir Bar - Ilan and Abraham Granott.

Berl Katznelson died in 1944 and was the fulfillment of its vision, the establishment of the Jewish state, not witnessed. The Academy Beit Berl, a village on the Kinneret and a kibbutz bear his name. On the 30th anniversary of Israel's independence (1978 ) the State of Israel called in honor of issuing a stamp with his portrait.

Golda Meir on Berl Katznelson in her autobiography (1975 ):

Works

• Collected Works, 12 vols, 1946-1950