Israeli Institutions

 bar Mitzvah
Figure 1.--

We have begun to develop some information on Isreali institutions that touch on the lives of childten. The institution for which Israel is most known is the kibbutz, agricultural cooperatives. The first Zionist institutions in what is modern Isreal us the Kibbut Movement. Jewish kibbutzes were founded in one of the poorest and most backward regions of the Ottoman Empire--Palestine. And they litteraly made the desert bloom. Modern kibbutzes are no longer exclusively agricultural opeation, but are now deply imbedded in Israel's modern eonomy. Zionist thinkers pursued many different approaches, both religious and secular and within those basic trends a wide range of ideas. Jews in many countries were primarily urban. Jews like most ancient people as is clear from the Bible were primary darmers and hearders. Medieval laws, however, restricted in both the Islamic world and Christian Europe restricted (commonly prohibited) Jews from purchasing land. Thus by modern times, Jews mostly lived in towns and villages. A strong thread which developed in Zionism, influenced often by Socialist more than Jewish religious roots, was a return to the land. Various authotrs conceived of a range of ideological constructs. One important Zionist thinker was Ber Borochov who was influenced by Moses Hess. Borochov saw Zionism as the opportunity to created a society that would be fundamentally an "inverted pyramid". He saw the "proletariat" (both Jewish and Arab) as the foundation of society. A. D. Gordon discussed similar concepts. He seems to have been more influenced by romantic volkisch nationalist concepts rather than Socialism. Gordon wanted a society based on a rural Jewish peasantry. The concept of the kibbutz flowed from these and other ofen idealistic Zionist writers. The first kibbutz was Deganiah--some times reffered to as the mother of kibbutzim. It was founded on the the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee (1909). This was the same year that other Zionist settlers founded the city of Tel Aviv. Another institution is orohanages. Here we have much less information than the well-studdied kibbutzes. The world's oldest continuously running Jewish Orphanage, Zion Blumenthal, was founded in 1900. The orphanage explains it mission, "The Zion Orphanage is dedicated to providing disadvantaged and homeless youth in Israel with the warmth, care and the education needed to develop into responsible adults and productive members of society." Zio Blumenthl is of course is not the oldest Jewish orpjanage. Quite a few existed in Eyrope, especially Eastern Euripe. They were desstroyed in the NAZI holocaust and most of the children with them. Children were the most vulnerable of all the NAZI victims, but thousands managed to survive. This there was a special need for orphanages, espcially once the United Nations partitioned Palestine and the orohaned survivors ould reach Israel.

Kibbutz Movement

We have begun to develop some information on Isreali institutions that touch on the lives of childten. The institution for which Israel is most known is the kibbutz, agricultural cooperatives. The first Zionist institutions in what is modern Israel was the Kibbutz Movement. Jewish kibbutzes were founded in one of the poorest and most backward regions of the Ottoman Empire--Palestine. And they litteraly made the desert bloom. Modern kibbutzes are no longer exclusively agricultural opeation, but are now deply imbedded in Israel's modern eonomy. Zionist thinkers pursued many different approaches, both religious and secular and within those basic trends a wide range of ideas. Jews in many countries were primarily urban. Jews like most ancient people as is clear from the Bible were primary darmers and hearders. Medieval laws, however, restricted in both the Islamic world and Christian Europe restricted (commonly prohibited) Jews from purchasing land. Thus by modern times, Jews mostly lived in towns and villages. A strong thread which developed in Zionism, influenced often by Socialist more than Jewish religious roots, was a return to the land. Various authotrs conceived of a range of ideological constructs. One important Zionist thinker was Ber Borochov who was influenced by Moses Hess. Borochov saw Zionism as the opportunity to created a society that would be fundamentally an "inverted pyramid". He saw the "proletariat" (both Jewish and Arab) as the foundation of society. A.D. Gordon discussed similar concepts. He seems to have been more influenced by romantic volkisch nationalist concepts rather than Socialism. Gordon wanted a society based on a rural Jewish peasantry. The concept of the kibbutz flowed from these and other ofen idealistic Zionist writers. The first kibbutz was Deganiah--some times reffered to as the mother of kibbutzim. It was founded on the the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee (1909). This was the same year that other Zionist settlers founded the city of Tel Aviv.

Orphanages

Another institution is orohanages. Here we have much less information than the well-studdied kibbutzes. The world's oldest continuously running Jewish Orphanage, Zion Blumenthal, was founded in 1900. The orphanage explains it mission, "The Zion Orphanage is dedicated to providing disadvantaged and homeless youth in Israel with the warmth, care and the education needed to develop into responsible adults and productive members of society." Zio Blumenthl is of course is not the oldest Jewish orpjanage. Quite a few existed in Europe, especially Eastern Europe. They were desstroyed in the NAZI holocaust and most of the children with them. Children were the most vulnerable of all the NAZI victims, but thousands managed to survive. Most were cared in displaced persons (DP) camps in occupied Germany. Unlike other DP groups, most Jews had no comm unities and homes to return to, especually those from Eastern and Central Europe. The British blocked entry to Palestine for most of them. This there was a special need for orphanages, espcially once the United Nations partitioned Palestine and the orphaned survivors could reach Israel. We have lottle information at this time about oroganages in Israel following World war II. An important orphanage in modern Israel is the Gnerl Israel Orphan Home for Girls in Jerusalem. There is also A Girl's Town in Isreal.

Military

Under British rule there was no Jewish self defense force permittd, despite nymerous Aran attacls on Jews. The British did not have an adequate force to defend scatered Jewsish settlements nd kinnutzes, but they refused to either permit the Jews to organize aekf-fefense force or to acquire armns. So the Jews were forced to do secretly. Kibbutzes maintained secret arms hordes. The British managed to find and seize a few. Jews also covertly organized self defense forces. TheHaganah was the most important and would become the core of the Usraeli Army. They organized Jewish communities, including the Kibbutzes. Aore radical group was ye Irgun. Young people including teen agers wer involved in these groups.

Public Health

Diseases was rampant in the Ottoman Empire (19th century). Mot modern medicine was developed in the Christian West. Health standards and medical care was virtually medieval, especially outside the major cities. The situatiion was worse in the Arab Lands, at the time part of the Ottoman Empire. The Arab lands in general were backward and neglected provinces of the Ottoman Empire. This was the situation that Jewish Zionist settlers encountered when they began arriving in Palestine (late 19th century). Some of the most common diseases were dysentery, malaria, typhus and trachoma. One of the early steps taken by the settlers was to organize health services. This began in the Old City of Jerusalem. European Jewish communities began setting up clinics. This included free medical services for low income patients. The health workers became well known for their dedicated care working in primitive conditions with very little money before hospitals were founded. These early clinics in Jerusalem grew to become very impressive hospitals: Bikur Holim (1843), Misgav Ladach (1888), and Shaare Zedek (1902). They still operare to day, now equipped with modern equipment and medical technology. The Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem with important schools of medicine, nursing, and pharmacology and two modern hospitals. The Center began with the work of two nurses who were sent to Jerusalem by the Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America (1913). The foundation of Israel's modern health system was laid by the Jewish community and by the British during the Mandate Era (1918-48). This included a network of medical services for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This included an effort to extend services into the ciountryside with kibbutzes and Arab villages. As a result, when Israel was founded there existed medical infrastructure more advanced than in other Arab countries. Immunization was already standard procedure. There was also a frameworks for improving environmental conditions. A new problenm emerged with independence, especially the health needs of hundreds of thousands of refugees not only from post-War Europe, but an even larger number of refugees from Arab countries where Jews were being targetted and expelled. A major national effort was lunched by the new state wih only limited resources. Medical services as well as a far-reaching plan of health education and preventive medicine. Israel is today served by one of the most advanced health care system n the world. It includes an extensive medical network including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and centers for preventive medicine and rehabilitation. Hospital care includes advanced procedures and techniques. There are also mother-and-child care centers, for women during pregnancy and children from birth to early childhood, offer prenatal examinations, early detection of mental and physical handicaps, immunizations, regular pediatric check-ups, and health education.







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Created: 5:32 AM 6/13/2015
Last updated: 7:24 PM 11/10/2018