At Straus Center Event, Author Daniel Gordis Discusses The Life and Legacy of Menachem Begin
A fiery revolutionary and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, a beloved founder of the State of Israel reviled by its first prime minister, a proud Jew but not a conventionally religious one: Menachem Begin, Israelās sixth prime minister, was all of this and more. On April 1, hosted an intimate evening of conversation at the with Straus Center Director Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik and Dr. Daniel Gordis, author of the recent book Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israelās Soul (Nextbook, April 2014), to discuss the complexities and contradictions of Beginās life and legacy.
Left to right: Ā鶹“«Ć½Ó³» President Richard M. Joel welcomes guests to an evening of conversation with Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik and Dr. Daniel Gordis
āThe two words that probably meant most to Menachem Begin were āIsraelā and āJewish,ā and in his mind they were inextricably linked,ā said Ā鶹“«Ć½Ó³» President Richard M. Joel as he introduced the eveningās speakers. āAt Ā鶹“«Ć½Ó³», we reinforce the notion that Israel and Jewish identity have to be absolute, indivisible twins. We begin tonight by celebrating this year as the hundredth anniversary of Menachem Beginās birth.ā
Led by Soloveichik, the eveningās discussion began with the historical and religious forces that shaped Begin as a person and as a Jewish leader. Soloveichik noted: āThere was tension between Beginās very Zionistic parents and the anti-Zionistic rabbinic leadership in his hometown of Brisk, yet he spoke about the distinguished rabbis there often with pride.ā Gordis, who is the senior vice president and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College in Jerusalem, agreed, pointing out that this apparent contradiction colored Beginās actions through his life. He recounted a story Yehuda Avner, author of The Prime Ministers, told about Begin, in which, rather than reading intelligence dossiers while he waited for Israeli planes to hit Osirak in 1981, Begin paced back and forth reciting Psalms.
āHe had a love of Jewish tradition but navigated it in his own way, which I think is part of his great legacy,ā he said.
According to Gordis, that perspective influenced Beginās insistence on the presence of Jewish values in Israeli public space even though he himself didnāt observe strict Halacha [Jewish law]. āThatās why he grounded the planes on Shabbat and the food in all the embassies had to be kosherāBeginās argument was, āThis isnāt about founding a democracy in the Middle East. This is about a Jewish state that is not Jewish just because thereās a plurality of Jews in it, but because thereās a sense of Jewish self to it inherently,āā he said. āThe question remains: āWhat does it mean to protect the civil liberties of Jews in Israel who donāt want to be personally observant while using the public space to make clear that this is a Jewish state?āā
Soloveichik and Gordis also discussed Beginās tumultuous relationship with David Ben-Gurion, Israelās first prime minister, arguing that the two disagreed vehemently on basic ideology but ultimately softened toward each other with the passing of time. āAt the end of the day, you wouldnāt have the Jewish state without either Begin or Ben-Gurion,ā Gordis said. āThereās a sort of epistemological humility that comes with the sense that even if you disagree with someone very strongly, history may show that both you and they were critical voices in the Jewish chorus of that time.ā
For Begin, that voice was in many ways defined by the personal, national and cultural losses suffered by the Jewish people in the Holocaust. āBegin became the conscience of Israel,ā Gordis said. āHe was the clarion call to remember that the purpose of Jews in the 20th century was to defend the Jewish peopleāthat without Jewish substance, there was no point in having a Jewish state.ā
The event was one in a series of programs on Zionism and the Begin legacy sponsored by a grant the Straus Center received from the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem to honor the former prime ministerās 100th birthday, which was commemorated in August. Hart Hasten, president of US Friends of the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation and a friend of Beginās, was instrumental in securing the grant.
āMenachem Begin was my hero before and after he became prime minister,ā Hasten told guests at the event. āHe was my commander and my guru. Iām envious of the insight into his life that these two brilliant intellectuals sitting here tonight can offer us.ā
The evening also recognized other generous sponsors of the Straus Centerās Menachem Begin Initiative, including Ben and Lynda Brafman as well as Phil and Malki Rosen, whose sponsorship was in honor of their parents, Irving and Toni Rosen.
āTonight was an amazing intellectual, cultural and educational opportunity given to us by the Straus Center,ā said Susan Ulick, who jumped at the chance to learn more about Begin after reading Gordisās work. āAs an American, whether Israelās something youāve always been interested in or just started reading about, itās critical to understand how quintessentially important Begin was to the development of the State of Israel. One even wonders if it could have existed without him.ā
On April 17, the Straus Center will present its next event in the series at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, The evening will feature presentations by Soloveichik and Gordis titled, āA Son of Brisk: How Beginās Childhood Made Him Who He Wasā and āThe World Through a Biblical Lens: Why Begin was Israelās Most Jewish Prime Minister,ā respectively, as well as an introduction by Douglas Feith, former United States under secretary of defense.
To learn about other Straus Center visits, email strauscenter@yu.edu.
Left to right: Ā鶹“«Ć½Ó³» President Richard M. Joel welcomes guests to an evening of conversation with Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik and Dr. Daniel Gordis
Soloveichik and Gordis also discussed Beginās tumultuous relationship with David Ben-Gurion, Israelās first prime minister, arguing that the two disagreed vehemently on basic ideology but ultimately softened toward each other with the passing of time. āAt the end of the day, you wouldnāt have the Jewish state without either Begin or Ben-Gurion,ā Gordis said. āThereās a sort of epistemological humility that comes with the sense that even if you disagree with someone very strongly, history may show that both you and they were critical voices in the Jewish chorus of that time.ā
For Begin, that voice was in many ways defined by the personal, national and cultural losses suffered by the Jewish people in the Holocaust. āBegin became the conscience of Israel,ā Gordis said. āHe was the clarion call to remember that the purpose of Jews in the 20th century was to defend the Jewish peopleāthat without Jewish substance, there was no point in having a Jewish state.ā
The event was one in a series of programs on Zionism and the Begin legacy sponsored by a grant the Straus Center received from the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem to honor the former prime ministerās 100th birthday, which was commemorated in August. Hart Hasten, president of US Friends of the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation and a friend of Beginās, was instrumental in securing the grant.
āMenachem Begin was my hero before and after he became prime minister,ā Hasten told guests at the event. āHe was my commander and my guru. Iām envious of the insight into his life that these two brilliant intellectuals sitting here tonight can offer us.ā
The evening also recognized other generous sponsors of the Straus Centerās Menachem Begin Initiative, including Ben and Lynda Brafman as well as Phil and Malki Rosen, whose sponsorship was in honor of their parents, Irving and Toni Rosen.
āTonight was an amazing intellectual, cultural and educational opportunity given to us by the Straus Center,ā said Susan Ulick, who jumped at the chance to learn more about Begin after reading Gordisās work. āAs an American, whether Israelās something youāve always been interested in or just started reading about, itās critical to understand how quintessentially important Begin was to the development of the State of Israel. One even wonders if it could have existed without him.ā
On April 17, the Straus Center will present its next event in the series at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, The evening will feature presentations by Soloveichik and Gordis titled, āA Son of Brisk: How Beginās Childhood Made Him Who He Wasā and āThe World Through a Biblical Lens: Why Begin was Israelās Most Jewish Prime Minister,ā respectively, as well as an introduction by Douglas Feith, former United States under secretary of defense.
To learn about other Straus Center visits, email strauscenter@yu.edu.
Left to right: Ā鶹“«Ć½Ó³» President Richard M. Joel welcomes guests to an evening of conversation with Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik and Dr. Daniel Gordis
Soloveichik and Gordis also discussed Beginās tumultuous relationship with David Ben-Gurion, Israelās first prime minister, arguing that the two disagreed vehemently on basic ideology but ultimately softened toward each other with the passing of time. āAt the end of the day, you wouldnāt have the Jewish state without either Begin or Ben-Gurion,ā Gordis said. āThereās a sort of epistemological humility that comes with the sense that even if you disagree with someone very strongly, history may show that both you and they were critical voices in the Jewish chorus of that time.ā
For Begin, that voice was in many ways defined by the personal, national and cultural losses suffered by the Jewish people in the Holocaust. āBegin became the conscience of Israel,ā Gordis said. āHe was the clarion call to remember that the purpose of Jews in the 20th century was to defend the Jewish peopleāthat without Jewish substance, there was no point in having a Jewish state.ā
The event was one in a series of programs on Zionism and the Begin legacy sponsored by a grant the Straus Center received from the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem to honor the former prime ministerās 100th birthday, which was commemorated in August. Hart Hasten, president of US Friends of the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation and a friend of Beginās, was instrumental in securing the grant.
āMenachem Begin was my hero before and after he became prime minister,ā Hasten told guests at the event. āHe was my commander and my guru. Iām envious of the insight into his life that these two brilliant intellectuals sitting here tonight can offer us.ā
The evening also recognized other generous sponsors of the Straus Centerās Menachem Begin Initiative, including Ben and Lynda Brafman as well as Phil and Malki Rosen, whose sponsorship was in honor of their parents, Irving and Toni Rosen.
āTonight was an amazing intellectual, cultural and educational opportunity given to us by the Straus Center,ā said Susan Ulick, who jumped at the chance to learn more about Begin after reading Gordisās work. āAs an American, whether Israelās something youāve always been interested in or just started reading about, itās critical to understand how quintessentially important Begin was to the development of the State of Israel. One even wonders if it could have existed without him.ā
On April 17, the Straus Center will present its next event in the series at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, The evening will feature presentations by Soloveichik and Gordis titled, āA Son of Brisk: How Beginās Childhood Made Him Who He Wasā and āThe World Through a Biblical Lens: Why Begin was Israelās Most Jewish Prime Minister,ā respectively, as well as an introduction by Douglas Feith, former United States under secretary of defense.
To learn about other Straus Center visits, email strauscenter@yu.edu.
