Machon Meir Institute in Jerusalem features a unique exhibit of newpapers and other artifacts from the days of the establishment of the State of Israel.
The exhibit features newspaper aricles, photographs and other objects that document not only the events of that historic period, but also the excitement and fears that gripped the public at that time.
For instance, a Haaretz newspaper from the 7th of Iyar (May 16) 1948, the first edition published after the State of Israel was declared, headlined a verse from Jeremiah across the top of the front page: "I [G-d] have rendered you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and walls of brass... They will make war against you and will not succeed."
A poster by the hareidi-religious Agudat Yisrael party calls on males, aged 17-25, to recognize that G-d had "privileged us to independence in our own state" and to enlist in religious units of the army. It also calls on females of the same ages "who stand in awe of G-d's word" not to enlist in the army, but rather "to register [and] fulfill your obligation to your natio and your land! Register for service to the nation!"
Ben-Gurion Stands Up for Jerusalem
An audio recording of David Ben-Gurion's response to the UN's demand to internationalize Jerusalem can be heard: "We see it as our obligation to declare that Jewish Jerusalem is an integral and organic part of the State of Israel, because it is an inseparable part of Israeli history and faith, and is its breath of life. Jerusalem is the heart of hearts of the State of Israel."
Machon Meir specializes in teaching Torah to newly-observant Jews in accordance with the philosophy of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook - love for the State of Israel and its builders and appreciation for the historic process that the nation is now undergoing.
Rabbi Avraham Ettinger, a long-time teacher in Machon Meir, is responsible for collecting most of the artifacts in the exhibit over a period of many years. "It is very important that the young generation get to know the atmosphere and public sense of those historic years," he says. "The youth of today is very special, but they are missing the knowledge and understanding of the threats and dangers that faces the State of Israel in those early years."
"They hear lectures in their yeshivot about the spiritual significance of those events," Rabbi Ettinger says, "but they need to also know historically what exactly happened and how. This exhibit will give them many insights that will help strengthen their connection to this land and to our country... The Haggadah for Pesach says that everyone must feel as if he himself had left Egypt - and how? By having each generation recount the story to the next generation. Today, as well, we must tell the story to the generations that follow us."