One of the Tribe:
Ahad Ha'am (Asher Ginsburg)
This article is part of a series presenting short biographies and quotations by famous Zionists.
Biography
1856
- Born in Kiev Province, Ukraine-Russia, to Hasidic parents.
- Education: Traditional with tutoring in Talmud and Medieval Philosophy.
-Self-taught in Haskala: German, Latin, French, English
1884-1907
- Family moved to Odessa.
- Member of Pinsker's Hibbat Zion Committee.
- Founder of Bnei Moshe movement advocating cultural-educational renaissance.
- Publicist, author, and editor in Zionist newspapers.
- Attacked all premature attempts to establish Hebrew culture, political Zionism, etc…
1907-1922
- London - worked as representative of Wissotsky Tea Co.
- Traveled to Israel several times.
1922 - Tel Aviv writer and teacher,
1927 - Died in Tel Aviv.
From the Writings of Ahad Ha'am
"This is the conception of Judaism on which our literature must be based. We must revitalize the idea of the national renaissance, and use every possible means to strengthen its hold and deepen its roots, until it becomes an organic element in the Jewish consciousness and an independent dynamic force. Only in that way, it seems to me, can the Jewish soul be freed from its shackles and regain contact with the broad stream of human life without having to pay for its freedom by the sacrifice of its individuality."
The Law of the Heart, 1894
"The secret of our people's persistence is that at a very early period the Prophets taught it to respect only the power of the spirit and not to worship material power. Therefore, unlike the other nations of antiquity, the Jewish people never reached the point of losing its self-respect in the face of more powerful enemies. As long as we remain faithful to this
principle, our existence has a secure basis, and we shall not lose our self-respect, for we are not spiritually inferior to
any nation…"
"...Jewish settlement, which will be a gradual growth, will become in course of time the center of the nation, in which its spirit will find pure expression and develop in all its aspects to the highest degree of perfection of which it is capable. Then, from this center, the spirit of Judaism will radiate to the great circumference, to all the communities
of the Galut, to inspire them with new life and to preserve over-all unity of our people. When our national culture
in Palestine has attained that level, we may be confident that it will produce men in the Land of Israel itself who
will be not merely a State of Jews, but a really Jewish state... "
The Jewish State and the Jewish Problem, 1897
"'...The spirit of our people demands liberty and freedom of movement in its historical setting in order to wake up from its long slumber and be able to revive the national ideal and fashion it appropriately in accordance with our present needs - so that it may once again be a shield for the Ga1ut people, preserve it from moral decline and boost its strength in order to enable it to undergo its sufferings to the very end with a clear knowledge and consciousness of what it is
suffering for - and that it is worthwhile suffering..."
This article also belongs to the following subjects:
People
>
1860-1948: Early Zionist Age
Have your say! Post your comments on this article.
Only registered users can post their opinions. If you are a registered user please login. Otherwise, you can register.
Poll
Have you read any of this Zionist's other writings?
