Ben-Zion Dinur ( he, בן ציון דינור) (January 1884 – 8 July 1973) was a
Zionist
Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...
activist, educator, historian and
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i politician.
Biography
Ben-Zion Dinaburg (later Dinur) was born in
Khorol in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
(now
Poltava Oblast
Poltava Oblast ( uk, Полта́вська о́бласть, translit=Poltavska oblast; also referred to as Poltavshchyna – uk, Полта́вщина, literally 'Poltava Country') is an oblast (province) of central Ukraine. The administrative ...
, Ukraine). He received his education in
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
n yeshivot. He studied under
Shimon Shkop in the
Telz Yeshiva
Telshe Yeshiva (also spelled ''Telz'') is a yeshiva in Wickliffe, Ohio, formerly located in Telšiai, Lithuania. During World War II the yeshiva began relocating to Wickliffe, Ohio, in the United States and is now known as the Rabbinical College o ...
, and became interested in the
Haskalah through
Rosh Yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...
Eliezer Gordon
Eliezer Gordon ( he, אליעזר גוֹרְדוֹן; 1841–1910) also known as Reb Laizer Telzer (), served as the rabbi and ''rosh yeshiva'' of Telz, Lithuania.
Early years
Eliezer Gordon was born in 1841 in the village of Chernyany (or ...
's polemics. In 1898 he moved to the
Slabodka yeshiva and in 1900 he traveled to
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
and was certified a
Rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
. He then went to
Lyubavichi Lyubavichi (russian: Любавичи) is the name of several rural localities in Russia:
* Lyubavichi, Monastyrshchinsky District, Smolensk Oblast, a village in Lyubavichskoye Rural Settlement of Monastyrshchinsky District in Smolensk Oblast
*Lyub ...
to witness the
Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic group ...
branch of
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Judaism, Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory ...
. Between 1902 and 1911 he was engaged in Zionist activism and teaching, which at some point resulted in a brief arrest. In 1910 he married Bilhah Feingold, a teacher who had worked with him in a girls' trade school in
Poltava
Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administratively ...
. In 1911, he left his wife and son for two years to attend
Berlin University, where he studied under
Michael Rostovtzeff and
Eugen Täubler
Eugen Täubler (October 10, 1879 – August 13, 1953) was a German historian born in Gostyń.
He studied history in Berlin under Otto Hirschfeld (1843–1922), receiving his doctorate in 1904 with a dissertation titled ''Die Parthernachric ...
. He then spent two more years at the
University of Bern
The University of Bern (german: Universität Bern, french: Université de Berne, la, Universitas Bernensis) is a university in the Switzerland, Swiss capital of Bern and was founded in 1834. It is regulated and financed by the Canton of Bern. It ...
, where he began his dissertation under Rostovzev, on the Jews in the
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...
under the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
. The break of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
forced him to move to the
University of Petrograd
Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the G ...
. However, due to the
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...
, he did not receive his PhD. He was a lecturer at the
University of Odessa from 1920 to 1921.
[
]
Pedagogic and academic career
In 1921, he immigrated to Palestine and from 1923 to 1948 served as a teacher and later as head of the Jewish Teachers' Training College, Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. In 1936, he was appointed lecturer in modern Jewish history at the Hebrew University
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...
and became professor in 1948 and professor emeritus in 1952.
As a historian he described Zionism in the diaspora as "a huge river into which flowed all the smaller streams and tributaries of the Jewish struggle down the ages", and tracing its origins to 1700, when history records a first wave of Polish Jews
The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the lo ...
emigrating to Jerusalem. He believed "messianic ferment" played a crucial role in Jewish history, and introduced the idea of ''mered hagalut'' ("Revolt of the Diaspora").
Political career and public office
He was elected to the first Knesset
The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
on the Mapai list and served as Minister of Education and Culture The Ministry of Education and Culture is a Cabinet position in the governments of several nations. In some nations the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture are separate departments; in others, the Ministry of Education and Culture als ...
in the third
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
to sixth governments (1951 to 1955), when he was responsible for the 1953 State Education Law, which put an end to the prevailing party "trend" education system.
From 1953 to 1959 he was president of Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem ( he, יָד וַשֵׁם; literally, "a memorial and a name") is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; honoring Jews who fought against th ...
.[
]
Awards and recognition
* Dinur was twice a recipient of the Israel Prize
The Israel Prize ( he, פרס ישראל; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor.
History
The Israel Prize is awarded annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state cer ...
, which was established at his initiative[ when he was Minister of Education:
** in 1958 for Jewish studies; and
** in 1973 for education.][Ben-Zion Dinur]
Knesset website
* He was a recipient of the Yakir Yerushalayim (Worthy Citizen of Jerusalem) award in 1967, the year of the award's inauguration.[ City of Jerusalem official web site]
Published works
* ''Lovers of Zion
Hovevei Zion ( he, חובבי ציון, lit. ''hose who areLovers of Zion''), also known as Hibbat Zion ( he, חיבת ציון), refers to a variety of organizations which were founded in 1881 in response to the Anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russian ...
'' (1932–1934)
* ''Our Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon
Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah s ...
: His Life, Writings, Activities and Views'' (1935)
* '' Simon Dubnow: for his 75th Birthday'' (1936)
* ''Israel in its Land: From the First Days of Israel until the Babylonian Exile
The Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile is the period in Jewish history during which a large number of Judeans from the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylon, the capital city of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, following their defeat ...
: Sources and Documents'' (1938)
* ''Path Makers: Prominent Figures in the Sad History of the Return to Zion and the Renewal of Israel'' (1946)
* ''The Changing of the Generations: Researches and Studies in the History of Israel from Early Modern Times'' (1955)
* ''In Memory of Ahad Ha'am
Asher Zvi Hirsch Ginsberg (18 August 1856 – 2 January 1927), primarily known by his Hebrew name and pen name Ahad Ha'am ( he, אחד העם, lit. 'one of the people', Genesis 26:10), was a Hebrew essayist, and one of the foremost pre-state Zi ...
'' (1957)
* ''Values and Methods: Problems of Education'' (1958)
* ''A Vanished World: Memories of a Way of Life" (Biography) (1958)
* ''Remember: Issues of the Holocaust and its Lessons'' (1958)
* ''Israel in Exile'' 2nd Edition (expanded) five volumes (1958)
* ''Days of War and Revolution: Memories of a Way of Life'' (1961)
* ''My Generation: Characteristics and Traits of Scholars and Educators, Public Personalities and Gate Keepers'' (1964)
* '' Benjamin Zeev Herzl: the Man, his Path and Personality, his Vision and Activities'' (1968)
* ''Tractate Avot: Commentary and Explanation with Introduction'' (1972)
* ''The Struggle of the Generations of Israel for its Land: from the Destruction of Betar until the Renewal of Israel'' (1975)
* ''Generations of the Bible: Research and Studies to Understand the Bible and the History of Israel in that Period'' (1977)
* ''Generations and Impressions: Researches and Studies in Israeli Historiography, its Problems and its History'' (1978)
See also
*List of Israel Prize recipients
This is a complete list of recipients of the Israel Prize from the inception of the Prize in 1953 through to 2022.
List
For each year, the recipients are, in most instances, listed in the order in which they appear on the official Israel Prize ...
References
External links
Zion Dinur (Dinaburg)
Benzion Dinur
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dinur, Ben-Zion
1884 births
1973 deaths
People from Khorol
People from Poltava Governorate
Ukrainian Jews
Israeli people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
Soviet emigrants to Mandatory Palestine
Jews in Mandatory Palestine
Mapai politicians
Members of the 1st Knesset (1949–1951)
Humboldt University of Berlin alumni
University of Bern alumni
Saint Petersburg State University alumni
Odesa University academic personnel
Hebrew University of Jerusalem faculty
Jewish historians
Historians of Israel
Historians of Jews and Judaism
Israel Prize in education recipients
Israel Prize in Jewish studies recipients
Israel Prize in Jewish studies recipients who were historians
Israel Prize Rabbi recipients
Members of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Ministers of Education of Israel
20th-century Israeli historians