Zionism, between the real and the ideal.
(photo credit: Courtesy)
When was Theodore Herzl born? On what date was Joseph Trumpeldor killed in battle? When was the Altalena sunk? When did Operation Ezra and Nehemiah to bring Iraqi Jews to Israel commence? On what date did Netta Barzilai win the Eurovision song contest for Israel?
If you have ever wanted to know the answer to these key questions of Zionist history, then the new World Zionist Organization Zionist Calendar may be for you.
The calendar, which can be easily integrated into existing calendar apps for smart phones, tablets, desktop and laptop computers, contains a wealth of dates marking critical junctures in the history of the Zionist movement before 1948 and of the State of Israel after its establishment.
Every entry in the WZO’s Zionist Calendar comes with an explanation of approximately 100 words regarding the significance of the date, with over 300 entries in total.
All of the major events of Zionist history are included in the calendar, including the antisemitic Dreyfus trial in France, which Herzl cited as one of the catalysts for his Zionism, the establishment of Petah Tikva and Rishon LeTzion in 1878 and 1882, the First Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897, the 1917 Balfour Declaration, and the Declaration of Independence in 1948.
In addition, major landmarks in Israeli history such as the operations to airlift Jews in the Middle East to Israel, the establishment of the national water carrier, Israel’s wars, the first Israeli astronaut in space, and other notable events are all recorded in the calendar.
Various dates of notable Zionist and Israeli leaders are also marked, such as Memorial Day for David Ben Gurion, the anniversary of the death of Ze’ev Jabotisnky and Golda Meir and the date on which Menchem Begin was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
More whimsical events, such as Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team’s European championship victory, the date of Chaim Topol's Golden Globes award for best actor, and Neta Barzillai’s Eurovision Song Contest victory are also listed.
“This calendar is the reflection of the entire Zionist mosaic, and after our success with the Hebrew version, we are now happy to launch the English and Spanish app,” said Vice Chairman of the World Zionist Organization Yaakov Hagoel.
“This is the beginning of a new way for Jewish people from all over the world to connect to the past, present and future of Zionism and the State of Israel.”http://www.wzo.org.il/shana
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