Ben-Zion Dinur

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Ben-Zion Dinur
Minister of Education
Faction represented in the Knesset
1949–1951Mapai
Personal details
Born
Ben-Zion Dinaburg

(1884-01-02)2 January 1884
, Ukraine)
Died8 July 1973(1973-07-08) (aged 89)

Ben-Zion Dinur (

Zionist activist, educator, historian and Israeli
politician.

Biography

Ben-Zion Dinur (far left, middle row) with Hebrew writers in Odessa, 1921

Ben-Zion Dinaburg (later Dinur) was born in

Berlin University, where he studied under Michael Rostovtzeff and Eugen Täubler. He then spent two more years at the University of Bern, where he began his dissertation under Rostovzev, on the Jews in the Land of Israel under the Roman Empire. The break of World War I forced him to move to the University of Petrograd. However, due to the October Revolution, he did not receive his PhD. He was a lecturer at Odesa University from 1920 to 1921.[1]

Pedagogic and academic career

In 1921, he

Hebrew University
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",

Polish Jews emigrating to Jerusalem.[3] He believed "messianic ferment" played a crucial role in Jewish history,[4] and introduced the idea of mered hagalut ("Revolt of the Diaspora").[5]

Political career and public office

He was elected to the first

(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.[6]

Awards and recognition

  • Dinur was twice a recipient of the Israel Prize, which was established at his initiative[5] when he was Minister of Education:
    • in 1958 for Jewish studies;[7] and
    • in 1973 for education.[1][8]
  • He was a recipient of the Yakir Yerushalayim (Worthy Citizen of Jerusalem) award in 1967, the year of the award's inauguration.[9]

Published works

  • Toldot Yisrael" (The History of Israel) (1918) (in Hebrew)
  • Lovers of Zion (1932–1934) (in Hebrew)
  • Our
    Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon
    : His Life, Writings, Activities and Views
    (1935) (in Hebrew)
  • Simon Dubnow: for his 75th Birthday (1936) (in Hebrew)
  • Israel in its Land: From the First Days of Israel until the
    Babylonian Exile
    : Sources and Documents
    (1938) (in Hebrew)
  • Path Makers: Prominent Figures in the Sad History of the Return to Zion and the Renewal of Israel (1946) (in Hebrew)
  • The Changing of the Generations: Researches and Studies in the History of Israel from Early Modern Times (1955) (in Hebrew)
  • In Memory of Ahad Ha'am (1957) (in Hebrew)
  • Values and Methods: Problems of Education (1958) (in Hebrew)
  • A Vanished World: Memories of a Way of Life" (Biography) (1958) (in Hebrew)
  • Remember: Issues of the Holocaust and its Lessons (1958) (in Hebrew)
  • Israel in Exile 2nd Edition (expanded) five volumes (1958) (in Hebrew)
  • Days of War and Revolution: Memories of a Way of Life (1961) (in Hebrew)
  • My Generation: Characteristics and Traits of Scholars and Educators, Public Personalities and Gate Keepers (1964) (in Hebrew)
  • Benjamin Zeev Herzl: the Man, his Path and Personality, his Vision and Activities (1968) (in Hebrew)
  • Tractate Avot: Commentary and Explanation with Introduction (1972) (in Hebrew)
  • The Struggle of the Generations of Israel for its Land: from the Destruction of Betar until the Renewal of Israel (1975) (in Hebrew)
  • Generations of the Bible: Research and Studies to Understand the Bible and the History of Israel in that Period (1977) (in Hebrew)
  • Generations and Impressions: Researches and Studies in Israeli Historiography, its Problems and its History (1978) (in Hebrew)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Ben-Zion Dinur: Knesset website
  2. ^ Wisse, Ruth R. (2 August 2007). "The Brilliant Failure of Jewish Foreign Policy". Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
  3. ^ Iancu, Carol. "From the "Science of Judaism"to the New Israeli historians: landmarks for a history of Jewish historiography". Studia Hebraica. Archived from the original on 8 June 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  4. ^ Morgenstern, Arie. "Dispersion and the Longing for Zion, 1240–1840". Jewish Agency for Israel. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  5. ^ a b Marom, Daniel. "The Role of Jewish Studies Scholars in Early Zionist Education". Mandel Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  6. ^ "Dinur (Dinaburg), Benzion". Encyclopaedia Judaica. Retrieved 18 February 2008.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Israel Prize recipients in 1958 (in Hebrew)". Israel Prize Official Site. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012.
  8. ^ "Israel Prize recipients in 1973 (in Hebrew)". Israel Prize Official Site. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
  9. ^ "Recipients of Yakir Yerushalayim award (in Hebrew)". Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. City of Jerusalem official web site

External links