March 26, 2008 / 19 Adar II 5768

Minister of Education Prof. Yuli Tamir Today Announced the Winners of the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement - A Special Contribution to Society and the Country

The 5768 Winner –
The Jewish Agency

Reasons: The Jewish Agency, which was created at the 16th Zionist Congress, on August 11, 1929, is a worldwide Jewish organization based in Israel. Before the creation of the state of Israel, the Jewish Agency was the “de facto government of the state-on-the-way”. It administered life in the Yishuv (Jewish community of pre-state Palestine), worked to help Jews immigrate, acquired land, built new settlements and helped to develop the cultural life of the Yishuv.

Since the creation of the state, and up to the present day, it has worked tirelessly in accordance with the Development of the Country and the Yishuv Law, to absorb immigrants from the Diaspora, and to coordinate the operations of the Jewish institutions active in these areas. The Jewish Agency also assumed responsibility for addressing Jewish-Zionist education in the Diaspora, has strengthened Jewish identity in the world and reinforced the bond between the Jews of Israel and the Jews of the world by creating partnerships between Israeli towns and Jewish communities around the globe. The Jewish Agency has rallied to the call to help Israel’s disadvantaged sectors and to strengthen the country’s periphery, both in times of peace and in emergencies.

In awarding the Israel Prize the state is expressing its appreciation of an organization that has realized the vision of the Jews returning to Zion, and establishing a sovereign state for the Jewish people in its renewed homeland and which, together with the Jews of the world and the Government of Israel, continues to shape Israeli society, through the development of towns and settlements, absorbing immigration, education, rehabilitating residential areas and consolidating the state of Israel.

For all these reasons, the jury found the Jewish Agency worthy of the Israel Prize for 5768 in the category of Lifetime Achievement and Special Contribution to Society and the Country.

The Jewish Agency for Israel - History

The Jewish Agency is a worldwide Jewish organization based in Israel. It was created at the 16th Zionist Congress, on August 11, 1929, with the purpose of representing the Jews in Eretz Israel (pre-state Palestine), and all world Jewry, to the British Mandatory authorities in Eretz Israel in preparation for the establishment of the national homeland promised by Britain in the 1917 Balfour Declaration, a promise that was corroborated by the League of Nations in 1922.

When it was created the Jewish Agency comprised a partnership between the World Zionist Organization and representatives of Jews who considered themselves as non-Zionists.

When the state of Israel was created, the Jewish Agency acted as the “de facto government of the state-on-the-way”. It administered life in the Yishuv (Jewish community of pre-state Palestine), worked to help Jews immigrate, acquired land, built new settlements and helped to develop the cultural life of the Yishuv. Its leaders devised the political system that worked against the British in order to achieve independence, led the military struggle against the Arabs of Palestine and the political efforts to recruit support in the various UN member countries to support the resolution to create a Jewish state.

The founders and leaders of the Jewish Agency include Arthur Rupin, David Ben Gurion, Zalman Shazar and Moshe Sharrett. The Jewish Agency has always adapted to the changing circumstances and the principal task in hand at all times.

A. The Jewish Agency’s Principal Activities before the Creation of the State of Israel.
Immigration and Absorption

• The “haapalah”, illegal immigration, began via the sea in July 1934. This lasted 14 years, up to 1948, and brought 122,000 immigrants to pre-state Palestine. Up to 1948, 116 boats sailed to Palestine, undertaking 114 voyages carrying some 108,000 illegal immigrants. About 5,500 came overland, principally from Arab countries, and 8,500 arrived as part of “the fourth immigration” with false immigration papers. In this way, the Jewish Agency contended with the limits on immigration imposed by the British in the White Paper. Up to World War Two 21,600 immigrants arrived, 16,500 during the war, and 84,400 between the end of the war and 1948.
• Alongside the illegal immigration, throughout the war there was limited legal immigration based on a tiny quota of immigration certificates. In 1945, the quota set by the Mandatory government for 1939-1945, of 75,000 immigrants, was fully utilized.
• After the war the Jewish Agency operated the Berihah rescue organization to bring in Holocaust survivors.
• From the founding of the Jewish Agency, in 1929, and up to creation of the state in May 1948 in excess of 350,000 Jews were brought in, including 30,000 youths who survived the Holocaust, and the number of Jews in Eretz Israel increased fourfold.

Settling the Homeland

• With the outbreak of bloody riots in 1936 there was a need to concentrate the Jewish population and rapidly establish a large number of settlements. In December 1936 the Settlement Department established the first kibbutz based on the “stockade and watchtower” model – Tel Amal (later to be known as Nir David). Over the years 55 “stockade and watchtower” settlements were established in the Upper Galilee, in the Bet She’an Valley, in the Zevulun Valley and other areas.
• On Yom Kippur 5707 (October 6, 1946) 11 settlements were established overnight in the Negev and South Judean regions which, until that time, had been only sparsely populated.
• When the Jewish Agency was founded in 1929 there were about 120 rural settlements in Eretz Israel. By the time the state was created there were 291 agricultural settlements dispersed through the center and more remote parts of the country. The amount of land in Jewish ownership doubled. In so doing, the Jewish Agency formed the borders of the future state.

Education

• In August 1933, following the rise of the Nazis to power, Youth Aliyah was officially created in order to rescue Jewish children and youth from Germany and Central Europe, to bring them to Eretz Israel and to educate and train them in various professions. The first groups of youths were sent to Eretz Israel in 1932, to boarding schools at Ben Shemen and Yavneh. The person behind the program was Recha Freier. The director was Henrietta Szold, founder of the Hadassah women’s organization.
• In 1934 the first youth groups were taken into Kibbutz Ein Harod and Kibbutz Degania.
• In general, Youth Aliyah catered for youths in two educational frameworks: boarding schools, which were called youth villages; and youth groups living on kibbutzim, which combined studies with work and social life.
• Up to the start of the war, during its first 10 years Youth Aliyah brought about 5,000 youths from Nazi-occupied European countries.
• In February 1943, during the war, Youth Aliyah absorbed 1,228 survivors, including 720 children, most orphans, who were known as the Teheran Children.
• During the war around 10,000 youths immigrated into Eretz Israel under the aegis of Youth Aliyah.
• During the 1940s, Youth Aliyah also began to absorb youth groups from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas of the country, as part of a project called “from the city to the country”. Since then children of immigrants, Israeli born children from disadvantaged families, and children of veteran Israeli families have, for a variety of reasons, been catered for together at boarding schools and kibbutzim.
• After the war, Youth Aliyah searched for orphaned children who stayed in Europe, living with non-Jewish families or at churches, and brought them to Eretz Israel.
• In 1947 Youth Aliyah established children’s homes in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Italy, and a youth village in Cyprus. In all these frameworks, Youth Aliyah maintained educational activities for youths and prepared them for life in Israel. By the end of the War of Independence it brought 3,000 children to Israel.

Various Activities

• Establishing different companies and organizations: The Tel Aviv Development Company (1936), the Bialik Institute publishing company (1935), Mekorot Ltd. (1937), the Settlement Tax for collecting funds for defense purposes (1938), Zim, the national shipping company, in conjunction with the Histadrut (1945).
• When the war broke out the Jewish Agency recruited volunteers for the British army to fight against Nazi Germany. 136,000 Jews joined up. The Jewish Agency waged a long battle for the right of the volunteers to serve as Jews as part of a separate framework within the British army, in combat positions, rather than in services. It wasn’t until September 1944 that the British Government announced the creation of the Jewish Brigade Group, known as the Brigade. Members of the Brigade fought in Italy.
• In October 1945 the Jewish Resistance Movement was established, which incorporated the Haganah, Etzel and Lehi, to undertake an armed struggle against the British. This cooperation continued until July 1946 and was terminated following the blowing up of the King David Hotel by Etzel.

B. Principal Activities from the Creation of the State until the Present Day
The Legal Framework, Structure and Functions of the Jewish Agency

• After the creation of the state the Jewish Agency updated its missions. A division of functions between it and the Government of Israel was carried out, and it operates, by virtue of the 1952 World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency Status Law, as the global Jewish body comprising a partnership between the Jews of Israel and the Jews of the Diaspora.
  The law states, inter alia, that: The state of Israel recognizes the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel as the authorized agencies that will continue to operate in the State of Israel for the development and settlement of the country, the absorption of immigrants from the Diaspora and the coordination of the activities in Israel of Jewish institutions and organizations active in those fields.”
  The roles of the Jewish Agency were defined with the creation of the state, as: The organization for immigration abroad and bringing immigrants and their possessions to Israel, contributing to the absorption of immigrants in Israel, Youth Aliyah and agricultural settlement.
• Over the years its functions have grown. As assimilation has increased it has also assumed responsibility for Jewish-Zionist education in the Diaspora; strengthening Jewish identity for the purpose of securing Jewish continuity in the world; reinforcing relations between the Jews of Israel and the Jews of the world by creating partnerships between Israeli towns and Jewish communities around the globe.
• The Jewish Agency has rallied to the call to help Israel’s disadvantaged sectors; to strengthen the country’s periphery, both in times of peace and in emergencies, in conjunction with Jewish communities around the world.
• In June 1971 “an agreement for re-establishing the Jewish Agency for Israel” was signed which incorporated an arrangement for cooperation within the framework of the Jewish Agency, between the World Zionist Organization and leaders of the Jewish communities and the United Jewish Appeal (UJA). According to the arrangement, which is still in place today, the institutions that manage the Jewish Agency comprise the Jewish Agency assembly, board of trustees and management. They include representatives of three bodies, based on the following representation: World Zionist Organization (50%), the United Jewish Communities (UJC) – Federations of North America (30%), Keren Hayesod – United Israel Appeal (20%).

Immigration and Absorption

• After the war, activity was focused on eradicating the Displaced Persons (DP) camps in Europe, and bringing Cypriot exiles to Israel and carrying out rescue immigration operations.
• November 1949 – Operation Magic Carpet to bring the Jews of Yemen and Aden to Israel. This was the first airlifted immigration operation. It continued until September 1950 and brought 45,000 immigrants in 400 flights.
• 253,954 immigrants arrived during 1949, a record number. During the year around 1,000 youths were absorbed at Youth Aliyah institutions. In 1950, 170,563 immigrants arrived, and 175,279 in 1951.
• May 1950 – Operation Ezra and Nehemiah began, to bring Jews from Iraq. The first transit camps (maabarot) are set up in order to facilitate the rapid absorption of the immigrants – temporary camps made of sheet metal structures, fabric shelters and tents. The operation ended in July 1951 during which around 120,000 Iraqi Jews arrived. In 1952 Operation Koresh brought Jews to Israel from Iran. In the following years there were large waves of immigrants from Poland, Romania, Libya, Hungary, Egypt, Bulgaria and other countries.
• By the end of 1951, 140 maabarot were established that housed around 140,000 immigrants. Youth Aliyah established day centers for youth near large groups of immigrants, and also sends large numbers of immigrant children to be educated at boarding schools.
• In 1961 an agreement is reached with Morocco to let large numbers of Jews leave the country. By 1964 around 80,000 Jews left Morocco, the majority of which came to Israel.
• During the Six Day War the Jewish Agency arranged to bring thousands of young Jewish volunteers to Israel. Many stayed and immigrated into Israel.
• In 1968 the Ministry of Absorption was established. The division of functions between the ministry and the Immigration and Absorption Department of the Jewish Agency determined that the Jewish Agency would continue administering the absorption centers and the assistance for needy immigrants wing, while the ministry oversaw the permanent absorption of the immigrants.
• In 1970 a large wave of immigration of Soviet Jewry began. Between 1970 and 1973 189,454 immigrants came to Israel, most came from the Soviet Union.
• In the 1970s activity focused on welfare of the immigrants and disadvantaged neighborhoods. Amigur Ltd. was founded which rents out apartments to thousands of immigrants and low earning Israelis.
• At the initiation of the Jewish Agency Ethiopian Jews were brought to Israel as part of Operation Moses (1984), in which around 8,000 Ethiopian Jews immigrated to Israel via Sudan and Europe; and, in Operation Solomon (1991), 15,000 immigrants were flown to Israel in 36 hours. 2,500 youths were absorbed by Youth Aliyah institutions.
• With the collapse of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe the Jewish Agency adapted to the new circumstances and opportunities and operated transit stations for immigrants from Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Finland, and organized a large and complex logistical system within a short space of time to fly hundreds of thousands of immigrants to Israel. In November 1990, direct scheduled flights begin. Between 1990 and 1993 around 530,000 immigrants arrive in Israel, including about 464,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union.
• Between 1992 and 1994 around 3,400 Jews leave Syria, of which 1,500 arrive in Israel by 1996.
• In 1996 responsibility for Youth Aliyah is transferred to the Government of Israel, after 63 years in which in excess of 350,000 children of immigrants and Israel youth were educated at its institutions. The Jewish Agency retains responsibility for five youth villages.
• In 2005 the Jewish Agency initiates the Babayit Beyahad (At Home Together) program for bonding volunteer veteran Israeli families with new immigrants. The veteran Israelis help families or individual new immigrants with their dealings with bureaucracy, finding employment and with handling social isolation. 3,000 veteran Israelis rallied to the call.
• In the last few years the focus has moved to “immigration out of choice” from western countries.
  All told, the Jewish Agency has brought around 3.5 million immigrants to Israel since its founding. It has helped with their absorption, helped them find employment, acquire a home and integrate socially with veteran Israelis.

Settlement

• In January 1950 the Yeruham maabara was set up, which was later to become the development town of Yeruham. This served as the basis for the development towns.
• In the first two years of the new state 210 agricultural settlement were established with the help of the Jewish Agency. A large number of immigrant moshavim were arranged as part regional settlement – the Lakhish, Adulam, Taanakh and HaBesor regions.
• During the 1950s the towns of Dimona (1955), Kiryat Gat, Netivot, Mitzpeh Ramon, Ashdod (1956), Maalot and Nazareth Elite (1957) were founded.
• In June 1977 the innovative Project Renewal was launched. It was a national social project aimed at neighborhood rehabilitation. It was based on a trilateral partnership between the Government of Israel, the Jewish Agency and Diaspora Jewry and was designed to combat the socioeconomic gap through regional handling of social distress and physical decay of disadvantaged neighborhoods in development towns. The project encompassed some 100 neighborhoods and towns.
• In 1978, work began on establishing hilltop communities in the Galilee.
• In 1987 the Nitzana educational community was founded which programs for educational and experiential enrichment for youth. It acts as a main point of settlement in the regional development of the Nitzana region.
• On the initiative of the Israel Education Fund around 1,500 public buildings – kindergartens, community centers and educational and welfare institutions were built.
• In 1995 the Partnership 2000 program was launched. Jewish communities around the world and local authorities in Israel work together for regional and community development in Israel, and to bolster Jewish unity and identity. 44 partnerships connect development areas in Israel as part of the Partnership 2000 program for regional and community development, in conjunction with 550 communities from the Diaspora.
  All told, around 900 settlements – moshavim, kibbutzim and towns – have been established with the help of the Jewish Agency since its founding.

Jewish-Zionist Education and Jewish Continuity in the Diaspora

• The Jewish Agency has raised the flag of political struggle the world over in order to make it possible to maintain Jewish cultural life in the former Soviet Union, and to enable Jews to immigrate from Eastern Europe.
• At the same time, a large number of activities have been begun in Eastern European countries, to renew a Jewish way of life that was prohibited for around 70 years. Synagogues have been restored and seminars for studying the Hebrew language and Jewish history have been set up, and summer camps for Jewish youth have been held.
• The Jewish Agency dispatches hundreds of emissaries-teachers to Jewish schools in over 30 countries.
• 2,000 young Israelis are sent each year to work as counselors at youth summer camps organized by Jewish communities and Zionist youth movements all over the world.
• There is a range of programs for bringing young people to Israel for short or long visits: Taglit-Birthright and the Israel Experience. In 2005, 29,000 young people took part in short term programs, and about 42,000 in 2006, including about 35,000 who were making their first visit to Israel.Masa project – a long term program: in 2005, 5,500 people participated in the program and this rose to 6,700 in 2006. In total, in 2006 a record number of about 60,000 young Jews visited Israel, despite the security situation.

Emergency Activities
In recent years, the Jewish Agency has quickly adapted its activity order of priority to the security conditions, in the south of the country and during the Second Lebanon War.

• Help with rehabilitating evacuees from Gush Katif (the Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip) in the areas of psychology, education and employment. This included establishing a community facility at Nitzan, scholarships for students, helping to fund summer camps, programs for finding jobs and job placement.
• During the Second Lebanon War Jewish communities rallied in unprecedented fashion to the call for help for people living in the northern of Israel. 36,000 children from the north enjoyed 307,000 days at summer camps in the center of Israel, at various Jewish Agency facilities. Thousands of residents were taken to the center of the country for breaks. 2,700 small businesses affected by the war received assistance. Bomb shelters in the north were refurbished. Leisure activities and psychological help were provided for immigrants. Help was provided for renewing tourism in the north.
• Projects for cooperation and promoting Jewish-Arab understanding in northern Israel were operated.
• In Sderot and the Gaza Envelope settlements educational programs were laid on for thousands of young people to help them deal with the trauma of war and Kassam rocket fire. Assistance was provided for hundreds of people wounded during the war – soldiers and civilians – via the Fund for Terror Victims established by the Jewish Agency in 2002.
• The Jewish Agency initiated massive mobilization of the Israeli business sector for social projects in the north and Gaza Envelope settlements. Senior business executives contribute, and even volunteer themselves as leaders of programs for advancing youth at risk, helping with social absorption of immigrants, with scholarships for top students at all stages of studies. The programs are funded on an equal basis between contributions from foreign donors and contributions from Israelis.

In awarding the Israel Prize the State of Israel will express its appreciation and gratitude to an organization that has realized the vision of the Jews returning to Zion, and establishing a sovereign state for the Jewish people in its renewed homeland and which, together with the Jews of the world and the Government of Israel, continues to realize the ingathering of exiles, in shaping Israeli society and consolidating the State of Israel.

Signatures of the Members of the Jury

Chairperson – Prof. Yehoshuah Shamar Member – Prof. Yitzhak Barik     
Member – Mrs. Shulamit Canaan Minister’s Advisor on the Israel Prize – Prof. Dov Goldberger Israel Prize Director – Mrs. Haya Horowitz