Read on Twitter
THREAD: In honor of the last day of Mizrahi Heritage Month, a dedication Sephardi and Mizrahi contributions laying down much of the framework for modern day Zionism. Our leaders secular and religious, our major historical events and our voices throughout the last 2k years 1/
Starting more with more of direct influence on Herzl and Modern Zionism: Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai , just read about his ideas and you will see how clear the connection is. Also, Herlz's Grandfather knew him 2/ https://mizrachi.org/rabbi-yehuda-alkalai-1798-1878/
Sir Moses MonteFiore a businessman visited Israel, his life was changed and from that moment he dedicated his life to funding trying to invigorate the economic spirit of Eretz Israel 3/
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/sir-moses-montefiore
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/sir-moses-montefiore
This list would be incomplete without this Giant Emma Lazurus whose spirit of activism and passion burned so bright for many things including our Jewish homeland 4/ https://us9.campaign-archive.com/?u=9ee686c09238e3a1fb7447ee7&id=ac5d259581
The spiritual as well as the physical are important with respect to living in Eretz Israel and many of religious leaders understood this, this was far from just a secular endeavor for instance: Rabbi Dr. Pereira Mendes 5/ https://us9.campaign-archive.com/?u=9ee686c09238e3a1fb7447ee7&id=a13f51a67e
I have no idea where this should fit in but it deserves special mention, the Yemeni tradition of steadfast dedication to remembering Israel, never stopping making Aaliyah for the past 2k years 6/ https://us9.campaign-archive.com/?u=9ee686c09238e3a1fb7447ee7&id=f8f16bd1d4
In many ways, the expulsion of Sephardim while devastating and horrible on so many levels, over 500 years ago many settled in Israel breathing more life into the Jewish spirit with the Safed mystics, also settling in Tiberius and Jerusalem. 8/
This was profound and so many voices contributed during this time. While many who went to Israel for spiritual reasons the relationship was bidirectional between diaspora and Eretz Israel, again material and spiritual. 9/
In fact Rabbi Berab tried to revive the Sanhedrin ( the ancient Jewish legislative-judicial body ) which would have been a very practical enactment of reclaiming sovereignty 10/ https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-a-scholar-who-tried-to-revive-the-sanhedrin-1.5345898
One of my personal favorite Jewish heroines, Dona Gracia Mendes Nasi, she not only ensured safe passage for many Jews to the Ottoman Empire but she used her influence to help Jews to gain autonomy in parts of Israel particularly Tiberius 11/ https://esefarad.com/?p=78161
Nachmonides came in 1267 during old age, saw that the crusades had ravaged it and founded a Yeshiva that lasted 700 years 12/ https://www.aish.com/h/9av/j/48956656.htmlhttps://www.aish.com/h/9av/j/48956656.html
and 100 years before in 1141 there was the poet, philosopher and protozionist Yehuda HaLevi 13/ https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/judah-halevi/
most importantly, we have always been there and we Jews transcend our diasporic identities tho they are part of us, we are Judeans all of us <3 <3 <3 14/ https://twitter.com/michaeldickson/status/1332217191945613313?s=20
post-48 but I also include Tunisian Albert Memmi great writer and thinker who both walked the line through the complex worlds of colonialism of the West in MENA while explaining the marginalization of Jews in Arabs lands and the deep need for Israel 15/ http://jewishrefugees.blogspot.com/2019/06/albert-memmi-zionism-is-national.html
Thank you so much for all that have made this Mizarhi Heritage month wonderful, and who uplift Mizrahi and Sephardic voices! Thank you @AmericanSephard for the encouragement as well as for adding for my knowledge of all of these stories! 16/
Chief Rabbi Uziel beautifully put it " Listen to me my brethren and sons of my people…for it is a great and wondrous thing that has been revealed in this generation for the mighty hand of God towards His chosen people has been revealed, in that He has gathered our scattered 17/
ones and brought them up to the Land of our forefathers so that we may be a nation resting upon its own land." 18/ https://mizrachi.org/rav-ben-zion-meir-hai-uziel-1880-1953/
