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Katznelson, Berl (1887-1944)
 Berl was
a leader of the Zionist labor movement and a central figure of the Second
Aliyah.
Born in Bobrinsk, Belorussia, Katznelson was the son of a member of
Hovevei Zion (see Hibbat Zion), and from childhood grew up with dreams
of aliyah. While in Belorussia, he was a librarian in a Hebrew- Yiddish
library as well as a teacher of Hebrew literature and Jewish history.
In both capacities he influenced many young people with his Zionist ideas.
In addition to his desire to settle in Israel, Katznelson was strongly
imbued with the ideal of physical abor and when he arrived in Israel in
1909, he worked on farms and served on several labor councils. Together
with Meir Rotberg, Katznelson helped found the consumer cooperatives for
the sale of food, known as "Hamashbir." To meet with the health problems
of workers, he helped initiate Kuppat Holim, the Sick Fund. (Both Hamashbir
and Kuppat Holim are well-established institutions in Israel today.) After
the founding of the Histadrut, the General Federation of Jewish Labor,
Katznelson became the editor of the Histadrut's newspaper Davar. In this
position, he made the newspaper a spiritual guide for the labor class
and attracted many attentive readers.
Katznelson was deeply committed to maintaining the influence of Jewish
values, even though among his fellow labor idealists he often stood alone
in his views. He was one of the few voices in non-religious labor circles
to press for the observance of the Sabbath and festivals, dietary laws
in Histadrut kitchens, and the circumcision of children in the kibbutzim.
In 1939, when Great Britain became increasingly hostile to Jewish immigration
to Palestine, Katznelson was instrumental in pressing for "illegal" immigration.
Moreover, under his guidance, his disciples parachuted into Nazi-held
territory to try to aid Jewish survivors. Interestingly, during World
War II, Katznelson prophesied that the Jews would have to emerge from
the war with a Jewish state. However, he died in 1944 before he could
see his prophecy realized. Monuments to his memory were established at
Bet Berl in Zofit, Oholo on Lake Kinneret and Kibbutz Be'eri.
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by C.D.I. Systems 1992 (LTD) and Keter.
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