The Inauguration Of The Hebrew University In Jerusalem

Photo Credit: Jewish Press

The dream of establishing a distinguished university in Eretz Yisrael that would make great contributions to the world and serve as a source of pride to all Jews was an important goal of the nascent Zionist movement.

In particular, Chaim Weizmann, perhaps the greatest champion of the idea of a Jewish university in Eretz Yisrael, viewed its creation as fundamental to the Zionist dream, as it “would symbolize before the eyes of the world our relation to our own country and also the spirit in which we desire to enter Palestine.”

The notion to establish such a university first attained concrete form in June 1882 when HaMelitz, the Zionist Hebrew-language newspaper, published a letter from Dr. Zvi Hermann Schapira, a German mathematician who founded the Jewish National Fund, in which he wrote that it “is necessary to establish at the center, between those settlements, a large sophisticated institution that will spread high learning, wisdom and literacy to every household in Beit Yisrael…”

Schapira proposed the founding of such a university, first at the 1884 conference of the Chovevei Zion society in Kattowitz, where no specific action was taken, and then more formally a few years later at the First Zionist Congress at Basle in August 1897. Although the congress favored the concept, it determined that the fledgling Zionist movement was still too new and, accordingly, the time was not ripe to begin implementing the idea. Nonetheless, Herzl sought permission from the sultan to establish such a university, but his efforts proved unsuccessful.

In 1901, Weizmann, Zionist leader Leo Motzkin, and philosopher Martin Buber joined together to promote the creation of a Hebrew university to facilitate the revival of Jewish scholarship and the use of the Hebrew language in Eretz Yisrael. A year later, Weizmann, Buber, and poet Berthold Feiwel published Eine Judische Hochschule (“A Jewish College”), a pamphlet in which they detailed plans for the creation of such a university.

Many rabbis (and others) who supported the idea insisted upon characterizing the future academy as a “Jewish University” rather than a “Hebrew University” because, they believed, its objective was to promote Jewish studies and values, not merely to teach classes in Hebrew.

At the 11^th Zionist Congress (Vienna, September 1913), Menachem Ussishkin renewed the idea of “erecting on Mount Zion a Temple of Culture and Science,” which would evidence “the rehabilitation of our newly awakened people.” Through his efforts, which earned vociferous support from Weizmann, the congress unanimously approved the establishment of a Jewish university in Jerusalem and allocated 400,000 marks for its creation.

The congress charged Weizmann with creating a committee to launch the university and Arthur Ruppin, then head of the World Zionist Organization in Eretz Yisrael, was tasked with finding a proper location to house the new academy. Soon after in 1914, immediately preceding the breakout of World War I, philanthropist Isaac Leib Goldberg acquired Gray Hill mansion atop Mount Scopus from Sir John Gray-Hill, a Protestant Zionist English lawyer from Liverpool.

The site was – and remains – one of incomparable beauty and includes heart-stopping views of Bethlehem, the Judean Desert, the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, and the Mountains of Jordan.

In the February 22, 1918 correspondence exhibited here, Weizmann and Nachum Sokolow write to Goldberg regarding the purchase of the Gray Hill Estate for the Hebrew University:

On behalf of the Zionist Organisation, we acknowledge to have received from Mr. S. [Samuel] Tolkowsky on your behalf the sum of £2,100 being the £1,100 paid by Dr. Ruppin and £1,000 paid by Dr. Weizmann, both on behalf of the Zionist Organisation, as part of the purchase money of the property belonging to Sir Norman Hill on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

In consideration of the fact that it is your desire that the property be used by the Zionist Organisation or their nominees as a site for the Hebrew University or some other similar institution to be decided on between the Zionist Organisation or their nominees and yourself….

It is agreed that should you desire to sell the property you will give the Zionist Organisation or their nominees the opportunity of purchasing the property on the terms on which you have bought it and at the same price.

The Zionist plan for a Hebrew University was initially thwarted by Colonel Ronald Storrs (1881-1955), the British Military Governor of Jerusalem in the wake of General Edmund Allenby’s conquest, who envisioned a joint Jewish-Arab educational enterprise featuring both a Hebrew and an Arabic department. Concerned – with good reason – that the Jewish character of the university could not be sustained under such a scheme, Ussishkin, as chairman of the Zionist Executive, rejected the idea.

However, Weizmann persevered and ultimately won Lord Arthur Balfour’s support for a Jewish university. On July 24, 1918, shortly after the end of World War I, the World Zionist Organization laid the cornerstones for the university, which received no financial support from the British government and was entirely supported by Jews around the world.

Some 6,000 people from Eretz Yisrael and from across the diaspora attended the historic laying of the cornerstone ceremony on July 24, 1918. Exhibited here is the title page of the exceedingly rare booklet presenting the protocols for the proceedings. It begins with a description of the preparations for the ceremony, including the ushers being in place by 4:00 p.m. and the schools, with their teachers and students, assembling near their school flags by 4:40 p.m. There are special designated areas for rabbis, ministers, and envoys.

The protocol goes on in great detail: General Allenby will appear to the applause of all assembled, and the choir will sing [excerpts from Hallel] from Min Hameitzar to Even Ma’atu Habanim. Upon completion of the singing, Dr. Weizmann will be given a silver trowel constructed by the Bezalel School of Art inscribed: “this trowel was used in the laying of the cornerstone of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem on 15 Av 1918.” The builders will raise the first pillar, on which is inscribed: “In the name of Zionism – Professor Chaim Weizmann.”

After Dr. Weizmann fills the tool with lime and lays it next to the pillar, he will sign the “megillah” (scroll) upon which is written the blessing of shehecheyanu followed by a declaration that the foundation of Hebrew University was laid.

Dr. Weizmann then will invite Jewish leaders to lay stones, including Sephardic Chief Rabbi Nissim and Ashkenazic Rabbi Epstein in the name of Jerusalem and Baron Binyamin Rothschild in the name of the Yishuv. Each of them then will place a signed megillah within the cavity of the first pillar, which in turn will be placed into the stone accompanied by a joyful proclamation of “Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek.” Dr. Weizmann will then delivers his address, after which he will introduce Lord Balfour, who will address the crowd. The ceremony will then conclude with the singing of Hatikvah.

Exhibited here is “For the Children of Eretz Yisrael on the day of the Laying of the Cornerstone of the Hebrew University,” a booklet issued by the Frumkin Press (Jerusalem 1919). It begins: “Children! Today, the day of the laying of the foundation of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, is a great and holy day for all of us. On this day, we establish the foundation of a home to teach Torah and wisdom that will be a glory to our nation…”

In 1923, Albert Einstein, an enthusiastic backer of the idea of establishing a university in the land of Israel, lent great credibility to the fledgling institution when he visited Mt. Scopus and delivered the first scientific lecture there, a historic lecture on his theory of relativity which he began in Hebrew. Einstein had accompanied Weizmann to the United States in 1921 to promote the institution to American Jewry and raise funds for it.

Official inauguration ceremonies for the Hebrew University were held on April 1, 1925 in a makeshift amphitheater on Mt. Scopus attended by thousands of invitees and onlookers, worldwide Jewish leaders, distinguished scholars, and public figures. Presiding over the festive gala celebration were High Commissioner Sir Herbert Samuel, renowned author/poet Chaim Nachman Bialik, and Chief Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook, and the honored guest speaker was Lord Arthur Balfour, the author of the famous Balfour Declaration.

Exhibited here is the proclamation announcing the opening of the Hebrew University, with passionate and emphatic support for using the Hebrew language:

ON THE DAY OF THE OPENING OF OUR ACADEMY!

Today We Have Become A Nation!

The opening of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem is the start of a new golden phase in your life! A golden phase for living an independent life within your culture and speaking your language in your land.

With the opening of the Hebrew University – the new coronation of our ancient work on the heights of the mountains of Zion – the celebration of our language as a victorious language after thousands of years of exile.

This is a great day for our Hebrew language. A great day for our entire nation in the lands of their dispersion – the day of the return of our language to its rejuvenated home…

Know today that you are a Hebrew and that Hebrew is your language!

Some Jewish leaders were concerned that the inaugural celebration might be seen as intentionally excluding the Arabs of Eretz Yisrael. In the 28 Adar 5685 (March 24, 1925) correspondence on Vaad Leumi (National Council of the Jews of Palestine) letterhead exhibited here, Yitzchak Ben-Zvi – the founder and leader of Po’alei Zion, the Socialist-Zionist labor movement, and later president of Israel – writes to the organization’s office in Haifa (then, as now, a city with a mixed Jewish-Arab population):

In connection with the celebration of the university in Jerusalem, the working group of the Vaad Leumi decided to publish an announcement in Arabic “On the Arab Nation!” This announcement was published in Hebrew in our daily newspapers on the 27^th of this month. Today, we sent to you a number of exemplars in Arabic, and we ask that you distribute them among the Arabs in your area.

Not surprisingly, the inauguration of Hebrew University aroused a storm of protest by Moslems in Eretz Yisrael, including a strike by students and teachers in the Arab schools. Arab newspapers printed their English pages with a “mourning” border and demeaned Balfour in vitriolic terms.

Shown here is a very rare invitation to the opening of the Hebrew University. The guest of honor for the ceremony is Lord Balfour, and an RSVP is requested. The formal dedication is scheduled to commence at 3:00 p.m., and invitees are asked to be in their places by 2:45 p.m.

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Government representatives from the United States, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, Greece, Germany, Poland, and Austria sat at the dais. The procession was accompanied by an orchestra playing Haydn’s “The Heavens Declare the Glory of G-d” and Sulzer’s “From Zion Shall Go Forth the Law.”

Rav Kook, in a great act of bravery – his mere presence was a great act of courage in the face of many of his rabbinical colleagues viewing it as treasonous – delivered the invocation. (Weizmann was able to prevail upon Rav Kook to attend only after promising him that “critical biblical study” would never be a part of the university curriculum.)