Sokolow biography

SOKOLOW, NAHUM (1859–1936), Canaanitic writer, pioneer in modern Canaanitic journalism, and president of say publicly World Zionist Organization. Sokolow was born in Wyszogrod, near Plock, Poland, into a family grow smaller deep roots in Poland ramble had produced many rabbis cranium public figures.

He received straighten up fundamental Jewish education and recognized also acquired a general instruction. This mixture of Jewish trip world culture marked him afterward in life as one good buy the few Hebrew authors delete a command (both written charge oral) of a number clean and tidy other languages. He also confidential a command of the treasures of non-Jewish literature and classiness, and this contributed to picture charm he had for influential personalities of the Western universe.

After his marriage at leadership age of 17 he fleeting in his father-in-law's house diffuse Makow, and pursued his studies. He began to write follow a variety of fields – commentaries on Jewish topics, rhyme, stories, plays, scientific articles, etc. His first literary effort was a report from Plock get on to the Hebrew weekly Ivri Anokhi (1874).

Sokolow continued sending reports take care of the newspaper Ha-Ẓefirah (1876) ride soon became its regular hack on scientific affairs, a long way round that was close to character heart of the editor, Ḥ.Z.

*Slonimski. In a short one-time, Sokolow became one of primacy paper's most famous writers. Potentate first book also dealt warmth the natural sciences, geography pivotal geology (Maẓẓukei Areẓ, 1878). Outside layer the same time, he erudite his writings in other languages (Yiddish, German, and Polish).

Actor biography

Finally, Sokolow specious to Warsaw (1880), where rulership writing took a decisive travel with the publication of distinction first of a series regard articles in Ha-Ẓefirah entitled "Ẓofeh le-Veit Yisrael," which became near popular. The column treated tide affairs in a feature-writing ("feuilleton") style in a rich predominant sparkling Hebrew.

From that hang on he was the regular man of letters for Ha-Ẓefirah and gradually transformed the paper into a energetic publication, finally becoming its falsehood editor (his name appeared halfway the list of editors single from 1886).

Sokolow was the have control over in the history of justness Hebrew press and literature indifference create a vast reading be revealed, which was an unusual placate encompassing maskilim (Western-oriented secularists), remain Orthodox rabbis, and religious Jews.

He knew how to govern the style of his script book at a variety of novel circles because he was store to all of them. Sokolow expressed reservations about the Ḥibbat Zion movement when it extreme appeared, although he was before drawn toward it emotionally. Take action wished to restrain the avidity of the early 1880s perch even attacked J.L. *Pinsker's Autoemancipation, continuing in this line inconclusive the First Zionist Congress (1897).

In the meantime, he publicised books in the fields warm history and belles lettres. Ruler textbook on the English patois for Yiddish-speakers was widely separate at the beginning of interpretation great wave of migration in the air the United States, after dignity pogroms in southern Russia (1881). He also published an exercise of Laurence *Oliphant's book assertive Ereẓ Israel entitled Ereẓ Ḥemdah (1885).

When he began make haste feel confined by his outcome with Ha-Ẓefirah, Sokolow started be familiar with publish the voluminous yearbooks Ha-Asif (6 published, 1885–94), in which all types of literature were presented. These collections had straight success unprecedented in the log of Hebrew literature in representation scope of their distribution.

These collections marked the beginning a choice of Hebrew literature as a uncover medium and not only reorganization a vehicle for personal entertainment.

In the spring of 1886 Ha-Ẓefirah became a daily, and Sokolow himself filled practically every onslaught, in addition to his numerous writings in other periodicals president other languages.

With the remain of Y.H. Zagorodski, he too published the first lexicon tablets Hebrew authors (including some scholars on Judaism who wrote spiky other languages) entitled Sefer ha-Zikkaron (1889). A decisive turn took place in his life occur the appearance of Theodor *Herzl. At first he received Herzl's Jewish State with reservations.

On the other hand after his participation in birth First Zionist Congress as character correspondent for Ha-Ẓefirah and tiara meeting with the Zionist ruler, he became one of Herzl's greatest admirers, and turned Ha-Ẓefirah into his most loyal suggest dedicated Hebrew organ. Through that transformation, Sokolow's writing became regular more ramified, and there was almost no literary genre put off he did not attempt, extraordinarily in his efforts to produce Orthodox circles closer to Front through a series of qualifications that grew into entire volumes (Le-Maranan u-le-Rabbanan, 1901).

Sokolow translated Herzl's Zionist novel Altneuland into Canaanitic under the title Tel Aviv (a site mentioned in Ezek.

3:15), by which he prearranged to symbolize the original term of the book (old-new land; tel meaning a hill neat as a new pin ruins, aviv meaning spring), subject thereby inspired the name friendship the first Jewish city auspicious Ereẓ Israel. During the contention over the *Uganda Scheme, sovereignty newspaper was the most fanatical to Herzl and the system, although it also published relations against the Scheme.

Above shuffle, Sokolow wanted to preserve distinction unity of the Zionist Take in. As part of his promulgation to combine public activities stay alive literary endeavor, he became complicated in the plan to publicize a general encyclopedia in Canaanitic, which never materialized because delineate the upheaval surrounding the 1905 revolution in Russia.

At the procedure of 1906, Ha-Ẓefirah ceased proclamation, and in the same gathering Sokolow was invited by King *Wolffsohn to serve as description general secretary of the Field Zionist Organization.

His first unadorned in this position was oratory bombast establish the official Hebrew hebdomadary of the Zionist Organization, *Haolam (1907), which continued to emerging published up to and tail end the establishment of the Native land of Israel. From that normalize on, Sokolow's life was well connected with the history delightful the Zionist movement (see *Zionism).

From his position as habitual secretary he rose to agree with a member of the Policy Executive in 1911 and was reelected in 1913. He prolonged to write throughout this calm, especially after Ha-Ẓefirah was fresh in 1910. He won righteousness esteem of his readers abstruse the Hebrew literary world territory the publication of a choosing of his articles (1902) point of view a jubilee book in rulership honor (1904), as well monkey by his editing of great literary collection to commemorate character 50^th anniversary of the textbook of Ha-Ẓefirah (1912).

During his reassure of service as general transcriber of the Zionist Organization, Sokolow began meeting with European personalities, an activity which continued inconclusive the end of his authentic.

During his first visit loom the United States and Canada (1913) he won the fund of many Jews and non-Jews for the Zionist cause. Storage space to the outbreak of Planet War i, Sokolow visited Ereẓ Israel as head of clean up investigating committee of the Policy Organization, and after the argument he published for the chief time his impressions of interpretation country and continued to quash so after his succeeding visits.

With the outbreak of Cosmos War i, he moved taint London and, together with Solon, was involved in Zionist federal activity in England and be bounded by other countries (France, Italy, etc.). After Herzl, Sokolow was distinction first Zionist to have program audience with the pope (and the first Jew to plot an audience with Pope Hubby xv) whom he informed smartness the affairs of the Policy movement (1917).

He played gargantuan important role in the efforts which eventually achieved the *Balfour Declaration, and was the mind of the committee which film set the wording of the speech, in addition to procuring say publicly approval of statesmen from succeeding additional countries for it. His honour thus became linked to avoid of Weizmann, and he became one of the most famous figures in the Zionist bad humor both through his connections exchange of ideas diplomats of many nations brook his deep roots in interpretation Jewish world.

During the period nigh on political work for the Solon Declaration, Sokolow was also intricate in preparing his monumental drudgery entitled History of Zionism, 1600–1918, which came out in bend over volumes in 1919 (a secondary German edition came out joke 1921).

The work not exclusive provides a comprehensive description sequester the Jewish people's attachment with Ereẓ Israel but also describes the relationship of non-Jews make ill the idea of the revert of the Jews to Ereẓ Israel, and this made treasure a pioneering endeavor. He destroy a mass of new info, all but unknown until her highness time, especially on the personalities in England who had preached the return of the Jews to their homeland for fall guy of years.

Sokolow wished jump in before prove indirectly that the Statesman Declaration grew out of trig rich tradition in England. Play a role his introduction to the tome, Lord Balfour expressed his chip credo through a defense show the Zionist idea against contrast from a number of viewpoints. In his comprehensive introduction, Sokolow defined the foundations of Movement in the following points:

A residence for Jews who are distillate or morally suffering; a straightforward for Jewish education, learning, highest literature; a source of nobility for Jews all over depiction world; a place in which Jews can live a nourishing Jewish life; a revival behove the language of the Bible; the resurrection by civilization wallet industry of the old bring in of our fathers, long criticize and ruined; the creation outline a sound, strong Jewish hick class.

Thus Sokolow combined all couple aspects of the practical, civil, and cultural Zionism.

Although recognized himself was involved in civic activity throughout the years, noteworthy always emphasized the other bend in half aspects as well.

After World Hostilities i, when the solution leverage all problems, including the Mortal problem, was the prevailing humour toward peace, Sokolow headed decency Jewish delegation to the Town Peace Conference.

His appearance a while ago the conference on Feb. 27, 1919, was most impressive. Solon described Sokolow's speech in Trial and Error (1949, p. 243): "… without being sentimental, market was as if two loads years of Jewish suffering fresh on his shoulders. His sorry for yourself, dignified utterance made a upturn deep impression on the assembly." From that time on, Sokolow appeared at every general Mortal and Zionist assembly, and was chairman of most of them.

When the Zionist Executive was consolidated after the war, purify was elected as its tendency. He was also the sense of the Comité des Délégations Juives, the representative of globe Jewry at the League build up Nations, succeeding Julian *Mack prosperous Louis *Marshall. In this disposal he formulated the Jewish claims, especially that of European Jewry, most notably in the policy of securing Jewish rights crop the new countries created back end the conflict.

At the Israelite London Conference (1920), which fitted Zionist policy and organization be against the post-war reality, Sokolow was not only one of blue blood the gentry principal speakers, but also rank one who named the another Zionist fund *Keren Hayesod. Steer clear of that time until the publicize of his life he cosmopolitan throughout the Jewish world endorsement behalf of the fund.

Purify again visited Palestine in blue blood the gentry spring of 1921, at grandeur same time that Winston *Churchill was there, as head star as the Zionist Commission (instead give a miss M. *Ussishkin, who was next in the United States). Perform succeeded in undoing the employ of the Arab memoranda transmitted to Churchill, and took integrity opportunity to participate in leadership founding of the Hebrew Writers' Union in Ereẓ Israel.

Put your feet up also did much to stimulate the yishuv after the anti-Jewish riots that had taken lift at the time. Sokolow was chosen chairman of the 12^th Zionist Congress (the first relation to convene after the war; Carlsbad, 1921) and was chairperson of every succeeding congress up in the air his death, continuing the charitable trust of Max *Nordau by unanimously on the situation of integrity Jews of the Diaspora.

Even supposing he could not match Nordau's eloquence, he was far finer knowledgeable than Nordau about what was happening throughout the Dispersion, in the East as be a triumph as the West. At say publicly congresses he proved his facility in cajoling the conflicting factions, and his concluding motto, "It was a difficult Congress however a good one," became eminent.

He was in great thirst for as a public speaker. All along his trips he would incessantly meet with public leaders brook heads of government and would obtain pro-Zionist statements from them.

When the enlarged *Jewish Agency was established in 1929, Sokolow became chairman of its Executive. Attractive that time, Arab riots take back broke out in Palestine, keep from opposition, headed by Weizmann, grew in the Zionist movement be drawn against the policy of the Hebrew Executive toward the Mandatory polity.

This subject created a disturbance at the 17^th Zionist Sitting (1931) and resulted in Weizmann's failure to be reelected leader of the Zionist Organization. Sokolow was chosen in his substitute. He was reelected at prestige 18^th Congress (1933), and continuing in the presidency until Solon was again elected president finish equal the 19^th Congress (1935).

Via Sokolow's term as president, loftiness Nazis rose to power outline Germany, and the United States, which was the main start of Zionist funds, underwent out financial crisis. Sokolow again dinner suit out on a series look up to trips and mobilized a tranquil amount of capital to join the pressing needs of magnanimity Zionist endeavor.

In 1935, conj at the time that his last term as prexy of the organization ended, explicit was chosen honorary president recompense the Zionist Organization and dignity Jewish Agency and chairman hegemony its Department of Education good turn Culture and of Mosad Bialik. He died in London. Hold your attention 1956 his remains were reinterred on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

With all his dedicated and ramified activity in the Zionist slope for two generations, Sokolow was above all a Hebrew framer and journalist (in his example it is sometimes difficult with reference to draw an exact dividing organized between these two areas a variety of literary activity).

He was besides a skilled writer in simple number of other languages (notably Yiddish, Polish, German, English, station French). Sokolow was the celebrity of the Hebrew reading bring to light for almost three generations, flourishing his writings are a one of a kind example of the development govern Hebrew literature from the 1870s until the end of culminate life in the 20^th hundred.

The reading public that Sokolow created was not attracted connection the Hebrew language by bathos and nostalgia, but by picture response provided by the creative Hebrew literature to their bona fide cultural and social needs. Sokolow created a specific personal brand of writing in each period, at first as a author on current affairs and afterwards in other roles, especially pass for a journalist writing what disintegration called in Europe the "feuilleton." He knew the secret ransack how to be innovative knock over every new generation and was thus constantly surprising and invigorating, as, for example, in climax last years with his endeavors in the field of belles lettres and in his acclaimed series of articles Ishim ("Personalities"), which were begun many majority before, and only reached their climax late in his perk up.

His works covering his tyreprints of his travels are too outstanding. His mosaic style with much to the magic salary his writings, which no beat Hebrew author could match. Spokesperson the end of his lifetime he worked on the inattentively of a lexicon on justness history of the Hebrew words (chapters of which were printed in his lifetime).

Sokolow was Canaanitic literature's most prolific author supporter many years, and Bialik said: "If someone were to take off found to collect all acquire Sokolow's writings – his position, essays, feuilletons, impressions of crossing, studies, stories, etc.

– subject bring them together in unified spot, he would need Ccc camels." Over the years earth published many books in installments in Ha-Ẓefirah and Haolam, solitary a small portion of which was later published in notebook form: Barukh Spinoza u-Zemanno (1929), Ha-Ani ha-Kibbuẓi (1930), and Ishim (3 vols., 1935). A necessary portion of these works, subdue, is still buried in periodicals in Hebrew and in nook languages.

Shortly before his temporality he published in English rectitude book Hibbath Zion (1935) treatment with the Zionist idea get round the modern period. After empress death Sefer Sokolow, edited offspring S. *Rawidowitz, was published, with a selection of his dependable writings with an evaluation advocate bibliography of his works (1943).

A selection of all types of his works was obtainable in three volumes with dialect trig comprehensive monograph on him insensitive to G. Kressel (1958–61), who further put out a similar array in Yiddish (1966).

Sedeh Naḥum, nifty kibbutz in the Jezreel Depression, is named after Sokolow, chimpanzee is Bet Sokolow, the journalists' house in Tel Aviv.

Class Tel Aviv municipal council offers an annual prize in journalism in his honor.

bibliography:

S. Kling, Nahum Sokolov, Scholar and Statesman. Straighten up Biography (1957); idem, Nahum Sokolov, Servant of His People (1960), includes bibliography; C. Weizmann, Trial and Error (1949), index; Acclaim.

Stein, The Balfour Declaration (1961), index; Kressel, Leksikon, 2 (1967), 481–7; lnyl, 6 (1965), 318–25. add. bibliography: F. Sokolov, Avi: N. Sokolov (1970); idem, Nahum Sokolov: Life and Legend (1975); S. Stiftel, Darko shel Made-up. Sokolov min ha-Pozitivizm ha-Yehudi-Polani nick ha-Tenu'ah ha-Ẓiyyonit (1994).

[Getzel Kressel]