en_כתביו-האוסף הארכיוני

The archival collection of former Speaker of Knesset, Israel Yeshayahu, of blessed memory

Israel Yeshayahu was a leader, a scholar and a true parliamentarian.

In addition to his political activity, he was an intellectual who wrote, extensively, about issues such as: Society, State, The Jewish People, The Labor Movement and, naturally, about Aliyah from Yemen and the Gathering of Exiles in Israel.

As a staunch Zionist, his faith in Israel - the Jewish state was the guiding line for all his public activities before the establishment of The State, after its establishment and until his very last day.

Israel Yeshayahu belongs to the generation of Founding Fathers of The State in which he served in many influential positions.

Soon after his Aliyah to Israel he engaged in politics, initially by obtaining intelligence information regarding the situation of the Jews who were left in Yemen under the regime of the Moslem Imam in order to pave the way for bringing them to Israel at the appropriate time. Eventually, he was the one who led the organizers of that Aliyah operation.

Once they arrived in Israel in the “Magic Carpet” Operation, immediately after the establishment of The State, he took care of their every need and worked towards their integration into the Israeli Society of that time.

In his cultural worldview, Israel Yeshayahu regarded Jewish Heritage as a huge mosaic of cultures into which each ethnic group inculcates its cultural uniqueness and adds it to that social togetherness of The State of Israel where a true melting pot was being created.

Israel Yeshayahu’s spiritual assets, which can be found today in archives in the State of Israel and which are presently being transferred to universities all over the country, are of paramount historical value. His writings serve as research materials pertaining to the formation of The State as well as a thorough observation of various social profiles with the complexities they entail including a foreseeable solution.

(Enclosed is a copy of an article by Dr. Wolfensohn who writes extensively about these subjects).

In spite of the fact that these are archival documents, one should note that most of them shed light, even today, on topical issues in present day Israel.

The discs include most of the documents in the Israel Yeshayahu Archive (from the Thirties to the late Seventies) and deal with the following subjects:

Yemenite Jewry – Social and Intelligence activity in Yemen, before and after the establishment of the State of Israel

Mission to Aden

Jews from Ethiopia

Jews from Arab Lands – The Sephardi Jews in Israel

Gathering of the Exiles

Social Gaps

The Labor Party

Israeli Arabs

State and Religion

The Beth Midrash for Rabbis in the United States

Elections to The Rabbinate and for Heads of Councils

Correspondence with dignitaries and public figures

Work methods in The Knesset and in Foreign Parliaments

Modification of System of Elections to The Knesset

Protocols

Speeches in The Knesset and in various events

Press releases

Articles

Reports in “Hapoel Hatzair”

Participation in various Congresses

Documents pertaining to his capacities as: Member of Knesset, Secretary-General of the Party, member and head of various committees in the Knesset, Postal Minister, and Speaker of The Knesset

Missions abroad

Hosting guests from abroad

In Memoriam (of M.I.A s)

50^th Jubilee for Israel Yeshayahu

Letters and notes – correspondence with leaders and Heads of State in Israel

The connection with David Ben – Gurion

Evaluation Committee of J.N.F (Jewish National Fund)

Investigation Committee in immigrant camps

The AGRANAT Commission

Draft of first Government yearbook

State Council

His literary works

Words of appreciation for his personality and deeds

Disc # 7 serves as instructions for checking the former six

Disc # 8 is a synopsis of the landmarks in his life and in the life of his wife Rina

The entire original archival material is in Hebrew!