Jewish Scene
Poll: Rabbi Kook most influential Jewish leader
Ynet
Published: 08.05.08, 11:22
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16 Talkbacks for this article
1. Remember first the Promise of the Promised Land.
petra ,   usa   (05.08.08)
Men are mere tools. Gods promise comes first. The State of Israel was established by the ancients. The scattering was foretold as the return of the remnant of Jews who arrived after WW11 to RE-establish our great antion. Don't forget our G-d or, He will forget us. He keeps His promises, so should we. The covenant is eternal between we and our G-d.
2. Absurd List
Jon ,   New York NY   (05.08.08)
Aside from Rabbi Kook, David Ben Gurion and Hertzl - this list is absurd. What did Rabbi Schneerson ever do for Zionism? And shulamit aloni?? she bled the education system dry of basic Jewish values and history. she is singly handedly responsible for the deterioration of Israel's education system on many levels. It gets worse - Yeshayhu Leibowitz. The man who called the IDF "Natzi's", and our soldiers "Gestapo's". Who made these phone calls for the poll? did they decide to only call kfar chabad and Ramat Aviv?
3. Aloni before Ben Yehuda ??
Joseph Brien ,   Fort Lauderdale, Flo   (05.08.08)
The founder of Modern Hebrew, Ben Yehuda is definitely ahead of our current or past list of corrupt members of Kenneset. Aloni give me a break ...
4. shneerson? is he coming
avramele   (05.08.08)
the list clearly shows the great divide and more positively the great diversity of the Israeli people....but one might wonder if placing a man who never set foot (out of design) in Israel is a belief that the guy might still show up? Don't bet on it!
5. Like him or hate him, Kahane rocked Israel
Besalel ,   Kew Gardens, NY   (05.08.08)
Some view him as a prophet, other as a terrorist. Any way you look at it, though, Rabbi Meir Kahane had a more profound effect on Israel than any other person. The effect, good or bad, lasts until today.
6. This list is a joke....
Shalom, U.S.A. ,   Fort Lee   (05.09.08)
for the simple fact that Rabbi Schneerson is included in it. He never visited Israel, his followers are not allowed to say a formal preyer for the State of Israel, they are not allowed to say Kaddish for six million innocent Hollocaust victims, they don't sing the Hatikva because it's a "disgusting song", etc. Despite the fact of having become a financial empire they don't donate to or support any israeli project. Was he a jewish leader or a rebbe of a few opportunists? He definitively didn't contribute to building of the jewish state, other than collecting money from innocent people, buying a few Books of Psalms, distributing them among soldiers during the second Lebanese war and making some money in the process.
7. from the start of israil
lili ,   jerusalem   (05.09.08)
the decision was military the action still military and philosophy is on books and religion also in books not in hearts ..but who is the first or who is the second depends on the result of evry one howmush he helped in this military israil
8. #5
ilyse ,   los angeles ca   (05.09.08)
Gotta agree with you Rabbi Kahane rocked Israel and rocked a lot of American Jews. I will never forget his words or his teachings. I for one saw him as a modern day prophet - he was way ahead of his time.
9. Rabbi Meir Kahane, Z"L
Arthur ,   SF, CA   (05.09.08)
Should've been at the top of the list... If people only knew what his courage in fighting the Soviets for the freedom of Soviet Jewry did for us behind the iron curtain! It gave us hope - years before organized Jewish community started it's "Let my people go" campaign... If people in Israel would only listen and act on his advise of ridding the land of hostile arab population - riots in Nazaret and Galil today would've never happened!
10. makes sense there r many records of arguments between him...
(05.09.08)
him and Ben-Gurion! B-G respected him and Paula (B-G's wife) was always yelling at B-G to stop yelling at the "grandfathers"! The "grandfathers" were a group of Rabbis w/ whom B-G argued with but always took counsel from! Ah! where are the old days when a Rabbi was respected and a leader was truly a leader!
11. JOBOTINSKY!
debra ,   usa   (05.09.08)
12. To Shalom # 6 - Looks like you are a Joke
Harry   (05.09.08)
Not only was he on the list but was voted third in building and shaping the state of Israel. Does not say Zionist that was not the question in the poll. Anyway a crazy thinks everyone is crazy. No one can deny the good and the revolution the Rebbe and his followers made in the Jewish world and Israel in particulair in the sphere of Kiruv may they all be blessed. A good Shabbat
13. to all the complaintants against the Lubavitcher Rebbe
chayay   (05.09.08)
The Lubavitcher Rebbe never went to Eretz Yisrael yet he is the one who worked the hardest to get as many Jews as possbiel to live in eretz yisrael with the arrival of moshiach who will gather all the jews and bring them there. Most prime ministers consulted the Rebbe adn he fought like no other Jewish leader again giving away land. Kfar chabad is Lubavitch, Bat Ayin was started by Lubavitchers adn Lubavitch can be found in almost every city adn yishuv. For more info read "eyes upon the land" adn see what influence the Lubavitcher Rebbe had. Learn before you talk.
14. Rabbi Schneerson
David ,   New York   (05.09.08)
What stupid comments about the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Is being somewhere geographically the only way to influence that place? What about all the Jewish leaders through the galus that kept the dream of return to Israel alive in their prayers and sermons, and thus paved the way for the modern political state we now have? The Rebbe really was the most influential. He impacted foreign and domestic policy like no one else. Watch the interviews with the politicians about the Rebbe! And not to mention that he touched the hearts of the Jews in Israel with his wisdom and righteousness. I was just there, in Israel. When people asked, ata chabadnik? and I replied yes, they'd hug me and tell me how Chabad is the best and greatest, etc. and that the Rebbe was the ONLY leader of the chareidi world who took a real interest and displayed genuine love for the land and people. Your comments display ignorance and bias. Watch any speech by the Rebbe and you'll hear passionate and brilliant analysis and insight on the political and military situation in Israel. Most of all you'll hear love and concern. Lots of love and lots of concern.
15. What muppets conducted this poll?
silent majority ,   Israel   (05.09.08)
I wonder what statistion would say about the validity of the sample, given the unique character of the results. Unique is of course code for strange/unlikely/unbelievable.
16. to #1,2,3,4,5,6, etc
to #1,2,3,4,5,6, etc ,   USA   (05.12.08)
tell me one other leader/rabbi that prime ministers, defense ministers , keneset members, whom they flew all the way to the states to meet with! none but the lubavitcher Rebbe ! P.M. Rabin, met with the Rebbe IN NEW YORK. Netanyahu met with the Rebbe in NEW YORK. Ariel SHaron met with the Rebbe in New York. Shazar met with the rebbe in new york. the list goes on. ALL OF THEM SPOKE TO THE REBBE ABOUT Israeli strategy and success and failures of certain operations. THe REBBE ecourages thousands of jews to stay in Israel and not leave, and those planning on moveing to israel, to continue to move even during the WARS. in conclusion, the ones who wrote negative comments about a tzadik must look into himself and see if it was from fact or his own personal negative inclination.
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