"Memoirs of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence" - a selection of interviews with the signatories of ...

"Memoirs of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence" - a selection of interviews with the signatories of the Declaration of Independence and their signatures

In 1961 Eliezer Wortman Interviewed A series of interviews with several of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence. Each of the signatories was presented with the same list of 22 questions regarding the signing of the Declaration of Independence and around his personal part in the signing ceremony that took place at the old Tel Aviv Museum on May 5, 1948. The interviews were recorded and at the same time typed, and in some of them the signatures of the interviewees. Before us seven full interviews with: Moshe Sharet (signed), Mr. Peretz Bernstein (signed), Dr. Herzl Rosenblum (signed), Saadia Kuvshi (representative of the Yemeni community to sign the Declaration of Independence, interview in English), Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Levin, Aharon Zisling, Rabbi K. Cohen , And Yitzhak Greenbaum. A fascinating group of interviews that reveals the various scenarios that accompanied the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the personal views of the signatories regarding the essence of the State of Israel.

Among the identical questions Wortman posed to the signatories: 'Where have you been and what role did you play on the twenty-ninth day of November 1947?', 'What were your actions and role from the date of the UN's decision, until and after the day of the declaration of the state?', 'Where have you been and what have you deed in the three days before the declaration of the state?', 'What was your opinion on the practical possibility of establishing the state immediately?', 'What was your part in Wording the Declaration?' , 'What sections or details from the declaration have caused controversy?', 'What event from those days is particularly etched in your memory?', and about the personal opinion of the respondents for the name 'State of Israel' given to the state.

Shorten the sheet to detail the fascinating content of the interviews. We will bring a little.

Moshe Sharett in his answers, expanded on the tension that existed before the UN decision on the recognition of the State of Israel was made, the fear of an Arab attack and the many times he warned of such an attack, Sharett also refers to a rumor circulating that he asked not to announce the establishment of the state on that day, and denies it outright. Sharett says that the day after the announcement, he was instructed to notify all foreign ministers of the world by telegram of the existence of the State of Israel, and that this announcement was made under the bombs that fell around the building where he was sitting. Sharett also adds in detail about the changes in the wording of the declaration of independence dictated by Ben-Gurion:"'I did not complain about the things he added. But he changed the structure, and I'm sorry for that to this day. I think he took from the declaration the logic of its structure". Sharett also tells an interesting story about his part in determining the symbol of the state. The Committee for the Determination of the Emblem decided that the emblem of the State of Israel would be a lion named after the verse "Gur Aryeh Yehuda" and Sharett vehemently opposed it. 'I erupted when I heard this idea, and I said, do you imagine that the symbol of our country will be a predator animal? ... Really a predator animal will express the figure we want to give to this state ... And they were astonished and said: So what symbol do you suggest? I said, of course the Menorah. A Menorah is a source of light, it is a light of Zion, it is a light to the Gentiles ... and they immediately accepted the offer, I was very happy."

Sharett described his impressions of the announcement: "There was a special elation, at the same time there was a feeling of sharpness, of a man standing on top of a cliff and about to jump into a gaping abyss. There was such a feeling of standing on a very high peak,

And sullen winds are raging all around, and must be endured ... ". 

Yitzhak Greenbaum reveals how Ben-Gurion announced in advance the organization of a military force because it was clear to him that Arab countries would invade the country with the abolition of the mandate and the removal of the British administration from the country, and that he had no shadow of a doubt that this would happen. He also adds that he preferred the name "State of the Jews" over the name "State of Israel, " but in the end Ben-Gurion's opinion was accepted. He also reveals interesting details in the Altalena affair from the day of the incident, and justifies Ben-Gurion's conduct in the affair.

In the words of Dr. H. Rosenblum, an interesting detail regarding the signing of the declaration: 'A unique' incident 'happened to me ... When my name was called, and I took the stage ready and willing to sign my name - 'Dr. Herzl Rosenblum', as I sign it Always, Ben-Gurion turns to me ... and in a firm voice said: 'Sign "Vardi" and not "Rosenblum"!, I was of course in a completely unbalanced mood, perhaps under the influence of the solemn ceremony and did not know why I should sign the name 'Vardi' who was my pseudonym in the newspaper, but I signed as requested 'Herzl Vardi' and so my name remained forever in the Declaration of Independence ... Then on one occasion I asked Ben Gurion, Which motivated him to ask me to use the name 'Vardi', and the answer was, that he Preferred more Hebrew names in the declaration'.

Rabbi K. Kahana reveals that the religious parties had certain problems with the wording of the Declaration of Independence, but no one had the courage to turn to Ben-Gurion on the matter, because everyone knew he was conducts a fateful campaign against the Arab enemy, and there was no place for it in those days.

Aharon Tzizling tells in a particularly long interview (16 pages) about the recent incarnations of the Megillah as someone who was a member of the small committee that drafted the final version of the state declaration last night before it was submitted for approval, at Ben-Gurion's home. He reveals that Zalman Shazar inserted in the text of the Megillah many words of phraseology that were taken out of it at the last minute, and that great efforts were made to adapt the wording to suit UN resolutions.

Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Levin in his answers referred to the fact that the scroll lacks the religious aspect: to the question: 'Do you think after the 13 years of the establishment of the state, that it would then have been desirable to add or change the clauses of the official declaration? He replied: 'We should have emphasized as Jews that it was with G-d's help. What is written there is not enough ... '.

As for their feelings on the day of the declaration, a recurring answer for most was that the fear of war and invasion by Arab armies clouded the ceremony, some even said they did not give the country a chance to exist for more than a few weeks. In the face of the invasion of the Arab armies, fearing the loss of settlements that had stood on the ground for decades, [At this point, Saadia Kuvshi, the only Yemeni among the signatories of the Megillah, tells about the great fear that was then of loss against the Arab armies was evident, until he saw in the declaration itself an act which he would have given up in those days, and for this reason there were also proposals to postpone the declaration. Dr. Rosenblum said in this context: 'We heard the text of the declaration read by Mr. Ben-Gurion, he was afraid that we would not be able to finish it, and we were surprised by the Arab attack in the middle.'

Before us first-class historical record of one of the most important events in the history of the State of Israel from the people who created it and experienced it firsthand. Dozens of pages in stencil printing with the signatures of the interviewees.

Attached: Eliezer Wortman's instructive article "May 14, Birth of the State" in which he summarizes the conclusions that emerge from the variety of interviews - 6  typewriter leaves. As well as the supplement pages of the JERUSALEM POST dated May 6, 1981 dealing with interviews conducted by Wortman.

Provenance: Estate of Eliezer Wortman (the interviewer).

The interviews were printed on copy paper of a typewriter. The collection has not been thoroughly examined.  few stains on some pages. general condition good .