Page 100 - big friday
P. 100
the papers in his hand. "I'm holding in my hand the declaration of independence of the
State of Israel." "What?!" replied the driver, astonished and relieved, "And to think that I
stopped only because I'm driving without a license…"
T he hall was jam-packed and crammed to the rafters, the intense heat made worse by
the photographers' flashes. The walls of the museum were decorated on this occasion with
pictures by Jewish painters; in the center, against a background of blue and white fabric,
hung a portrait of Herzl (what effort Sharef had invested in obtaining these fabrics, and a
picture – the right size – of Herzl…)
In accordance with the plan, as the hands of the clock reached 4pm, Ben-Gurion arose,
rapped the gavel on the table, and all the guests rose to their feet. But contrary to the plan
– and there had actually been concerns about unexpected hitches – the orchestra did not
start playing on time. Those present burst into a rendition of HaTikva, thereby prompting
the orchestra, which played from the upper floor.
A good signing
The 679 words of the Scroll of Independence were read out by a beaming David Ben-
Gurion for a total of 17 minutes. He recalled generations and periods of suffering and of
hope, section after section. When he reached the paragraph, "Accordingly we, members
of the Provisional State Council , representatives of the Jewish community of Eretz-Yisrael
and of the Zionist Movement, are here assembled on the day of the termination of the
British Mandate over Eretz-Yisrael and, by virtue of our natural and historic right and
on the strength of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, hereby declare
the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Yisrael, to be known as the State of Israel",
the audience rose to its feet and burst into prolonged applause. He went on to read the
other sections of the Scroll, concluding with the words, "Placing our trust in the 'Rock of
Israel', we affix our signatures to this proclamation at this session of the Provisional State
Council, on the soil of the homeland, in the city of Tel-Aviv, on this Sabbath eve, the 5th
day of Iyar, 5708 (May 14, 1948)." Rabbi Fishman rounded off the reading with a recitation
of the blessing, "…Who has given us life and sustained us and brought us to this time", and
"Amen" echoed from all corners of the hall.
Immediately thereafter, the members of the Provisional State Council began signing
the Scroll. Some had trouble writing on this unusual material, and Moshe Shertok, who
sat in the middle, helped to straighten the parchment. When he signed, last, everyone
cheered.
The signing of the members of the Provisional State Council took another 16 minutes,
and then Ben-Gurion uttered another six words [in Hebrew] that entered history: "The
State of Israel has arisen! This session is over."
BeMahaneh Gadna, Independence Day edition, 1963
98 The Friday That Changed Destiny
State of Israel." "What?!" replied the driver, astonished and relieved, "And to think that I
stopped only because I'm driving without a license…"
T he hall was jam-packed and crammed to the rafters, the intense heat made worse by
the photographers' flashes. The walls of the museum were decorated on this occasion with
pictures by Jewish painters; in the center, against a background of blue and white fabric,
hung a portrait of Herzl (what effort Sharef had invested in obtaining these fabrics, and a
picture – the right size – of Herzl…)
In accordance with the plan, as the hands of the clock reached 4pm, Ben-Gurion arose,
rapped the gavel on the table, and all the guests rose to their feet. But contrary to the plan
– and there had actually been concerns about unexpected hitches – the orchestra did not
start playing on time. Those present burst into a rendition of HaTikva, thereby prompting
the orchestra, which played from the upper floor.
A good signing
The 679 words of the Scroll of Independence were read out by a beaming David Ben-
Gurion for a total of 17 minutes. He recalled generations and periods of suffering and of
hope, section after section. When he reached the paragraph, "Accordingly we, members
of the Provisional State Council , representatives of the Jewish community of Eretz-Yisrael
and of the Zionist Movement, are here assembled on the day of the termination of the
British Mandate over Eretz-Yisrael and, by virtue of our natural and historic right and
on the strength of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, hereby declare
the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Yisrael, to be known as the State of Israel",
the audience rose to its feet and burst into prolonged applause. He went on to read the
other sections of the Scroll, concluding with the words, "Placing our trust in the 'Rock of
Israel', we affix our signatures to this proclamation at this session of the Provisional State
Council, on the soil of the homeland, in the city of Tel-Aviv, on this Sabbath eve, the 5th
day of Iyar, 5708 (May 14, 1948)." Rabbi Fishman rounded off the reading with a recitation
of the blessing, "…Who has given us life and sustained us and brought us to this time", and
"Amen" echoed from all corners of the hall.
Immediately thereafter, the members of the Provisional State Council began signing
the Scroll. Some had trouble writing on this unusual material, and Moshe Shertok, who
sat in the middle, helped to straighten the parchment. When he signed, last, everyone
cheered.
The signing of the members of the Provisional State Council took another 16 minutes,
and then Ben-Gurion uttered another six words [in Hebrew] that entered history: "The
State of Israel has arisen! This session is over."
BeMahaneh Gadna, Independence Day edition, 1963
98 The Friday That Changed Destiny
