Menachem Ussishkin
Leaders of
Secular Zionism

Of all the leaders in this series, Ussishkin had the most “traditional” background, and with his power of oratory, was able to be a peace-maker between the left and right wings of the Zionist movement. But when Herzl came up with the Uganda proposal, Ussishkin stood up as a strong opponent. With that story, as well as the stories of the birth of modern Hebrew and the compromise over shmitta, we get a picture of the accomplishments and values of the founder of the JNF.