How did the State of Israel come to be in 1948?  Was it a struggle that began a few decades earlier that led to the formation of the State of Israel.  Yes, and no.  The advent of political Zionism may have only begun in the time of Theodore Herzl in the late 19th century.  But this did not just happen in a vacuum.  The fuel for all of the emotions and feelings that so many feel to the Chosen Land goes back thousands of years.  More importantly, those feelings were not merely guarded.  Those feelings were nurtured and grew from year to year.  The yearnings to return to the Land of Israel were an integral part of the Jewish consciousness throughout the long and difficult exile.

The memories of the Two Temples that stood for more than 800 years in Jerusalem continued to be a significant part of Jewish holidays, weddings, and other major events around the Jewish calendar.  Even mundane daily events such as eating bread and grains included blessings that recalled Jerusalem’s glory.  

All of these things are what culminated in the famous Declaration of Israel’s independence by David Ben-Gurion in 1948.  The bravery of that day was historic.  It was clear to any observer, that the decision to declare the State of Israel would bring multiple Arab Armies to immediately invade the fledgling State of Israel.  But, Ben-Gurion and the slight majority who voted for the Declaration stood strong and persevered in their leadership throughout the battles that lasted for around one year.      

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