These 75 people helped establish the foundations for a Jewish state in the Land of Israel between the start of the 19th century and independence in 1948. Each is presented with an image, a brief bio addressing Zionist involvement, and links for context and further study. The list can be used to provide faces, stories and depth to explorations of Zionism before statehood. Class members could each take one person from the list for further study, leading to a research paper, a visual presentation or a role-playing activity.
Note that those involved in the work of Zionism in the first half of the 20th century who went on to be important leaders of the State of Israel, such as David Ben-Gurion and Chaim Weizmann, appear on our separate list of essential Israelis from history. We also have a list of current Israelis you should know and non-Israelis who helped shape Israel.
- Israel - State
- History
- Zionism
- After School and Beyond
- Congregational Learning
- Day Schools and Yeshivas
- Teen Engagement
Discover more
Meet 75 people, Jewish and non-Jewish, who have played a part in the State of Israel’s history despite never themselves becoming Israeli.
Meet a diverse group of 75 Israelis worth knowing across a range of fields to gain a better understanding of the current State of Israel.
Think deeply about Israel and create representations of it's challenges, successes and future visions.