As we prepare to celebrate the 75th Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, let’s take a look at some of the incredible achievements and fun facts about the Jewish state in this interactive timeline.
1947-1949
Arab-Israeli War, also known as Israel’s War of Independence, was fought between the newly established Jewish state of Israel and armies from five Arab states. This was the first of four major Arab-Israeli wars fought over Israel’s legitimacy or geographic size.
Attribution: Micha Perry / IDF Spokesperson’s Unit
1949
Exodus 1949 – Campaign to raise needed funds to help provide safe passage and aid to those immigrants entering Israel.
1954
First National United Jewish Appeal Mission to France, Morocco and Israel.
1967
In 1967, with the outbreak of the Six-Day War, Jews in Baltimore raised $4 million for the 1967 Israel Emergency Fund. Volunteers manned every available telephone, day and evening. Teenagers washed cars for the emergency fund, and in every synagogue and temple, rabbis devoted their sermons to the cause.
1948
May 14, 1948, was the official beginning of the Arab-Israeli war and the date Israel declared itself an independent Jewish state. The new country’s population was around 806,000 people.
1973-1974
The Associated raised $15 million for Israel during and after the Yom Kippur war. 1,300 men and women called approximately 35,000 people throughout the Baltimore Jewish community.
1949
January 25, 1949, is Israel’s first national election. David Ben-Gurion was elected Israel’s first Prime Minister.
(“Courtesy of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, JMM 1982.012.142.”)
1949
Major immigration waves to Israel begin starting with Operation Magic Carpet where 47,000 Yemenite Jews were airlifted to the new state of Israel.
1950
On July 5, 1950, the Law of Return is formally enacted by the Knesset which states that anyone of Jewish descent (or a Jewish convert), is entitled to immigrate to Israel and obtain full citizenship.
1967
Six-Day War began on June 5 as a result of years of increasing tension and border conflicts between Arabs and Israelis. Israel succeeded against all odds and prevailed over the armies of its three most powerful neighbors – Egypt, Syria and Jordan.
1960’s
Israel invents the drip irrigation system, creating a revolutionary new way to sustain crops and save water.
2017
On October 18, 2017, The Associated hosts A Lion of Judah Signature Event. The trunk show in Baltimore featured Maskit’s iconic pieces with Sharon Tal, head designer from Maskit, Israel’s premier fashion house.
1973
On December 14, 1973, Israel Emergency Fund launches campaign to raise needed money after the Yom Kippur War took a heavy toll on the people of Israel.
2003
The Associated’s Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership was established. Since the partnership began, more than 1,000 Baltimoreans have visited this seaside town each year.
PHOTO from meeting in Ashkelon in 2004
1978
Israel wins its first Eurovision Song contest.
Attribution: Photographer: Israel Press and Photo Agency (I.P.P.A.) / Dan Hadani collection, National Library of Israel / CC BY 4.0
1982
Several years after Baltimore was twinned with Ir Ganim, Baltimore became just one of a half dozen communities to take on a second twin city, Kiryat Gat, located south of Tel Aviv and composed of many Soviet Jewish immigrants. Baltimoreans helped residents of that city by establishing summer camps, vocational training and drug prevention programs.
This photo was taken as part of WikiAir in Israel, in cooperation with The Israeli Association of General Aviation. Pilots: Eitan Lipovetsky, Dani Manusis. Flight Code: IL-12-01.
2018
On November 13, 2018, The Associated hosts A Culinary Experience event with Israeli Chef Michael Solomonov.
1965
The Israel Museum is established in Jerusalem.
2011
The Iron Dome, a mobile air defense system, is developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aircraft Industries and designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells. Since its deployment, hundreds of rockets have been shot down.
1990
Lifesaving emergency bandage is invented by former IDF medic Bernard Bar-Natan which instantly controls massive bleeding with a patented pressure applicator and prevents infections in trauma situations.
1979
On March 26, 1979, the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty was signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and witnessed by United States President Jimmy Carter. At the time, the historic peace agreement ended three decades of hostilities between Egypt and Israel and established diplomatic relations between the two countries.
1969
On March 17, 1969, Golda Meir becomes the fourth prime minister and the first woman prime minister of Israel.
(“Courtesy of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, JMM 1982.012.128.”)
1999
Israeli company M-Systems invents the USB flash drive (DiskOnKey), used by millions of people to store and share computer data to this day.
1954
Maskit fashion House is founded by Ruth Dayan, the first wife of Moshe Dayan, as a government-run company selling luxury women’s wear made in Israel.
1967
Naomi Shemer wrote the song “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav,” meaning “Jerusalem of Gold.” It has become associated with the holiday “Yom Yerushalayim.”
2003
On December 1, 2003, Palestinian and Israeli politicians release a symbolic peace agreement known as the Geneva Accords. The Accord is not a legally binding document, but a model for what one may look like in the future between the State of Israel and the State of Palestine to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Accord was negotiated in secret for over two years before the official 50-page document was released on December 1, 2003, in Geneva, Switzerland.
1973
The Yom Kippur War was an armed conflict between Israel and the Arab coalition that began on October 6 after the Arab states jointly launched a surprise attack against Israel on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. Combat took place largely in the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights and ended on October 25.
1954
Associated Jewish Charities mission to Israel. Caption reads, “The group in Israel with President Ben-Zvi.” Back of photo identifies the fifth, sixth and seventh people from left as John Rochberg, Hilda Blaustein and Grace Heller.
2005
Diller Teen Fellows Program is launched in partnership with Jewish Volunteer Connection that pairs Baltimore and Ashkelon teens and culminates in a trip to Israel.
2008
The shinshinim program is launched, in partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Center for Jewish Education. Shinshinim are talented Israeli high school graduates who come to Baltimore for a year of service. They volunteer in the community and serve as informal educators.
2015
Onward Israel program is launched for Baltimore college students. Onward participants spend a summer working and living in Tel Aviv.
2019
The Associated’s Insight Israel Forum is launched. The first in the country, The Forum engages Jewish Baltimore’s leadership and community in dialogue, education and connection about Israel through lectures, small group conversations, speaker events and on-line educational programming.
2008
Israelis Uri Levine, Ehud Shabtai and Amir Shinar invent Waze, a phone navigation app used by millions around the world.
1978
“We Will Walk as One!” was the slogan of the first Walk for Israel in Baltimore to celebrate Israel’s 30th birthday. The May 7 event in Baltimore attracted 2,200 participants and raised $66,000 in the 11 mile or 18 kilometer walk through our Baltimore Jewish communities.
1979
Jewish Renewal in Baltimore and Israel campaign was created to raise needed funds for both communities to meet the growing list of needs at that time. Baltimore was twinned with Ir Ganim, a depressed community on the outskirts of Jerusalem to help rebuild itself using the knowledge The Associated had from caring for and building the Baltimore Jewish community for so many years.
1979
On May 6, 1979, community members turn out for a 18-kilometer walk to support peace in the Middle East.
1978
Camp David Accords, were signed on September 17, 1978, at Camp David between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and are officially known as the “Framework for Peace in the Middle East.” Sadat and Begin were later awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace for their contributions to the agreements.
(“Courtesy of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, JMM 1996.026.239. Photographer Jerry Esterson”)
1993
On September 13, 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Negotiator Mahmoud Abbas signed the “Oslo Accords” at the White House. Israel accepted the PLO as the representative of the Palestinians, and the PLO renounced terrorism and recognized Israel’s right to exist in peace.
1994
On October 26, 1994, the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty ended the state of war that has existed between the two countries since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and helped to establish mutual diplomatic relations.
2020
On September 15, 2020, Israel signs normalization agreements known as the Abraham Accords with the following countries: United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
1980
The Shekel becomes the official currency of Israel replacing the Israeli lira.
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