Abraham Isaac Kook

Palestine's First Chief Rabbi

Abraham Isaac Kook (1865- 1935) was the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine. He was born in Latvia and is considered a founder of religious Zionism.

I have not come here to thank the British nation, but even more, to congratulate it for the privilege of making this declaration. The Jewish nation is the ‘scholar’ among the nations, the ‘people of the book,’ a nation of prophets; and it is a great honor for any nation to aid it. I bless the British nation for having extended such honorable aid to the people of the Torah, so that they may return to their land and renew their homeland.

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