Item Description:

Rechov Pines located near Davidka Square in Jerusalem is named for Rabbi Yechiel Michel Pines. Rabbi Pines was considered a religious Maskil in the late 1800’s. Many of his controversial ideas caused him to be at odds with the established Rabbinate of the Yishuv Hayashon (Old Settlement) in Jerusalem. His main occupation was administrator of the funds of Moses Montefiore. This caused him many detractors as everyone felt their cause was legitimate and the rightful recipients of a limited trust. The proliferation of Hebrew language as opposed to speaking Yiddish or Arabic as well as the controversy of secular studies in schools were some of the causes that he took up. This lecture will open a window into the early days of the Jewish settlement in Israel where Rabbi Pines lived and the different political and spiritual ideas that were taking root at the time.