In chapter 5 of the sagacious work Perkei Avot – “Ethics of the Fathers” – it is stated, “One’s days are numbered as 70.”

 The State of Israel is therefore no longer a girl, neither a young lady. She is a nation with a history and a story to tell. Beginning in 1948, it is a tale of survival, born mostly of Holocaust survivors from Europe and refugees from Arab lands, all of whom arrived here after being dispossessed and expelled.

Everyone had to learn a new common tongue – Hebrew. One cannot lead a normal life without effective communication. It was imperative to learn and speak the same language.

 She had to establish institutions – banks, schools, absorption centers, government offices. She had to pave roads, build houses, plow fields to establish agriculture and open stores.

 And because of the resistance to her establishment, she had to build an army.

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