Abstract
Abstract This article describes the public discourse and debate in the early 1950s over the shaping of the new Israeli citizen. That discussion included the concept of “pioneering” (halutsiyut) as a leading tenet that would ensure citizenship not only as a set of entitlements but first and foremost as an obligation. Educators, public figures, adolescents and young adults, and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion all tackled questions that dealt with various aspects of citizenship and the challenges of citizenship education. The debate centered on the question of the very possibility of creating a “pioneer-citizen.” The article examines the earliest criteria of good citizenship in Israel, which did not settle for the perfunctory duties of voting, paying taxes, and abiding by the law.
| Original language | English GB |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 82-110 |
| Number of pages | 29 |
| Journal | Jewish Social Studies |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 2009 |