Yitzchak Reines was born in what is now Belarus and studied at a yeshiva in Lithuania, becoming a rabbi at the age of 27 years.
He is best remembered as a Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, an ardent believer in political Zionism, and a staunch supporter of Theodor Herzl.
The rabbi was very conscious of the need to narrow the gap between students who were strictly orthodox and secular students following the teachings of the German Reform Movement.
He firmly believed his students at the yeshiva should get knowledge necessary to earn a respectable livelihood for themselves and their families.
In 1882, while still serving as a Rabbi in Lithuania, he founded a modern yeshiva with a curriculum that included secular subjects.
In addition to studying Talmud; Hebrew, History, Geography, Literature and practical Business skills were all included in the tuition program.
He named the Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, (Torah and Knowledge, or Science.)
In 1905 he founded his modern yeshiva in Lida, Belarus, which attracted many students throughout Russia.
Today, a Torah Vodaath is still in existence and is located in Brooklyn, New York.
But his initiative in forming modern yeshivot met with violent opposition from many haredi leaders who condemned his approach as a heresy.
But Rabbi Reines loved and respected all Jews, whichever stream of Judaism they chose to follow, and his diligence in Torah study earned him respect, enabling him to maintain and expand the modern yeshivot.
A Call to Zionism
Theodor Herzl had recognized the need for rabbis to support Zionism and Rabbi Reines was one of the first rabbis to answer Herzl’s call to become part of the Movement.
He attended the Third Zionist Congress in 1899.
At the Fifth Zionist Congress in 1901 in Basel, the Swiss and other radical student factions threatened to move the Zionist Movement in a direction away from religion.
It was not in the interests of Jewish people to abandon religion in favour of a purely political solution, and in 1902 Rabbi Reines founded the Mizrachi Movement to represent religious Zionism within the broader Zionist movement.
The religious Zionist faction created by Rabbi Reines became the strongest branch of the Zionist movement in Russia.
The Mizrachi party was a precursor to the modern and political ‘National Religious Party’.
Reines even supported the British Uganda Program as a temporary measure to save Jews.
The Legacy of the Rabbi
Rabbi Reines was one of the first religious leaders to publicly heed Herzl’s call at a time when Herzl found overwhelming opposition from most rabbanim.
He urgently needed support and the willingness of Yitzhak Reines to offer it was extremely beneficial to the welfare of the Zionist Movement.
In this respect, he was first and foremost a leader, one who valued the principles of survival before the differing levels of Jewish observance.
To maintain a safe and productive Jewish homeland it was imperative that the Jewish community of Israel needed to find a way to ensure longevity.
It was heartening to see the hundreds of kibbutzim and moshavim in earlier times, some secular, others religious and also mixed.
All of them cultivating the fields, building industries and, when needed, fighting to save the country.
The vision of Rabbi Reines was, by far, the best formula for the continued freedom and growth of Jewish life in our natural homeland.
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