- December 17, 2025
- 11:35 pm
- Ukraine
The story of Vladimir Zeev Jabotinsky, a Jewish hero from Odessa. The Jewish pogroms of 1903-1905 in the Russian Empire deeply affected Jabotinsky, prompting him to join the Zionist movement to devote himself to the fight for Jewish rights and the creation of the state of Israel.. Read on NAnews in the section “Jews from Ukraine”! #jewsukraine
Vladimir Zeev Jabotinsky: The path to the creation of a Jewish state
The Beginning of the Journey: Birth and Early Years
Date and place of birth: Vladimir Jabotinsky was born on October 17, 1880 in Odessa, Ukraine. Since childhood, he showed curiosity and determination, which may have predetermined his future fate.
Date of death: Died on August 3, 1940 in New York, USA. In 1964, his remains were transferred to Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, the resting place of Israel’s prominent leaders.
Influenced by Jewish pogroms
The years 1903-1905 in the Russian Empire became a difficult ordeal for the Jewish population, which faced a wave of brutal pogroms. Jabotinskyshocked by these events, decided to change his life and devote himself to the fight for Jewish rights. At this time, he joined the Jewish self-defense and even changed his name to Zeev, which means “wolf” in Hebrew. This symbol became the embodiment of his fearlessness and determination to protect his people.
Quote from Jabotinsky: “It’s better to have a weapon and not need it than to need it and not have it!” This phrase became the motto of his life and influenced an entire generation of Jewish activists.
Leader of Jewish Self-Defense and the Path to Zionism
During the pogroms, Vladimir Zhabotinsky organized self-defense units in Jewish communities, seeking to protect their compatriots. This move established him as a leader of the Jewish movement and brought attention to Jewish civil rights.
In 1903, Jabotinsky was elected as a delegate to the Zionist Congress. After Theodor Herzl’s death in 1904, Jabotinsky became the leading leader of Zionism, leading the right wing of the movement. His ideas supported the Jewish desire for independence and self-sufficiency, as well as the need to protect the Jewish people.
Support for independent Ukraine: An interesting fact is that Jabotinsky also supported the creation of an independent Ukraine, sharing the idea of the struggle for freedom and the rights of nations. He contributed to the creation of the Ukrainian People’s Republic under the army Jewish gendarmerie to prevent pogroms, which became a unique experience of interaction between the Jewish and Ukrainian communities.
Creation of the Jewish Legion
In 1917, during the First World War, Jabotinsky formed Jewish Legion – a combat unit that fought on the side of the British army against the Ottoman Empire. The Legion was created to protect the future of the Jewish state, and this step became a historical precedent for Jewish armed self-organization.
Quote from Jabotinsky: “We are fighting for the right to create a Jewish country on our historical land.”
Contribution to the creation of the State of Israel
After World War I, Jabotinsky moved to the territory of modern Israel, where he continued the struggle for the creation of a Jewish state. He reorganized former members of the Jewish Legion into the first self-defense units, which in 1920 protected the Jewish population during the Arab uprisings in the Old City of Jerusalem. For his activities in organizing the defense, Jabotinsky was arrested by the British authorities and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, but thanks to mass protests, the sentence was overturned.
“New Zionist Organization” and the goals of the movement
In 1935, Jabotinsky headed New Zionist Organizationwhich set itself several key goals:
- Creation of a Jewish majority on both banks of the Jordan River.
- The founding of a Jewish state in Palestine on the principles of reason and justice laid down in the Torah.
- Repatriation to Palestine of all Jews wishing to return to their historical homeland.
- Liquidation of the Jewish Diaspora.
These principles had a profound influence on Israel’s right-wing political parties and became the basis of modern Israeli society.
The legacy of Vladimir Jabotinsky
Today, the name of Jabotinsky is known to everyone who is interested in the history of the Jewish people and the formation of Israel. Not only did he inspire a generation of Jews to fight for their rights, but he also laid the foundation for future right-wing parties that still influence Israeli politics today. Jabotinsky left a rich legacy based on self-determination and the right of the Jewish people to freedom.
Photo materials:
1 – portrait of Jabotinsky in military uniform;
2 – old 100 shekel bill with Jabotinsky;
3 – bonus! Budanov adopts the experience of the Jewish Legion
This article was prepared specifically for the site NAnewswhere you will find even more interesting stories about prominent Jews of Ukraine, such as Vladimir Jabotinsky.
Veda section @davidkrutonog — Jew from Ukraine and founder of a marketing agency tlv.agency
Leave a comment in Telegram – NAnews channel↓
