sabra

'Sabra' (Hebrew: צבר‎, pronounced tsabar) is a term used to describe a Jewish person born in Israel.^[1] In contrast, an oleh (masculine) or olah (feminine) is a person who is an immigrant to Israel under Aliyah.^[2] The concept of sabra is comparable to being a natural-born citizen.^{[citation needed]}

History

The word sabra derived from the Hebrew name for the Indian Fig Opuntia cactus, "tzabar", and related to the Arabic word sabr which means "aloe" or "cactus" or "patience".^[3] The allusion is to a tenacious, thorny desert plant with a thick hide that conceals a sweet, softer interior, i.e., rough and masculine on the outside, but delicate and sensitive on the inside. The first use of the word to describe native-born Israelis is claimed by the journalist Uri Kesari, who published an essay, "We Are the Leaves of the Sabra!", in Doar HaYom on 18 April 1931.^[4]

The sociological characteristics of the sabra were examined by Oz Almog in his book The Sabra - The Creation of the New Jew.^[5]

The "sabr" is also a national symbol for Bedouins. In their folklore, it is known as a symbol of patience and perseverance.^[6]

In Politics

The first sabra Prime Minister of Israel, Yigal Allon (who served as acting prime minister from February to March 1969), was born in Kfar Tavor, and four of Israel's 12 non-acting prime ministers have been born in the region of modern Israel; the current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is the first and (so far) only sabra Prime Minister to have been born in the modern state since Israel's declaration of independence in 1948.

References

External links

• Youtube video of Kishkashta
• Hebrew site with video of Kishkashta