1922 – Childhood and Family
Yitzhak Rabin was born on March 1, 1922, in Jerusalem. His parent, Rosa Cohen and Nehemiah Rabin, were pioneers of the Third Aliya. Nehemiah worked for the Electric Company, and Rosa was employed as a bookkeeper; however, most of their efforts were directed toward volunteer public service. Rosa
filled several senior positions in the “Haganah,” the Tel Aviv Municipality, the Histadrut, and the education system. She was known throughout the Yishuv by her nickname, “Red Rosa.” Nehemiah filled positions in the “Haganah” and the Histadrut.
n 1923, the family moved to Tel Aviv, where Rabin spent his childhood, where in 1925, his sister Rachel was born. When he was 15 years old, his mother died after an illness.
In his parent’s home, he absorbed a system of values that guided him throughout his lifetime.
“It was during my childhood that I formulated a sense of responsibility for the position, a love of the landscape and the Land of Israel, a sense of camaraderie.”
School Years
In 1928, Rabin began his studies at the “Beit Hahinuch for Workers’ Children” in Tel Aviv, which became his second home. The school aimed to shape the world of the Israeli “sabra,” the contemporary Jew, bound to the landscape of the Land of Israel, working its land, defending against those who would scheme against it, and ready to mobilize for any mission. An emphasis was placed on combining studies and work, touring, and social activity.
The activity in the “Noar HaOved” youth movement was an inseparable part of the students’ lives. In its framework, Rabin became familiar with the teachings of Jewish socialists and trained for fulfillment in the kibbutz.
