Pillar of Fire (documentary)
Encyclopedia
Pillar of Fire is a mini series documentary of the Israel Broadcasting Authority
(IBA), named after the Pillar of Fire
, the biblical phenomena which led the ancient Israelites to the Promised Land during their exodus from Egypt. It was produced by Yaakov Eisenmann and edited by Yigal Loussin and presents the History and narrative of Zionism
from the late 19th century until the establishment of the state of Israel
in 1948. It first aired during the winter and spring of 1981 on Israeli Channel 1
over a period of five months, and attracted its biggest rating at the time. It was later broadcast on CUNY TV
in the United States in 1988 in English and it was announced by the German Minister of State to be aired as part of wide array of events to mark Israel
's 60th Independence Day (Yom Ha'atzmaut
). It is still being re-aired at times, on the Israeli History Channel through the Israeli cable TV and satellite television providers, Hot
and yes. In 2008, IBA has begun uploading the Pillar of Fire episodes to its official website in honor of Israel's 60th Independence Day, and in the same year The complete series was released to DVD
and in English
.
Pillar of Fire focuses on the History of Zionism, beginning in 1896, in the wake of Theodor Herzl
's revival of the concept of Jewish nationalism and continues to follow the Jewish People in the 20th century, the early stages of Zionism, followed by the waves of Aliyah
prior to the founding of Israel, the Revival of the Hebrew language, the Ottoman Empire
's rule in over the Land of Israel
, the British Mandate, Anti-Semitism
in Europe, the rise of Nazism
and The Holocaust
, the history of the Yishuv
, the Jewish struggle for independence, and ends in 1948, with the Israeli Declaration of Independence.
Pillar of Fire is considered one of the biggest productions ever undertaken on Israeli Television. Large budgets were invested in it and the cast worked on its production over a period of five years, from 1976, and with the supervision of five historian
s. The idea to produce an Israeli documented series on Zionism came up in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War
and the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 in 1975, which compared Zionism to Racism. The Editor, Yigal Loussin, in the introduction to the book of Pillar of Fire, explains: "And then the need to explain to the world, what Zionism is, arose. Actually, the need to explain this to ourselves also became clear". Pillar of Fire is based on a large number of documentary archival footages as well as interviews with 250 persons from Israel and around the world, including, Anwar Sadat
, Abba Eban
, Golda Meir
, Menachem Begin
, holocaust survivors
and more.
Pillar of Fire was released in Hebrew and English
versions. The narrator
of the Hebrew version was Israeli Performer Yossi Banai
and the English version was read by the English stage and screen actor Ian McKellen
. The original film score music was composed, arranged, and conducted by the Israeli singer, music producer, and composer, Shem Tov Levi. The first episode was also broadcast on Russian Television after the fall of Communism
.
In 1988, Israeli Channel 1 produced an additional documented mini series, Tkuma ("Revival"), that practically picked up from where Pillar of Fire has stopped, and introduces the Israeli narrative of the History of the State of Israel
, beginning from the Israeli Declaration of Independence, in 1948, and ends with the Assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
in 1995.
The English version is made up of 7 episodes (420 minutes):
Israel Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority is Israel's state broadcasting network.It grew out of the radio station Kol Yisrael, which made its first broadcast as an independent station on . The name of the organisation operating Kol Yisrael was changed to Israel Broadcasting Service in 1951...
(IBA), named after the Pillar of Fire
Pillar of Fire (theophany)
A Pillar of Fire was one of the manifestations of the presence of the God of Israel in the Torah. According to Exodus, the pillar of fire provided light so that Jews could travel by night during the Exodus from Egypt . The pillar of fire is traditionally paired with the manifestation of the divine...
, the biblical phenomena which led the ancient Israelites to the Promised Land during their exodus from Egypt. It was produced by Yaakov Eisenmann and edited by Yigal Loussin and presents the History and narrative of Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
from the late 19th century until the establishment of the state of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1948. It first aired during the winter and spring of 1981 on Israeli Channel 1
Channel 1 (Israel)
Channel 1 is one of the oldest television channels in Israel and one of five terrestrial channels in the country...
over a period of five months, and attracted its biggest rating at the time. It was later broadcast on CUNY TV
CUNY TV
CUNY TV is a non-commercial Educational-access television cable station in New York City, part of The City University of New York's university system. It provides tele-course programming varying from mathematics, physics and biology to history, art and social studies. It also provides cultural...
in the United States in 1988 in English and it was announced by the German Minister of State to be aired as part of wide array of events to mark Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's 60th Independence Day (Yom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut commemorates Israel's declaration of Independence in 1948. It is celebrated on 5 Iyar according to the Hebrew calendar. Yom Ha'atzmaut is preceded by Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day.-History:...
). It is still being re-aired at times, on the Israeli History Channel through the Israeli cable TV and satellite television providers, Hot
Hot (Israel)
HOT Telecommunication Systems Ltd. is a company that provides cable television, last-mile Internet access, broadband and telecommunication services in Israel. It also provides various data transmission services and network services at different rates, services to the business sector and other...
and yes. In 2008, IBA has begun uploading the Pillar of Fire episodes to its official website in honor of Israel's 60th Independence Day, and in the same year The complete series was released to DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Pillar of Fire focuses on the History of Zionism, beginning in 1896, in the wake of Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl , born Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl was an Ashkenazi Jew Austro-Hungarian journalist and the father of modern political Zionism and in effect the State of Israel.-Early life:...
's revival of the concept of Jewish nationalism and continues to follow the Jewish People in the 20th century, the early stages of Zionism, followed by the waves of Aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
prior to the founding of Israel, the Revival of the Hebrew language, the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
's rule in over the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
, the British Mandate, Anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
in Europe, the rise of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
and The Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
, the history of the Yishuv
Yishuv
The Yishuv or Ha-Yishuv is the term referring to the body of Jewish residents in Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel...
, the Jewish struggle for independence, and ends in 1948, with the Israeli Declaration of Independence.
Pillar of Fire is considered one of the biggest productions ever undertaken on Israeli Television. Large budgets were invested in it and the cast worked on its production over a period of five years, from 1976, and with the supervision of five historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
s. The idea to produce an Israeli documented series on Zionism came up in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
and the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 in 1975, which compared Zionism to Racism. The Editor, Yigal Loussin, in the introduction to the book of Pillar of Fire, explains: "And then the need to explain to the world, what Zionism is, arose. Actually, the need to explain this to ourselves also became clear". Pillar of Fire is based on a large number of documentary archival footages as well as interviews with 250 persons from Israel and around the world, including, Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
, Abba Eban
Abba Eban
Abba Eban was an Israeli diplomat and politician.In his career he was Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister, Education Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and ambassador to the United States and to the United Nations...
, Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
, Menachem Begin
Menachem Begin
' was a politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of the State of Israel. Before independence, he was the leader of the Zionist militant group Irgun, the Revisionist breakaway from the larger Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah. He proclaimed a revolt, on 1 February 1944,...
, holocaust survivors
Sh'erit ha-Pletah
Sh'erit ha-Pletah is a biblical term used by Jewish survivors of the Nazi Holocaust to refer to themselves and the communities they formed following their liberation in the spring of 1945....
and more.
Pillar of Fire was released in Hebrew and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
versions. The narrator
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
of the Hebrew version was Israeli Performer Yossi Banai
Yossi Banai
Yossi Banai was an Israeli performer, singer, actor, and dramatist.-Biography:Banai was born in Jerusalem, and grew up in the neighborhood of the Mahane Yehuda market...
and the English version was read by the English stage and screen actor Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
. The original film score music was composed, arranged, and conducted by the Israeli singer, music producer, and composer, Shem Tov Levi. The first episode was also broadcast on Russian Television after the fall of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
.
In 1988, Israeli Channel 1 produced an additional documented mini series, Tkuma ("Revival"), that practically picked up from where Pillar of Fire has stopped, and introduces the Israeli narrative of the History of the State of Israel
History of Israel
The State of Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948 after almost two millennia of Jewish dispersal and persecution around the Mediterranean. From the late 19th century the Zionist movement worked towards the goal of recreating a homeland for the Jewish people...
, beginning from the Israeli Declaration of Independence, in 1948, and ends with the Assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin
The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin took place on November 4, 1995 at 21:30, at the end of a rally in support of the Oslo Accords at the Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv...
in 1995.
Episodes
The Hebrew version is 855 minutes long over 19 episodes.The English version is made up of 7 episodes (420 minutes):
- Episode 1 – The Jew Returns – The Arab Awakens 1895-1920
- Episode 2 – The Dream 1914-1929
- Episode 3 – The Rise and Fall of German Jews 1919-1937
- Episode 4 – Who’s Afraid of a Jewish State? 1937-1939
- Episode 5 – Holocaust 1939-1945
- Episode 6 – Exodus 1945-1947
- Episode 7 – A Nation Reborn 1947-1948