Lech Lecha
Genesis 12:1 – 17:27, Isaiah 40:27 – 41:16
God calls Avram to leave his land, his homeland, and his father’s house for a country that He will show him, promising to make him a great nation. Avram obeys and travels with his wife Sarai. God renews His covenant and adds the letter ה (hei) to their names(1). God promises Abraham a son from Sarah, thus ensuring the continuity of the covenant. In the haftarah, Isaiah reassures the Bnei Israel and tells them that God will support them and provide them with strength and protection against their enemies.
Genesis 12:1
וַיֹּאמֶר יי אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ.
The Lord says to Avram: Go for yourself, from your land, from your homeland, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.
The Jewish Agency for Israel, founded in 1929, aims to represent Jews and facilitate their immigration to the Land of Israel. It becomes a central player in the development of Jewish infrastructure under the British mandate and plays a key role in the creation of the state. After 1948, the Israeli government takes over most of the political functions of the Agency, which continues to play an active role in the immigration, reception, and integration of Jews from around the world.
The Jewish Agency building in Jerusalem, designed by Arthur Loomis Harmon(2) in the 1930s, combines Bauhaus(3) and modernist styles with the use of Jerusalem stone, typical of local architecture.
1. The addition of the letter ה (hei) to אברם (Avram) / אברהם (Abraham) and שרי (Saraï) / שרה (Sarah) represents a spiritual elevation, strengthening their bond with God.
2. Arthur Loomis Harmon (1870-1945) was an American architect known for his role in modernist architecture.
3. The Bauhaus style, founded in 1919 in Germany, emphasizes functionality and aesthetics, influencing architecture and design worldwide.