Hana Meisel (; born 25 December 1883, died 1972) was a Jewish

agronomist An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.) is a professional in the science, practice, and management of agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, the Philippines, the Uni ...

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

and

Zionist Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...

leader.

Life

Meisel was born in

Grodno Grodno, or Hrodna, is a city in western Belarus. It is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. The city is located on the Neman, Neman River, from Minsk, about from the Belarus–Poland border, border with Poland, and from the Belarus–Lithua ...

in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

(today Hrodna in

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

), and immigrated to

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

in 1909, during the

Second Aliyah The Second Aliyah () was an aliyah (Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel) that took place between 1904 and 1914, during which approximately 35,000 Jews, mostly from Russia, with some from Yemen, immigrated into Ottoman Palestine. The Sec ...

, where she became a noted agronomist. Meisel was a founder of ''Havat HaAlamot'' (, "the maidens' farm") agricultural school at

Kinneret Farm Kinneret Farm () or Kinneret Courtyard () was an experimental training farm established in 1908 in Ottoman Palestine by the Palestine Bureau of the Zionist Organization (ZO) led by Arthur Ruppin, at the same time as, and next to Moshavat Kinnere ...

in 1911 (closed in 1917), and of the agricultural school for girls at

Nahalal Nahalal () is a moshav in Northern District (Israel), northern Israel. Covering , it falls under the jurisdiction of the Jezreel Valley Regional Council. In it had a population of . Nahalal is best known for its general layout, as designed by ...

(opened in 1929). She studied agriculture and natural science in

Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Meisel made considerable contributions to the

wing of the

movement. She was a member of

Poale Zion Poale Zion (, also romanized ''Poalei Tziyon'' or ''Poaley Syjon'', meaning "Workers of Zion") was a movement of Marxist–Zionist Jewish workers founded in various cities of Poland, Europe and the Russian Empire at about the turn of the 20th c ...

and was elected to the Assembly of Representatives. She was married to Eliezer Shohat, also a well-known figure in the Zionist movement, much like his brother

Israel Shochat Israel Shochat (; 1886–1962) was a founder of and a key figure in Bar-Giora (organization), Bar-Giora and Hashomer, two of the precursors of the Israel Defense Forces. Biography Russia and Germany Israel Shochat was born in 1886 in Lyskovo, in t ...

. Hana Meisel died at

in 1972.

In literature

Meisel is referenced in

Shmuel Yosef Agnon Shmuel Yosef Agnon (; August 8, 1887 – February 17, 1970) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Israeli novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was one of the central figures of modern Hebrew literature. In Hebrew, he is known by the pseudonym Shai A ...

's fictionalized travelogue of the

''HaGalilah'' (in English as "To the

Galilee Galilee (; ; ; ) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon consisting of two parts: the Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and the Lower Galilee (, ; , ). ''Galilee'' encompasses the area north of the Mount Carmel-Mount Gilboa ridge and ...

"), published in his posthumous volume ''Pithei Devarim''.

References

External links

*Esther Carmel-Hakim. "Hannah Maisel-Shohat". Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 1 March 2009. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on January 9, 2016

* 1890 births 1972 deaths People from Grodno Belarusian Jews Belarusian Zionists Jews from Ottoman Palestine Jews from Mandatory Palestine Israeli people of Belarusian-Jewish descent Jewish scientists Israeli feminists Israeli educators 20th-century Israeli women educators Israeli Jews Jewish feminists Members of the Assembly of Representatives (Mandatory Palestine) 20th-century Israeli women politicians Women agronomists 20th-century Israeli women scientists Jewish women scientists 20th-century Israeli agronomists Immigrants of the Second Aliyah {{agri-stub Burials at Nahalal Cemetery