Mizrachi | |
|---|---|
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Logo_of_the_Transylvanian_Mizrachi,_1929.svg) Logo used by the Mizrachi branch of Oradea in 1929 | |
| Founder | Yitzchak Yaacov Reines |
| Founded | 1902 |
| Split from | United Religious Front |
| Merged into | United Religious Front National Religious Party |
| Youth wing | Bnei Akiva |
| Ideology | Religious Zionism |
| Most MKs | 4 (1949) |
| Election symbol | |
| ב | |
The Mizrachi (Hebrew: תנועת המזרחי, romanized: Tnuat HaMizrahi) is a religious Zionist organization founded in 1902 in Vilnius at a world conference of religious Zionists called by Rabbi Yitzchak Yaacov Reines. Bnei Akiva, which was founded in 1929, is the youth movement associated with Mizrachi. Both Mizrachi and the Bnei Akiva youth movement continued to function as international movements. Here the word "Mizrahi" is a notarikon (a kind of acronym) for "Merkaz Ruhani" lit. Spiritual centre: מרכז רוחני, introduced by rabbi Samuel Mohilever.
Mizrachi believes that the Torah should be at the centre of Zionism and also sees Jewish nationalism as a means of achieving religious objectives. The Mizrachi Party was the first official religious Zionist party and founded the Ministry of Religious Affairs in State of Israel and pushed for laws enforcing kashrut and the observance of the sabbath in the workplace. It also played a role prior to the establishment of Israel, building a network of religious schools that exist to this day, and took part in the 1951 elections.