NAFTOLE-HERTSL ROZENBLUM (HERZL ROSENBLUM)

NAFTOLE-HERTSL ROZENBLUM (HERZL ROSENBLUM) (August 4, 1903-February 1, 1991)

            Born in Kovno, he studied in religious elementary school and high school.  He completed his law degree in Vienna and was one of the Revisionist leaders in Lithuania and from 1935 in the land of Israel.  His was among the signatories of the “Declaration of Independence” of the state of Israel.  He served the Hebrew press in Israel well.  He wrote for the daily newspaper Haboker (This morning) and from 1948 edited the more widespread, afternoon newspaper Yediot aḥaronot (Late news).  His journalistic activities in Yiddish began with Idishe shtime (Jewish voice) in Kovno.  He edited the biweekly Idnshtat (Jewish state) in Kovno (1935) and contributed to the daily Morgn-post (Morning mail) in Riga (1934), among other serials.  He published three pamphlets: Tsienistishe likvidatsye als politishe shite (Zionist liquidation as political doctrine) (Warsaw: Berit Hatsohar, 1933), 40 pp.; Der regnboygn fun nekhtn (Yesterday’s rainbow) (Warsaw: Yidnshtats-partey, 1933), 7 pp.; Brekhn di tsienistishe organizatsye (Breaking up the Zionist Organization) (Kovno, 1935), 31 pp.  His Hebraized name [which he never used, except to sign Israel’s Declaration of Independence at Ben-Gurion’s urging] was Vardi.  He died in Tel Aviv.

Sources: Getzel Kressel, Leksikon hasifrut haivrit (Handbook of Hebrew literature), vol. 2 (Merḥavya, 1967); D. Tidhar, in Entsiklopedyah leḥalutse hayishuv uvonav (Encyclopedia of the pioneers and builders of the yishuv), vol. 2 (Tel Aviv, 1947); N. Goren, ed., Yahadut lita (Jews of Lithuania), vol. 3 (Tel Aviv, 1967); Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 4; Bernard Vaynshteyn, Di idishe yunyons in amerike, bleter geshikhte un erinerungen (The Jewish unions in America, pages from history and experience) (New York: United Hebrew Trades, 1929), see index.

Ruvn Goldberg