Remembering Reuven Kaminer, the godfather of Israel’s radical left
Reuven and Dafna Kaminer
Joel Beinin writes in +972:
Reuven Kaminer left us on September 20, Rosh Hashanah 5781. He was my most important teacher and model for how to live a life of moral and political commitment. Over the course of decades, Reuven drew on his profound knowledge and political experience to teach many younger people about the Marxist critique of capitalism. His teachings and personal example inspired generations of activists who have maintained a lifetime of political engagement in Israel and around the world.
Reuven taught us that political practice should be informed by theory. He had great respect for scholarship, worked for much of his life in academic administration, and retired with the title of Vice Provost of the School for Overseas Students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. But Reuven always insisted that scholastic theory without practice is sterile. For more than half a century he participated in every important political battle in Israel. He was a central figure in several radical left organizations and broader coalitions, usually exercising leadership by his influence on others whose public presence was more prominent.
Reuven and his wife, Dafna, immigrated to Israel from Detroit in 1951. His departure from the United States was hastened by his desire to avoid being drafted into the U.S. Army to fight during the Korean War. They were members of the socialist Zionist Hashomer Hatzair youth movement and joined Kibbutz Sa’ar in the western Galilee. Hashomer Hatzair, its kibbutzim, and their urban allies were the largest component of Mapam (the United Workers Party), which was established in January 1948.