Haganah

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Pronunciations

Haganah (hah-gah-NAH) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A Jewish paramilitary organization founded in 1920 to protect the lives of Jews living in Palestine before it was the State of Israel.

Example Sentences

  • "Though they fought for more equal opportunity and proved their ability in all parts of the Haganah, women were nevertheless mostly relegated to auxiliary duties such as providing first aid, serving as couriers, cooking, cleaning, and generally serving as motherly figures to the men in combat." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • הַהֲגָנָה 'lit. the defence'

      • Who Uses This

      • Israel: Diaspora Jews who feel connected to Israel and have spent time there

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

      Alternative Spellings

      Hagana

Notes

  • "In 1948, with the establishment of Israel, the Haganah became the national army. Today it is known as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) or by the Hebrew acronym TZAHAL." (JPS)

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