The founding of a state or any significant enterprise requires extraordinary leadership. This was especially true in establishing the State of Israel in 1948 after two millennia of exile that followed the Romans’ destruction of the Second Jewish Commonwealth. To understand this special kind of leadership and gain a greater appreciation for the extraordinary story of modern Israel, we will examine in this seminar the great leaders and defining speeches that marked the decisive period between November 29, 1947, when the UN voted to partition Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state, and May 15, 1948, when the State of Israel was born. Each session focuses on one speech that meets the highest standards for greatness; we will carry out a close textual reading, considering what we can learn about great leadership in the history of the State of Israel.