1939 – Nimrod, Yitzhak Danziger

Yitzhak Danziger (1917-1977) probed the Semitic roots of the Jewish people. Born in Germany but raised in Tel Aviv, Danziger was part of the Canaanite movement, which aspired to meld into a greater pre-Abrahamic people. The choice of the subject for this statue, now at the Israel Museum, the mighty warrior Nimrod, and the use of the hard Nubian sandstone convey that idea. The falcon on Nimrod’s shoulder, the club in his hand, the impassive, mysterious look on his face, and his naked torso all aroused passions in the Yishuv. Nimrod symbolizes a native strength and vigor to which the young generation aspired. The Canaanites were a literary, artistic and even spiritual phenomenon that reached its peak with the Palmach generation but remained influential after that. (Image copyright the Israel Museum, Jerusalem; gift of Dr. David H. Orgler, Zurich and Jerusalem)