“I really believe that’s me! I had no idea anyone photographed me—it’s such a surprise, and incredibly moving! I’m overwhelmed!”
That was Ahuva Naftali-Yoktan’s reaction when I showed her photographs she had never seen before—images taken shortly after her birth. As fate would have it, the State of Israel was born at exactly the same time.
One of the photographs cataloged at the National Library under the title “The State of Israel’s First Baby.” Photo: Benno Rothenberg, 1948. Meitar Collection, the Pritzker Family National Photography Collection, National Library of Israel
Now that you know the ending—let’s go back to the beginning.
Like many great stories, it all started by chance.
I was searching for a hopeful story for Israeli Independence Day—something to lift the mood during difficult times. Something to wish the country well on its birthday.
Completely by accident, while browsing the National Library catalog, I came across a heartwarming photo labeled “The State of Israel’s First Baby” in Hebrew. Jackpot! I dove into the catalog entry, eager to discover who this adorable baby was.
What I found wasn’t a single photo, but an entire series—capturing the same cheerful infant, lovingly cradled by hospital nurses.
But then—frustration.
Beyond the photographer’s name, Benno Rothenberg, the year—1948—and the title, there were no further details. Who was the baby? Where was the photo taken? Nothing.
Our dedicated archivist Tamar Lewinsohn even searched Rothenberg’s original logbooks (his extraordinary archive was deposited at the Library only a few years ago), but those, too, came up empty.
I felt defeated. Maybe this mystery would never be solved.
So I did what people do these days: I asked ChatGPT who the first baby born in the State of Israel was. The chatbot thought… and then did what it tends to do when it doesn’t have a real answer—started improvising. It made up names, invented stories. But nothing reliable emerged.
A good reminder for younger readers: beware of unverified information. And thank goodness we have archives and national libraries!
Next, I turned to our Historical Jewish Press website, searching for any reference to a baby born alongside the founding of the state. After a long search, I finally came across this delightful announcement:
It looked promising. Could this be our baby? The daughter of Hemda and Yisrael Gorin, and sister to Uri?
After a whirlwind of Google and Facebook searches—and thanks to the resourcefulness of my colleague Liron Halbriech—we learned that the family name had later changed from Gorin to Goren. The child born at the exact time of the Declaration of Independence was named Hannah Goren.
More searches in the press archives turned up an interview with a teenage Hannah, as well as names of other children born on May 14, 1948.
Hannah was asked about her thoughts on establishing television stations in Israel: “Television will take too much time away from reading books” – an interview with 13-year-old Hannah Goren, published in Davar, April 21, 1961
As it turns out, the State of Israel had honored these children over the years. They were even named “Heralds of the State’s Bar Mitzvah Year” and lit torches at Mount Herzl during Independence Day celebrations in 1961. But no—after further investigation, it became clear that the baby in the photographs was not Hannah Goren.
When Others Crack the Case for You
The breakthrough with Hannah Goren gave our research fresh momentum.
We discovered that in 2023, ahead of Independence Day, journalist Maya Ronen of Davar had written a piece about people who share their birthday with the State of Israel. Maya interviewed Hannah Goren and several others born on that historic day.
Maya generously shared her contacts from the article. I reached out—and before long, the mystery was solved.
With a high degree of certainty, we now believe that the baby in Benno Rothenberg’s photo series is Ahuva Naftali-Yoktan, born on May 14, 1948, at 4:45 p.m. at Hadassah Hospital, then located on HaNevi’im Street in Jerusalem—just minutes after David Ben-Gurion declared, “The State of Israel has been established!”
Still not convinced? Take a look at the nurses’ pins in the photographs. After extensive consultation on various medical history forums (a special thanks to Tamar Lewinsohn and Noa Reichmann), it was confirmed that the pins belonged to nurses from the Hadassah School of Nursing.
Meet Ahuva!
As noted earlier, Ahuva herself can’t say with absolute certainty that the baby in the photos is her—but she strongly believes it is. “There were six boys and one girl born in Jerusalem that day,” she tells me. “I was born at 4:45 p.m., just after the Declaration of the State was completed. Because Jerusalem was under blockade at the time, my mother had to walk to the hospital while in labor. Hadassah had already been evacuated from Mount Scopus and relocated to HaNevi’im Street. There was no other way to get there. My mother was in very bad shape. The nurses brought her half a tomato from the ward for wounded soldiers to help her regain strength.”
“To be born with the state?” she continues, “It makes me feel more Zionist. It gives me a sense of belonging—and responsibility.”
Indeed, during her childhood and teenage years, her birthday carried great meaning. When she turned nine, the Jerusalem Municipality organized a special trip for her and the other Independence Day babies. Later, they celebrated their symbolic “bar mitzvah” with a festive torch-lighting ceremony and took part in other joyful events and meetings with national leaders over the years.
We even found a special interview with Ahuva published on her 18th birthday!
Today, Ahuva lives in Jerusalem’s Armon HaNatziv neighborhood. She’s a mother of four and grandmother of three. After many years in public service—and some time living abroad—she continues to work and volunteer in Jerusalem. And by the way, she happens to be friends with Hannah Goren!
And of course, the question we had to ask: What does Ahuva wish the country for their shared birthday?
“More than anything, I want to see the hostages return home. All of them. Together,” she says. “I hope we can become a united people once again. And if not peace, then at least let there be quiet.”
Happy birthday, Ahuva.
