Shmuel Halpert
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Shmuel Halpert is an Israel
i politician and a former fember of the Knesset for the ultra-orthodox
party Agudat Yisrael (in which he represents the Vizhnitz Hasidim
), part of the United Torah Judaism
alliance. He is also a member of the party's central committee
and a member of the executive of World Agudat Israel
.
in Romania
in 1939, Halpert is the grandson of Rabbi Mordechai
of Nadvirna
and Rabbi Yisroel Yaakov of Khust
. He studied at the Vyzhnytsia Institute of Talmudic Studies, and was ordained as a rabbi
. He made aliyah
in 1960.
Halpert was first elected to the Knesset
in the 1981 elections
on the Agudat Israel list. However, he lost his seat in the next elections
in 1984.
He re-entered the Knesset after the 1988 elections
, and was appointed Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office in November 1990. In June 1991 he became Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare.
For the 1992 elections
, Agudat Israel formed an alliance
with Degel HaTorah
, which included a seat rotation agreement. Halpert was elected to the Knesset, but served only half a term (until 1994) as part of the arrangement). He retained his seat served full terms after the 1996 and 1999 elections, but lost it in the 2003 elections. However, after United Torah Judaism split towards the end of the Knesset term in 2005 Yisrael Eichler resigned as an MK and was replaced by Halpert as part of another rotation agreement. Halpert was also appointed Deputy Minister of Transportation.
For the 2006 elections the alliance was reformed and Halpert was elected to the Knesset on the UTJ list. Like many other religious politicians in Israel he objected to the 2006 Jerusalem gay pride parade
, asking "Have we become like Sodom? Let go of this ugliness. It will oust the divine presence." He has also caused controversy by admitting to hitting his children during a Knesset committee meeting and calling for the separation of the sexes in the Western Wall
plaza.
He lost his seat in the 2009 elections
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician and a former fember of the Knesset for the ultra-orthodox
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
party Agudat Yisrael (in which he represents the Vizhnitz Hasidim
Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty)
Vizhnitz is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Menachem Mendel Hager. Vizhnitz is the Yiddish name of Vyzhnytsia, a village in present-day Ukraine.Followers of the rebbes of Vizhnitz are called Vizhnitzer chasidim....
), part of the United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism is an alliance of Degel HaTorah and Agudat Israel, two small Israeli Haredi political parties in the Knesset. It was first formed in 1992.The two parties have not always agreed with each other about policy matters...
alliance. He is also a member of the party's central committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
and a member of the executive of World Agudat Israel
World Agudath Israel
World Agudath Israel , usually known as the Aguda, was established in the early twentieth century as the political arm of Ashkenazi Torah Judaism, in succession to Agudas Shlumei Emunei Yisroel...
.
Biography
Born in ClujCluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
in 1939, Halpert is the grandson of Rabbi Mordechai
Nadvorna (Hasidic dynasty)
Nadvorna is a Hasidic rabbinical dynasty within Orthodox Judaism. The dynasty derives its name from the town of Nadvorna, known in Ukrainian as Nadvirna...
of Nadvirna
Nadvirna
Nadvirna is a city located in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of Nadvirna Raion.Until World War I, Nadvirna was integrated into the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in the province of Galicia. In the inter-war years, the borders changed and it was annexed...
and Rabbi Yisroel Yaakov of Khust
Khust
Khust is a city located on the Khustets River in the Zakarpattia oblast in western Ukraine. It is near the confluence of the Tisza and Rika Rivers...
. He studied at the Vyzhnytsia Institute of Talmudic Studies, and was ordained as a rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
. He made aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
in 1960.
Halpert was first elected to the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
in the 1981 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1981
Elections for the tenth Knesset were held in Israel on 30 June 1981. Despite last minute polls suggesting a victory for Shimon Peres's Alignment, Menachem Begin's Likud won by just one seat...
on the Agudat Israel list. However, he lost his seat in the next elections
Israeli legislative election, 1984
Elections for the eleventh Knesset were held in Israel on 23 July 1984. Voter turnout was 78.8%. The results saw the Alignment return to being the largest party in the Knesset, a status it had lost in 1977...
in 1984.
He re-entered the Knesset after the 1988 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1988
Elections for the twelfth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1988. Voter turnout was 79.7%.-Results:1 Five members of the Likud left to form the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea; after two returned, the party was renamed the New Liberal Party...
, and was appointed Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office in November 1990. In June 1991 he became Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare.
For the 1992 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1992
Elections for the thirteenth Knesset were held in Israel on 23 June 1992. The result was a victory for the left, led by Yitzhak Rabin's Labor Party, though their win was at least partially due to several small right-wing parties narrowly failing to cross the electoral threshold and thus effectively...
, Agudat Israel formed an alliance
with Degel HaTorah
Degel HaTorah
Degel HaTorah is an Ashkenazi Haredi political party in Israel. For much of its existence it has been allied to Agudat Yisrael under the name United Torah Judaism.-Ideology:...
, which included a seat rotation agreement. Halpert was elected to the Knesset, but served only half a term (until 1994) as part of the arrangement). He retained his seat served full terms after the 1996 and 1999 elections, but lost it in the 2003 elections. However, after United Torah Judaism split towards the end of the Knesset term in 2005 Yisrael Eichler resigned as an MK and was replaced by Halpert as part of another rotation agreement. Halpert was also appointed Deputy Minister of Transportation.
For the 2006 elections the alliance was reformed and Halpert was elected to the Knesset on the UTJ list. Like many other religious politicians in Israel he objected to the 2006 Jerusalem gay pride parade
2006 Jerusalem gay pride parade
The 2006 Jerusalem gay pride parade was a scheduled event which took place on November 10, 2006. The demonstration was met with violent counter-demonstrators.-Background:...
, asking "Have we become like Sodom? Let go of this ugliness. It will oust the divine presence." He has also caused controversy by admitting to hitting his children during a Knesset committee meeting and calling for the separation of the sexes in the Western Wall
Western Wall
The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount...
plaza.
He lost his seat in the 2009 elections
Israeli legislative election, 2009
Elections for the 18th Knesset were held in Israel on 10 February 2009. These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government...
.