Zerach Warhaftig
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Dr. Zerach Warhaftig was an Israel
i lawyer and politician
and a signatory of Israel's Declaration of Independence.
in the Russian Empire
(today Vaŭkavysk
, Belarus
) in 1906. His parents were Yerucham Warhaftig and Rivka Fainstein. During World War II Rabbi Warhaftig convinced the Japanese Vice-Consul in Kaunas Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara
, to issue visas for the entire Mir yeshiva. By doing this Chiune Sugihara saved thousands of lives and families from the hands of the Nazis who by then were in control of Poland and then Lithuania. He immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine in 1947 and immediately got involved in politics. Initially he joined the Hapoel HaMizrachi
party, a religious-zionist
party, and was elected to the first Knesset
as part of the United Religious Front
, an alliance between Mizrachi
, Hapoel HaMizrachi, Agudat Israel
and Agudat Israel Workers
. In 1948 he had also started lecturing in Jewish Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, a role he maintained until 1963.
The party contended in the 1951 elections
alone. Although it only won two seats, it was included in David Ben-Gurion
's coalition, and Warhaftig was appointed Deputy Minister of Religions in the fourth government
. In 1956, Hapoel HaMizrachi and Mizrachi merged to form the National Religious Party
. Warhaftig led the party and retained his ministerial role until the end of the third Knesset
.
After the 1961 elections
(the fifth Knesset) he was appointed Minister of Religions, a position he held until 1974. In 1981 he left the Knesset.
Warhaftig was among the founders of Bar-Ilan University
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i lawyer and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and a signatory of Israel's Declaration of Independence.
Background
Warhaftig was born in VolkovyskVaukavysk
Vawkavysk or Vaŭkavysk or Volkovysk is a town in the Hrodna Province of Belarus. It is the center of Vaŭkavysk district and has a population of around 48,000....
in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
(today Vaŭkavysk
Vaukavysk
Vawkavysk or Vaŭkavysk or Volkovysk is a town in the Hrodna Province of Belarus. It is the center of Vaŭkavysk district and has a population of around 48,000....
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
) in 1906. His parents were Yerucham Warhaftig and Rivka Fainstein. During World War II Rabbi Warhaftig convinced the Japanese Vice-Consul in Kaunas Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara
Chiune Sugihara
was a Japanese diplomat who served as Vice-Consul for the Japanese Empire in Lithuania. During World War II, he helped several thousand Jews leave the country by issuing transit visas to Jewish refugees so that they could travel to Japan. Most of the Jews who escaped were refugees from...
, to issue visas for the entire Mir yeshiva. By doing this Chiune Sugihara saved thousands of lives and families from the hands of the Nazis who by then were in control of Poland and then Lithuania. He immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine in 1947 and immediately got involved in politics. Initially he joined the Hapoel HaMizrachi
Hapoel HaMizrachi
Hapoel HaMizrachi |Mizrachi]] Workers) was a political party and settlement movement in Israel and is one of the predecessors of the National Religious Party.-History:...
party, a religious-zionist
Religious Zionism
Religious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...
party, and was elected to the first Knesset
Israeli legislative election, 1949
Elections for the Constituent Assembly were held in newly independent Israel on 25 January 1949. Voter turnout was 86.9%. Two days after its first meeting on 14 February 1949, legislators voted to change the name of the body to the Knesset...
as part of the United Religious Front
United Religious Front
The United Religious Front was a political alliance of the four major religious parties in Israel, as well as the Union of Religious Independents, formed to fight the 1949 elections.-History:...
, an alliance between Mizrachi
Mizrachi (political party)
Mizrachi was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day National Religious Party.-History:The Mizrachi movement was founded in 1902 in Vilnius as a religious Zionist organisation. It also had a trade union, Hapoel HaMizrachi, started in 1921...
, Hapoel HaMizrachi, Agudat Israel
Agudat Israel
Agudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
and Agudat Israel Workers
Agudat Israel Workers
Poalei Agudat Yisrael was a political party in Poland, and is a minor political party and settlement movement in Israel. It is also known as PAI or PAGI, its Hebrew acronym .-History:...
. In 1948 he had also started lecturing in Jewish Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
, a role he maintained until 1963.
The party contended in the 1951 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1951
Elections for the second Knesset were held in Israel on 30 July 1951. Voter turnout was 75.1%.-Results:¹ Rostam Bastuni, Avraham Berman and Moshe Sneh left Mapam and set up the Left Faction. Bastuni later returned to Mapam whilst Berman and Sneh joined Maki. Hannah Lamdan and David Livschitz left...
alone. Although it only won two seats, it was included in David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
's coalition, and Warhaftig was appointed Deputy Minister of Religions in the fourth government
Fourth government of Israel
The fourth government of Israel was formed by David Ben-Gurion during the second Knesset on 24 December 1952. Ben-Gurion dropped the ultra-orthodox parties Agudat Yisrael and Poalei Agudat Yisrael from his coalition and replaced them with the General Zionists and the Progressive Party, who formed...
. In 1956, Hapoel HaMizrachi and Mizrachi merged to form the National Religious Party
National Religious Party
The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992...
. Warhaftig led the party and retained his ministerial role until the end of the third Knesset
Israeli legislative election, 1955
Elections for the third Knesset were held in Israel on 26 July 1955. Voter turnout was 82.8%.-Results:Mapai retained its plurality in the Knesset, although its share of the vote dropped by 5.1 and its share of seats dropped from 47 to 40...
.
After the 1961 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1961
Elections for the fifth Knesset were held in Israel on 15 August 1961. Voter turnout was 81.6%.-Results:¹ Eight MKs broke away from Mapai to establish Rafi² Herut and the Liberal Party merged to form Gahal...
(the fifth Knesset) he was appointed Minister of Religions, a position he held until 1974. In 1981 he left the Knesset.
Warhaftig was among the founders of Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University is a university in Ramat Gan of the Tel Aviv District, Israel.Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is now Israel's second-largest academic institution. It has nearly 26,800 students and 1,350 faculty members...
.
Awards
- In 1983, Warhaftig was awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael PrizeThe Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, for his special contribution to society and the State of Israel in the advancement of Hebrew law. - In 1989, he received the Yakir YerushalayimYakir YerushalayimYakir Yerushalayim is an annual citizenship prize in Jerusalem, Israel, inaugurated in 1967.The prize is awarded annually by the municipality of the City of Jerusalem to one or more residents of the city who have contributed to the cultural and educational life of the city in some outstanding way....
(Worthy Citizen of Jerusalem) award from the city of Jerusalem.
Literary works
- “A Constitution for Israel” an article in Yavne Compilation: Political Problems in Israel pgs 17-21, (Hebrew, April 1949)
- “On Rabbinical Judgments in Israel” (collected speeches) (Hebrew, 1956)
- “Legal Issues in the Talmud” (from lectures) (Hebrew, 1957)
- Editor with Shlomo Zeven: “Remembrance: a Torah Collection in Memory of Rabbi Yizhak HaLevi Herzog” (Hebrew, 1962)
- “Chattel in Jewish Law” (Hebrew, 1964)
- “Problems of State and Religion” (articles and speeches) (Hebrew, 1973)
- Edited: “Religion and State in Legislation: A Collection of Laws and Rulings” (Hebrew, 1973)
- “The Declaration of Independence and Orders for the Order of Government and the Judiciary (1948 and Problems of Religion and State” in The Book of Shragai (Hebrew, 1982)
- “Refugee and Remnant during the Holocaust” (Hebrew, 1984)
- “Researches in Jewish Law” (Hebrew, 1985)
- “A Constitution for Israel – Religion and State” (Hebrew, 1988)
See also
- Members of the first Knesset
- Michael Dennis RohanMichael Dennis RohanDenis Michael Rohan was an Australian citizen who gained worldwide infamy on 21 August 1969, when he attempted to set fire to the Al-Aqsa mosque, located atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Rohan was arrested for the arson attack on 23 August 1969. He was tried, found to be insane, and...
- Chiune SugiharaChiune Sugiharawas a Japanese diplomat who served as Vice-Consul for the Japanese Empire in Lithuania. During World War II, he helped several thousand Jews leave the country by issuing transit visas to Jewish refugees so that they could travel to Japan. Most of the Jews who escaped were refugees from...
- List of Israel Prize recipients