Aryeh Sheftel

Aryeh Sheftel
Sheftel during his time in the Knesset
Faction represented in the Knesset
1949–1951Mapai
Personal details
Born1905 (1905)
Died28 September 1980(1980-09-28) (aged 74–75)

Aryeh Sheftel (Hebrew: אריה שפטל; 1905 – 28 September 1980) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset and mayor of Rishon LeZion.

Biography

Born in Vilnius in the Russian Empire, Sheftel was educated in a heder, yeshiva and high school in his home city, before attending a Teachers Seminary, after which he worked as a teacher in the Tarbut school system in Vilnius.[1] In 1921 he joined the Borochov Zionist Youth Movement, and was also a member of HeHalutz.[1] In 1925, he joined Poale Zion.[1] During the Nazi occupation, he continued to work as a teacher in the Vilna Ghetto.[1] In 1943 he was involved in organising an uprising in the Ghetto. He was later moved to concentrations camps in Estonia and other countries.[1]

After World War II ended he was involved in helping organise Jews in Poland and edited a Yiddish language newspaper between 1946 and 1947.[1] In 1947 he emigrated to Mandatory Palestine.[1] In 1949 he was elected to the first Knesset. However, he resigned from it on 12 February 1951 and was replaced by Yisrael Yeshayahu.[2] He was also secretary of the Rishon LeZion Workers Council and mayor of the city for three separate terms; 1951, 1960 to 1962 and 1965 until 1969.

He died in 1980.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Aryah Sheftel". Knesset.
  2. ^ Members of 1st Knesset Knesset