Yitzhak Ben-Zvi
Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (Hebrew: יִצְחָק בֶּן־צְבִי Yitshak Ben-Tsvi; 24 November 1884 – 23 April 1963; born Izaak Shimshelevich) was a historian, ethnologist, Labor Zionist leader and the longest-serving President of Israel.
Yitzhak Ben-Zvi | |
|---|---|
יצחק בן־צבי | |
Ben-Zvi in 1952 | |
| 2nd President of Israel | |
| In office 16 December 1952 – 23 April 1963 | |
| Prime Minister | David Ben-Gurion Moshe Sharett David Ben-Gurion |
| Preceded by | Chaim Weizmann |
| Succeeded by | Zalman Shazar |
| Member of the Knesset | |
| In office 12 February 1949 – 8 August 1952 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Izaak Shimshelevich 24 November 1884 Poltava, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) |
| Died | 23 April 1963 (aged 78) Jerusalem, Israel |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Political party | Mapai |
| Spouse | Rachel Yanait |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Istanbul University Faculty of Law |
| Signature | |
As a scholar, Ben-Zvi conducted extensive research on Jewish communities in the Land of Israel, including those that existed before the foundation of the modern State of Israel. He preserved oral histories, gathered firsthand accounts and documentary evidence, and published a number of books and articles on the subject. He shed light on their traditions, language, folklore, and religious practices through his work, which frequently focused on the Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewish as well as the Samaritan communities. The Ben-Zvi Institute he founded and directed continues to be an important institution for research on Jewish communities in the Middle East.