29 Facts About Abba Hushi

Abba Hushi was an Israeli politician who served as mayor of Haifa for eighteen years between 1951 and 1969.

Abba Hushi built roads and drained swamps, and helped to found kibbutz Beit Alfa.

Abba Hushi was one of the founding members of the Histadrut labor federation.

Abba Hushi was secretary of the Haifa Workers Council from 1931 to 1951.

Abba Hushi was elected to Israel's first Knesset in 1949 as a member of Mapai.

Abba Hushi was the father-in-law of Knesset member Amnon Linn.

Abba Hushi was born in 1898 in Turka, Galicia, then part of Austria-Hungary.

Abba Hushi spoke Yiddish, German, Hebrew, Ukrainian and Polish, and knew some Greek and Latin.

Abba Hushi planned to study medicine and even wrote "Property of Medical Student Abba Schneller" on his notebooks, but his plans were disrupted by the outbreak of World War I in 1914.

Abba Hushi was one of the chairs of the conference, and there he called for immigration to the land of Israel.

Abba Hushi's group found work in paving roads, a project initiated by the first High Commissioner of Palestine, Herbert Samuel.

Abba Hushi petitioned on behalf of the entire group, for land in order to establish a settlement in the Jezreel Valley.

In 1922, the request was approved and Abba Hushi was among the founding members of kibbutz Beit Alfa.

In 1924, Ya'ari and Abba Hushi arrived in Danzig, where they attended two conferences; the Hashomer Hatzair conference and the "Youth Covenant" movement conference.

At the Hashomer Hatzair conference, Abba Hushi was chosen for the board of the world Hashomer Hatzair movement.

In 1925, Abba Hushi took a year off from the kibbutz to help his family settle in Haifa, and become acclimated with Israeli life.

Abba Hushi initiated the creation of a working-class restaurant that his family would own and operate, thereby earning a living.

Hannah remained in Beit Alfa while Abba Hushi went to Haifa to help his family run the restaurant and continue his activities on behalf of the Histadrut.

In 1925 Abba Hushi moved to Haifa in order to assist his parents, but he continued being politically active.

In 1932, Abba Hushi was chosen chairman of the Haifa Workers Council.

Abba Hushi believed that it was upon the Council to create a connection with every worker in its jurisdiction.

Abba Hushi saw to it that in every workplace a "worker's committee" was established that would maintain contact between the workers and the Histadrut.

Abba Hushi's actions caused a great increase in the number or workers who were associated with different labor organizations.

One of the first organizations that Abba Hushi supported in Haifa was the Hapoel sports club.

Abba Hushi was assisted by members of the organization "The Organizer's Division," in order to protect the institution of, and obedience to, the Histadrut and the Workers Council.

On May Day 1936, since there was a fear that the port workers would strike, Abba Hushi ordered them to work, despite the fact that it was Workers' Day, and the port-workers strike was avoided.

Abba Hushi informed Dov Hoz, the chairman of the State Committee of the Jewish Agency, of the decision.

The consul announced that the Second Officer would apologize and would be punished for his offensive remarks, but Abba Hushi did not relent, and the Bamburg returned to Germany empty.

In order not to hurt the interests of the Jewish Yishuv, Abba Hushi contacted "Citrus Center" in Jaffa with a request to find other ships with which to send their produce to Europe.