35 Facts About Yitzhak Ben-Zvi

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi was a historian, ethnologist, Labor Zionist leader and the longest-serving President of Israel.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi was first elected on 8 December 1952, assumed office on 16 December 1952, and continued to serve in the position until his death.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi preserved oral histories, gathered firsthand accounts and documentary evidence, and published a number of books and articles on the subject.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi 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.

From his mother's side, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi was descended from Rabbi Meir Halevi Epstein.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi's brothers were Moshe, and the writer Aharon Reuveni.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi's sisters were the poet Shulamit Klogai and Dina, who married Benjamin Mazar.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi completed his first year at Kiev University studying natural sciences before dropping out to dedicate himself to the newly formed Russian Poale Zion which he co-founded with Ber Borochov.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi's parents were banished to Siberia following the discovery of a cache of weapons he had concealed in their home.

In 1918, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi married Rachel Yanait a fellow Poale Zion activist.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi moved their headquarters from Poltava to Vilna and established a publishing house, the Hammer, which produced the party's paper, The Proletarian Idea.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi found the local Poale Zion divided and in disarray.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi served in the Jewish Legion together with Ben-Gurion.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi helped found the Ahdut HaAvoda party in 1919, and became increasingly active in the Haganah.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi further stated that there was no true Arab liberation movement among the Arab population in Palestine.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi asserted that the elite, Effendi, class in Palestine were exploiting Palestinian peasants, and as such, the Effendis had no popular support among the indigenous inhabitants.

When Israel gained its independence, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi was among the signers of its Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi served in the First and Second Knessets for the Mapai party.

In 1951, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi was appointed one of the acting members of the Government Naming Committee, whose duty was to decide on appropriate names for newly constructed settlements.

On December 8,1952, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi was elected to the position, subsequently re-elected in 1957 and again in 1962, supported by 62 coalition members of the Knesset, with 42 opposition members abstaining.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi was the only president to be elected for three terms, and during his second and third candidacies, he was the sole nominee without any opposition.

Yitzhak and Rachel Ben-Zvi declined to move from their residence on Ibn Gabirol Street in Jerusalem to a luxurious and representative mansion.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi believed that the president should set an example for the public, and that his home should reflect the austerity of the times.

Under the clemency powers, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi released all the accused in the Kafr Qasim massacre.

In 1958, President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi visited the Kingdoms of the Netherlands and Belgium at the invitation of their monarchs.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi used to participate in a weekly Gemara lesson and refused to attend the opening celebrations of a Reform synagogue in Jerusalem.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi died at the start of his third term on April 23,1963.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi engaged in the study of various fields within Jewish studies, including the history of the Jews and Judaism in the Land of Israel and the history of Jewish communities in the Arab world, and their customs.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi authored over 150 scientific publications in these fields, including approximately twenty books and numerous articles on publicistic matters and research.

Additionally, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi explored the demographic origins of the rural Arab population, suggesting potential Jewish ancestry among a significant portion of them.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi advocated for the repatriation of Jews who had been driven out of Peki'in, and initiated the establishment of Peki'in HaHadasha.

In 1948, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi headed the Institute for the Study of Oriental Jewish Communities in the Middle East, later named the Yitzhak Ben-Zvi Institute in his honor.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi developed a fascination for the Samaritans, establishing friendships, visiting, and exchanging letters with High Priests, leaders and scholars such as Yaakov son of Aharon, Abu Shafi, and Yefet Zadaka.

In 1954, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi helped to establish a Samaritan quarter on the outskirts of Holon.

In 1953, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi was awarded the Bialik Prize for Jewish thought.