Moshe Baram
Encyclopedia
Moshe Baram was an Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset
between 1969 and 1977, and also as Minister of Labour
and Minister of Welfare.
in the Russian Empire
(today in Ukraine
) in 1911, attending school in Kovno (now Kaunas
in Lithuania). In his youth, he joined the HeHalutz
Movement and "Freiheit-Dror", which was affiliated with the Poale Zion
party.
In 1931 he made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine. After arriving in the country, he worked in the construction industry and joined the Haganah
. In 1934 he began working for the Jewish Agency, and in 1938 became a member of the Secretariat of the Jerusalem Branch of Mapai
, and in 1943 was made the Secretary. He also served as a delegate to the Assembly of Representatives between 1944 and 1949. In 1948 Baram was elected Secretary of the Jerusalem Workers Council, and served as a Member of the Jerusalem City Council from 1955 until 1959.
In 1959 he was elected to the Knesset
on Mapai
's list. In 1965 Mapai became part of the Alignment
, with Baram remaining a Knesset Member until 1977. In 1974, towards the end of his political career, Baram was made Minister of Labour
, also taking over the Welfare Ministry portfolio shortly before the 1977 elections
. The elections saw the Alignment's parliamentary representation halved, and Baram lost his seat. However, his son, Uzi Baram
did win a seat on the Alignment's list, and went on to become Minister of Tourism and Minister of Internal Affairs before retiring in 2001.
He published a book, Lo BeTelem (Not in a Furrow) in 1981, and died in 1986.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
between 1969 and 1977, and also as Minister of Labour
Labour Minister of Israel
The Labour Minister of Israel was the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Labour and a position in the Israeli cabinet. The post was established in 1948 as the Minister of Labour and Construction...
and Minister of Welfare.
Background
Baram was born in ZdolbunivZdolbuniv
Zdolbuniv is a small city in the Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Zdolbuniv Raion , and has an important railway station and cement plant ....
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 in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) in 1911, attending school in Kovno (now Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
in Lithuania). In his youth, he joined the HeHalutz
Hehalutz
Hechalutz was an association of Jewish youth whose aim was to train its members to settle in the Land of Israel, which became an umbrella organization of the pioneering Zionist youth movements....
Movement and "Freiheit-Dror", which was affiliated with the Poale Zion
Poale Zion
Poale Zion was a Movement of Marxist Zionist Jewish workers circles founded in various cities of the Russian Empire about the turn of the century after the Bund rejected Zionism in 1901.-Formation and early years:Poale Zion parties and organisations were started across the Jewish diaspora in the...
party.
In 1931 he made aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Mandate Palestine. After arriving in the country, he worked in the construction industry and joined the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
. In 1934 he began working for the Jewish Agency, and in 1938 became a member of the Secretariat of the Jerusalem Branch of Mapai
Mapai
Mapai was a left-wing political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger into the Israeli Labor Party in 1968...
, and in 1943 was made the Secretary. He also served as a delegate to the Assembly of Representatives between 1944 and 1949. In 1948 Baram was elected Secretary of the Jerusalem Workers Council, and served as a Member of the Jerusalem City Council from 1955 until 1959.
In 1959 he was elected to the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
on Mapai
Mapai
Mapai was a left-wing political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger into the Israeli Labor Party in 1968...
's list. In 1965 Mapai became part of the Alignment
Alignment (political party)
The Alignment was an alliance of the major left-wing parties in Israel between the 1960s and 1990s. It was established in 1965 as an alliance of Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda but was dissolved three years later when the two parties and Rafi formally merged into the Israeli Labor Party...
, with Baram remaining a Knesset Member until 1977. In 1974, towards the end of his political career, Baram was made Minister of Labour
Labour Minister of Israel
The Labour Minister of Israel was the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Labour and a position in the Israeli cabinet. The post was established in 1948 as the Minister of Labour and Construction...
, also taking over the Welfare Ministry portfolio shortly before the 1977 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1977
The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...
. The elections saw the Alignment's parliamentary representation halved, and Baram lost his seat. However, his son, Uzi Baram
Uzi Baram
Uzi Baram is an Israeli former politician, who served as a member of the Knesset between 1977 and 2001, and was Minister of Tourism and Minister of Internal Affairs in the 1990s.-Biography:...
did win a seat on the Alignment's list, and went on to become Minister of Tourism and Minister of Internal Affairs before retiring in 2001.
He published a book, Lo BeTelem (Not in a Furrow) in 1981, and died in 1986.