Moshe Kelmer
Encyclopedia
Moshe Kelmer was an Israel
i politician who served as a member of the Knesset
in three spells between 1949 and 1963.
, Kelmer joined Young Mizrachi
during his youth. He made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine in 1921, and was amongst the founders of Hapoel HaMizrachi
the following year. He later helped establish two of the movement's construction companies, HaBona in 1937, and Mishkanot in 1938, serving as chairman of the board at both. He also helped found the Adanim Mortgage Bank and chaired its board of directors.
Kelmer attended a religious teachers' seminary in Jerusalem, and graduated from the Hebrew University
's law faculty.
In the elections
for the first Knesset in 1949, Kelmer won a seat on the United Religious Front
list, an alliance of the four main religious parties. However, he resigned from the Knesset on 11 March 1949, less than a month after entering it, and was replaced by Eliyahu Mazur. He returned to the Knesset following the 1951 elections
, in which Hapoel HaMizrachi ran as an independent party. He retained his seat in the 1955 elections
, in which the party ran as the National Religious Party
together with Mizrachi
.
He lost his seat in the 1959 elections
, and also failed to be elected in 1961
. However, he returned to the Knesset on 2 April 1963 as a replacement for the deceased Aharon-Ya'akov Greenberg
. He lost his seat again in the 1965 elections
, and died five years later.
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...
in three spells between 1949 and 1963.
Biography
Born in an area which is today in PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Kelmer joined Young Mizrachi
Mizrachi (Religious Zionism)
The Mizrachi is the name of the religious Zionist organization founded in 1902 in Vilnius at a world conference of religious Zionists called by Rabbi Yitzchak Yaacov Reines. Bnei Akiva, which was founded in 1929, is the youth movement associated with Mizrachi...
during his youth. 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 in 1921, and was amongst the founders of Hapoel HaMizrachi
Hapoel HaMizrachi
Hapoel HaMizrachi |Mizrachi]] Workers) was a political party and settlement movement in Israel and is one of the predecessors of the National Religious Party.-History:...
the following year. He later helped establish two of the movement's construction companies, HaBona in 1937, and Mishkanot in 1938, serving as chairman of the board at both. He also helped found the Adanim Mortgage Bank and chaired its board of directors.
Kelmer attended a religious teachers' seminary in Jerusalem, and graduated from the Hebrew University
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
's law faculty.
In the elections
Israeli legislative election, 1949
Elections for the Constituent Assembly were held in newly independent Israel on 25 January 1949. Voter turnout was 86.9%. Two days after its first meeting on 14 February 1949, legislators voted to change the name of the body to the Knesset...
for the first Knesset in 1949, Kelmer won a seat on the United Religious Front
United Religious Front
The United Religious Front was a political alliance of the four major religious parties in Israel, as well as the Union of Religious Independents, formed to fight the 1949 elections.-History:...
list, an alliance of the four main religious parties. However, he resigned from the Knesset on 11 March 1949, less than a month after entering it, and was replaced by Eliyahu Mazur. He returned to the Knesset following the 1951 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1951
Elections for the second Knesset were held in Israel on 30 July 1951. Voter turnout was 75.1%.-Results:¹ Rostam Bastuni, Avraham Berman and Moshe Sneh left Mapam and set up the Left Faction. Bastuni later returned to Mapam whilst Berman and Sneh joined Maki. Hannah Lamdan and David Livschitz left...
, in which Hapoel HaMizrachi ran as an independent party. He retained his seat in the 1955 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1955
Elections for the third Knesset were held in Israel on 26 July 1955. Voter turnout was 82.8%.-Results:Mapai retained its plurality in the Knesset, although its share of the vote dropped by 5.1 and its share of seats dropped from 47 to 40...
, in which the party ran as the National Religious Party
National Religious Party
The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992...
together with Mizrachi
Mizrachi (political party)
Mizrachi was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day National Religious Party.-History:The Mizrachi movement was founded in 1902 in Vilnius as a religious Zionist organisation. It also had a trade union, Hapoel HaMizrachi, started in 1921...
.
He lost his seat in the 1959 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1959
Elections for the fourth Knesset were held in Israel on 3 November 1959. Voter turnout was 81.5%.-Results:¹ The General Zionists and the Progressive Party merged to form the Liberal Party....
, and also failed to be elected in 1961
Israeli legislative election, 1961
Elections for the fifth Knesset were held in Israel on 15 August 1961. Voter turnout was 81.6%.-Results:¹ Eight MKs broke away from Mapai to establish Rafi² Herut and the Liberal Party merged to form Gahal...
. However, he returned to the Knesset on 2 April 1963 as a replacement for the deceased Aharon-Ya'akov Greenberg
Aharon-Ya'akov Greenberg
Aharon-Ya'akov Greenberg was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset from 1949 until 1951, and again from 1955 until his death in 1963.-Biography:...
. He lost his seat again in the 1965 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1965
Elections for the sixth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1965. Voter turnout was 85.9%.-Background:Prior to the elections, two major alliances were formed; Mapai and Ahdut HaAvoda united to form the Alignment, whilst Herut and the Liberal Party had formed the Gahal alliance towards the end...
, and died five years later.