Yaakov Litzman
Encyclopedia
Yaakov Litzman is an Israel
i politician and Deputy Government Minister. A follower of the Ger
Hasidic
dynasty, he heads the Agudat Israel
part of the United Torah Judaism
faction in the Knesset
.
, in a displaced persons camp
in Germany
. When he was two years old, the family immigrated to the Borough Park
section of Brooklyn
, where he grew up. At the age of 17 he continued his studies in Israel. His first job was as principal of the Hasidic Beis Yaakov girls' school in Jerusalem.
Litzman has five children and lives in Jerusalem.
, Rabbi Simcha Binem Alter. Over time he became known as the rebbe's right-hand man, a role he continues under the present Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Arye Alter.
In 1999 the present rebbe asked Litzman to join the Aguda slate for the legislative election held that year. He has since served as the leader of the Agudat Israel faction in the Knesset, in which role he consults the Gerrer Rebbe on a daily basis.
Litzman served on the Knesset's Internal Affairs Committee from 1999–2001, and as the Deputy Chairman of Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee. As part of the coalition agreement with the ruling government of Ariel Sharon
in 2000, Litzman was appointed chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, a position he held until 2007.
Litzman is quoted as saying that "in some respects, I envy the low profile the Haredi
community in the United States has been able to retain by staying out of politics". He also said that, in Israel, the media attention makes for misrepresentation and misunderstanding of the Haredi community.
. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Health.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician and Deputy Government Minister. A follower of the Ger
Ger (Hasidic dynasty)
Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....
Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
dynasty, he heads the Agudat Israel
Agudat Israel
Agudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
part of the United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism is an alliance of Degel HaTorah and Agudat Israel, two small Israeli Haredi political parties in the Knesset. It was first formed in 1992.The two parties have not always agreed with each other about policy matters...
faction in 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...
.
Biography
Litzman was born in 1948 to Polish survivors of the HolocaustThe Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
, in a displaced persons camp
Displaced persons camp
A displaced persons camp or DP camp is a temporary facility for displaced persons coerced into forced migration. The term is mainly used for camps established after World War II in West Germany and in Austria, as well as in the United Kingdom, primarily for refugees from Eastern Europe and for the...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. When he was two years old, the family immigrated to the Borough Park
Borough Park, Brooklyn
Borough Park , is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City in the United States....
section of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, where he grew up. At the age of 17 he continued his studies in Israel. His first job was as principal of the Hasidic Beis Yaakov girls' school in Jerusalem.
Litzman has five children and lives in Jerusalem.
Politics
He later became active in politics under the guidance of the then Gerrer RebbeRebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
, Rabbi Simcha Binem Alter. Over time he became known as the rebbe's right-hand man, a role he continues under the present Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Arye Alter.
In 1999 the present rebbe asked Litzman to join the Aguda slate for the legislative election held that year. He has since served as the leader of the Agudat Israel faction in the Knesset, in which role he consults the Gerrer Rebbe on a daily basis.
Litzman served on the Knesset's Internal Affairs Committee from 1999–2001, and as the Deputy Chairman of Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee. As part of the coalition agreement with the ruling government of Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
in 2000, Litzman was appointed chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, a position he held until 2007.
Litzman is quoted as saying that "in some respects, I envy the low profile the Haredi
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
community in the United States has been able to retain by staying out of politics". He also said that, in Israel, the media attention makes for misrepresentation and misunderstanding of the Haredi community.
2009 Knesset Elections and Netanyahu Government
Following the 2009 elections in which Litzman retained his Knesset seat, his party joined the newly established government of Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Health.