Yitzhak Rafael
Encyclopedia
Yitzhak Rafael was an Israel
i politician who served as Minister of Religions in the mid-1970s.
. During his youth he was a member of the Torah and Work youth movement, and founded a local branch of the Bnei Akiva
youth movement.
He made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine in 1935 and worked as a teacher in Jerusalem. He attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, gaining an MA in Humanities. He went on to study at the New York Theological Seminary
, where he was awarded a doctorate in literature.
He worked for the Jewish Agency
and was director of the department of Craftsman and Small Business. Between 1940 and 1947 he edited a small journal. He was a member of the Hagana and represented Hapoel HaMizrachi
in the Assembly of Representatives in 1944. During the 1948 war he was a member of the Jerusalem Emergency Committee
. Between 1948 and 1953 he was a member of the Jewish Agency's board, and headed its aliyah department, where he was responsible for the large influx of Jewish refugees (numbering over 685,000 between 1948 and 1951), rejecting calls to put a limit on numbers.
In 1951 he was elected to the Knesset
on the Hapoel HaMizrachi list. He was re-elected in 1955, 1959 (by which time Hapoel HaMizrachi had merged into the National Religious Party
) and 1961. In November 1961 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Health
, serving until David Ben-Gurion
resigned as Prime Minister in June 1963. He was re-appointed to the post in July 1963, serving until March 1965.
He was re-elected in 1965 and 1969, and following Haim-Moshe Shapira
's death in July 1970, became the leader of the NRP. He was re-elected again in 1973, and was appointed Minister of Religions by Golda Meir
in March 1974. However, when Yitzhak Rabin
formed a new government
in June 1974 following Meir's resignation, the NRP were not included in the coalition and Rafael left the cabinet. When the party joined the coalition in October that year, Rafael was re-appointed Minister of Religions, serving until all NRP ministers were sacked in December 1976 for abstaining in a motion of no confidence vote. In the same year he lost the party leadership when Zevulun Hammer
and Yosef Burg
combined forces to oust him. He lost his seat in the 1977 elections
and retired from politics.
for Jewish thought.
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 Minister of Religions in the mid-1970s.
Biography
Rafael was born in Sabov in Galicia in 1914, and attended high school 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...
. During his youth he was a member of the Torah and Work youth movement, and founded a local branch of the Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva is the largest religious Zionist youth movement in the world, with over 125,000 members in 37 countries. It was established in Mandate Palestine in 1929.-History:...
youth movement.
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 1935 and worked as a teacher in Jerusalem. He attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
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...
, gaining an MA in Humanities. He went on to study at the New York Theological Seminary
New York Theological Seminary
The New York Theological Seminary was established as a non-denominational institution in 1900 with the founding of the Bible Teachers’ College in Montclair, New Jersey by Wilbert Webster White. President White moved the school to New York City in 1902, when it was renamed the Bible Teachers’...
, where he was awarded a doctorate in literature.
He worked for the Jewish Agency
Jewish Agency for Israel
The Jewish Agency for Israel , also known as the Sochnut or JAFI, served as the organization in charge of immigration and absorption of Jews from the Diaspora into the state of Israel.-History:...
and was director of the department of Craftsman and Small Business. Between 1940 and 1947 he edited a small journal. He was a member of the Hagana and represented 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:...
in the Assembly of Representatives in 1944. During the 1948 war he was a member of the Jerusalem Emergency Committee
Jerusalem Emergency Committee
The Jerusalem Emergency Committee was a seven man group set up in December 1947 by the Jewish Agency to take over the civil administration of Jewish Jerusalem as the British mandate over Palestine came to an end. Originally Golda Meyerson was to have been a member...
. Between 1948 and 1953 he was a member of the Jewish Agency's board, and headed its aliyah department, where he was responsible for the large influx of Jewish refugees (numbering over 685,000 between 1948 and 1951), rejecting calls to put a limit on numbers.
In 1951 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 the Hapoel HaMizrachi list. He was re-elected in 1955, 1959 (by which time Hapoel HaMizrachi had merged into 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...
) and 1961. In November 1961 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Health
Health Minister of Israel
The Ministry of Health is a ministry in the Israeli government. The current Minister of Health is Binyamin Netanyahu of Likud.There is occasionally a Deputy Minister of Health...
, serving until David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
resigned as Prime Minister in June 1963. He was re-appointed to the post in July 1963, serving until March 1965.
He was re-elected in 1965 and 1969, and following Haim-Moshe Shapira
Haim-Moshe Shapira
Haim-Moshe Shapira was a key Israeli politician in the early days of the state's existence. A signatory of Israel's declaration of independence, he served continuously as a minister from the country's foundation in 1948 until his death in 1970 apart from a brief spell in the late...
's death in July 1970, became the leader of the NRP. He was re-elected again in 1973, and was appointed Minister of Religions by Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
in March 1974. However, when Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
formed a new government
Seventeenth government of Israel
The seventeenth government of Israel was formed by Yitzhak Rabin on 3 June 1974, following the resignation of Prime Minister Golda Meir on 11 April and Rabin's election as Labor Party leader on 26 April...
in June 1974 following Meir's resignation, the NRP were not included in the coalition and Rafael left the cabinet. When the party joined the coalition in October that year, Rafael was re-appointed Minister of Religions, serving until all NRP ministers were sacked in December 1976 for abstaining in a motion of no confidence vote. In the same year he lost the party leadership when Zevulun Hammer
Zevulun Hammer
Zevulun Hammer was an Israeli politician, minister and Deputy Prime Minister.-Biography:Hammer was born in Haifa during the British Mandate of Palestine. He was an active member of the Bnei Akiva youth movement , and served in the Israeli Armored Corps in a Nahal programme...
and Yosef Burg
Yosef Burg
Yosef Shlomo Burg was an Israeli politician. In 1949, he was elected to the first Knesset, and served in many ministerial positions for the next 40 years. He was one of the founders of the National Religious Party.-Biography:...
combined forces to oust him. He lost his seat in 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...
and retired from politics.
Awards
In 1979, Rafael was the co-recipient (with Yehuda Ratzaby) of the Bialik PrizeBialik Prize
The Bialik Prize is an annual literary award given by the municipality of Tel Aviv, Israel for significant accomplishments in Hebrew literature. The prize is named in memory of Hayyim Nahman Bialik. There are two separate prizes, one specifically for "Literature", which is in the field of fiction,...
for Jewish thought.