Gershom Schocken
Encyclopedia
Gershom Gustav Schocken was an Israel
i journalist and politician who was editor of Haaretz
for more than 50 years and a member of the Knesset
for the Progressive Party
between 1955 and 1959.
in Germany
, Schocken studied at the University of Heidelberg and the London School of Economics
. Following Adolf Hitler
's rise to power, he made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine in 1933 one year before the rest of his family, and got a job at Anglo-Palestine Bank
, where he remained until 1936. In 1939 he became editor of the Haaretz
newspaper, which had been bought by his father Salman
two years earlier, remaining in post until his death in 1990. In 1950 he was amongst the founders of the ITIM
news agency. He also published poetry in German, English and Hebrew under the penname Robert Pozen, as well as publishing a book, Poems for Times of Celebration in 1969. In 1983 he was named International Editor of the Year Award
by the World Press Review
for Haaretz's "excellence in coverage of Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982".
In 1955
he was elected to the Knesset on the Progressive Party list, and served on the House Committee, the Economic Affairs Committee and the Labor Committee. He quit politics and lost his seat in the 1959 elections
.
Schocken was married to Shulamit Parsitz, daughter of General Zionists
MK Shoshana Parsitz
, and had three children, Amos (the current publisher of Haaretz), Hillel (an architect) and Racheli. He later left his wife without divorcing her and lived with Yehudit Yona.
He died of liver cancer at the Sheba Medical Center
in Tel Aviv
on 20 December 1990 at the age of 78.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i journalist and politician who was editor of Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
for more than 50 years and 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...
for the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (Israel)
The Progressive Party was a political party in Israel.-History:The Progressive Party was a liberal party, most of whose founders came from the ranks of the New Aliyah Party and HaOved HaTzioni, which had been active prior to independence...
between 1955 and 1959.
Biography
Born in ZwickauZwickau
Zwickau in Germany, former seat of the government of the south-western region of the Free State of Saxony, belongs to an industrial and economical core region. Nowadays it is the capital city of the district of Zwickau...
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...
, Schocken studied at the University of Heidelberg and the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
. Following Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's rise to power, 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 1933 one year before the rest of his family, and got a job at Anglo-Palestine Bank
Bank Leumi
Bank Leumi is an Israeli bank. It was founded in London as the Anglo Palestine Company on February 27, 1902, by members of the Zionist movement to promote the industry, construction, agriculture, and infrastructure of Palestine.-History:...
, where he remained until 1936. In 1939 he became editor of the Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
newspaper, which had been bought by his father Salman
Salman Schocken
Salman Schocken was a German Jewish publisher and businessman.Salman Schocken was the son of Jewish shopkeeper in Posen....
two years earlier, remaining in post until his death in 1990. In 1950 he was amongst the founders of the ITIM
ITIM (news agency)
ITIM is a news agency established in 1950 in Tel Aviv, Israel.-History:ITIM was founded in 1950 by the seven main Israeli newspapers of the time, who each held an equal stake in the agency.The agency went into receivership in November 2003 and nearly ceased operations due to massive debts. On 19...
news agency. He also published poetry in German, English and Hebrew under the penname Robert Pozen, as well as publishing a book, Poems for Times of Celebration in 1969. In 1983 he was named International Editor of the Year Award
International Editor of the Year Award
International Editor of the Year Award is a prize awarded yearly to journalists and press editors outside the United states by World Press Review magazine....
by the World Press Review
World Press Review
World Press Review is an independent, nonpartisan New York based magazine founded in 1974 and initially published by Stanley Foundation and Teri Schure, with an online edition which was launched in 1997...
for Haaretz's "excellence in coverage of Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982".
In 1955
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...
he was elected to the Knesset on the Progressive Party list, and served on the House Committee, the Economic Affairs Committee and the Labor Committee. He quit politics and 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....
.
Schocken was married to Shulamit Parsitz, daughter of General Zionists
General Zionists
The General Zionists were centrists within the Zionist movement and a political party in Israel. Their political arm is an ancestor of the modern-day Likud.-History:...
MK Shoshana Parsitz
Shoshana Parsitz
-Biography:Zlatopolsky was born in 1892 in Kiev in the Russian Empire , the daughter of Hillel Zlatopolsky, philanthropist and a founder of Keren Hayesod...
, and had three children, Amos (the current publisher of Haaretz), Hillel (an architect) and Racheli. He later left his wife without divorcing her and lived with Yehudit Yona.
He died of liver cancer at the Sheba Medical Center
Sheba Medical Center
The Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer , also Tel HaShomer Hospital, is the largest hospital in Israel.-Overview:The hospital was named after Chaim Sheba, the founding director. It was established in 1948 as the country's first military hospital to treat casualties of Israel's War of...
in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
on 20 December 1990 at the age of 78.
External links
- Article about his son, Amos Schocken, in The New Yorker February 28, 2011 Retrieved 2011-09-11