Moshe Smoira
Encyclopedia
Moshe Smoira was an Israel
i jurist and the first President of the Supreme Court of Israel
.
, in the German Empire
to Leiser and Perel, Hasidic immigrants from Russia
. He studied Hebrew and became a Zionist. His future wife, Esther Horovitz from Minsk
, was a relative of Zalman Shazar
.
He studied law at Heidelberg University, but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War
, during which he joined the German Army
and was later wounded in action. After the war, he organized Hebrew courses in Berlin
and later received his doctorate in jurisprudence from the University of Giessen
as well as an M.A.
in Semitic languages.
In 1921 he emigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine and opened a practice in Jerusalem. He was a partner of Pinchas Rosen
, who later became the Israeli Justice Minister
, and was associated with Mapai
. He was invited by the Mandate authorities to teach at the Jerusalem Law School and became a lecturer there. He was the lawyer for the Histadrut
. He specialized in Labor law and was one of the initiators and drafters of the Mandatory Law of compensation to dismissed workers.
In the 1930s he was appointed President of the Court of Honor of the World Zionist Organization
and President of the Association of Jewish Lawyers in Eretz Israel
. After the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 he was appointed President of the Supreme Court. He did not consider the Declaration of Independence a legally binding document.
In 1954 he retired due to a terminal illness and was succeeded by Yitzhak Olshan
. He died in 1961 in Jerusalem. In 1989, Israel issued a stamp
in his honour. His daughter, Michal, married Supreme Court judge Haim Cohn.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i jurist and the first President of the Supreme Court of Israel
Supreme Court of Israel
The Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
.
Biography
Smoira was born in 1888 in KönigsbergKönigsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
, in the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
to Leiser and Perel, Hasidic immigrants from Russia
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...
. He studied Hebrew and became a Zionist. His future wife, Esther Horovitz from Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, was a relative of Zalman Shazar
Zalman Shazar
Zalman Shazar was an Israeli politician, author. and poet. Shazar served as the third President of Israel from 1963 to 1973.-Biography:...
.
He studied law at Heidelberg University, but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, during which he joined the German Army
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
and was later wounded in action. After the war, he organized Hebrew courses in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and later received his doctorate in jurisprudence from the University of Giessen
University of Giessen
The University of Giessen is officially called the Justus Liebig University Giessen after its most famous faculty member, Justus von Liebig, the founder of modern agricultural chemistry and inventor of artificial fertiliser.-History:The University of Gießen is among the oldest institutions of...
as well as an M.A.
Magister (degree)
Magister is an academic degree used in various systems of higher education.-Argentina:...
in Semitic languages.
In 1921 he emigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine and opened a practice in Jerusalem. He was a partner of Pinchas Rosen
Pinchas Rosen
Pinchas Rosen was an Israeli politician and statesman, and the country's first Minister of Justice, serving three times during 1948-51, 1952–56, and 1958-61. He was also leader of the Independent Liberals during the 1960s.-Biography:...
, who later became the Israeli Justice Minister
Justice Minister of Israel
The Justice Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Justice and a position in the Israeli cabinet. The current minister is Ya'akov Ne'eman, an independent who is not a member of the Knesset....
, and was associated with 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...
. He was invited by the Mandate authorities to teach at the Jerusalem Law School and became a lecturer there. He was the lawyer for the Histadrut
Histadrut
HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael , known as the Histadrut, is Israel's organization of trade unions. Established in December 1920 during the British Mandate for Palestine, it became one of the most powerful institutions of the State of Israel.-History:The Histadrut was founded in...
. He specialized in Labor law and was one of the initiators and drafters of the Mandatory Law of compensation to dismissed workers.
In the 1930s he was appointed President of the Court of Honor of the World Zionist Organization
World Zionist Organization
The World Zionist Organization , or WZO, was founded as the Zionist Organization , or ZO, in 1897 at the First Zionist Congress, held from August 29 to August 31 in Basel, Switzerland...
and President of the Association of Jewish Lawyers in Eretz Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
. After the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 he was appointed President of the Supreme Court. He did not consider the Declaration of Independence a legally binding document.
In 1954 he retired due to a terminal illness and was succeeded by Yitzhak Olshan
Yitzhak Olshan
Yitzhak Olshan was an Israeli jurist and the second President of the Supreme Court of Israel.-Biography:Olshan was born in Kaunas in the Russian Empire in 1895 and immigrated to Ottoman Palestine in 1912. He joined the Hagana and the Jewish Legion. He studied law and oriental studies at the...
. He died in 1961 in Jerusalem. In 1989, Israel issued a stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
in his honour. His daughter, Michal, married Supreme Court judge Haim Cohn.