Yehudit Simhonit
Encyclopedia
Yehudit Simhonit was a Zionist activist and politician.
of the Russian Empire
(today in Ukraine
), and attended an agricultural high school. In 1917 she joined the Zionist Student Youth Federation.
In 1921 she made aliyah
to Mandate Palestine, and settled in Nahalal
, the newly-established first moshav
. In 1927 she became a member of the Union of Women Workers. In 1931 she moved to kibbutz Tel Yosef, and moved again to Geva
in 1943. A member of Mapai
, she represented the party in the fourth Assembly of Representatives.
In 1949 she was elected
to the first Knesset on the Mapai list. However, she resigned her seat on 5 February 1951 and was replaced by Herzl Berger
.
She later worked as a member of the Histadrut
's co-ordinating committee and chief cultural and welfare officer of the IDF
's Women's Corps
. Between 1960 and 1965 she served as head of the Histadrut's International Relations Department.
In 1965 she left Mapai and was a founding member of David Ben-Gurion
's new Rafi party, and was amongst its leadership until the party was dissolved in 1968. She died in 1991.
Biography
Simhonit (born Yehudit Evzerihin) was born in Nahar-Tov, an agricultural settlement in the Kherson OblastKherson Oblast
Kherson Oblast is an oblast in southern Ukraine, just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson. The area of the region is 29000 km², its population is 1.12 million.Important cities in the oblast include:...
of the Russian Empire
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...
(today in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), and attended an agricultural high school. In 1917 she joined the Zionist Student Youth Federation.
In 1921 she 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, and settled in Nahalal
Nahalal
-External links:** UNESCO* Jewish Agency for Israel*, "Jews made a garden" - aerial photo of Nahalal , and a girl from Girls' Agricultural Training Farm , at Google Books....
, the newly-established first moshav
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
. In 1927 she became a member of the Union of Women Workers. In 1931 she moved to kibbutz Tel Yosef, and moved again to Geva
Geva
-External links:*...
in 1943. A member of 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...
, she represented the party in the fourth Assembly of Representatives.
In 1949 she was elected
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...
to the first Knesset on the Mapai list. However, she resigned her seat on 5 February 1951 and was replaced by Herzl Berger
Herzl Berger
Dr Herzl Berger was a Minsk-born Israeli activist and politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for Mapai between 1951 and 1962.-Biography:Born in Minsk in the Russian Empire , Berger attended the Reali High School in his home city...
.
She later worked as a member of 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...
's co-ordinating committee and chief cultural and welfare officer of the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
's Women's Corps
Women's Affairs advisor
The Women's Affairs advisor to the Chief of Staff is a female officer in the Israel Defense Forces, in charge of promoting freedom of opportunities for women soldiers so as to better develop their abilities and talents in the military, and to provide them with a functional, suitable and diverse...
. Between 1960 and 1965 she served as head of the Histadrut's International Relations Department.
In 1965 she left Mapai and was a founding member of 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...
's new Rafi party, and was amongst its leadership until the party was dissolved in 1968. She died in 1991.