Yosef Sprinzak | |
|---|---|
יוֹסֵף שְׁפְּרִינְצָק | |
 | |
| ActingPresident of Israel | |
| In office 9 November 1952 – 16 December 1952 | |
| Preceded by | Chaim Weizmann |
| Succeeded by | Yitzhak Ben-Zvi |
| Speaker of the Knesset | |
| In office 14 February 1949 – 28 January 1959 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Nahum Nir |
| Faction represented in theKnesset | |
| 1949–1959 | Mapai |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 December 1885 |
| Died | 28 January 1959(1959-01-28) (aged 73) |
Yosef Sprinzak (Hebrew:יוֹסֵף שְׁפְּרִינְצָק;8 December 1885 – 28 January 1959) was a leadingZionist activist in the first half of the 20th century, anIsraeli politician, and the firstSpeaker of the Knesset, a role he held from 1949 until his death in 1959.
Yosef Sprinzak was born inMoscow,Russia but following the expulsion of Jews in 1891 moved with his family toKishinev where he was a founder of theTze'irei Zion (Zion Youth). He began medical school at theAmerican University in Beirut in 1908 and settled inPalestine in 1910, during theSecond Aliyah (1904–1914).
Along withEliezer Kaplan Sprinzak headedHapoel Hatzair ("The Young Worker") a Zionist socialist faction formed in 1905 and one of the organisations that consolidated to formMapai in 1930. Its members were pro-British and supportedChaim Weizmann.[1] He was a founder of theHistadrut in 1920 and acted as secretary general of the organisation from 1945 to 1949.
His sonYair Sprinzak also served in the Knesset. Another son, Aharon David Sprinzak, anIsraeli Air Force pilot, was killed in action during the1948 Arab-Israeli War. His grandson,Ehud Sprinzak [he] (1940–2002) was one of Israel's foremost experts on counterterrorism and far-right Jewish groups.[2]
Sprinzak was elected to the position of speaker of the provisional parliament on 15 July 1948,[3] a role in which he helped lay the foundations of Israel's parliamentarism.[4] He was elected to thefirst Knesset in 1949 as a member ofMapai, and became the Speaker of the new body. He was re-elected and remained speaker in both thesecond andthird Knessets.
As part of his role as speaker, Sprinzak became actingPresident of Israel whenChaim Weizmann fell ill from 12 December 1951. After Weizmann's death on 9 November 1952 Sprinzak served as interim President until inauguration ofYitzhak Ben-Zvi on 10 December 1952.
Among other actions, in 1949 to celebrate the Israel's new parliament, Sprinzak invited Franco-Israeli painter,Yitzhak Frenkel to paint a 50 square meter commemorative painting of the First Knesset. The painting was not completed due to economic and political factors of the Education ministry.[5][6]
Kiryat Sprinzak, a neighbourhood inHaifa andBeit Shprinzak [he], a sanatorium inNazareth are named in his memory.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position established | Speaker of the Knesset 1949–1959 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Israel Acting 1952 | Succeeded by |
Histadrut leaders  | |
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|  | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
