Dalia Dorner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dalia Dorner
דליה דורנר
Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel
In office 1993–2004
Prime Minister	Yitzhak Rabin
Minister	David Libai
Personal details
Born	Dolly Greenberg March 3, 1934 Istanbul, Turkey
Spouse	Shmuel Dorner
Children	2
Education	Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Occupation	Professor of law at Bar-Ilan University

Dalia Dorner (Hebrew: דליה דורנר) was born on March 3, 1934. She is a law professor and used to be a judge on the Supreme Court of Israel. She served on the Supreme Court from 1993 to 2004.

About Dalia Dorner

Dalia Dorner, whose birth name was Dolly Greenberg, was born in Istanbul, Turkey. Her father, Levy Greenberg, was a wood merchant who came from Odessa. In 1944, her family moved to Mandatory Palestine, which is now Israel. Her father passed away soon after they arrived.

Her mother sent her to a boarding school for young immigrants in Nahariya. From there, Dalia went to the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa.

Early Life and Family

While serving in the Israeli army, Dalia started studying law in Tel Aviv. There, she met Shmuel, who would become her husband. They got married in 1958 and have two sons, Ariel Levy Bendor (born in 1963) and Amir Eliezer (born in 1965). After her army service, she finished her law studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Her Career in Law

Dalia Dorner first worked for the Israel Police. Later, she rejoined the Israeli army as an officer in the legal department, called the Military Advocate General. She moved up the ranks to become the Chief Military Defense lawyer.

In 1974, she was made a judge on the Military Court of Appeals. She held the rank of Colonel. She was the first Israeli woman outside of the special women's army unit to reach the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel.

Becoming a Judge

After leaving the army, Dorner became a District Court Judge. She worked first in the Southern District and then in the Jerusalem District. She was one of the judges in a very important trial in 1988. The Supreme Court of Israel later changed the decision in that case in 1993.

In April 1993, she was appointed a temporary Supreme Court Justice. A year later, this job became permanent. As a Supreme Court Justice, Dorner strongly supported human rights. She believed that everyone should have their rights protected, and she showed this in how she understood Israel's basic laws. At the same time, she was very strict when it came to crimes committed by people in powerful positions. Towards the end of her time as a Justice, she led the committee that organizes Israel's elections.

Dorner retired from the Supreme Court on March 3, 2004. In August 2006, she became the president of the Israeli Press Council. Today, she teaches human rights law at Bar-Ilan University. She has received special honorary degrees from the Weizmann Institute of Science (2005) and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (2008). She is also an honorary member of the American Law Institute.

Important Decisions

Dalia Dorner made several important rulings during her time as a judge:

• She ruled that military authorities must allow families to choose what to write on soldiers' gravestones. She said that "every child is an only child to his parents," emphasizing the importance of each person.
• She decided that the government must provide enough money for the Special Education Law. This law helps children with disabilities learn in regular schools with other students.
• In a well-known case, she ruled that an airline employee should receive the same benefits for his partner as other employees. This decision was about ensuring fair treatment for everyone.

Awards and Recognition

In 2010, Dalia Dorner was honored by being invited to light a torch at the Israeli Independence Day ceremony on Mount Herzl. This is a very special honor in Israel.