Shlomo Lahat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shlomo Lahat
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| Native name |
שלמה להט
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| Birth name | Salo Lindner |
| Nickname(s) | Cheech |
| Born | November 9, 1927 Berlin, Germany |
| Died | October 1, 2014 (aged 86) Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Allegiance |  Israel |
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| Years of service | 1944-1973 |
| Rank |  Aluf |
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| Other work | Mayor of Tel Aviv, 1974-1993 |
Shlomo Lahat (born November 9, 1927, died October 1, 2014) was a very important person in Israel. People knew him by his nickname, "Chich." He was a high-ranking general in the Israel Defense Forces, which is Israel's army. Later, he became the mayor of Tel Aviv, a big city in Israel.
He was the eighth mayor of Tel Aviv. He served for a long time, from 1974 to 1993. He was re-elected four times! Shlomo Lahat is famous for saying that Tel Aviv is "the city that never stops."
Early Life and Family
Shlomo Lahat was born in Berlin, Germany. His birth name was Salo Lindner. In 1933, his family moved to Mandatory Palestine. They moved because the Nazis came to power in Germany. His family settled in a town called Rehovot.
Shlomo got his nickname "Cheech" when he was eight years old. He was playing tug-of-war with his friends. He would shout "zieh," which means "pull" in German. His friends started calling him "Cheech," and the name stuck with him.
As a young person, Shlomo was part of the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement. He also went to high school at Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium in Tel Aviv.
Shlomo Lahat was married to Ziva. She used to be a director at Tel Aviv University's Humanities Library. They had two children, Dan and Avner. Shlomo also had eight grandchildren. His son, Dan Lahat, is now a member of the Tel Aviv city council.
Military and Political Career
Shlomo Lahat first served in the Haganah. This was a Jewish defense organization before Israel became a country. After Israel was formed, he joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). While in the army, he studied law at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In 1956, Shlomo Lahat was the first Israeli officer to study in the United States. He attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. When he came back to Israel, he taught at the IDF Command and Staff School. He later led different army units and operations.
During the Six-Day War, he was made governor of East Jerusalem. He then became a brigadier general. In 1969, he commanded armored forces in Sinai. During the War of Attrition, he led operations at the Suez Canal. From 1970 to 1973, he was the chief of the Manpower Directorate. This department manages all the people in the army.
In February 1974, Shlomo Lahat became the mayor of Tel Aviv. He was elected as a member of the Likud political party. He served as mayor until November 1993. During his time as mayor, he helped Tel Aviv grow and become a lively city.
Later Life and Passing
On September 30, 2014, Shlomo Lahat was taken to Ichilov Hospital. He was very sick with a lung infection. He passed away the next morning, on October 1, 2014.
