Yehuda Leib Maimon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yehuda Leib Maimon
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| Ministerial roles | |
| 1948–1951 | Minister of Religions |
| 1948–1951 | Minister of War Victims |
| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 1949–1951 | United Religious Front |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 January 1875 Mărculești, Russian Empire |
| Died | 10 July 1962 (aged 87) |
Yehuda Leib Maimon (Hebrew: יהודה לייב מימון, born January 1, 1875, died July 10, 1962) was an important Israeli rabbi and politician. He was a key leader in the Religious Zionist movement. This movement believed that Jewish religious values and the idea of a Jewish homeland in Israel should go hand-in-hand. Maimon also became Israel's very first Minister of Religions.
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About Yehuda Leib Maimon
Yehuda Leib Fishman, who later changed his name to Maimon, was born in a place called Mărculești. This area was part of the Russian Empire back then. Today, it is in Moldova.
Maimon studied in several yeshivot, which are Jewish religious schools. He became a rabbi after learning from Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein. In 1902, he helped start the Mizrachi movement. This group combined religious beliefs with the idea of building a Jewish homeland.
At that time, Maimon lived in the Russian Empire. He was sometimes held by authorities because of his activities supporting Zionism. Zionism is the movement to establish and develop a Jewish nation in what is now Israel. He attended almost every Zionist Congress from 1909 until Israel became independent in 1948. These congresses were important meetings for Zionist leaders.
Moving to the Land of Israel
In 1913, Maimon moved to Palestine, which was then under the Ottoman Empire. This move is called aliyah. However, he had to leave during World War I. He went to the United States, where he helped organize the Mizrachi movement there.
Maimon returned to the land of Israel in 1919. This area was then under British control. He helped create the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, which is the main religious authority for Jews in Israel.
In 1939, he took part in the St James's Palace Conference. He represented the Jewish people living in Mandatory Palestine. In 1946, during Operation Agatha, British authorities detained him.
Role in Israel's Independence
Maimon was chosen to be on a special committee of five people. This committee helped write the final version of the Israeli Declaration of Independence. He was also one of the important people who signed this declaration.
After Israel became a country, he served in the Knesset, which is Israel's parliament. He was also the Minister of Religions and the Minister of War Victims. He passed away in 1962 in Tel Aviv.
His sister, Ada Maimon, also became a member of the Knesset. One of his great-granddaughters is the model Nina Brosh.
Maimon's Political Journey
After returning to Mandate Palestine in 1919, Maimon became a leader of the Mizrachi political party. With Abraham Isaac Kook, he helped set up the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. In 1935, he was elected to the board of the Jewish Agency for Israel. This organization helped Jewish people move to and settle in Palestine.
In 1936, he started Mossad Harav Kook. This was a religious research group and a publishing house. It was named after Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook.
Maimon played a big part in writing Israel's Declaration of Independence. He was also one of the people who signed it. After Israel became independent, he was made the Minister of Religions and Minister of War Victims. These roles were in the first temporary government of Israel.
He was elected to the first Knesset in 1949. He was part of the United Religious Front. This group was an alliance of several religious parties. He kept his ministerial jobs in the first and second governments. He tried to bring back the Sanhedrin, an ancient Jewish court, but this effort was not successful. He lost his seat in the 1951 elections.
Awards and Recognition
In 1958, Yehuda Leib Maimon received the Israel Prize. This is one of Israel's highest honors. He earned it for his important writings on Rabbinical literature.
A village in the Negev desert, Kfar Maimon, is named after him.
See also
- List of Israel Prize recipients
