FAMOUS ISRAELIS

David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973), born in Poland, became the person most responsible for the creation of the State of Israel, its first Prime Minster, and “the greatest Jew of our generation.” He made Theodor Herzl’s idea of  a Jewish homeland a reality.

Menachem Begin (1913-1992)  served as Prime Minister of Israel and negotiated the 1979 Camp David Peace Accord with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

When Golda Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1969, she became the world's second elected female leader in modern times.

Yitzhak Rabin (1922-1995) was a Haganah military commander during Israel’s War of  Independence. He became Prime Minister of Israel in 1974 and again in 1992. Rabin was assassinated on November 4, 1995.

The Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra has a world-famous reputation, and such famous Israeli musicians as Itzhak Perlman, Pinchus Zukerman, and Chava Alberstein are Israeli.  

Israeli Nobel Prize winners include:
Yosef Agnon — 1966 Nobel Prize winner in literature
Yitzhak Rabin — 1994 Nobel Peace Prize
Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko — 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry
Robert Aumann — 2005 Nobel Prize in economics for game theory

Professor Haim Breitbart, a molecular biologist, has developed a way to irradiate sperm to boost fertility.

Professor Abraham Nudelman, a chemist, has developed a drug-delivery system whereby a cancer-fighting substance can be delivered to the site of disease before the drug breaks down.

Yael Arad, a judo expert, in 1992, became the first Israeli to win an Olympic medal.

Miriam Ben-Porat  served as Israel’s first woman Supreme Court Justice. In 1991, for her contribution to Israeli life, she was awarded the prestigious “Israel Prize.”

Professor Elisha Haas, genetic biologist, has advanced theories on amino acids and the genetic code of life.

Dr. Hanan Eshel, archaeologist, has shown the paths that led from the Qumran settlements to the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

Dvora Mann developed tolerance curriculum and the Palestinian Tolerance Project for the Anti-Defamation League and Bar-Ilan University.

Professor Andre Hajdu at Bar-Ilan University, is an expert on klezmer and Hassidic dance tunes and is a composer.

Chava Alberstein is one of Israel’s best-loved singers, and in three languages: Hebrew, English and Yiddish.

Amos Oz , essayist and novelist, describes the hopes and nightmares of living in modern Israel in his My Michael, Black Box, Finna, and In the Land of Israel.

Itzhak Perlman, despite being handicapped by polio since a child, became a world-famous violinist and teacher.  

Professor Dov Noy is an internationally-known folklorist and author of Folktales of Israel, among other books.

Dr. Shimon Slavin saved the lives of two Israeli Arab sisters, known as “bubble babies,” because they were born without immune systems that protect them from disease and infection. Dr. Slavin used bone marrow transplants and special gene therapy to save the girls.

Colonel Ilan Ramon was the first Israeli astronaut. In 2003, he died as a member of the crew on the Space Shuttle Columbia.

In 1999, Rana Raslan, an Arab-Israeli woman, was crowned “Miss Israel.”

In 2004, Abdel Rahman Zuabi was the first Arab to sit as a permanent judge on Israel’s Supreme Court.