Rabbi Shmuel Halpert ( he, שמואל הלפרט, born 5 February 1939) is an Israeli politician and a former member of the Knesset for the ultra-Orthodox party Agudat Yisrael (in which he represents the Vizhnitz Hasidim), part of the United Torah Judaism alliance. He is also a member of the party's

central committee Central committee is the common designation of a standing administrative body of Communist party, communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, of both ruling and nonruling parties of former and existing socialist states. In such party org ...

, and a member of the executive of World Agudat Israel.

Biography

Born in

Cluj ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status , subdivision_name2 ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

in 1939, Halpert is the grandson of Rabbi Mordechai of

Nadvirna Nadvírna, also referred to as ''Nadwirna'' or ''Nadvorna'' ( uk, Надві́рна, pl, Nadwórna, yi, נאַדוואָרנאַ, ''Nadvorna'') is a city located in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in western Ukraine. It is the administrative cent ...

and Rabbi Yisroel Yaakov of Khust. He studied at the Vyzhnytsia Institute of Talmudic Studies, and was ordained as a

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

. He made

aliyah Aliyah (, ; he, עֲלִיָּה ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel, which is in the modern era chiefly represented by the Israel, State of Israel ...

in 1960. Halpert was first elected to the

Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...

in the 1981 elections on the Agudat Israel list. However, he lost his seat in the next elections in 1984. He re-entered the Knesset after the

1988 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1988. Africa * 1988 Cameroonian general election * 1988 Equatorial Guinean legislative election * 1988 Kenyan general election * 1988 Malian parliamentary election * 1988 Rwandan parliamentary elect ...

, and was appointed Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office in November 1990. In June 1991, he became Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare. For the 1992 elections, Agudat Israel formed an alliance with Degel HaTorah, which included a seat rotation agreement. Halpert was elected to the Knesset, but served only half a term (until 1994) as part of the arrangement. He retained his seat served full terms after the 1996 and 1999 elections, but lost it in the 2003 elections. However, after United Torah Judaism split towards the end of the Knesset term in 2005,

Yisrael Eichler Yisrael Eichler (, ; born 27 March 1955) is an Israeli politician. A member of Agudat Yisrael, he served as a member of the Knesset for the party and the United Torah Judaism alliance from 2003 until 2005, and again since 2011. Biography Born in ...

resigned as an MK, and was replaced by Halpert as part of another rotation agreement. Halpert was also appointed Deputy

Minister of Transportation A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government agen ...

. For the

2006 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2006. * Elections in 2006 * Electoral calendar 2006 * 2006 Acehnese regional election * 2006 American Samoan legislative election * 2006 Bahraini parliamentary election * 2006 Costa Rican presidenti ...

, the alliance was reformed, and Halpert was elected to the Knesset on the UTJ list. Like many other religious politicians in Israel, he objected to the 2006 Jerusalem gay pride parade, asking, "Have we become like Sodom? Let go of this ugliness. It will oust the divine presence." He has also caused controversy by admitting to hitting his children during a Knesset committee meeting and calling for the separation of the sexes in the Western Wall Plaza.Haredim propose Kotel entry separation
The Jerusalem Post, 9 March 2006 He lost his seat in the

2009 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2009. * Electoral calendar 2009 * 2009 United Nations Security Council election Caribbean * 2009 Antiguan general election * 2009 Aruban general election * 2009 Caymanian constitutional referendu ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Halpert, Shmuel 1939 births Living people Politicians from Cluj-Napoca Romanian Orthodox rabbis Israeli Orthodox rabbis Romanian emigrants to Israel Agudat Yisrael politicians Members of the 10th Knesset (1981–1984) Members of the 12th Knesset (1988–1992) Members of the 13th Knesset (1992–1996) Members of the 14th Knesset (1996–1999) Members of the 15th Knesset (1999–2003) Members of the 16th Knesset (2003–2006) Members of the 17th Knesset (2006–2009) Deputy ministers of Israel Deputy Speakers of the Knesset Rabbinic members of the Knesset