Uri Shraga Orbach ( he, אורי שרגא אורבך; 28 March 1960 – 16 February 2015) was an

Israeli Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli (b ...

Religious Zionist Religious Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת דָּתִית, translit. ''Tziyonut Datit'') is an ideology that combines Zionism and Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' ( "National Religious"), and in Israel, the ...

writer, journalist, and politician. He served as a member of 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 (wit ...

for

the Jewish Home The Jewish Home ( he, הַבַּיִת הַיְהוּדִי, HaBayit HaYehudi) is an Orthodox Jewish and religious Zionist political party in Israel. It was originally formed by a merger of the National Religious Party, Moledet, and Tkuma in ...

party, and as Minister of Pensioner Affairs.

Biography

Orbach was born in

Petah Tikva Petah Tikva ( he, פֶּתַח תִּקְוָה, , ), also known as ''Em HaMoshavot'' (), is a city in the Central District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Haredi Jews of the Old Yishuv, and became a permanent set ...

, Israel. He attended a

Hesder Hesder ( he, הסדר "arrangement"; also Yeshivat Hesder ) is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework. The program all ...

yeshiva, and did his national service in

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...

in the IDF Armored Corps, where he served as a Staff Sergeant. He later worked as a journalist, producing columns for ''

Yedioth Ahronoth ''Yedioth Ahronoth'' ( he, יְדִיעוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת, ; lit. ''Latest News'') is a national daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv, Israel. Founded in 1939 in British Mandatory Palestine, ''Yedioth Ahronoth'' is the largest paid n ...

'' and serving as a co-host for the

Army Radio Army Radio ( he, גלי צה"ל lit. IDF waves) or Galei Tzahal, known in Israel by its acronym Galatz ( he, גל"צ), is a nationwide Israeli radio network operated by the Israel Defense Forces. The station broadcasts news, music, traffic repor ...

mid-morning show "The Last Word". He also wrote several children's books, including ''Donkeys on the Roof and Other Stories'', and a dictionary of Religious Zionist slang, ''My Grandfather Was a Rabbi'', as well as founding and editing the popular Israeli children's magazines ''Otiot'' and ''Sukariot''. Prior to the 2009 elections, he joined the Jewish Home. Following a split in the party, in which several members left to re-establish the National Union party, he was placed third on the party's list, and entered the Knesset as it won three seats. For the 2013 elections, he was placed sixth on the Jewish Home list, retaining his seat as the party won 12 seats. He was appointed Minister of Pensioner Affairs on 18 March 2013. Orbach lived in

Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut ( he, מוֹדִיעִין-מַכַּבִּים-רֵעוּת) is an Israeli city located in central Israel, about southeast of Tel Aviv and west of Jerusalem, and is connected to those two cities via Highway 443. In t ...

with his wife and four children. In January 2015, he took a leave of absence from politics for health reasons, to battle a chronic hematologic disease. In February 2015, his condition took a turn for the worse, and he died in the

Shaare Zedek Medical Center The Shaare Zedek Medical Center ( he, מרכז רפואי שערי צדק, ''Merkaz Refu'i Sha'arei Tzedek'') (lit. "Gates of Justice") is a large teaching hospital in Jerusalem established in 1902, It affiliated with Hebrew University of Jerusal ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

on 16 February 2015.Bayit Yehudi minister Uri Orbach dies at 54
/ref> His seat in the Knesset was taken by

Hillel Horowitz Rabbi Hillel Ilan Horowitz ( he, הלל אילן הורוביץ, born 31 March 1964) is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician. He briefly served as a member of the Knesset for the Jewish Home in 2015. Biography Horowitz grew up in Merkaz Shap ...

References

External links

* 1960 births 2015 deaths Deaths from blood disease Israeli children's writers Israeli columnists Israeli Jews Israeli Orthodox Jews Israeli magazine editors Government ministers of Israel Members of the 18th Knesset (2009–2013) Members of the 19th Knesset (2013–2015) People from Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut People from Petah Tikva The Jewish Home politicians {{Israel-politician-stub