Ya'akov Katz (, born 28 December 1906, died 21 December 1967) was an Israeli politician who 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 (with ...

for the

Religious Torah Front The Religious Torah Front ( he, חזית דתית תורתית, ''Hazit Datit Toratit'') was a political alliance in Israel composed of Agudat Yisrael and Poalei Agudat Yisrael. History The Religious Torah Front was formed when the Ultra-orthod ...

and Poalei Agudat Yisrael between 1955 and 1967.

Biography

Born in Zolochiv in Galicia in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

(today in

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

, from 1919 to 1939 in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

), Katz received an

ultra-Orthodox Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...

education, and joined Young Agudat Yisrael. He made aliyah to

Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...

in 1934, and settled in

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...

, where he became secretary of the local branch of Poalei Agudat Yisrael. He also served as director of the organisation's Immigrant Absorption Department for the north of the country. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War Katz served as a member of the Situation Committee and Mobilization Committee. In 1950 he was elected to Haifa city council, on which he served until 1967. The following year he became a member of its directorate (on which he remained until 1967) and deputy mayor, a position he held until 1959. In 1955 he was elected to the Knesset on the

list, an alliance of Agudat Yisrael and Poalei Agudat Yisrael. He was re-elected in

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

and 1965. He died in office on 21 December 1967, his seat taken by

Avraham Verdiger Avraham Verdiger ( he, אברהם ורדיגר, 6 May 1921 – 27 November 2013) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for several ultra-Orthodox parties between 1965 and 1996. Biography Born in Łódź in Poland, Ve ...

.Knesset Members in the Sixth Knesset
Knesset website

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Katz, Yaakov 1906 births 1967 deaths People from Zolochiv, Lviv Oblast Polish emigrants to Mandatory Palestine Poalei Agudat Yisrael politicians Religious Torah Front politicians 20th-century Israeli Jews Jews from Galicia (Eastern Europe) Members of the 3rd Knesset (1955–1959) Members of the 4th Knesset (1959–1961) Members of the 5th Knesset (1961–1965) Members of the 6th Knesset (1965–1969) Deputy Mayors of Haifa Jews in Mandatory Palestine Road incident deaths in Israel