Zvi Harry Hurwitz ( he, צבי הארי הורביץ; August 29, 1924 – October 1, 2008), also known as Harry Zvi Hurwitz, was a South African
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...
and Jewish community leader who moved to
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, where he served as 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 ...
diplomat and adviser to prime ministers
Menachem Begin and
Yitzhak Shamir
Yitzhak Shamir ( he, יצחק שמיר, ; born Yitzhak Yezernitsky; October 22, 1915 – June 30, 2012) was an Israeli politician and the seventh Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms, 1983–1984 and 1986–1992. Before the establishment ...
before founding the
Menachem Begin Heritage Center
The Menachem Begin Heritage Center is the official state memorial commemorating Menachem Begin, Israel’s sixth Prime Minister. The Center is located on the Hinnom Ridge, overlooking Mount Zion and walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Museum
...
.
Early years
Hurwitz was born in 1924 in
Liepāja
Liepāja (; liv, Līepõ; see other names) is a state city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. It is the largest-city in the Kurzeme Region and the third-largest city in the country after Riga and Daugavpils. It is an important ice-f ...
,
Latvia to Maishe and Malshen (Kutisker) Hurwitz, who migrated to
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
in what was then the
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Tran ...
with their two sons when Harry was ten-years-old. In so doing, the family avoided what would have been almost certain death during the
Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
, when all but 20 or 30 of the city's 7,000
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
were murdered by
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
and
Latvian collaborators.
Zionist activity
Latvia was the birthplace of
Betar, the Revisionist
Zionist youth movement
A Zionist youth movement ( he, תנועות הנוער היהודיות הציוניות ''tnuot hanoar hayehudiot hatsioniot'') is an organization formed for Jewish children and adolescents for educational, social, and ideological development, i ...
, which the young Hurwitz joined when he heard
Ze'ev Jabotinsky
Ze'ev Jabotinsky ( he, זְאֵב זַ׳בּוֹטִינְסְקִי, ''Ze'ev Zhabotinski'';, ''Wolf Zhabotinski'' 17 October 1880 – 3 August 1940), born Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky, was a Russian Jewish Revisionist Zionist leade ...
, the founder of
Revisionist Zionism, speak a year before his family's departure. Hurwitz went on to become a national leader of
Betar and Revisionist organizations in South Africa, and later headed the
South African Zionist Federation
The South African Zionist Federation is an organisation formed in 1898, responsible for coordinating all the Zionist activities throughout the country.
It is based in Johannesburg, with additional branches in Cape Town, Durban, and Port Elizabe ...
.
A professional journalist, he served for 25 years as the editor of ''The Jewish Herald,''
a weekly that was the organ of the United Zionist Revisionist Party of Southern Africa,
and was a frequent broadcaster, television commentator and public speaker.
In 1964, Hurwitz was one of Jabotinsky's
pallbearer
A pallbearer is one of several participants who help carry the casket at a funeral. They may wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person.
Some traditions distinguish between the roles o ...
s when he and his wife were reburied on
Mount Herzl
Mount Herzl ( he, הַר הֶרְצְל ''Har Hertsl''), also ''Har ha-Zikaron'' ( lit. "Mount of Remembrance"), is the site of Israel's national cemetery and other memorial and educational facilities, found on the west side of Jerusalem beside ...
in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
.
A long-time supporter of Menachem Begin, Hurwitz first met the future
Prime Minister of Israel
The prime minister of Israel ( he, רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, Rosh HaMemshala, Head of the Government, Hebrew acronym: he2, רה״מ; ar, رئيس الحكومة, ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief exec ...
in 1946 during a visit 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 ...
following the 22nd
Zionist Congress
The Zionist Congress was established in 1897 by Theodor Herzl as the supreme organ of the Zionist Organization (ZO) and its legislative authority. In 1960 the names were changed to World Zionist Congress ( he, הקונגרס הציוני העו ...
in
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
,
Switzerland, when Begin, as the commander of the
Irgun
Irgun • Etzel
, image = Irgun.svg , image_size = 200px
, caption = Irgun emblem. The map shows both Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan, which the Irgun claimed in its entirety for a future Jewish state. The acronym "Etzel" i ...
, was still in the underground hiding from British authorities. The two continued to maintain contact after Israel gained independence and throughout Begin's two stints as
Leader of the Opposition and his service as
Minister without Portfolio in a
national unity government
A national unity government, government of national unity (GNU), or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other nat ...
.
Government service
Following Begin's 1977 election as Prime Minister, Hurwitz and his wife, Freda, made ''
aliyah'', settling in Jerusalem. He subsequently joined the
Prime Minister's Office as Adviser for External Information, and served in that capacity until 1980, when he was appointed Minister of Information at the
Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C.
The Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of the State of Israel to the United States. It is located at 3514 International Drive, Washington, DC, in the North Cleveland Park neighborhood.
History
The Ambassador is Mi ...
He returned to Jerusalem in mid-1983 to become Adviser to the Prime Minister for
Diaspora Affairs, first under Begin and then, following Begin's resignation, under Yitzhak Shamir. He held that position until Shamir was replaced as prime minister by
Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin (; he, יִצְחָק רַבִּין, ; 1 March 1922 – 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77, and from 1992 until h ...
in July 1992.
Menachem Begin Heritage Center
Upon Begin's death in March 1992, Hurwitz proposed the establishment of a living memorial to Israel's sixth prime minister based on the American
presidential library concept. It was the first such institution in Israel.
To bring that project to fruition he organized the Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation which, under his leadership, raised $20 million to construct the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem, opposite
Mount Zion.
In 1998, at Hurwitz's urging, then-
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 ...
member
Reuven Rivlin
Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin ( he, רְאוּבֵן "רוּבִי" רִיבְלִין ; born 9 September 1939) is an Israeli politician and lawyer who served as the tenth president of Israel between 2014 and 2021. He is a member of the Likud party. R ...
proposed the Menachem Begin Commemoration
Law, which was adopted with support from almost 100 of the Israeli parliament's 120 members. The law established the future Begin Center as the official, state-funded memorial for Prime Minister Menachem Begin.
Opened in 2004, the Center provides a framework for students, soldiers, citizens, and tourists to learn about and experience the life of Menachem Begin, identify his place in history and examine his life's work. The Begin Center houses a museum, archives, library, and research center and hosts a variety of programs "to achieve its goal of passing on to future generations Begin's belief in democracy and parliamentarianism, his vision of peace for a secure Israel, social justice, and the return of Jews to Israel."
Awards
Hurwitz was presented with the 2005 Prime Minister's Prize by Israel's Presidents and Prime Ministers Memorial Council in recognition of his role in establishing the Center
and, in 2008, a ''Yakir Zion'' Award by the South African Zionist Federation in Israel.
Death
Hurwitz served as head of the center until he died on October 1, 2008, at the age of 84 after suffering a massive
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
at his son's home on
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.
He was buried in the section reserved for
Irgun
Irgun • Etzel
, image = Irgun.svg , image_size = 200px
, caption = Irgun emblem. The map shows both Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan, which the Irgun claimed in its entirety for a future Jewish state. The acronym "Etzel" i ...
veterans at the
Har HaMenuchot
Har HaMenuchot ( he, הר המנוחות, Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi pronunciation, Har HaMenuchos, lit. "Mount of Those who are Resting", also known as Givat Shaul Cemetery) is the largest cemetery in Jerusalem. The hilltop burial ground lies at ...
cemetery in Jerusalem.
Eulogies were delivered by
Moshe Arens
Moshe Arens (27 December 1925 – 7 January 2019) was an Israeli aeronautical engineer, researcher, diplomat and Likud politician. A member of the Knesset between 1973 and 1992 and again from 1999 until 2003, he served as Minister of Defense thre ...
,
Benny Begin
Ze'ev Binyamin "Benny" Begin, (; born 1 March 1943) is an Israeli geologist and politician. He was a member of the Knesset for New Hope, having previously served as a member for Likud and Herut – The National Movement. He is the son of former ...
,
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
, Reuven Rivlin, family members, and Begin Center colleagues.
The Center later named its foyer in honor of the Hurwitz family and annually awards the Harry Hurwitz
Hasbara in Action Prize.
Published works
Hurwitz was the author of ''Begin: His Life, Works and Deeds,''
Gefen Publishing House
Gefen Publishing House (הוצאת גפן) is an English language publishing firm located in Jerusalem, which also has a department in New York City. History
Gefen was founded in 1981 by Murray and Hana Greenfield.
Its CEO is Ilan Greenfield, ...
, 2004, , which was previously issued as ''Begin: A Portrait'' by
B'nai B'rith
B'nai B'rith International (, from he, בְּנֵי בְּרִית, translit=b'né brit, lit=Children of the Covenant) is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish peo ...
Book Service, 1994, . It was a revised and updated version of ''Begin: A Portrait,'' The Jewish Herald (PTY) Ltd., 1977, , which was the first Begin biography ever written.
He also co-edited (with
Yisrael Medad Yisrael Medad (born 1947) is an American-born Israeli journalist and author. He was director of Educational Programming and Information resources at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem until June 2017 and has retired from that position. ...
) the posthumously-published ''Peace in the Making: The Menachem Begin-
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 ...
Personal Correspondence,'' Gefen Publishing House, 2011, .
Trivia
Due to a case of mistaken identity after a different man with the same name died, ''
The Jerusalem Post
''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper ...
'' published an
obituary of Hurwitz on January 15, 2001 entitled "A Noble Spirit," written by
Shmuel Katz, who was his predecessor as Begin's Adviser for External Information. "The first thing I did after reading my own obituary was call up my friend Shmuel Katz who wrote it and thank him for all the lovely things he said about me," Hurwitz, who had a sense of humor, told the ''Post'' afterwards. "Not everyone has the privilege of reading their own obituary, and it was a lovely one."
A few days later, at a special meeting on the subject of South African Jewry held at the
Jewish Agency
The Jewish Agency for Israel ( he, הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל, translit=HaSochnut HaYehudit L'Eretz Yisra'el) formerly known as The Jewish Agency for Palestine, is the largest Jewish non-profit organization in the world. ...
, participants were asked to introduce themselves and state where they resided. When his turn came, Hurwitz announced "Harry Hurwitz from heaven."
Hurwitz later framed a copy of the subsequent ''Post'' article in which the newspaper acknowledged the error and hung it on his office wall. (In the end, Hurwitz outlived Katz by almost five months and it was he who attended the other's funeral.)
References
External links
Menachem Begin Heritage Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hurwitz, Zvi Harry
1924 births
2008 deaths
Latvian emigrants to South Africa
Latvian Jews
South African Jews
South African Zionists
Betar members
Irgun members
South African newspaper editors
South African people of Latvian-Jewish descent
Israeli Jews
Israeli people of Latvian-Jewish descent
South African emigrants to Israel
Israeli civil servants
Israeli diplomats
Israeli biographers
Burials at Har HaMenuchot
20th-century biographers