Signers of the Declaration of Independence


The announcement of the establishment of the state sparked joyous demonstrations out in the streets of a new-born Israel. (Ilani)

The 37 signers of the Declaration of Independence were members of the Provisional Council of State, leaders of the state-in-the-making representing its communities. The oldest was 82; the youngest, 29. Two were women; three became prime ministers; one became president; 14 became cabinet ministers.


David Ben-Gurion (1886-1973) - First prime minister.
Daniel Auster (1893-1962) - First mayor of Jerusalem after state was declared.
Mordechai Bentov (1900-1985) - Mapam leader, minister of housing.
Izhak Ben-Zvi (1884-1963) - Second president of Israel.
Eliyahu Meir Berligne (1866-1959) - General Zionists leader and a founder of Tel Aviv.
Perez (Fritz) Bernstein (1890-1971) - General Zionists leader, minister of commerce and industry.
Rachel Cohen (Kagen) (1888-1982) - WIZO activist and MK.
Eliyahu Dobkin (1898-1976) - Head of the Jewish Agency's Youth and Hehalutz Department.
Wolf (Ze'ev) Gold (1889-1956) - Religious Zionist leader, Jewish Agency Executive Member.
Meir Grabovsky (Argov) (1905-1963) - Secretary-General of the World Zionist Labor Movement.
Abraham Granott (Granovsky) (1890-1962) - Chairman of the Progressive Party, MK.
Yitzhak Gruenbaum (1879-1970) - Leader of El Hamishmar Zionist faction, member of Zionist Executive.
Kalman Kahana (1910-1991) - Poalei Agudat Yisrael leader, deputy minister of education.
Eliezer Kaplan (1891-1952) - First minister of finance.
Sa'adia Kobashi - Member of the Provisional Council of State, leader of Yemenite community.
Moshe Kol (Kolodny) (1911-1989) Liberal Party leader, minister of tourism.
Yitzhak Meir Levin (1894-1971) - Agudat Yisrael leader, minister of social welfare.
Meir David Loewenstein (1904-1995) - Agudat Yisrael leader, MK.
Zvi Lurie (1906-1968) - Mapam leader, Jewish Agency official.
Yehudah Leib Hakohen Maimon (Fishman) (1875-1962) - Mizrahi leader, minister of religious affairs.
Golda Meir (Myerson) (1898-1978) - Fourth prime minister.
Avraham Nissan (Katznelson) (1888-1956) - Mapai member; ambassador to Scandinavian countries.
Nahum Nir-Rafalkes (1884-1968) - Labor leader, second speaker of the Knesset
David Zvi Pinkas (1895-1952) - Mizrahi leader, minister of transportation.
Moshe David Remez (Drabkin) (1886-1951) - Mapai leader, minister of communications.
Berl Repetur (1902-1989) - Labor leader, MK.
Pinhas Rosen (Felix Rosenblueth) (1887-1978) - Progressive Party leader, minister of justice.
Zvi Segal (Moses Hirsch) (1876-1968) - Revisionist Movement leader.
Moshe (Hayim) Shapira (1902-1970) - National Religious Party leader, minister of religious affairs.
Mordechai Shattner - Industrialist, Mapai member of the Executive of the Provisional Council of State.
Moshe Sharett (Shertok) (1894-1965) - Second prime minister.
Behor Shalom Shitrit (1895-1967) - Sephardi leader, minister of police.
Ben-Zion Sternberg (1894 -1962) - Revisionist member of the Provisional Council of State.
Herzl Vardi (Naftali Herzl Rosenblum) (1903-1991) - Revisionist leader.
Meir Wilner-Kovner (1918 - ) - Communist Party leader and MK.
Zerah Warhaftig (1906- ) - National Religious Party leader, minister of religious affairs.
Aharon Zisling (1901-1964) - Labor leader, MK.

- Compiled by Elli Wohlgelernter

Other Features

 

Other Links

Photo Albums

War of Independence photo album
Jerusalem 1948 photo album
War of Independence is won! photo album

Interview

With octogenarian Alexander Zvielli
Media Player
Real Player

Audio/Photo Tour

Independence Day Audio/Visual
field trip...

Special Six-Day War

The Six Day War
after 35 years

Mike Ronen: "They were a different lot back then..."

Jerusalem Post Supplements:
Independence Day 53
Israel celebrates 50
Palestine Post 1948 edition

Miscellaneous

Ha-Tikva -
Israel's National Anthem

Read about
the National Flag

 


© 1995 - 2008 The Jerusalem Post. All rights reserved.
About Us | Media Kit | Advertise with Us | Subscribe | Contact Us