Ephraim Katzir

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Ephraim Katzir
4th President of the State of Israel
In office
24 May 1973 – 19 April 1978
Preceded byZalman Shazar
Succeeded byYitzhak Navon
Personal details
Born(1916-05-16)16 May 1916
Kiev, Russian Empire
Died30 May 2009(2009-05-30) (aged 93)
Rehovot, Israel
NationalityIsraeli
Political partyIsraeli Labor Party
SpouseNina Gottlieb
ProfessionScientist

Ephraim Katzir (Hebrew: אפרים קציר) (May 16, 1916 – May 30, 2009) was an Israeli biophysicist and former Israeli Labor Party politician. He was President of Israel from 1973 until 1978.

Biography

Katzir was born Efraim Katchalski, son of Yehuda and Tzila Katchalski, in Kiev, in the Russian Empire. In 1925 (several publications cite 1922[1] ), he immigrated to Palestine with his family and settled in Jerusalem. In 1932, he graduated from Gymnasia Rehavia. [2] Like his brother, Aharon, he was interested in science.He studied botany, zoology, chemistry and bacteriology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1938, he received an M.Sc, and in 1941, he received a Ph.D. degree.[2] In 1939, he graduated from the first Haganah officers course, and became commander of the student unit in the field forces ('Hish). He and his brother worked on development of new explosives. In May, 1948, Ephraim was appointed commander of the "Heyl Mada" (HEMED) - scientific research and development corps.[3] His brother, chairman of the Department of Polymer Research at Weizmann Institute, was murdered in the Lod Airport Massacre.

Katzir was married to Nina (née Gottlieb), who died in 1986. They had a son, Meir, and three grandchildren. Katzir died on May 30, 2009 at his home in Rehovot.[2][4]

Scientific career

After continuing his studies at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Columbia University and Harvard University, he returned to Israel and became head of the Department of Biophysics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, an institution he helded to found. In 1966-1968, Katzir was Chief Scientist of the Israel Defense Forces.[2] His initial research centered on simple synthetic protein models, but he also developed a method for binding enzymes, which helped lay the groundwork for what is now called enzyme engineering.

Presidency

In 1973, Golda Meir contacted Katzir at Harvard University, asking him to accept the presidency. He hebraicized his family name to Katzir, which means 'harvest'. In November 1977, he hosted President Anwar Sadat of Egypt in the first ever official visit of an Arab head of state. In 1978 he declined to stand for a second term due to his wife's illness,[4] and was succeeded by Yitzhak Navon. After stepping down as President, he returned to his scientific work.

Awards and commemoration

  • In 1959, Katzir was awarded the Israel Prize in life sciences.[5]
  • In 1977, he was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society.
  • In 1985, he was awarded the Japan Prize.
  • In 2000, the Rashi Foundation established the Katzir Scholarship Program in honor of Katzir, one of the first members of its board of directors.[6]

References

  1. ^ KUnderground group's explosives maker who became president
  2. ^ a b c d "Israel's fourth president, Ephraim Katzir, dies". The Times of India Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. 31 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  3. ^ Katzir bio
  4. ^ a b Israel's fourth president Ephraim Katzir dies at 93 Haaretz, 31 May 2009
  5. ^ "Israel Prize Official Site - Recipients in 1959 (in Hebrew)".
  6. ^ Katzir Scholarship Program

External links

  • [1] My Contributions to Science and Society, Ephraim Katchalski-Katzir
  • Ephraim Katzir Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • [2] PM Netanyahu eulogizes former President Ephraim Katzir
  • [3] Ephraim Katzir (Katchelsky) (1916-2009)

See also

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