Zvi Hermann Schapira, 1840-1898

Zvi Hermann Schapira, 1840-1898CIE+

Lithuanian-born Schapira was a math professor at the University of Heidelberg. He first proposed creating what became the Jewish National Fund to purchase and develop land in Palestine. At the First Zionist Congress in 1897…

Biographies|August 11, 2022
Alexander Schindler, 1925-2000

Alexander Schindler, 1925-2000CIE+

Serving from 1973 to 1996 as the president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Schindler aligned the Reform movement with Zionism. Going back to the mid-19th century, Reform had emphasized Jewish religion over peoplehood….

Biographies|October 17, 2022
Natan Sharansky, 1948-

Natan Sharansky, 1948-CIE+

One of the most famous Jewish refuseniks in the Soviet Union, Natan Sharansky survived Siberian imprisonment to make it to Israel, where he became a politician, author and Jewish Agency chairman.

Biographies|September 23, 2022
Abba Hillel Silver, 1893-1963

Abba Hillel Silver, 1893-1963CIE+

Silver, a child immigrant to New York from Lithuania, was a leading American advocate and fundraiser for Zionism and headed the U.S. Zionist establishment in the late 1940s. He rallied support for a Jewish state…

Biographies|October 17, 2022
Leonard Stein, 1887-1973

Leonard Stein, 1887-1973CIE+

A British lawyer, Stein was stationed with the army in Jerusalem and Cairo and was part of the pre-mandate British administration of Palestine. He published a 1922 pamphlet titled “The Truth About Palestine” to counter…

Biographies|October 17, 2022
Michael Steinhardt, 1940-

Michael Steinhardt, 1940-CIE+

Billionaire New York philanthropist Steinhardt’s extensive donations to Jewish causes include co-founding Birthright Israel with Charles Bronfman and launching a network of Hebrew-language charter schools. He chaired the board of Tel Aviv University and endowed…

Biographies|October 17, 2022