SHLOYME-ZALMEN (SHLOMO ZALMAN) SHRAGAI

SHLOYME-ZALMEN (SHLOMO ZALMAN) SHRAGAI (December 31, 1898-September 1, 1995)

            He was a religious journalist, born in Gorzkowice, Poland.  He attended religious elementary schools and yeshivas.  He was one of the leaders of “Tora veavoda” (Torah and belief) movement in Poland, and from 1924, when he arrived in the land of Israel, of “Hapoel hamizraḥi” (Mizrachi workers) and of Mafdal (Miflaga Datit Leumit, or the National Religious Party).  He was a member of the Jewish Agency and mayor of Jerusalem (1950-1952), among other posts.  He published thoughtful journalistic essays and pieces—in both Hebrew and Yiddish—on the topic of Judaism and religious Zionism.  In addition to Hebrew periodicals, he placed work in: Tshenstokhover tageblat (Częstochowa daily newspaper); Unzer lebn (Our life) in Warsaw; Der mizrakhi veg (The Mizrachi way), Morgn-zhurnal (Morning journal), and Tog-morgn-zhurnal (Day-morning journal) in New York; and Heymish (Familiar) and Letste nayes (Latest news) in Tel Aviv; among other serials.  In book form: In gerangl far yidishkeyt (In the struggle for Judaism) (Tel Aviv: Letste nayes, 1960), 188 pp.; Der yidisher shabes (The Jewish Sabbath) (Paris: Unzer veg, 1966), 55 pp.; Vuhin? Yidishe kegnvart un tsukunft (Where to? Jewish present and future) (Paris: Unzer veg, 1968), 62 pp.; Yidishe shmuesn (Jewish conversations) (Paris: Unzer veg, 1969), 64 pp.; Yidishe yontoyvim, purim, peysekh (Jewish holidays, Purim [and] Passover) (Paris: Unzer veg, 1970), 63 pp.; Di rebeyim funem izhbitse-radziner kheyder, zayer veltblik un lebens-veg (The rabbis of the Izhbitse-Radziner religious elementary school, their world view and pathway in life) (Paris: Unzer veg, 1972), 47 pp.  Among his Hebrew-language books: Teḥumim (Domains) (Jerusalem, 1951), 448 pp.; Tahalikhe hatemurah ṿehageula (The process of transformation and redemption) (Jerusalem, 1959), 560 pp.; Shaa venetsaḥ (An hour and an eternity) (Jerusalem, 1960), 470 pp.

Sources: Getzel Kressel, Leksikon hasifrut haivrit (Handbook of Hebrew literature), vol. 2 (Merḥavya, 1967); Meylekh Ravitsh, Mayn leksikon (My lexicon), vol. 3 (Montreal, 1958); D. Tidhar, in Entsiklopedyah leḥalutse hayishuv uvonav (Encyclopedia of the pioneers and builders of the yishuv), vol. 4 (Tel Aviv, 1950); Yeshurin archive, YIVO (New York).

Ruvn Goldberg