YITSKHOK FUNT

YITSKHOK FUNT (February 27, 1901-August 5, 1971)

            He was born in Zamość, Lublin district, Poland.  He studied in religious elementary school and synagogue study hall, and he broadened his knowledge through self-study.  For many years he was a member of the central committee of Tseire-Tsiyon (Young Zionists) and the right Labor Zionists in Poland, and he visited the land of Israel for the first time in 1921.  He was one of the creators of the Labor Zionist press in Israel.  He was a cofounder of the Federation of Labor and a member of the Jerusalem Labor Council.  He later traveled to Poland and Western Europe on several occasions on assignments for the pioneer movement.  Over the years 1928-1932, he lived in Warsaw before returning to Israel.  Over the years 1946-1948, he was assigned by the Jewish settlement to go to the displaced persons’ camps in German.  He wrote pieces for: Bafrayung (Liberation), Bafrayung-arbeter shtim (Voice of liberated labor), Dos vort (The word), Dos naye vort (The new word), and he co-edited Haatid (The future [Yiddish supplement to Haḥaluts (The pioneer)]) in Warsaw; and Hapoel hatsair (The young laborer) and Davar (Word), among others, in Tel Aviv.  He was a member of the executive of the Federation of Labor, the Jewish Agency, and the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labour of the state of Israel.  He died in Jerusalem.

Sources: N. Kantorovitsh, in Fun noentn over (New York) 3 (1957), pp. 301, 302, 322, 324; Y. Sheyn, Biblyografye fun yidishe oysgabes (Bibliography of Yiddish publications) (Warsaw, 1963), see index; Yorbukh (New York) 1 (1964), p. 155; Leyb Shpizman, Khalutsim in poyln (Pioneers in Poland), vol. 3 (New York, 1963), see index.

Khayim Leyb Fuks