Teddy Kollek

Teddy Kollek (1911-2007) served as the mayor of Jerusalem.

"Much of the face of modern Jerusalem is due to the efforts of former mayor, Theodor “Teddy” Kollek. He worked to develop the city, economically, culturally, and socially, and accord its proper reputation as the capital of modern Israel.

"Kollek was born near Budapest and grew up in Vienna. He was active in the Halutz pioneering movement in Europe and moved to Eretz Yisrael in 1934, where soon thereafter he helped found Kibbutz Ein Gev. From just before the outbreak of World War II, he served abroad in many capacities. Early in his career representing Jewish interests in Europe, he met Adolf Eichmann and arranged for the transfer of three thousand Jewish youth to England. From 1940-1947, he worked with the Jewish Agency in Europe, maintaining close contact with the Jewish underground movement, and was involved with the “Beriha” rescue operation. From 1947-1948, as a representative of the Haganah in Washington, he assisted in amassing essential ammunition for the fledgling army of the state-to-be. He served as minister to Washington early in the 1950's but, close with David Ben-Gurion, Kollek returned to Israel in 1952 to head the Prime Minister's office until 1964. He was founder and director of the Israel Museum, the national museum complex which he felt would be so essential to Jerusalem’s political prestige as a capital city.

"In 1965, Kollek was elected mayor of Jerusalem, and served in that office for the next twenty-eight years."


 * Founder, Jerusalem Foundation
 * Founder, Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies

Books

 * Ruth Bachi-Kolodny, Teddy Kollek. The Man, His Life and His Jerusalem (Gefen Publishing House, 2008). Review

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