- Kalman Kahana
MKs
Date of birth =31 May ,1910
Year of Aliyah = 1938
Date of death =20 August ,1991
Knesset(s) = 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th,
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th
Party =Agudat Israel Workers
Former parties =United Religious Front ,Religious Torah Front
Gov't roles =Kalman Kahana ( _he. קלמן כהנא, born
31 May ,1910 , died20 August ,1991 ) was a long-servingIsrael i politician and journalist, and a signatory of the Israeli declaration of independence.He was the brother ofYitzhak Kahan , formerPresident of theSupreme Court of Israel .Background
Kalman was born in Galicia, an area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire now in modern-day
Ukraine . He studied Philosophy, Semitic Languages, History and Pedagogy at Berlin University and Würzburg University, eventually gaining a PhD inPhilosophy . He also graduated as aRabbi from theHildsheimer Rabbinical Seminary of Berlin , and was also head of theHaredi Students Organization in the city, as well as being a member of the "Young Aguda".Kalman immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1938, settling in the
Kibbutz ofHafetz Haim . After immigrating, he became editor of theSha'arim newspaper.Political career
Kalman soon became involved in politics, becoming a member of the secretariat of the Executive Committee of
Agudat Israel Workers , and also sat on the central committee of the international organisation. Eventually he became president of the federation.His position as head of the largest Ultra-orthodox workers union meant that he became a member of
Provisional State Council , and was one of the people to sign Israel's declaration of independence.Kahana was elected to the first Knesset as a member of the
United Religious Front , an alliance ofAgudat Israel , the political wing of Agudat Israel Workers, Mizrachi andHapoel HaMizrachi .For the 1951 elections, Agudat Israel Workers stood as an independent party, gaining two seats. Kahana headed the faction in the Knesset, and was appointed Deputy Minister of Education and Culture when the party joined
David Ben-Gurion 's coalition government. The party was involved in bringing down the third government when it disagreed with Ben-Gurion over the need for strengthening religious education. Despite not being a coalition partner in the fourth, fifth and sixth governments, Kahana retained his Deputy Ministerial position.Prior to the 1955 elections, Agudat Israel Workers merged with Agudat Israel to form the
Religious Torah Front . Kahana was elected to theKnesset on the new list. The parties also ran together in the 1959 elections, but split during the Knesset session.Agudat Israel Workers ran independently in the 1961, 1965 and 1969 elections, with Kahana retaining his seat as head of the party each time. He also regained his position as Deputy Minister of Education and Culture after the 1961 and 1965 elections.
The Religious Torah Front was reformed before the 1973 elections, with Kahana winning election on its list, but split again during the session. Agudat Israel Workers won only one seat in the 1977 elections, and he entered the Knesset alone.
However, the party failed to cross the electoral threshold in the 1981 elections, and Kahana lost his Knesset seat. He retired from politics and died ten years later.
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