The Jewish Chronicle
On this day: Chaim Weizmann elected
May 16 1948: Israel’s first president
May 16, 2011 08:48
By, Jennifer Lipman
1 min read
May 16 1948: Israel’s first president
May 16, 2011 08:48By, Jennifer Lipman
Two days after David Ben Gurion declared Israel's independence and the surrounding Arab armies attacked, the fledgling state voted in its first president. He would not be officially sworn in until the following February
Chaim Weizmann, the first person to hold the office, served for four years. Born in a Russian shtetl in 1874, he was an impressive student who at 18 gained a place studying biochemistry at the prestigious Berlin Polytechnic.
In Germany, the young Weizmann developed an interest in the idea of Zionism as the spiritual centre for the Jews. As his academic career progressed – in 1901 he began working at the university in Geneva and three years later he began working at Manchester University – so too did his adherence to Zionist ideology.
By the time of the Balfour Declaration in 1917 Weizmann, known for his charm and eloquence, had strong contacts with members of the British government and had became a strong voice for the Zionist cause.
