Yosef Avidar
Avidar in 1960
Born
Yosef Rochel

(1906-05-07)7 May 1906
Kremenets, Russian Empire
Died13 September 1995(1995-09-13) (aged 89)
Israel
SpouseYemima Avidar-Tchernovitz

Yosef Aluf Avidar (7 May 1906 – 13 September 1995) was an Israeli statesman, Haganah commander, author and ambassador to Argentina and the Soviet Union.[1]

Early life

Avidar was born on 7 May 1906 as Yosef Rochel[2] in Kremenets in the Russian Empire and in what is now modern-day Ukraine. His father was Joshua Rochel; his mother, Shprinza.[3] Avidar was a peddler during his time in Ukraine.[4]

In 1929 Avidar immigrated to Mandatory Palestine.[4]

Career

Avidar became a senior commander in a Jewish paramilitary organization called the Haganah.[5] Placed in control of the supply programs,[4] he was responsible for the idea and of constructing an underground ammunition factory called the Ayalon Institute, which was a major supplier of arms to the Haganah.[2][6]

In 1948, after the creation of the Israel Defense Forces, he changed his name from Rochel to Avidar based on an acronym of his two daughters' names.[7] Avidar was the Israeli quartermaster during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and later served as the Israel Defense Forces' deputy chief of staff.[8]

Avidar served as ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1955 to 1958 and as ambassador to Argentina from 1961 to 1965.[9]

Death

Avidar died on 13 September 1995 at the age of 89 from a lung infection.[4]

Personal life

Avidar lost his right hand when he was learning how to use grenades, and was given the nickname "the amputee".[2] He was sent to Vienna for treatment, where he met the future Israeli children's book author and later wife Yemima Avidar-Tchernovitz,[2] who at the time was studying at the University of Vienna.[7]

He received a Doctor of Philosophy in Russian studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.[9]

Works

  • BaDerekh l'Tsahal, 1971[9]
  • Avidar, Yosef (1985). The party and the army in the Soviet Union. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 978-0-271-00393-1. OCLC 11573730.

References

  1. ↑ Avidar, Yosef (1906-1995) (in French). Bibliothèque nationale de France. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Man, Nadav (30 January 2009). "From Jerusalem to Aqaba: Ben-Gurion's travels". Ynetnews. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  3. ↑ David Tidhar, ed. (1952). Yosef Avidar. Vol. 5. p. 2259. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Maj. Gen. Yosef Avidar, a street peddler who rose to become deputy army chief". Retrieved 19 April 2022 – via AP NEWS.
  5. ↑ "The Silver Platter: Establishing the State of Israel". aish.com. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "How a Fake Kibbutz Was Built to Hide a Bullet Factory". Haaretz. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Yemima Tchernovitz-Avidar". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  8. ↑ Gur, Haviv Rettig. "Peres's son has lessons for a new New Middle East". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 Avidar, Yosef (1985). The Party and the Army in the Soviet Union. Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0271003936.
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