Shragai (Fajwlowicz), Shlomo Zalman

SHRAGAI (Fajwlowicz), SHLOMO ZALMAN (1899–1995), religious Zionist leader. Born in Gorzkowice, Poland, his father was one of the Radzyń Ḥasidim and a member of Ḥovevei Ẓion and of Mizrachi. While still a youth, Shragai founded Ẓe'irei Mizrachi in his native city and published a religious Zionist newspaper entitled Teḥiyyah. He also directed *Mizrachi schools in various places. From 1920 until 1924, he lived in Czestochowa, was a member of the governing board of Mizrachi, and was a founder of He-Ḥalutz ha-Mizrachi and its training farm. He was also a leader of Ẓe'irei Mizrachi in Poland. He settled in Palestine in 1924 and in the following year was delegate to the divided conference of Ha-Po'el ha-Mizrachi in Palestine, the majority of whose delegates decided to join with the *Histadrut. Shragai belonged to the minority and, together with his friends, continued to maintain the independent framework of Ha-Po'el ha-Mizrachi and was elected to its executive. He was chosen as a delegate to Zionist Congresses and as a member of the Zionist General Council and the world center of Mizrachi. In 1929 he was elected to the Va'ad Le'ummi directorate and was head of its department of press and information. In 1946 Shragai was chosen as a member of the *Jewish Agency Executive in London. With the establishment of the State of Israel, he returned to the country and served as a member of the Jewish Agency Executive without portfolio. In 1950 he was elected mayor of Jerusalem and remained at this post until 1952. Two years later he was again elected to the Jewish Agency Executive as head of the Immigration Department and served in this position until 1968.

He was a contributor to the dailies Ha-Ẓofeh and Letste Nayes in Israel, as well as Hebrew and Yiddish papers abroad. He published books and pamphlets on the concept of religious Zionism and the thought behind the Torah va-Avodah movement. Among his works are Teḥumim (1952), Ḥazon ve-Hagshamah (1956), Tahalikhei ha-Ge'ullah ve-ha-Temurah (1959), Sha'ah va-Neẓaḥ (1960), Pa'amei Ge'ullah (1963), and Zemanim (1969).

Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2008 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.