World Jewish News

Shmuel Ben-Artzi, father-in-law of Benjamin Netanyahu, dies at 97

Shmuel Ben-Artzi, father of Sarah Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister’s wife, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 97 in Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital in Jerusalem.
He died with his daughter and her husband at his side.
In the past few months Ben-Artzi has been living in the prime minister's residence, where his daughter cared for him through his last days
An educator, writer and poet, Ben-Artzi was born in Poland and immigrated to Israel in 1933.
He served in the Irgun and Haganah organizations, and after Israel was established he became a teacher, a school principal and an educator in communities across the country.
His acquaintances described him as a modest, righteous man who was admired by his students and inspired them with his sensitivity, Ynet news writes.
He published several books on Judaism, the most recent of which details his life as a yeshiva student in Israel and the inner debate between Torah and secular Zionism that faced many young students at the time.

EJP