Today (September 11, 2022), marks the 70th anniversary of the death of Israel's first president, Dr. Chaim Weizmann. Many years before he became a president, Weizmann was a devoted Zionist activist, who took part in the second Zionist Congress in 1898 alongside the great Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl, and in 1920 he was named the fourth President of the World Zionist Organization. Now, 70 years after his death, the KKL-JNF archive reveals rare photograph documenting his life.
Weizmann was born in 1874 in the town of Motal in White Russia (now Belarus). As a young boy he studies in the city of Pinsk, were he excelled in chemistry studies. At the age of 18, he travelled to Germany to study, where he joined a group of Zionist Jewish students from Russia. At the age of 24 he moved to Fribourg in Switzerland and a year later he received his PhD in chemistry. From this point on, he divided his time between research and Zionist activities.
In 1904 he married medicine student Vera Khatzman. In the same year, the couple moved to Britain, where Weizmann served as a senior chemistry lecturer at the Manchester University. In 1907, Dr. Weizmann made his first visit to Israel, and in 1910 he received a British citizenship.
In 1934, at the age of 60, the Weizmanns have decided to live in the city of Rehovot. In the same year, with funds donated by the Sieff family, and following the initiative of Dr. Weizmann, the Daniel Sieff Research Institute has opened. In 1949, Dr. Weizmann became the first President of Israel. In the same year, in celebration of his 75th birthday, the Sieff Institute was expanded and renamed The Weizmann Institute of Science. On November 9, 1952, Dr. Weizmann passed away, and in accordance with his will, was buried near his home in Rehovot.
A year earlier, KKL-JNF has expressed its appreciation of Weizmann's activities, and planted a forest named after him – "The President's Forest".
Efrat Sini, manager of the KKL-JNF Photo Archive: "As a scientist, Weizmann achieved fame thanks to his invention which aided Britain during World War I - synthetic acetone used as a replacement for fire powder. He declined an honorary commendation from the King of Britain for his contribution and asked only to care for his people. His strong ties with the British regime at the time led to the famous Balfour Declaration. We are delighted to reveal moments from the life of one of the leading Zionist activists. His photographs are preserved in the KKL-JNF archive, where Israel, its people and leaders, are documented."