Shlomo Zalman Shragai

Shlomo Zalman Shragai served as mayor between the years 1951-1952.

Born to the poor Peivelovich family in the town of Gorzkowice near the city of Piotrków Trybunalski, in the Piotrków province of Poland, in the year 1899. His family was Hassidic, from the Radzin Hassidism and belonging to Hovevei Zion, and in his family he learned the lore and love of the land of Israel and the Torah of Israel.

He married Miriam Spielberg in 1924, and in August of that year immigrated to Eretz Israel. Filled many diverse functions and left his mark on them: an envoy to all Zionist congresses since the 15th Congress in 1929 in Zurich and until the final, 31st Zionist Congress in Jerusalem in 1987. A member of the "Jewish Agency" in Jerusalem and head of its Aliyah division; in the 14 years of his tenure in this position, over half a million Jews from all around the world made Aliyah to Israel. The first elected Mayor of Jerusalem after the establishment of the state, between the years 1950-1952, and from this position, he was placed in the 120th and final place on HaPoel HaMizrachi's list for the Second Knesset in 1951. Of the term of his office as mayor, Supreme Court Justice S.Z. Cheshin once wrote: "Shragai stood his ground; stated his opinion dauntlessly and refused to succumb to pressure and intimidation. The law and the good of the city of Jerusalem were the principles that showed him the way, and his conscience was his guide". He filled many national and public functions, over the course of about 70 years of activity for the land of Israel, the people of Israel and the Torah of Israel. David Ben-Gurion, Isser Harel, Rabbi Kook and many other personages often mention him in their writings, recalling important and fateful actions and decisions to which he was part.