About Shevah Weiss
Shevah Weiss, 87, Polish-born Israeli politician, member (1981–1999) and speaker (1992–1996) of the Knesset.
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Full Biography
|Shevah Weiss (Hebrew: שבח וייס; 5 July 1935 – 3 February 2023) was an Israeli politician who served as Knesset Speaker under Yitzhak Rabin. He was Israel's ambassador to Poland and chairman of Yad Vashem.
Biography
Shevah Weiss was born in Borysław, Poland to Gienia and Meir Wolf Weiss. During the Holocaust, his father built a hiding place for the family behind the wall of their store. He built bunk beds, one on top of the other, up to the ceiling. Weiss lived in this tiny space with his parents, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin and neighbor. Later they lived in the basement of a children’s orphanage. Neighbors provided them with food and water. Weiss recalls: "My father cooked a soup consisting of one potato and water for our whole group. But in the end, we were reduced to chewing book covers made of genuine leather." Weiss later expressed his gratitude to the families who saved him, whom he described as “amazing people, my heroes…[who] will always be in my heart”.
Weiss immigrated to Palestine in 1947. He graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with a BA in International Relations in 1961. He went on to earn an MA in Political Science and contemporary Jewish studies and a PhD.
Weiss was married to Esther, with whom he had two children. Dr. Esther Weiss died of cancer in 2005.
Academic career
In 1975, Weiss became a professor at the University of Haifa.
Shevach Weiss was a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Warsaw. In 2008, Prof. Shevach Weiss and Prof. Elżbieta Kossewska established the Center for Research on Israel and the Jewish Diaspora at this Faculty. After Shevach Weiss's death, in honor of his memory, by decision of the University Authorities, the Center changed its name to the Shevah Weiss Center for Research on Israel and the Jewish Diaspora.
Political, civic and diplomatic career
Weiss served as a member of the board of the Haifa municipality between 1969 and 1981, when he was elected to the Knesset as a member of the Alignment. Between 1988 and 1992, he served as a Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, and between 1992 and 1996 as Speaker. He lost his seat in the 1999 elections.
On November 4, 1995, Weiss was on stage with Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres at the peace rally in Tel Aviv where Rabin was assassinated.
In 2000 he became a president of the Yad Vashem Council. From 2001 to 2003, he served as an Israeli ambassador in Poland. On 4 January 2004, for his contribution to the cooperation between Poland and Israel, President Aleksander Kwaśniewski awarded him the Grand Cross (1st class) of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
Weiss spoke Hebrew, Yiddish, Polish, Russian and English. He died on 3 February 2023 in Tel Aviv, at the age of 87.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Articles & News
- timesofisrael.comKnesset speaker, ambassador to Poland Shevah Weiss dies at 87
- haaretz.comShevah Weiss, Former Knesset Speaker and Israel's Ambassador to Poland, Dies at 87
- jpost.comShevah Weiss, former Knesset speaker, Holocaust survivor dies at 87
Reported coverage of Shevah Weiss; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shevah_Weiss
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 9 questions
Questions drawn from Shevah Weiss's archived record and the sources above.
1.In which year was Shevah Weiss born?
- A.1935correct
- B.1929
- C.1923
- D.1926
Shevah Weiss was born in 1935.
Source: Profile: year of birth: "in Tel Aviv, at the age of 87. == See also == List of Knesset speakers Israel–Poland relations == References == == External links == Shevah Weiss on the Knesset webs
2.In which month did Shevah Weiss die?
- A.March
- B.Februarycorrect
- C.May
- D.April
Shevah Weiss died in February.
Source: Archive record: date of death: "chive record: year of death 2023. Archive record: year of birth 1935. Archive record: age at death 87. Archive record: place of birth Borysław. Archive record
3.On which day of the month did Shevah Weiss die?
- A.3correct
- B.4
- C.2
- D.5
Shevah Weiss died on day 3 of the month.
Source: Archive record: date of death: ": year of death 2023. Archive record: year of birth 1935. Archive record: age at death 87. Archive record: place of birth Borysław. Archive record: occupation
4.Where was Shevah Weiss born?
- A.Kraków
- B.Marseille
- C.Borysławcorrect
- D.Turin
Shevah Weiss was born in Borysław.
Source: Biography: place of birth: "peakers Israel–Poland relations == References == == External links == Shevah Weiss on the Knesset website Archive record: year of death 2023. Archive record: year
5.In which field was Shevah Weiss known?
- A.architect
- B.chemist
- C.politiciancorrect
- D.novelist
The biography describes Shevah Weiss as a politician.
Source: Profile: occupation: "= References == == External links == Shevah Weiss on the Knesset website Archive record: year of death 2023. Archive record: year of birth 1935. Archive record: age at
6.What did Shevah Weiss die of?
- A.a stroke
- B.pneumonia
- C.cancercorrect
- D.heart failure
The biography records that Shevah Weiss died of cancer.
Source: Biography: cause of death: "hevah Weiss on the Knesset website Archive record: year of death 2023. Archive record: year of birth 1935. Archive record: age at death 87. Archive record: place
7.Where did Shevah Weiss study?
- A.Harvard University
- B.University of Cambridge
- C.Hebrew University of Jerusalemcorrect
- D.University of Oxford
Shevah Weiss is recorded as having studied at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Source: wikipedia-text article text: where they studied · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shevah_Weiss · retrieved 2026-11-14
8.In which year did Shevah Weiss die?
- A.2010
- B.2023correct
- C.2014
- D.2016
Shevah Weiss died in 2023.
Source: Profile: year of death: "ord: year of death 2023. Archive record: year of birth 1935. Archive record: age at death 87. Archive record: place of birth Borysław. Archive record: occupation pol
9.How old was Shevah Weiss when they died?
- A.87correct
- B.82
- C.76
- D.79
Shevah Weiss was 87 years old at the time of death.
Source: Profile: age at death: "== See also == List of Knesset speakers Israel–Poland relations == References == == External links == Shevah Weiss on the Knesset website Archive record: year of deat
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