Politicsמאיר דוד לוינשטיין

Meir David Loewenstein

Meir David Loewenstein was an Israeli politician of Agudat Yisrael who signed Israel's Declaration of Independence and served in the first Knesset.

1904 to 1995Signing the Declaration of IndependenceAgudat Yisrael leadershipMember of the first Knesset

Born: 1 June 1904, Copenhagen
Died: 15 August 1995, Bnei Brak
Occupation: politician
Party: United Religious Front

Meir David Loewenstein was born in 1904 in Copenhagen

Loewenstein was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1904. His father was Rabbi Tuvia Loewenstein, the rabbi of Zurich. He studied at a business school in Zurich and at a rabbinical seminary in Amsterdam.

As a young man he joined the Agudat Yisrael youth movement in Europe and later chaired it. In 1934 he moved to Mandatory Palestine and stayed active in Agudat Yisrael.

He represented Agudat Yisrael in Moetzet HaAm and signed the Declaration of Independence in 1948. He then sat on the Provisional State Council and its committee on a temporary constitution. He opposed the idea of a constitution for Israel.

In 1949 he was elected to the first Knesset for the United Religious Front. In late 1950 he joined Eliyahu Kitov in challenging the party leadership, and they were removed from the party. He lost his seat in the 1951 elections.

He founded the Switzerland-Israel Chamber of Commerce and later imported weaving machines. In 1972 he became chairman of the Committee for Spiritual Salvation. He had 7 children and died in 1995.