Shelly Yachimovich

Shelly Yachimovich was born in 1960 in Kfar Saba

Yachimovich was born in Kfar Saba in 1960. Her parents, Moshe and Hanna, were Holocaust survivors from Poland. Her father was a construction worker and her mother a teacher. She was expelled from Ostrovsky high school in Ra'anana after hanging protest posters against the school's management.

She was conscripted in 1978 and served in personnel and welfare roles. In 1985 she earned a degree in behavioral science from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

She began as a correspondent for Al HaMishmar and later worked for the radio station Reshet Bet, where she hosted a current affairs show from 1993. In October 2000 she moved to Channel 2, hosting a political talk show and serving as a commentator. She covered social, economic and women's issues and gave airtime to the Four Mothers movement.

In November 2005 she left journalism and joined the Labor Party, entering the Knesset in 2006. She was elected party leader in September 2011 and served as Leader of the Opposition in 2012, 2013 and 2019. She lost the party leadership to Isaac Herzog in November 2013 and remained a Knesset member until 2019.