Shlomo Zalman Shragai

Shlomo Zalman Shragai was born in 1898 in Gorzkowice

Shragai was born in Gorzkowice, Poland, into an Orthodox Jewish family. He studied in yeshivas and joined the religious Zionist movement. He was drafted into the Polish army and served in the Polish-Soviet War.

In 1924 he married Miriam Spielberg and moved to the Land of Israel. He was a leader of the Torah VeAvodah movement and Hapoel HaMizrachi. He was a delegate to every Zionist Congress from 1929 to 1987.

In January 1951 the city council chose him as mayor of Jerusalem over Daniel Auster. He resigned in August 1952, citing his health.

He then headed the immigration department of the Jewish Agency and made secret trips to Muslim countries to help Jews leave. He helped found religious neighborhoods such as Kiryat Sanz in Netanya. He wrote many books and articles on religious Zionism and Hasidism.

He had 4 children. Bar-Ilan University gave him an honorary doctorate in 1982. He died in 1995 and was buried on the Mount of Olives.