Literatureשולמית הראבן

Shulamith Hareven

Shulamith Hareven was an Israeli writer, essayist and translator, and the first woman to join the Academy of the Hebrew Language.

1930 to 2003The novel City of Many DaysThirst: The Desert TrilogyEssays on Israeli societyHelping found IDF Radio

Born: 14 February 1930, Warsaw
Died: 25 November 2003, Jerusalem
Occupation: writer, journalist, translator, essayist

Shulamith Hareven was born in 1930 in Warsaw

Shulamith Hareven was born Shulamith Riftin in Warsaw to a Zionist family. Her father Avraham was a lawyer and her mother Natalia was a teacher. The family immigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1940, and she grew up in Jerusalem.

As a young woman she joined the Haganah and served as a combat medic in the fighting for Jerusalem during the War of Independence. She later helped found IDF Radio and opened its broadcasts in 1950. She was a war correspondent in the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War.

In 1962 she published the poetry book Predatory Jerusalem, and later wrote prose, plays, children's books and translations. Her essays on Israeli society appeared in journals and newspapers and were collected in 4 volumes. Her works were translated into 21 languages.

In 1979 she became the first woman admitted to the Academy of the Hebrew Language. She was an early activist in Peace Now. She married Alouph Hareven in 1954, and their children are Itai Hareven and the writer Gail Hareven.

She died in 2003 and was buried at Har HaMenuchot in Jerusalem. An archive of her materials opened at Ben-Gurion University in 2012.

Shulamith Hareven's life in 9 milestones

1940
Immigrated with her family to Mandate Palestine.
1950
Opened the broadcasts of IDF Radio.
1954
Married Alouph Hareven.
1962
Published the poetry book Predatory Jerusalem.
1972
Published the novel City of Many Days.
1979
Became the first woman in the Academy of the Hebrew Language.
1995
Named an Author of Peace by the French weekly L'Express.
2001
Published her last book, Many Days, an Autobiography.
2003
Died and was buried in Jerusalem.

Shulamith Hareven served in the military

She served in the Haganah as a combat medic in the fighting for Jerusalem during the War of Independence, then helped found IDF Radio. She was a war correspondent in the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War.