Politicsישראל זינגר

Yisrael Zinger

Yisrael Zinger is an Israeli educator and politician who served as mayor of Ramat Gan from 2013 to 2018.

born 1948Mayor of Ramat GanPrincipal of Blich high schoolPromoting chess

Born: 18 December 1948, Bucharest
Occupation: politician, educator, chess player
Education: Tel Aviv University

Yisrael Zinger was born in 1948 in Bucharest

Zinger was born on December 18, 1948, in Bucharest, Romania. He moved to Israel with his family in 1962.

In 1978 he completed a master's degree in nuclear physics at Tel Aviv University. In 1985 he became principal of Blich high school, where he had studied as a youth, and he held the post until 2003. As principal he set up a chess and checkers club at the school.

He ran for mayor of Ramat Gan in 2003 and won a seat on the city council. From 2006 he headed Ra'anana College, and he later led the opposition on the Ramat Gan council. In 2010 the Ometz movement gave him an award for his work against municipal corruption.

In 2013 he helped found the New Ramat Gan movement and was elected mayor, defeating Carmel Shama-Hacohen. In December 2014 he was questioned on suspicion of bribery, and the case was closed in July 2018. He lost the 2018 runoff to Shama-Hacohen.

Zinger is an active chess player and is married with 3 children.