This is the fourth part of Treasure Trove’s celebration of Israel’s 78th Independence Day.

On May 14, 1948 David Ben Gurion read Israel’s Declaration of Independence and proclaimed the State into existence.  The 37 members of the Moetzet Ha’am (the People’s Council, the temporary pre-State legislative body that became the temporary government upon independence) signed the document. Chaim Weizmann, who two days later became Israel’s first President, was not given the privilege of signing the document that created Israel even though Ben Gurion recognized him as the person who did “more than any other living man toward its creation.”

Weizmann (1874 to 1952) dedicated his life to his two passions: Zionism and chemistry. He was first exposed to chemistry by an enlightened heder (religious school) teacher who taught some math and sometimes showed a chemistry text to the students. As an eleven year old prodigy Weizmann was sent from his shtetl to Pinsk to attend high school. He completed a doctorate in Switzerland in 1899 and supported himself through the sale of his inventions.

These revenues also helped him pursue his Zionist work.  In 1904 he accepted a post at the University of Manchester which enabled him........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)