Avraham Ravitz


Avraham Ravitz was an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for Degel HaTorah, which forms part of the United Torah Judaism alliance.

Biography

Avraham Ravitz was born in Tel Aviv during the Mandate era. He studied at Hebron Rabbinical College, served in the Lehi, and later in the IDF. Ravitz was married to Avigayil, with whom he had 12 children. He lived in the Bayit VeGan neighborhood of Jerusalem. In January 2009, he was hospitalized at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem due to heart problems. He died on January 26, 2009.

Political career

Ravitz was first elected to the Knesset in 1988, and in June 1990, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Housing and Construction. Although he lost his seat in the 1992 elections, Yitzhak Peretz resigned three days into the new Knesset term, and Ravitz replaced him. He retained his seat in elections in 1996 and 1999. When Ariel Sharon formed a new government in 2001, Ravitz was appointed Deputy Minister of Education. He was re-elected in 2003, and in March 2005, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Welfare and Social Services. He retained his seat again in the 2006 election.
In November 2008, Ravitz announced that he was leaving politics, although he planned to continue to serve as Degel HaTorah chairman.