Ya'akov Geri

{{Short description|Israeli lawyer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Geri yaakov.jpg

| caption = Geri in 1950

| birth_date = 18 September 1901

| birth_place = Seda, Russian Empire

| death_date = {{death date and age|1974|12|18|1901|9|18|df=y}}

| death_place =

| office1 = Ministerial roles

| suboffice1 = Minister of Trade and Industry

| subterm1 = 1950–1951

| native_name = יעקב גרי

| native_name_lang = he

}}

Ya'akov Geri ({{langx|he|יעקב גרי}}; 18 September 1901 – 18 December 1974), also known as Jack Gering,{{cite web|url=http://archive.jta.org/article/1950/11/01/3026178/israel-parliament-to-vote-today-on-new-cabinet-sharett-returns-to-lake-success|title=Israel Parliament to Vote Today on New Cabinet; Sharett Returns to Lake Success|publisher=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|date=1 November 1950|access-date=23 March 2013}} was an Israeli lawyer who served as Minister of Trade and Industry between November 1950 and October 1951, although he never was a Knesset member.

Born in Seda in the Russian Empire (today in Lithuania),Josef Rosin (2009) [http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/lithuania6/lit6_274.html Protecting Our Litvak Heritage: A History of 50 Jewish Communities in Lithuania], p274 Geri later moved to South Africa. He studied law and humanities at the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Johannesburg, and worked as a lawyer for several years before emigrating to Mandatory Palestine in 1934.{{Cite Tidhar|11|3863|יעקב (ג'ק) מאיר גרי (גרינג)|title=Ya'akov (Jack) Meir Geri (Gering)}} After arriving in Israel he initially worked for Dov Yosef's law firm before being appointed secretary of the Africa Palestine Investment Company in 1935.{{cite web|url=http://archive.jta.org/article/1944/12/08/2865576/celebrations-in-south-africa-mark-observance-of-dr-weizmanns-birthday|title=Celebrations in South Africa Mark Observance of Dr. Weizmann's Birthday|publisher=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|date=8 December 1944|access-date=23 March 2013}}

On 1 November 1950 Geri was appointed Minister of Trade and Industry in David Ben-Gurion's second government, a post he held until 8 October 1951. After his term as Minister he became head of a group of South African companies in Israel.{{cite web|url=http://archive.jta.org/article/1954/02/12/3038348/israeli-inflation-mastered-former-trade-minister-says|title=Israeli Inflation "mastered" Former Trade Minister Says|publisher=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|date=12 February 1954|access-date=23 March 2013}}