Yosef Avidar

{{Infobox person

| image = Yoseph Avidar 1960.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Avidar in 1960

| native_name = יוסף אבידר

| birth_name = Yosef Rochel

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1906|05|07|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Kremenets, Russian Empire

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1995|09|13|1906|05|07|df=yes}}

| death_place = Israel

| nationality =

| native_name_lang = he

| other_names =

| occupation =

| years_active =

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| notable_works =

| spouse = Yemima Avidar-Tchernovitz

}}

Yosef Aluf Avidar ({{Langx|he|יוסף אבידר}}; 7 May 1906 – 13 September 1995) was an Israeli statesman, Haganah commander, author and ambassador to Argentina and the Soviet Union.{{Cite book |url=https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb14627221c |title=Avidar, Yosef (1906-1995) | work = Catalogue Général | publisher = Bibliothèque nationale de France| language=fr}}

Early life

Avidar was born on 7 May 1906 as Yosef Rochel in Kremenets in the Russian Empire and in what is now modern-day Ukraine. His father was Joshua Rochel; his mother, Shprinza.{{cite book |title=Yosef Avidar | work = Encyclopedia of the Founders and Builders of Israel |editor=David Tidhar |volume=5 |page=2259 | year=1952 | url =https://www-tidhar-tourolib-org.translate.goog/tidhar/view/5/2258?_x_tr_sch=http&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en}} Avidar was a peddler during his time in Ukraine.{{Cite news |title=Maj. Gen. Yosef Avidar, a street peddler who rose to become deputy army chief |language=en |url=https://apnews.com/article/99558adc107ea54ea0cecd2664820b5a |access-date=2022-04-19 |via=AP NEWS}}

In 1929 Avidar immigrated to Mandatory Palestine.

Career

Avidar became a senior commander in a Jewish paramilitary organization called the Haganah.{{Cite web |date=2020-04-27 |title=The Silver Platter: Establishing the State of Israel |url=https://aish.com/the-silver-platter-establishing-the-state-of-israel |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=aish.com |language=en-US}} Placed in control of the supply programs, he was responsible for the idea and of constructing an underground ammunition factory called the Ayalon Institute, which was a major supplier of arms to the Haganah.{{Cite news |last=Man |first=Nadav |date=2009-01-30 |title=From Jerusalem to Aqaba: Ben-Gurion's travels |language=en |work=Ynetnews |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3664346,00.html |access-date=2022-04-19}}{{Cite news |title=How a Fake Kibbutz Was Built to Hide a Bullet Factory |language=en |work=Haaretz |url=https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-how-a-fake-kibbutz-hid-a-bullet-factory-1.5238288 |access-date=2022-04-19}}

In 1948, after the creation of the Israel Defense Forces, he changed his name from Rochel to Avidar based on an acronym of his two daughters' names.{{Cite web |title=Yemima Tchernovitz-Avidar |url=https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/tchernovitz-avidar-yemima |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=Jewish Women's Archive |language=en}} Avidar was the Israeli quartermaster during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and later served as the Israel Defense Forces' deputy chief of staff.{{Cite web |last=Gur |first=Haviv Rettig |title=Peres's son has lessons for a new New Middle East |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/peress-son-has-lessons-for-a-new-new-middle-east/ |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US}} After the war, he served as ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1955 to 1958 and as ambassador to Argentina from 1961 to 1965.{{Cite book |last=Avidar |first=Yosef |title=The Party and the Army in the Soviet Union |year=1985 |publisher=Pennsylvania State University Press |isbn=0271003936}}

Death

Avidar died on 13 September 1995 at the age of 89 from a lung infection.

Personal life

Avidar lost his right hand when he was learning how to use grenades, and was given the nickname "the amputee". He was sent to Vienna for treatment, where he met the future Israeli children's book author and later wife Yemima Avidar-Tchernovitz, who at the time was studying at the University of Vienna.

He received a Doctor of Philosophy in Russian studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Works

BaDerekh l'Tsahal, 1971
{{Cite book |last=Avidar |first=Yosef |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/11573730 |title=The party and the army in the Soviet Union |date=1985 |publisher=Pennsylvania State University Press |isbn=978-0-271-00393-1 |location=University Park |language=English |oclc=11573730}}