Advocate for intercultural dialogue
Shevah Weiss was born in 1935 in Borysław, located in the so-called Eastern Borderlands, which were part of the territory of Poland prior to WWII (currently Boryslav, Ukraine). He was only four years old when Germany invaded Poland in September 1939. Shevah and his family survived the German occupation and the Holocaust thanks to their Polish and Ukrainian neighbors, who risked their own lives to hide the Weiss family. This early formative experience shaped his later public mission, aimed at building a climate of mutual understanding between Israelis and Poles. During his time as Israeli ambassador to Poland Shevah Weiss gained widespread respect for his efforts to dispel negative stereotypes and foster reflection on our shared history.
He was a man of many talents — a diplomat, an athlete, soldier, radio journalist, university lecturer and author of numerous books on the Holocaust, political science, and stories for children.
Prominent statesman
Professor Weiss was one of the founders of the State of Israel. He was a member of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset (1981-1999) and served as its Speaker from 1992 to 1996. He was also a delegate to the Council of Europe.
In 2000, Professor Shevah Weiss became Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council — The World Holocaust Remembrance Center.
Esteemed diplomat
Throughout his career, Professor Weiss received numerous distinctions in Poland, including the country’s highest honors, such as the Order of the White Eagle and the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. He was also the recipient of the Bene Merito Honorary Badge awarded by Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Renowned scholar
Shevah Weiss studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv University and earned a doctorate in Political Science and Contemporary Jewish Studies. He was a Professor of Political Science at Haifa University and a researcher in the fields of diplomacy and foreign policy.
In 2013, Professor Weiss received an honorary doctorate from SWPS University for his outstanding achievements in political science and research on contemporary Israel, and for his significant contribution to the development of Polish-Israeli relations.
Farewell to a dedicated statesman
Shevah Weiss was buried at the Herzl Hill cemetery in Jerusalem, where the country's most important leaders are laid to rest. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remembered him as a "faithful representative of the people of Israel and Holocaust survivors" who dedicated himself "with every fiber of his being" to the commemoration of the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel.