Background
Warhaftig was born in Volkovysk in the Russian Empire (today Vaŭkavysk, Belarus) in 1906. His parents were Yerucham Warhaftig and Rivka Fainstein. During World War II Rabbi Warhaftig convinced the Japanese Vice-Consul in Kaunas Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara, to issue visas for the entire Mir yeshiva. By doing this Chiune Sugihara saved thousands of lives and families from the hands of the Nazis who by then were in control of Poland and then Lithuania. He immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine in 1947 and immediately got involved in politics. Initially he joined the Hapoel HaMizrachi party, a religious-zionist party, and was elected to the first Knesset as part of the United Religious Front, an alliance between Mizrachi, Hapoel HaMizrachi, Agudat Israel and Agudat Israel Workers. In 1948 he had also started lecturing in Jewish Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a role he maintained until 1963.
The party contended in the 1951 elections alone. Although it only won two seats, it was included in David Ben-Gurion's coalition, and Warhaftig was appointed Deputy Minister of Religions in the fourth government. In 1956, Hapoel HaMizrachi and Mizrachi merged to form the National Religious Party. Warhaftig led the party and retained his ministerial role until the end of the third Knesset.
After the 1961 elections (the fifth Knesset) he was appointed Minister of Religions, a position he held until 1974. In 1981 he left the Knesset.
Warhaftig was among the founders of Bar-Ilan University.
Read more about this topic: Zerach Warhaftig
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