Yeshayahu Press
Israeli geographer (1874–1955)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yeshayahu Press (Hebrew: ישעיהו פרס; March 2, 1874 – June 11, 1955) was a prominent researcher of the land of Israel and educator, who was born and lived most of his life in Jerusalem.[1] He wrote the first volumes of the four-volume Topographical-Historical Encyclopedia of the Land of Israel (1947/48-1954/55).[2] During Ottoman and then British rule in Palestine, Press served as the first Secretary of the (Jewish) Teachers' Union , helped establish the Jewish Palestine Exploration Society,[3] taught and worked as a school principal, served as President of the Bnei Brit Chamber and helped create a Bnei Brit fund for building houses, was among the founders of the Zichron Moshe neighbourhood in Jerusalem, and so forth.[2] With the 1948 founding of the modern state of Israel, Press was among the driving force behind the establishment of the "Government Naming Committee" in 1949.
- Researcher
- Educator
- Author
- Topographical-Historical Encyclopedia of the Land of Israel
- Founding of the "Government Naming Committee"
Yeshayahu Press was the son of Haim Press , a linguist and newspaper man who lived in Jerusalem and contributed to the revival of the Hebrew language, and Sarah, a teacher at the girls' school founded by Moses Montefiore.[4]
Press was the author of several books, including the travel guide "The Book of Travels in Eretz Israel and Southern Syria", published in Hebrew and German in 1921.[2]
Legacy
Moshav Givat Yeshayahu[1] and a Jerusalem street are named after him.