Yitzhak Elazari Volcani

Yitzhak Elazari Volcani (Hebrew: יצחק אביגדור אלעזרי-וולקני; January 28, 1880 - May 24, 1955)^[1] was a writer, agronomist and botanist, pioneer of agricultural research in Israel and the founder of Volcani Center of Agricultural Research.

Born(1880-01-28)January 28, 1880

Eišiškės, Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire

DiedMay 24, 1955(1955-05-24) (aged 75)

Rehovot, Israel

Burial place

Nahalal Cemetery

Quick facts Born, Died ...

Yitzhak Elazari Volcani
יצחק אלעזרי וולקני
Yitzhak Volcani in 1923
Born	(1880-01-28)January 28, 1880 Eišiškės, Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	May 24, 1955(1955-05-24) (aged 75) Rehovot, Israel
Burial place	Nahalal Cemetery

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Born as Yitzchak-Avigdor Wilkansky in Eišiškės, Russian Empire (now in Lithuania),^[2] Elazari-Volcani got a degree in Agronomy from the University of Königsberg^[3] and made aliyah to Eretz Israel in 1908.^[4][5] There, he worked as a director of experimental farm in Ben Shemen and Huldah,^[2][6][7] where he lived from 1914,^[8] and was a member of Zionist organization Hapoel Hatzair.^[5] He founded the first agricultural research station in Israel,^[9] that later became a faculty of the Hebrew University.^[3] As a member of Hapoel Hatzair, Volcani was a proponent of moshav rather that kibbutz, believing in a "personal freedom of creation" as opposed by more collectivist kibbutz movement.^[10] Volcani was a member of Executive Committee of the Zionist Organization in Palestine, and advisor of the World Zionist Organization.^[3]

He wrote several plays and articles in Hebrew under pseudonyms Ben Avuya and A. Zioni.^[2][8]

His brother, Meir Wilkansky (1882–1949), was a Hebrew writer and translator.^[2][11] His son, Benjamin Elazari Volcani, was a biologist who found life in the Dead Sea;^[12] his daughter, Zafrira Volcani (1910-1988), was a microbiologist.^[13]