Mordechai, son of Yehoshua Wolfson, was born in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood in Yafo, in 1900. In 1911, together with his parents, Yehoshua and Sima Walfenzahen, he moved to Petach Tikvah where his father managed an orchard. His grandfather, Yaakov Walfenzahen was one of the students of the GERA- Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman- known as the Gaon of Vilna. In 1809 he came to Israel with a group of 'Perushim' led by Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Shklov. They settled in Tzefat. He went to the 'Sha'arei Torah' Talmud Torah in Neve Shalom and the 'Tachmoni' School in Neve Tzedek. He later studied at the 'Ezra' Teacher's Seminary in Jerusalem. At the end of WWI he volunteered in the Police Force and served in Rishon LeZion and Petach Tikvah. In 1921 he travelled to South Africa where he met his future wife, Rachel. He returned to Israel in 1933 and began working in the treasury department of Petach Tikvah. From the early 1840's he served as the Secretary of the Municipality of Petach Tikvah. Due to his fluency in English, he was appointed as the liason officer between the Municipality (then led by Shlomo Yitzchak Shtampeper) and the British Mandate, the Police and the army. Wolfson served in this capacity during the terms of the following mayors of the city: Shtampeper, Yosef Sapir, Mordecahi Krofman, Pinchas Rashish and Yisrael Feinberg. In 1946 he was sent by the British authorities and the municipality to a 6 week training course for municipal secretaries. In 1949 he supervised the first census in the State of Israel. After retiring he voluntarily gave lectures to new immigrants about the local government and municipal services for the citizens. In 1935 Mordechai Wolfson married Rachel (Ray) Sinmon, born in South Africa. Rachel was active in the Soldiers Club of the Allied Forces in WWII and volunteered in WIZO Petach Tikvah. In 1936 their son, Yehoshua (Tuti) was born. The photographs in this album are from the period when Mordechai served as Secretary of the Petach Tikvah Municipality. The album was a gift from his friends in the municipality for his retirement. Also included in the collection are pictures childhood pictures of his son, Yehoshua. The wife of Yehoshua gave the album to the archives at Yad Ben-Zvi.
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שפה נוכחית