Goldhammer-Sahawi, Leo

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GOLDHAMMER-SAHAWI, LEO

GOLDHAMMER-SAHAWI, LEO (later Aryeh ; 1884–1949), leader of the Zionist Organization in Austria, author, and journalist. Born in Mihaileni, Romania, Goldhammer moved to Vienna in 1902 and became an adherent of Herzl. He devoted himself primarily to statistical-economic studies of the Jews, particularly those of Austria. He established and edited the early Zionist periodicals in Vienna, Die Stimme and Die Hoffnung. In 1907 he moved back to Romania, returning to Vienna after World War i. Goldhammer was president of the Zionist Organization of Austria for many years. He took part, with B. *Borochov, in founding the World Union of *Po'alei Zion. He continued his Zionist activities until after the Nazi invasion of Austria (1938), finally settling in Haifa in 1939 and taking an active part in municipal affairs and the Aliyah Ḥadashah Party. Among his books are Kleiner Fuehrer durch die Palaestina-Literatur (1919), Die Juden Wiens (1927); a monograph on the Jews of Vienna in volume 1 of Arim ve-Immahot be-Yisrael (1946); and Leopold Plaschkes – Zwei Generationen österreichischen Judentums (1943).

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mb (Aug. 5, 1949).

[Getzel Kressel]