Shmuel Ben-Artzi, father of the prime minister's wife Sara Netanyahu, died Wednesday just shy of turning 97. President Shimon Peres offered his condolences to Sara, telling her Wednesday, "I know the immense pain of losing a father, and of how close and dedicated you were to your father. There are no words that can provide comfort, but the only consolation is in knowing that you did everything you could for him, until his very last moments." The president praised Ben-Artzi for being "a teacher who taught many generations of young people about biblical morals and love of the land," adding, "He was a writer, exalted scholar, and a Zionist, down to his core." Ben-Artzi had been living at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem so that his daughter would be able to care for him. He died on Wednesday at Hadassah-Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem, surrounded by family members including his daughter Sara, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and their sons Yair and Avner. Ben-Artzi is survived by his four children, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Ben-Artzi was born in Poland in 1914. He immigrated to British Mandate Palestine at the age of 19, where he began to study at B'nei Brak's "Beit Yosef" Yeshiva. In 1945, Ben-Artzi enlisted in the Irgun, one of the paramilitary groups at the time, and a year later went on to serve in the Haganah, the Palestinian Jewish defense force that later evolved into the IDF. He began his career in education in 1967, leading classes at a teachers' seminary in the northern city of Nahalal. He graduated cum laude from Haifa University, where he had studied Hebrew language and literature and the Bible. During his lifetime, Ben-Artzi wrote 12 books, including "Your City Jerusalem: The City of David and the Consciousness of the Nation of Israel throughout the Generations" and "Holidays in Israel: Old and New." His love of the Bible is evident in another one of his publications, "The Amusing Bible: Three Comprehensive Bible Quizzes in One Volume." In 2000, Ben-Artzi won the Ka-Tzetnik Book Prize, named in honor of famed writer and Holocaust survivor Yehiel De-Nur ("Ka-Tzetnik" was the name given to him by Auschwitz guards during World War II). Ben-Artzi passed along his love of the Bible to his children and grandchildren. All three of his sons, Amatzia, Matania, and Hagai, won the Chidon HaTanach Bible Contest, at either the national or international level. Two years ago his grandson Avner, son of the prime minister and his wife Sara, advanced to the finals of the international level of the Bible contest, eventually finishing in second place. Former students of Ben-Artzi came together on Wednesday to honor their late teacher. They described Ben-Artzi as an admired educator, a source of great inspiration and a lifelong teacher. Journalist Gadi Sukenik has fond memories of his middle-school teacher. "[Ben-Artzi] was a serious educator and genuine. Unfortunately there are none like him today. He made a huge impression on me. I am certain that he sowed seeds that have influenced me throughout my life." Entertainer Dudu Fisher echoed those sentiments, recalling how any class taught by Ben-Artzi "never finished as just a lesson in history or the Bible, but always had accompanying moral lessons. He was always a very unique person and teacher." Because one of Ben-Artzi's sons lives abroad and must travel to Israel, the funeral will be delayed until 11 a.m. Thursday. Ben-Artzi will be laid to rest in the Irgun section of the Givat Shaul cemetery in Jerusalem. The shiva (week-long Jewish mourning period) will be held at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem.
