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S. Yizhar

Israeli writer and politician (1916-2006)

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 16, 2026
Entity authorityQ528647 ↗
Source-derived summary

Yizhar Smilansky (Hebrew: יִזְהָר סְמִילַנְסְקִי; 27 September 1916 – 21 August 2006), known by his pen name S. Yizhar (ס. יִזְהָר), was an Israeli writer and politician. Widely regarded as one of the preeminent figures in Israeli literature, he was awarded the Israel Prize in 1959 for fine literature. He was also awarded several other prizes of national distinction. Yizhar served in the Knesset under Mapai party almost continuously from 1949 to 1967.

Biography

Yizhar Smilansky was born in Rehovot to a family of writers. His great-uncle was Israeli writer Moshe Smilansky. His father, Zev Zass Smilensky, was also a writer. After the end of World War I, the family moved to Tel Aviv where Yizhar attended the Balfour school. The family returned to Rehovot when he was 11.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “S. Yizhar” as israeli writer and politician (1916-2006). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Yizhar, Israeli and writer.

Editorial reviewA useful biographical orientation record, particularly for establishing names, roles and a first chronology. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1916, 2006, 1959, 1949—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1916-09-27. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Yizhar, Israeli and writer providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “S. Yizhar”, the useful work is to connect “israeli writer and politician (1916-2006)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q528647. VIAF identifies the subject as 51736133. The Library of Congress control number is n82245475. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1916, 2006, 1959 and 1949.

Critical limits

Later biographies can compress uncertainty and repeat inherited reputations, so apparently settled claims may still require comparison. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.

Best used for
  • Establishing names and roles
  • Building a first chronology
  • Locating cited institutions
Verify next

Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “S. Yizhar”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow S. Yizhar primary sources, S. Yizhar archive and Yizhar research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “S. Yizhar”?
  2. Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
  3. Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “S. Yizhar” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.