Euro-Asian Jewish Congress pays sincere condolences to Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, and his family on the passing of his mother and wife of the sixth president, Chaim Herzog, Aura Herzog. She was 97.
It is truly irreversible loss for Israel and for the Jewish people. Aura Herzog was a prominent public figure, one of the most active figures in the Israel society. Among her other achievements, it is worth noting the establishment in 1969 of The Council for a Beautiful Israel, aimed to improve the quality of life of all people in Jewish state.
Aura was born in Egypt. She immigrated to Israel in 1946 and joined the Haganah movement. Then she started studying at the diplomatic school just founded by the Jewish agency. In 1947 Ora married the future president Chaim Herzog. During the Independence War Ora Herzog served in intelligence.
In the 1950s and 1970s she lived in the US, during the service of Chaim Herzog as military attaché in Washington and Israel’s ambassador to the UN.
From 1983 to 1993 Aura Herzog was the first lady of Israel. At the end of her husband’s second presidential term in 1993, she headed the public commission for organizing official events in honor of the 50th anniversary of independence and worked for various public organizations.
After her husband’s death in 1997, Aura Herzog founded a non-profit organization Yad Chaim Herzog, whose mission is to perpetuate the legacy of Israel’s sixth president.
“Dear Mr. President, we deeply mourn with your family. Mrs. Herzog will forever remain in our hearts and in the blessed memory,” – said in his personal address to the Israeli President Itzhak Herzog Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, the president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.
