Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel (1880–1953) President of the Mizrachi movement, a founding figure of Religious Zionism, and one of the most influential rabbis in Israel’s formative years. Born in Jerusalem, he studied in yeshiva while also learning languages and general subjects. Orphaned at fourteen, he supported his family as a private tutor. In his twenties he founded Sephardic yeshivot, and in 1911 became the official representative of the Jewish community of Tel Aviv–Jaffa to the Ottoman authorities. In this role he defended Jewish settlers and aided in land purchases. He later served as president of Mizrachi (1919), chief rabbi of Salonika (1921), and of Tel Aviv–Jaffa (1923). In 1939 he was appointed Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel and member of the National Council. He devoted his life to Jewish unity as a vital element of the Zionist vision.