Yosef Sprinzak (1885–1959) | Zionist leader, Labor movement leader, and the first Speaker of the Israeli Knesset. Born in Moscow, he was active in the Zionist movement from a young age, co-founded the “Young Zion” movement, and represented it at Zionist congresses. In 1910, he made Aliyah as secretary of the “Hapoel Hatzair” party. After its unification with “Ahdut HaAvoda” (1930), he became a leading figure in Mapai. He served on the Zionist Executive, and between 1945 and 1948, as Secretary-General of the Histadrut. In July 1948, he was elected Chairman of the Provisional State Council, and in February 1949, unanimously chosen as Speaker of the First Knesset—a position he held for a decade until his death. Shprinzak was known for his integrity and sense of humor, and left a lasting mark on Israeli democracy.