A Lasting Reward: Memoirs of an Israeli Diplomat - Softcover

It was 1933 when Yissakhar Ben-Yaacov left Hamburg, the city of his birth. His traditional Jewish family made its way to the Land of Israel, fleeing the impending disaster. In the next few years, the young pupil succeeded in making his way within his new society. After joining Ha-No ar Ha-Oved youth movement and the Haganah, Ben-Yaacov entered Israel s nascent Foreign Ministry in 1948. His service took him around the world to Munich, Cologne, Philadelphia, Lagos, Vienna, and Canberra. In A Lasting Reward, the author describes his life in detail, covering myriad exciting events both well-known and not so well-known events that span many decades and continents. He offers insightful descriptions of the inner workings of the Foreign Ministry and the calling of an Israeli diplomat. Yissakhar Ben-Yaacov s memoirs are an outstanding example of an Israeli autobiography that bears witness to the events that have shaped the history of the Jewish people in the last century.

A native of Germany, Ben-Yaacov served as a representative of Israel s Foreign Ministry for almost forty years, where he fulfilled a wide range of positions, including diplomatic service in Lagos, Nigeria, Vienna, and Canberra. He was also political advisor to Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek from 1974 to 1979. Upon retirement, he became representative of World ORT and Bar-Ilan University in central Europe and served as special advisor to the president of the Jerusalem Foundation. In 1992, he was awarded the Federal Republic of Germany s Great Order of Merit.