Ruth Dayan

Background

Ruth Schwartz (later Dayan) was born in Haifa.

Career

She was the first wife of the late Israeli defence force General and politician Moshe Dayan. Ruth"s sister, Reuma, married Ezer Weizman, the Israeli air force general, Defense minister and President. Dayan has three children: Yael Dayan, a former Knesset member and Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv.

Ehud (Udi) Dayan, a writer

And Assi Dayan, an actor and filmmaker. In 2010, Dayan collaborated on her life story with biographer Anthony David.

Dayan created a sensation with her tell-all book, coauthored with Helga Dudman in 1973, which became a best-seller. Social activism As a proponent of women"s empowerment, Dayan founded Maskit, a fashion and decorative arts house that provided Dayan with a way of creating jobs for new immigrants and preserving Jewish ethnic crafts and culture of the various communities living in Israel.

In 1955, Dayan met the fashion designer Finy Leitersdorf, who designed clothes and accessories for Maskit for 15 years.

The two collaborated on a joint exhibit of Maskit designs at the Dizengoff Museum (today the Tel Aviv Museum). Dayan also founded a Jewish–Arab social group, Brit Bnei Shem (Ibnaa Sam). She has worked on behalf of new immigrants, the rights of Bedouins and women"s causes.

In 1978, Dayan and Tawil planted a peace forest in Neve Shalom, Israel.

In late 2009, Dayan flew to Malta to meet Arafat"s daughter, Zawha.

Achievements

• On January 11, 2007, Dayan was awarded the Partner of Peace Award by the Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam community, a cooperative village of Jews and Arabs mid-way between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. In 2010, Dayan was awarded honorary citizenship by the Israeli town of Herzliya.

Connections

Friend:

Raymonda Tawil