Lt. Col. Hava Inbar (Hebrew: חוה ענבר; died January 2024) was a Holocaust survivor who went on to become a Lieutenant Colonel of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and served as the first female military judge in the world.
Hava Inbar | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Celebrating the first female military judge in the world from Haifa Office (ca. 1969) | |
| Native name | חוה ענבר |
| Born | Krynki, Poland |
| Died | January 2024 Israel |
| Allegiance |  Israel |
| Service/ | Military Advocate General |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Unit | Northern Command |
| Known for | World's first woman military judge |
| Alma mater | Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
Biography edit
Inbar was born to Hindka Nisht in Krynki, Poland, to the Nisht (Niv) family.[1] During the Holocaust she was placed in Auschwitz.[2] At age 16 she was interested in a career with the diplomatic corps but decided to instead pursue a career in law.[3] She eventually immigrated to Israel where she studied law at Hebrew University of Jerusalem before going on to serve as a defense lawyer for Northern Command of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for ten years across numerous cases.[1][4]
Inbar was celebrated as the world's first female military judge when she was given a judgeship in the Haifa Military Court in September of 1969.[5][6] She attained this role while still a Master Sergeant.[1] She was quickly met with praises of her well known sense of humor, outspoken advocacy on behalf of the IDF, and ability to get either religious soldiers or Druze to appear in court despite feared cultural reservations about her appointment.[3][7] During her time as a judge, Inbar would ultimately attain the rank of lieutenant colonel.[7][8]
The IDF retired organization announced her death on January 15, 2024, also sharing that at the time of her death she had been living in Ramat Hasharon, Israel.[9]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Krynki, Poland". www.jewishgen.org. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ "אלוף משנה בצה"ל זינגר, ניצול אושוויץ | Photograph NNL_ARCHIVE_AL990044936160205171 | The National Library of Israel". www.nli.org.il. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ a b "שופטת צבאית ראשונה | למרחב | 10 נובמבר 1969 | אוסף העיתונות | הספרייה הלאומית". www.nli.org.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-03-24.
- ^ The National Jewish Monthly. Vol. 84. B'nai B'rith. 1969.
- ^ Ben-Ari, Bar (1 August 2007). "A Woman of Valor". Israel Defense Forces.
- ^ "iKonnect | Israel's Fierce Female Fighters". iKonnect. 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ a b The Jewish Week and the American Examiner. Jewish Week and the American Examiner, Incorporated. June 1975.
- ^ "New Jersey Jewish News - July 31, 1975 — Jewish Historical Society of New Jersey Archives". jhsnj-archives.org. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ hedva (2024-01-15). "חוה ענבר ז"ל | ידיעות אחרונות, ישראל היום, מנוחה, צוות ארגון גמלאי צהל | 15.01.24". מודעות אבל (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-03-25.