Funeral services were held today for Aryeh Dissentshik, former editor of Maariv and one of the leaders of journalism here since the 1930s. He died yesterday at the age of 70. Known as “Chik” to his friends, Dissentshik was editor of Maariv since the death of Dr. Azriel Carlebach, with whom he founded the evening newspaper in 1956, until his retirement in 1974. He also headed Modi’un Co., the parent company of Maariv and publisher of the women’s magazine At.
Born in Riga, Dec. 13, 1907 Dissentshik was interested in journalism even in his youth and became associated with Zeev Jabotinsky, whom he served as secretary. He was one of the founders with Jabotinsky of the Betar movement.
Arriving in Palestine in 1934, he joined the staff of the General Zionist daily Haboker where he later became news editor. When Carlebach founded Maariv he made Dissentchik deputy editor and “Chik” ran the staff while Carlebach concentrated on editorials and his famous Friday column. Dissentchik, who used folksy Yiddish phrases, was always at his desk by 7 a.m. checking the front page stories and deciding on editorials, most of which he wrote himself.
Dissentchik had also been Tel Aviv correspondent for the Associated Press and was a member of the executive board of the International Press Institute. He was also a member of the board of governors of the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Chamber Theatre and Chamber Orchestra.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
