Funeral services were held today for Prof. Samuel H, Bergman, professor emeritus at the Hebrew University and one of Israel’s outstanding philosophers, who died at his home here yesterday at the age of 92, Hundreds of Israelis filed past his coffin in the central court of the Hebrew University today prior to burial.
Prof, Bergman, who was born in Prague and settled in Palestine in 1920, belonged to a generation of intellectual giants that included Martin Buber. Like Buber, he was active in trying to develop friendly relations between Jews and Arabs. He was one of the founders of Brit Shalom, a group of intellectuals dedicated to peaceful coexistence between the two peoples. He was the first director of the National Library at the Hebrew University in the early 1920s and was the university’s first Rector. He also served as secretary of the culture department of the Zionist Executive in London before coming to Palestine.
Prof. Bergman published more than 2000 works which were translated into many language. These included “Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge” (1940); and “Introduction to Logic as the Science of Order” (1954), He was awarded the Israel Prize for the latter work and received the Israel Prize again last year for his special contribution to the advancement of the State and Society.
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