Funeral services were held here today for Samuel Tolkowsky, a noted Israeli agronomist and a pioneer of the citrus industry in this country, who died here at the age of 79. A famed author and scholar, Tolkowsky had also served as Israel’s Minister to Switzerland.
Born in Antwerp, Tolkowsky studied agriculture in Belgium before settling in Palestine. After his arrival in this country, he pioneered new strains of citrus fruit and served as chairman and later president of the Citrus Marketing Board. He was the founder of the Israel Maritime League and remained its chairman until his death.
In the years prior to the Balfour Declaration, Tolkowsky lived in England where he acted as private secretary to Nahum Sokolow, the famed Zionist leader. Among his published works are a history of the Port of Jaffa and a history of the citrus fruit.
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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.