passed away at the age of 57 on January 16, 2007, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was at the height of his political career, working tirelessly for the advancement of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Yuri was the founder of the Soviet Jewry Information Center and the Christian Allies Caucus in the Knesset. He was an idealist with a keen interest in literature and a brilliant parliamentarian who stood out as an exceptional figure on the local political scene.
This memorial website is dedicated to Yuri Shtern’s fascinating life story, and presents a gallery of pictures, his poetry and eulogies, all of which honr and remember his life.
But this website does not only commemorate the past. It is also a focal point for future activism. The Yuri Shtern Foundation, established by Yuri’s family and friends, will continue to promote his public activities, based on the firm belief that this is the best way to keep Yuri’s memory and legacy alive.
May 2006 – January 2007 Yuri had been a healthy man, and had been in fine physical shape. Working intensively for 12–14 hours a day, seven days a week, was routine for him. But it would seem that the hard work, stress and pressures that are an integral part of...
On January 5, 2004, MK Dr. Yuri Shtern established the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus (KCAC), comprised of 14 members of Knesset. Its goal: to build a direct line of communication, cooperation and coordination between the Knesset and the international Christian...
1996 – 2007 Yuri’s move into political life was not an obvious transition because he was, in fact, not a politician. But his sense of mission and his understanding that this was indeed a natural progression tipped the scales in favor of politics. In the 1996...
1989-1995 In 1989, Yuri Shtern approached the Federation of the Israeli Chambers of Commerce with a proposal to establish a new department to assist the thousands of Russian immigrants who arrived in Israel with business initiatives and were seeking aid. The...
1985-1989 Soviet Jewry Education and Information Center By 1985, Yuri's work with his friends in the Soviet immigration group, which had continued unabated, became his sole focus. Believing he was lucky to flee the Soviet Union on the “last train out,” Yuri refused to...
1981–1995 Upon arrival in Israel, the Shtern family moved into the absorption center in Mevasseret Zion, outside Jerusalem, together with other families who had been part of the group of aliya activists in Russia. For the first two years, Yuri continued working in his...
1966-1981 Yuri excelled in high school and upon graduation, he was accepted at Moscow University’s Faculty of Economics and Cybernetics. Over the next decade, he completed his BA and MA degrees and at age 29, he received his PhD, with a dissertation on economic...
1949-1966 Yuri Shtern was born in Moscow in 1949, and spent most of his childhood in central Moscow, living modestly with his parents, Esther and Leibish Shtern. Yuri’s mother was a construction engineer and his father was an electrical engineer. When Yuri was 8, his...