Literary Giant Shmuel Yosef Agnon

On February 17th, 1970, literary giant Shmuel Yosef Agnon (pen name S.Y. Agnon, or Shai Agnon) passed away.  Agnon was born in 1888 in what is now Ukraine (then the Austria-Hungary empire). At the turn of the century he immigrated to Ottoman-controlled Palestine where he resided the rest of his life, seeing it change hands into British control and ultimately, becoming Israel when it achieved statehood in 1948. He was married to Esther Elsa Marx Agnon. Agnon passed away at 81 and he is buried at the Mount of Olives Cemetery in Jerusalem.

Agnon was an award-winning author of novels and short stories. He wrote in Hebrew and many of his celebrated works have been translated into 20 languages. His literature provides a sense of nostalgia that incorporates Jewish tradition and ample understanding of contemporary issues with a psychological focus.

In 1966, Agnon received the Nobel Prize for Literature. This award was shared with German Jewish author, Nelly Sachs. Agnon was the first (and only) Hebrew author to win this prestigious prize. He is also the recipient of the Bialik Prize and the Israel Prize, both of which he received twice for his writing.

His private home has been memorialized by Israel and can be visited as a public landmark. The National and Hebrew University Library in Jerusalem was entrusted with his literature and archives.