Tevet 14

Yahrtzeit of Pinchas Rutenberg (1879-1942), founder of the Israel Electric Corporation. A Russian Jewish immigrant, Rutenberg was a visionary and pioneer, whose efforts to bring electricity to Israel is regarded as a crucial factor in building a strong modern economy. Rutenberg's flagship project was a hydroelectric plant on the Jordan River in 1931, which he built after gaining Winston Churchill's political backing and Baron Edmond de Rothschild's financial support. In 1948, the plant was destroyed by the Arab Legion.