{{Short description|Israeli politician (born 1970)}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Avi Wartzman.jpg | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|10|29|df=y}} | birth_place = Beersheba, Israel | death_date = | suboffice2 = The Jewish Home | office2 = Faction represented in the Knesset | subterm2 = 2013–2015 | suboffice3 = The Jewish Home | subterm3 = 2015 | office1 = Ministerial roles | suboffice1 = Deputy Minister of Education | subterm1 = 2013–2015 | native_name = אבי וורצמן | native_name_lang = he }}
'''Avraham "Avi" Wortzman''' ({{langx|he|אבי וורצמן}}; born 29 October 1970) is an Israeli politician and a former member of the Knesset for the Jewish Home. He also served as Deputy Minister of Education between 2013 and 2015.
==Biography== Wortzman was born in Beersheba. He studied at the Bnei Akiva-affiliated Ohel Shlomo yeshiva in Beersheba and the Mercaz HaRav Kook yeshiva in Jerusalem. During his national service in the IDF he served in the Givati Brigade, and was also based at the Hesder Yeshivat Or Etzion.
After his army service he returned to Beersheba and founded the Beit Moria Garin Torani in 1993, which worked in the education sector.
In 2008 Wortzman headed the United Religious List in the municipal elections in Beersheba, with the party winning three seats.<ref>[http://www.moin.gov.il/Subjects/Bchirot/Documents/chvreymoatza.pdf Council members] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904003707/http://www.moin.gov.il/Subjects/Bchirot/Documents/chvreymoatza.pdf |date=2013-09-04 }} Ministry of the Interior</ref> He served as the deputy mayor of the city and was responsible for community and welfare.<ref name=JP>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/Features/InThespotlight/Article.aspx?id=303489|title=Meet the MK: Avi Wortzman|author=Harkov, Lahav|publisher=The Jerusalem Post|date=February 17, 2013|accessdate=February 17, 2013}}</ref>
In 2008 he was a candidate for the leadership of the new Jewish Home party, but was defeated by Daniel Hershkowitz.<ref>[https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/128766#.USID5x1MXJI New Jewish Home Party: Rabbi-Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz] Israel National News, 12 September 2008</ref> Prior to the 2013 Knesset elections he was asked by Naftali Bennett to run for the Knesset,<ref name=JP/> and was placed eighth on the Jewish Home list.<ref>[http://www.bechirot.gov.il/elections19/heb/list/List.aspx?ListId=101 Jewish Home] Central Elections Committee {{in lang|he}}</ref> He entered the Knesset after the party won 12 seats, and was appointed Deputy Minister of Education on 18 March, a position he held until 4 December 2014.<ref>[http://knesset.gov.il/govt/eng/GovtByMinistry_eng.asp?ministry=5 All Ministers in the Ministry of Education and Culture] Knesset website</ref> He was placed tenth on the Jewish Home list for the 2015 elections,<ref>[http://www.bechirot20.gov.il/election/Candidates/Pages/OneListCandidates.aspx?LPF=Search&WebId=6adadc15-e476-480b-9746-04490aedeb0f&ListID=ba72a662-765c-45af-9d48-fb68080956af&ItemID=57&FieldID=ListNickname_GxS_Text The Jewish Home list] Central Elections Committee</ref> but lost his seat as the party was reduced to eight seats.
Although he returned to the Knesset on 3 December 2015 as a replacement for Yinon Magal, who resigned because of sexual harassment allegations against him,<ref name="themarker1">{{cite news|url=https://www.themarker.com/news/1.2787871|title=Following Sexual Harassment Storm: Yinon Magal Leaves the Knesset|work=TheMarker|date=November 30, 2015|accessdate=November 30, 2015|language=he}}</ref> he lost his seat three days later after deciding to remain in his job at Aleh Negev, a choice that causes Bennett to resign as minister, which automatically caused him to return to the Knesset due to a recent law amendment and put Wortzman back to the top of the candidate list.<ref>[https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Bennett-to-return-to-Knesset-436098 Bennett to return to Knesset] The Jerusalem Post, 2 December 2015</ref>
Wortzman is married to Ilanit and the couple has four children.<ref name=JP/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{MKlink|id=870}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wortzman, Avi}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Ben-Gurion University of the Negev alumni Category:Deputy mayors of places in Israel Category:Deputy ministers of Israel Category:Israeli Orthodox Jews Category:Jewish Israeli politicians Category:Members of the 19th Knesset (2013–2015) Category:Members of the 20th Knesset (2015–2019) Category:Mercaz HaRav alumni Category:Politicians from Beersheba Category:The Jewish Home politicians