Shavit Ben-Arie (; born 1985) is head of the division for cultural preservation and heritage in the Israeli Ministry of Culture and Sport. He was previously the director of Yad Levi Eshkol from 2014 to 2021. In 2011, he authored the book Havrot HaKnesset ("Female Members of the Knesset").
Between 2004 and 2011, Ben-Arie led an initiative documenting the lives and public actions of female Knesset members throughout history. Event protocol on the Knesset website, 3 August 2004. (Hebrew)An interview with Ben-Arie at the Hebrew University Weekly, December 2009. (Hebrew) His book showcased the life stories of all women members of the Israeli parliament in the years 1949-2011, alongside a preliminary research on women who served in the Assembly of Representatives during the British Mandate for Palestine. The book was published on International Women's Day in 2011 and introduced in a festive sitting of the parliamentary committee on the status of women.
In 2014 he was appointed as director of Yad Levi Eshkol.איפה יגור ראש הממשלה? מבית ג'ייקובס לבית לוי אשכול, עת-מול, גליון 257, יולי 2018. (Hebrew) The Levi Eshkol House in Jerusalem was opened in 2016 after a process of conservation and curation.עופר אדרת, המוזיאון של אשכול במטבחון של גולדה, הארץ, 16 בדצמבר 2016. (Hebrew). During this time he authored and edited several books and publications on Levi Eshkol, including a posthumous autobiography (titled "Crossroad") based on fragments of Levi Eshkol's testimonials on his youth years, extracted from speeches and interviews.לוי אשכול, פרשת דרכים, בעריכת שביט בן-אריה, 2018. (Hebrew). He left Yad Levi Eshkol in 2021.מדברים עם אשכול, בעריכת תמי מולד חיו, הוצאת יד לוי אשכול, 2021 עמ' 21. (Hebrew). During these years and after the passing of Miriam Eshkol, Ben-Arie led the organizing and digitization of Levi Eshkol's archive.נחמה דואק, אשכול אוצרות, ידיעות אחרונות, 22.6.2017. (Hebrew).
Since 2021 he is head of the division for cultural preservation and heritage in the Ministry of Culture and Sport.עופר אדרת, מריבת המיליונים של גולדה ובן גוריון: "אנחנו מקבלים כל שנה 350-400 אלף שקל, השנה לא קיבלנו פרוטה", TheMarker, 14.4.2021. (Hebrew).
Ben-Arie holds an undergraduate degree in political science, sociology and anthropology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a graduate degree in government and public policy. He lectures in Israel and abroad on women in Israeli politics.
The Women's Parliament organization honored him as "Man of the Year" for "contribution to the public awareness of women's leadership".Women's Parliament, Book of Abstracts: 2012-2013, 2014.
Published works Ben-Arie is the editor and author of various publications, including: Havrot HaKnesset: Historiography (2011, Hebrew) Commercial-Industrial Club: 75 Years: commemorative album (2013, Hebrew) [Editor] 80th Anniversary to Rotary Club of Tel Aviv-Yafo: Historiography (2013, English and Hebrew) Promoting Equality: commemorative album for Israel Women's Network (2015, Hebrew) Miriam Eshkol: In Memoriam (2017, Hebrew) New Goals for an Old Purpose: Leadership and Decision-making by Levi Eshkol (2017, Hebrew) [Editor] Crossroad: Prime Minister Eshkol's memoirs (2018, Hebrew)
References
External links Official website In Israeli politics, a new dawn for women, TimesOfIsrael.com Passionate about Women's Rights, Naamat Magazine, Fall 2013, pp. 4-7.