250px|thumb|Shalhevet Freier during his service in the British army, 1944

Shalhevet Freier (; 16 July 1920 – 27 November 1994) was an Israeli physicist and administrator.

Freier was born in Eschwege, Germany, the son of Rabbi Dr. Moritz (Moshe Yissachar) Freier and Recha Freier, founder of the Youth Aliyah organization. In 1937, while studying at a Christian school, he composed an essay expressing opposition to Nazi doctrine, which led to his expulsion.

From 1981 until his death, Freier was the head of the political department of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission.

In 1971, Freier initiated the establishment of Israel's first Hi-Tech Science Park between Rehovot and Nes Tziona.

Freier chaired the Israeli group of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs and served on the Pugwash Council.

Commemoration

In Freier's memory, the Shalhevet Freier Center for Peace, Science and Technology was established at the Nahal Soreq nuclear research facility in 1996.

Additionally, The Weizmann Institute of Science holds an annual contest in physics: "The Shalhevet Freier Safe Competition". The international contest is open to secondary schools, where each team builds a safe locked by principles of physics and attempts to unlock the safes built by competing teams.

In his memory Freier's sister-in-law, Miriam Freier, established the "Shalhevet Home for the Disabled" in Jerusalem, an apartment house where each physically handicapped member can lead an independent existence.

References

Further reading

Bar-Zohar M. Shimon Peres: a political biography. Publisher: Yedioth Aharonoth. Pages 296, 300, 301, 304, 306, 317.

Cohen, Avner. "When Israel stepped back from the brink". The New York Times, 3 October 2013.

Bergman, Ronen. "Atomic pressure". Yedioth Aharonot, 4 October 2013.

  • Short bio written by his sister