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Faina KirschenbaumIsraeli politician
Date of Birth: 27.11.1955
Country:  Israel |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Nursing Career and Local Government
- Political Career
- Corruption Scandal and Resignation
- Personal Life
Early Life and Education
Fa'ina Kirschenbaum was born on November 27, 1955, in Lviv, Ukraine. Her mother was a nurse-midwife, while her father was a shoe manufacturing engineer. In 1973, she immigrated to Israel and settled in Tel Aviv.
In 1975, Kirschenbaum graduated from the School for Senior Nurses at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. She went on to earn a higher education degree from Thames Valley University (TVU) in the United Kingdom and a Master's degree from Derby University, also in the UK. In 2002, she completed the Directorship course at Bar Ilan University.
Nursing Career and Local Government
Kirschenbaum began working as a nurse in 1975. From 1977 to 1988, she worked as a senior nurse at Beilinson Hospital and the Leumit health fund.
In 1988, she was elected as Secretary for External Relations of the Nili settlement. In 1993, she became Deputy Director of the Nili Cultural Center and later moved to the regional council, where she was responsible for special projects, settlements development, and local laws.
Political Career
In 2003, Kirschenbaum became the campaign manager for Yisrael Beiteinu, which ran with the National Unity bloc. After the elections, she was appointed general director of Yisrael Beiteinu.
In 2009, she became the party's Secretary-General, making her the first woman in Israel to hold such a position. She also led the inter-parliamentary friendship associations with Belarus and Kazakhstan.
In the 2009 elections, Kirschenbaum was elected to the 18th Knesset as the tenth candidate on the Yisrael Beiteinu list.
Corruption Scandal and Resignation
In the lead-up to the 20th Knesset, Kirschenbaum was questioned by the police in connection with a major corruption scandal. This led to her resignation from politics. In August 2017, the State Prosecutor's Office indicted Kirschenbaum on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, money laundering, and tax offenses.
Personal Life
Kirschenbaum is married to Michael, a contract soldier in the Israeli Air Force. They have three children: Ronit, an economist; Meital, a teacher; and a son who serves in the Paratroopers.
