Abraham Fraenkel

Abraham Fraenkel
Adolf Abraham Halevi Fraenkel in the 1940s
Born	(1891-02-17)February 17, 1891 Munich, Germany
Died	October 15, 1965(1965-10-15) (aged 74) Jerusalem, Israel
Nationality	Israeli
Fields	Mathematics
Institutions	Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Alma mater	University of Marburg
Doctoral advisor	Kurt Hensel
Known for	Zermelo–Fraenkel axioms
Notable awards	Israel Prize (1956)

Abraham Halevi (Adolf) Fraenkel (Hebrew: אברהם הלוי (אדולף) פרנקל‎‎; February 17, 1891 – October 15, 1965), known as Abraham Fraenkel, was a German-born Israeli mathematician. He was an early Zionist and the first Dean of Mathematics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is known for his contributions to axiomatic set theory, especially his additions to Ernst Zermelo's axioms, which resulted in the Zermelo–Fraenkel axioms.

Fraenkel studied mathematics at the University of Munich, University of Berlin, University of Marburg and University of Breslau; after graduating, he lectured at the University of Marburg from 1916, and was promoted to professor in 1922.

After leaving Marburg in 1928, Fraenkel taught at the University of Kiel for a year. He then made the fateful choice of accepting a position at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which had been founded four years earlier, where he spent the rest of his career. He became the first Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics, and for a while served as Rector of the University.

Fraenkel was a fervent Zionist and as such was a member of Jewish National Council and the Jewish Assembly of Representatives under the British mandate. He also belonged to the Mizrachi religious wing of Zionism, which promoted Jewish religious education and schools, and which advocated giving the Chief Rabbinate authority over marriage and divorce.