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SHMUEL YOSEF AGNON (July 17, 1888 – February 17, 1970) was the first Hebrew writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature (1966).
He was born as Shmuel Yosef Halevi Czaczkes in Buczacz in Austrian Galicia, in what is now Ukraine. Although his birthdate on the Hebrew calendar is given as 18 Av 5648 (July 26) by some sources, he himself was known to state his birthdate as the ninth, the Tisha B'Av commemoration. His father, Shalom Mordechai Halevy, was given semicha as a rabbi, but dealt in the fur trade. Young Shmuel did not go to school. He was educated by his parents. When he was eight he began to write in Hebrew and Yiddish, and read extensively in the writers of the Jewish enlightenment, the Haskalah. At the age of fifteen he produced his first creative work, a poem in Yiddish about the Kabbalist Joseph della Reina. He continued to produce poems and stories in Hebrew and Yiddish in manuscripts that were published in Galicia.
In 1908 he emigrated to Jaffa, which was then an Ottoman port. By doing so, he reached the land of Israel with the Zionists of the Second Aliyah. There he abandoned the Observant Jewish way of life for a time, but came back to the Torah and adhered to it for the rest of his life. The first work that he released there was 'Forsaken Wives' (agunot), published in the journal 'Ha`omer' in 1908. He signed it with the pen name 'Agnon', derived from the name of the story. It became his literary name, and in 1924, his official surname.
In 1910 his story 'Forsaken Wives' was translated into German. Since then, his works have been translated into many languages.
In 1912, at the initiative of Yosef Haim Brenner, he published the novella And the Crooked Shall Be Made Straight.
In 1913 he moved to Germany, where he married Esther Marx in 1920. In Germany he met the businessman Salman Schocken, who became his patron, freeing him from financial worries. From that time on, all of his works were published by Schocken Books. His short stories regularly appeared in the newspaper Haaretz, also owned by the Schocken family. In Germany he wrote several stories. He also worked to collect Hasidic stories, together with Martin Buber, that influenced Neo-Hasidism. In 1924 a fire broke out in his home, destroying all of his manuscripts. This traumatic event appears occasionally in his stories. Later that year, he returned to Jerusalem permanently, establishing himself in the Talpiot neighborhood. In 1929 his library was destroyed again.
In 1931 the novel The Bridal Canopy was published, making Agnon a central figure in Hebrew literature. In 1935 the novella A Simple Story was published, set in Buczacz at the end of the 19th century.
In 1945 Yesteryear was published, a novel set in the Land of Israel at the beginning of the 20th century.
Agnon won the Bialik Prize twice (1934 and 1950) and the Israel Prize twice (1954 and 1958). In 1966 he won the Nobel Prize in Literature. This award came with a degree of disappointment when, after the announcement of his award, it became clear that it was joint with the Jewish poet Nelly Sachs. Thus 'half' of the world's adulation was taken from him. The awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature to two winners is a rare occurrence, taking place only four times in the 20th century.
Agnon died in Jerusalem on February 17, 1970. After his death his daughter, Emmuna Yaron, continued to work to publish writings from his legacy. More of his books were published posthumously than during his life. Agnon's archive was transferred by his family to the National Library in Jerusalem. His house became property of the city of Jerusalem. It is open to visitors. Agnon is considered the most researched author in Hebrew literature. A substantial number of books and articles dealing with his works have been published.
Agnon's substantial selection of stories have been published in various collections. Some of his works, such as The Bridal Canopy, And the Crooked Shall Be Made Straight, and The Doctor and His Ex-Wife, have been adapted for theater and performed in Israeli theaters. Some of them have aired on Israeli television.
In 1977 the Hebrew University published Yiddish Works, a collection of stories and poems that Agnon wrote in Yiddish in the years 1903 – 1906.

en.wikipedia.org

		Material: Paper Denomination: 50 New Sheqalim Year: 1985 Description: Face side: Portrait of S.Y. Agnon; the denomination 'Fifty New Sheqalim' and 'Bank of Israel' in Hebrew. Back side: A skyline of Jerusalem and a Jewish townlet in Eastern Europe; titles of 18 books by Agnon in microprint; the denomination '50 New Sheqalim' and 'Bank of Israel' in Arabic and English. The predominant color is – purple. Dimrnsions: 138 х 76 mm. Watermark: portrait of S.Y. Agnon. The note put in circulation since September 4, 1985. Designer: Eliezer Weishoff. The note has: microprint; security thread; look-through; sign for the blind. Printed at the Bank of Israel. FMM hasn't got this note. Country or town: Israel
Click to enlarge!		Material: Paper Denomination: 50 New Sheqalim Year: 1998 Description: Face side: Portrait of Shmuel Yosef Agnon; picture of Agnon's study and personal library. Text from the acceptance address given by Agnon when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1966. Back side: Picture of Agnon's writing stand with his pen and reading glasses. Text lists the titles of sixteen of Agnon's books. Dimensions: 138 х 71 mm. Serial № – 2070458457. Watermark: Portrait of Agnon and a small circle beneath it enclosing the initial of his surname. The predominant color is violet. The note put in circulation since October 31, 1999. Artists: Naomi and Meir Eshel. The note has: watermark; security thread; microtext; latent image; see-through elements; Optical Variable Ink; sign for the blind. Printed at the Bank of Israel. Country or town: Israel

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