Amos Elon, Historian and Essayist, Is Dead at 82

By JTA May 26, 2009

Amos Elon, the distinguished Israeli essayist and historian, died at his home in Tuscany.

Elon’s wife, Beth, told The New York Times that he died Monday from leukemia at the age of 82.

Elon, one of Israel’s most distinguished essayists and historians, was born in Vienna in 1926 and moved with his family to Palestine in 1933.

The author of nine books, Elon also was a longtime correspondent and columnist for the Israeli daily Ha’aretz. His most recent book was “The Pity of It All,” a history of German Jewry from the 18th century until the rise of Hitler.

Elon’s decision to leave Israel and move permanently to Italy in 2004 touched off debate throughout the Israeli cultural and intellectual world.

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