Zvi Yanai

Zvi Yanai (Hebrew: צבי ינאי ; June 9, 1935 – December 16, 2013) was an Israeli civil servant and author.

His father was a baritone singer from Budapest and his mother was a prima ballerina from Gratz, Austria.

Yanai became a self-described atheist, but nevertheless felt a strong connection to Jewish history and thought.

Yanai was head of Israel's Ministry of Science in 1993–1997, and editor of the periodical Mahshavot (Thoughts).

His then-innovative ideas to bring the general public closer to science will continue to be the basis for many of our activities in the future,” Peri said.