S.H. Bergmann was a philosopher and intellectual. Bergmann and Kafka grew up together in Prague. Although they attended the same schools and were close friends, Bergmann was an avid Zionist and his Jewish origins were central to his self- identity. He immigrated to Palestine in 1920, and was appointed Director of the National Library, an office he held until 1935. Bergmann was also appointed to the staff of the Hebrew University as a professor of philosophy, and served as the University Rector. Together with Martin Buber, Gershom Scholem, and others, Bergmann was a member of Brit Shalom, "Covenant of Peace", which supported coexistence between Jews and Arabs in one state.