The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies mourns the passing in August of Mr. Muzi Wertheim, one of the titans of modern Israeli industry and a founder of the Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University. He was 86.
Mr. Wertheimโs legendary career spanned the history of Israel. He fought in Israelโs War of Independence as part of the Palmach brigade, and served in the Mossad for a decade.
โMuzi,โ as everyone called him, opened the centerโs inaugural conference in May 1991. For the past 25 years, he has been a loyal friend of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies.
โMuzi was a great Israeli patriot, a very wise man, and a stalwart supporter,โ says the outgoing center director Prof. Efraim Inbar. โHe was a true friend.โ
โHe also was widely-read and possessed a deep interest in regional security affairs. Muzi would often share his insights with center associates. Then he would bring out rare books from his magnificent collection of Judaica manuscripts and reflect on Jewish history and Israelโs future โ in which he believed passionately.โ
In his business career, Mr. Wertheim was chairman of the Central Bottling Company (which manufactures Coca Cola in Israel) and of Bank Mizrach-Tefachot. For many years, he was chairman of the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce.
The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies expresses deep condolences to his wife Hassia and his children Dudi and Drorit. May they be comforted among the builders of Jerusalem and Zion โ of which few were greater than Muzi.
Pictured: Mr. Muzi Wertheim and his wife Hassia receive an award in 2003 from the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies upon the centerโs 20th anniversary, from Prof. Efraim Inbar (at left).