Morris "Moshe" Talansky (; January 27, 1933 – June 2, 2025) was an American businessman and Orthodox rabbi who co-founded the New Jerusalem Foundation with

Ehud Olmert Ehud Olmert (; , ; born 30 September 1945) is an Israeli politician and lawyer who served as the prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009. The son of a former Herut politician, Olmert was first elected to the Knesset for Likud in 1973, at th ...

, who was the

Prime Minister of Israel The prime minister of Israel (, Hebrew abbreviations, Hebrew abbreviation: ; , ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief executive of the Israel, State of Israel. Israel is a parliamentary republic with a President of Isra ...

from 2006 to 2009.

Biography

After graduating from

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.

in 1954, Talansky was ordained a rabbi and went on to study law at a New York law school. Talansky and his first wife, Marion, have three children: Yitzhak (Alan), a dentist and lecturer at Jerusalem's Machon Lev college and a father of eleven children; Bracha Tova (Barbara), a psychologist living in

Ra'anana Ra'anana () is an affluent city in the southern Sharon, Israel, Sharon Plain of the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel. It was founded in 1922 as an American-Jewish settlement, 1 km south of the village of Tabsur, where a ...

; and Ruth, an architect living in the U.S. In 1996, after 40 years of marriage, the couple divorced. Talansky lived with his second wife, Helen, in Woodsburgh, Long Island. He also had an apartment in Wolfson Towers, a high-rise apartment complex overlooking Sacher Park and the

Knesset The Knesset ( , ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Israel. The Knesset passes all laws, elects the President of Israel, president and Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister, approves the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet, and supe ...

.Olmert financier prefers to avoid the limelight
/ref> Talansky died on June 2, 2025, at the age of 92.

Business and fundraising activities

Talansky owned Trans Global Resources, which he founded in April 1998. He was registered as sole shareholder and director of the company, which provides investment consulting and business services. It also deals in real estate investments. Talansky was executive director of the American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center for over 20 years, raising large sums for the hospital. He stopped working for Shaare Zedek in 1997. Over the years, Talansky made contributions to the campaigns of

Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani ( , ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and Disbarment, disbarred lawyer who served as the 107th mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney ...

and George Bush. He mostly donated sums of $1,000. He was a past board member of

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.

Olmert-Talansky affair

Talansky was a longtime acquaintance of former prime minister

. They knew each other before Olmert was elected

Mayor of Jerusalem The Mayor of the City of Jerusalem is head of the executive branch of the political system in Jerusalem. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within Jerusal ...

. Olmert used to call Talansky "my dear old friend," and his aides referred to him as "Mr. T." In May 2008, when Olmert was investigated for alleged briberies, Talansky was one of two pivotal witnesses. The other major witness, Olmert's long-time associate and former partner in their Jerusalem law firm, attorney Uri Messer, allegedly handled the transfer of cash between Talansky and Olmert. Talansky was named as one of the contributors to Olmert's mayoral campaign in

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

References

External links

If Olmert isn't a criminal he is at least an ingrate
{{DEFAULTSORT:Talansky, Morris 1933 births 2025 deaths American financiers American Orthodox rabbis American philanthropists Yeshiva University alumni 21st-century American rabbis