Sivan Hamburger, one of the longstanding, staunch leaders of the Bureau of Jewish Education (BJE), died June 3, at the age of 87.\n\nHamburger was a passionate Labor Zionist, who as a young, idealistic high school student, spent a year in the Land of Israel, during the time it was still called Palestine. His love of Israel, Hebrew and Jewish learning followed him throughout his life.
Lew Wasserman, philanthropist, former chairman and chief executive of Music Corporation of America (MCA) and one of the last old-time movie moguls, died June 3 from complications of a stroke. He was 89.\n\nWasserman was born March 22, 1913, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Russian immigrant parents, Isaac and Minnie, proprietors of a struggling restaurant. In 1936, the same year that Carl Laemmle lost control of Universal Studios, a 22-year-old Wasserman, with only a high school education, began at the bottom at MCA\’s Cleveland office, a talent agency with a celebrity roster that included Benny Goodman and Frank Sinatra. Wasserman worked his way up the corporate ladder and, a decade later, on Dec. 16, 1946, became MCA\’s president.
Marshall Sosson, concertmaster at many Hollywood studios, died on April 29, 2002, at the age of 91.
Avner Sharoni, owner of Tempo restaurant in Encino, died April 13 at the age of 49.
In 1977, Sharoni, then a 24-year-old Israeli, moved to Los Angeles after he served in the Israel Defense Force. He bought Art\’s International Sidewalk Cafe and within a few weeks, had added hummus and pita to the menu and changed the name to Tempo, after the popular Israeli soda.
Albert Spiegel, former president of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, died at the age of 86.
Spiegel\’s commitment and dedication to our community was surpassed only by the passion and zeal he displayed as he worked tirelessly to fulfill the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam — making our world a better place.
Up until the very last moment, the family of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl never lost hope that he would be released by his Pakistani kidnappers and return safely.\n\n
Rosalind Glaser Peters died on Jan. 6, 2002, at the age of 92.
George Konheim, philanthropist, business entrepreneur and a pillar of the Los Angeles Jewish community, died Saturday, Dec. 8, at the age of 84.
The passing of Nathan Pollak on Oct. 26 sent shock waves throughout the Jewish community. Nathan was a dynamic worker for many Jewish causes, and his sudden demise left an enormous spiritual and physical vacuum.
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