Jack Saltzberg, of Los Angeles, died on July 26, at 62, of cardiac arrest. He was buried in Beit Shemesh, Israel.
Jack is survived by his beloved wife Katherine, children Tal (Seth) Yazdian, Jordan Saltzberg and Elai Saltzberg, mother Myrna Saltzberg, sister Diane Saltzberg, grandchildren Emilia and Luca Yazdian, many cousins and friends, and his adored pooch Georgie, who sat under his desk faithfully as he worked. Jack cherished his children, and appreciated family all the more as he embraced the wisdom of Torah within Orthodox Judaism later in life.
A Los Angeles native, Jack at 18 made a two-week visit to Israel that turned into a five-year sojourn at Kibbutz Bet Alfa. He volunteered for the Israeli armed forces and served as a paratrooper and in Special Forces. Returning to the States, Jack graduated from CalArts with a degree in Photography and a graduate degree in Film/Video.
One of his greatest passions was Israel, and he was a tireless advocate for the Jewish homeland. He raised millions of dollars as the Executive Director of many American Friends organizations, among them Sheba Medical Center, Technion and the Israel Air Force Foundation. His latest mission was a culmination of all his Zionist and religious beliefs: he created The Israel Group (TIG), a nonprofit organization devoted to protecting Israel by combating BDS and anti-Semitism anywhere and everywhere. He was most proud of TIG’s Gary Shapiro Speakers Series, bringing global leaders to high schools nationwide to prepare college-bound students to defend their Jewish values in the face of potential on-campus anti-Semitism.
Jack was also an avid skier, screenwriter, inventor, and a true visionary. Among his numerous accomplishments were his many Opinion pieces published in the L.A. Times, The Daily Wire, the Jewish Journal, The Times of Israel, Algemeiner, and Jewish News Syndicate, among others; spearheading the effort to transport a survivor of the 2010 Haiti earthquake to Sheba for two new prosthetic legs—and a new life; his appearance on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” screening his film NO PRESS PASS, wherein he crashed the Academy Awards; and a class in Fundraising that he taught at the American Jewish University. He also relished his letters being published in the LA Times Sports section, something he and his youngest sports-fan son could enjoy together.
A force of nature, Jack will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved him.
In lieu of donations, if you are passionate about Israel, or just curious to know more about the only democracy in the Middle East, please go to the The Israel Group website, https://www.theisraelgroup.org/.
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