Uriel Lopatin, a man of great kindness and action, former mayor of Jerusalem and founder of the Yad Sarah organization, passed away last night at the age of 74 after an illness.
Lopatin dedicated his life to helping others, strengthening mutual responsibility, and serving the public with exceptional humility and devotion. His work left a deep mark on Jerusalem and on Israeli society as a whole.
May his memory be blessed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
I received with a heavy heart the bitter news of the passing of Uriel Lopatin, may his memory be a blessing, a man of many deeds – former mayor of Jerusalem, founder and chairman of the ‘Yad Sarah’ charity organization, and a wonderful person who connected all parts of Israeli society.
I knew Uriel decades ago. From the first moment, I was impressed that his name matched his personality traits – a pleasant countenance, pleasant manners, and giving honor to others. He was filled with love for the people and the land, for the Torah of Israel, and of course for Jerusalem.
As one who constantly stands, as Prime Minister of Israel, on guard for our capital Jerusalem, I found in Uriel a loyal partner in strengthening Jerusalem’s status under Israeli sovereignty. In his years as mayor, he contributed with momentum to the building of Jerusalem as a city that was joined together.
To this was added the giant enterprise of ‘Yad Sarah’ for the loan of medical equipment. Uriel brought about a tremendous revolution in this area of auxiliary services for the sick and injured. Tens of thousands of citizens are helped each year by ‘Yad Sarah’ volunteers – and all of them are guided by Uriel’s “credo”: “Every day I ask myself not how well I did yesterday, but how I can help tomorrow.”
At this moment, as the wonderful Uriel is laid to eternal rest in the land of Jerusalem, my wife Sara and I extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to the extensive Lopatin family.
May his memory be blessed.
Photography: Amos Ben Gershom, Moshe Milner/GPO
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