On March 10, 2014 the Jewish Museum of Greece mourned the loss of Sam Benrubi, who was the founding president of the Museum for 29 consecutive years, and contributed greatly to the promotion and preservation of the history of Greek Jewry. For the past 4 years he had been unanimously appointed as Honorary President of the BoD of the J.M.G. and of the BoD of the Association of Friends of the J.MG.
He will be greatly missed.
Samuel Benrubi Obituary by the American Friends of the Jewish Museum of Greece
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It is with deepest sorrow that we have been informed of the untimely death of Samuel Benrubi, the President Emeritus of both the Governing Board of the Jewish Museum of Greece and of the Association of its Greek Friends. His funeral took place in the afternoon of Monday, March 10. On behalf of the American Friends, our President has sent a message of condolences to the family and the Museum.
Truly an exemplar of valour, the profile of a leader, and a man of many talents, creativity and vision, Sam Benrubi played a decisive role in the establishment and growth of the Jewish Museum of Greece. He was present at the Creation! A prominent business leader, well-known to Jewish Communities in Greece and abroad, he was best fit to play the essential role of bringing people together, of mobilizing support, aligning the needed resources and supervising the task of building the Museum in a home all of its own, at the very center of Athens.
Fully developed today, with a rich array of activities beyond the display of exhibits; well-known for its outreach to Greece and the world, the Jewish Museum of Greece stands as a living monument to the vision, perseverance and commitment to Greek Jewry which Sam exemplified. Those of the American Friends, who met him in New York during one of his several visits will recall his dedication to this remarkable task to which he devoted boundless energy; which has become his legacy.
May his memory be for a blessing.
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Several years have passed since The Jewish Museum of Greece has been functioning as a modern museum, having acquired its own new premises and modern installations. For more than 20 years we nurtured this dream of building a museum of international radiance that would house objects that testify to the Jewish presence in Greece for 2.300 years. We went through many stages of development, experienced difficulties and adversities, but on March 10th 1998, the day came when the dream became reality.
On March 10th 1998 we celebrated the inauguration of our Museum’s new premises. It was a day that marked a milestone in the history of two peoples with great cultural contribution to humanity. These two peoples have lived side by side, tracing a course that was recorded in history and that made history.
The financial and moral support that we have received from the Greek Ministry of Culture, the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, the Jewish Communities of Thessaloniki and Athens, as well as many individuals, have given this small and beautiful museum its present form.
We thank all of those who helped the dream come true. We urge all of you to participate in this effort, help promote this project, and become friends and supporters of the Jewish Museum of Greece.
The Board of Directors, the Association of Friends from Greece and Abroad, the staff, the volunteers and myself, have been dedicated to this Museum for the last 28 years. We work and co-operate because we share a common dream, and the same passion and devotion as on the day we began this project. However, now we have something more: we have the new building of the Museum, which we have to enrich, to come to know better, and to cherish. All of us should adopt this wonderful project, and contribute so that it reaches the
level that its history commands.
Sam Benrubi
Honorary President of the Jewish Museum of Greece
On the occasion of the inauguration of the new premises of the Museum, 10/3/1998.
