Murray and Marilyn Grant at the Jordan River Valley dedication, June 12, 2012, in the Galilee.

Murray and Marilyn Grant have been ESRA members since its inception, and we are saddened to learn of Murray’s passing away after recently celebrating his 85^th birthday. He died suddenly on June 12 en route home to the United States from a visit to Israel.

 On June 10, the Grants had been honored as founders of the Jordan River Village, a vacation village in the Upper Galilee for seriously ill children.  At the official dedication Marilyn said that witnessing the inauguration of the Village was the fulfillment of a dream for Murray and herself.

Murray and Marilyn made aliyah to Israel in 1971 and lived here for almost 35 years, until family matters dictated the need for their return to the US.  They arrived in Israel with a great deal of enthusiasm and experience and invested much time and energy in social, religious and philanthropic causes that touched their hearts. They were honored for their work with Project Renewal and brought the same vitality and drive to other projects and people in Israel.

They travelled to Russia to aid refuseniks, and personally adopted a Russian family who came on aliyah. They have also been honored in Afula for their dedication to the Ethiopian community there. They helped to raise funds for the building of a synagogue in an Ethiopian neighborhood and were instrumental in obtaining the gift of a Torah for the synagogue from donors in the United States.

This same passionate involvement fueled their desire to initiate the founding of an international Hole in the Wall sleep-away camp in Israel as part of Paul Newman’s project for seriously ill children. A chance reading of Newman’s pamphlet at a jazz concert in Connecticut fueled the initiative and the hard work that followed resulted in the recent dedication of the Jordan River Village, the first such facility of its kind in the Middle East. For the past 14 years the Grants have devoted tireless energy and passion to the creation of the Jordan River Village.

 We in ESRA join in the chorus of praise and gratitude that the Grants have received from dignitaries, parents, children and all those associated with the Jordan River Village, as well as the thanks from those who were involved in their other outstanding achievements.

We send most sincere condolences to Marilyn on the loss of Murray, her husband and her partner in their wonderful humanitarian work. Their lives have touched many people, and Murray will be missed by all who appreciate his generosity of spirit and willingness to give of himself in order to make a meaningful contribution to the world in which he lived.