Morris Talansky, Ehud Olmert, Israel’s 2006–2009 prime minister, and American billionaire and Orthodox rabbi Morris “Moshe” Talansky formed the New Jerusalem Foundation.
Morris Talansky Obituary : His Biography and Legal Legacy
Morris Talansky A personal biography
Talansky got rabbinic ordination and enrolled in a New York law school after graduating from Yeshiva University in 1954. The three children of Talansky and his first wife, Marion, are Yitzhak (Alan), a dentist and professor at Jerusalem’s Machon Lev college and father of eleven; Bracha Tova (Barbara), a psychologist in Ra’anana; and Ruth, an architect in the US. They divorced in 1996 after 40 years together. In Woodsburgh, Long Island, Talansky married Helen again. He also owned a Wolfson Towers condo overlooking Sacher Park and the Knesset.
Talansky died June 2, 2025, at 92.
Morris Talansky Organizations and charities
Talansky founded and owned Trans Global Resources in April 1998. He is the only shareholder and director of the financial advising and commercial business. It also invests in property.
Talansky generated significant money for Shaare Zedek Medical Center during his twenty years as American Committee executive director. He left Shaare Zedek in 1997. Talansky supported Rudy Giuliani and George W. Bush for years. Most of his gifts were under $1,000. Past trustees of Yeshiva University included him.
The Olmert-Talansky controversy
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was longtime friends with Talansky. They were buddies before Olmert became Jerusalem mayor. Olmert termed Talansky “my dear old friend,” while his staff dubbed him “Mr. T.”
The May 2008 Olmert bribery inquiry included Talansky as one of two key witnesses. The second major witness is attorney Uri Messer, who allegedly transferred money between Talansky and Olmert. Messer was Olmert’s longtime friend and former Jerusalem legal partner. Talansky donated to Olmert’s 1998 mayoral campaign.
Honoring Morris Talansky
In moments like these, we feel the loss deeply. Morris Talansky had a profound impact on many lives.
You are welcome to comment below if you have any memories or ideas to share. Let’s come together to remember and celebrate his life.
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