Sami Rohr, a Jewish philanthropist living in Florida, has died at the age of 86. Rohr was active with Chabad-Lubavitch and has donated more than $250 million to global Jewish causes. A $100,000 annual prize for Jewish literature given by the Jewish Book Council is named in his honor.
Rohr was born in Berlin, fleeing the Nazis with his family to Colombia, where he grew a large fortune in real estate. Among his charitable activities, he helped set up Chabad Jewish centers that helped restore Judaism in the former Soviet Union. He is set to be buried Tuesday at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
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