Former Jerusalem mayor and Yad Sarah founder, Uri Lupolianski, dies at 74
Born in Haifa, Lupolianski won several awards and honors, including the Israel Prize and the President's Award for Volunteerism; in 2014, he was convicted of bribery as part of the Holyland affair
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Born in Haifa, Lupolianski won several awards and honors, including the Israel Prize and the President's Award for Volunteerism; in 2014, he was convicted of bribery as part of the Holyland affair
Uri Lupolianski in 2015. Credit: Noam Moskovitz / Pool
Uri Lupolianski in 2015. Credit: Noam Moskovitz / Pool
02:31 AM • January 08 2026 IST
Uri Lupolianski, the founder of the Yad Sarah volunteer organization and mayor of former Jerusalem, died Wednesday at the age of 74. His funeral will take place today on Thursday in Jerusalem.
Lupolianski was born in 1951 in Haifa. He was married and is survived by 12 children. In 1976, he founded Yad Sarah, which provides medical equipment lending services and assistance to the elderly and the sick. As a result, he won several awards and honors, including the Israel Prize and the President's Award for Volunteerism.
In 2014, Lupolianski was convicted of accepting bribes in the Holyland affair. The funds he was convicted of receiving were transferred to Yad Sarah and he was sentenced to six years behind bars and fined 500,000. Due to poor health, however, his prison sentence was converted to six months of community service.
In 2003, Lupolianski was elected mayor of Jerusalem. He served in the position for five years until 2008. Previously, he held several roles in the municipality, including Deputy Mayor, Acting Mayor, Chairman of the Planning and Building Committee and head of the family and community services portfolio.
