Former Jerusalem Mayor and "Yad Sarah" Founder Uri Lupoliansky has Dies at 74

Uri Lupoliansky, a former mayor of Jerusalem and the founder of the volunteer-based medical aid organization Yad Sarah, died overnight between Wednesday and Thursday at the age of 74. He had been battling a prolonged illness, and his condition deteriorated in recent days. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m. in Jerusalem.

Born in Haifa in 1951, Lupoliansky was married and the father of 12 children. He served as a military medic and in 1976 founded Yad Sarah, which provides medical equipment, home care services and support to the elderly and disabled. The organization grew into one of Israel’s largest volunteer networks, with thousands of volunteers operating dozens of branches nationwide.

For his work with Yad Sarah, Lupoliansky received numerous awards, including the Israel Prize, the President’s Volunteer Award, the Knesset Speaker’s Award, the Kaplan Prize and the Gerontology Prize. He was awarded the Israel Prize on behalf of the organization.

Political Career and Historic Mayoral Term

Lupoliansky entered municipal politics in 1989, when he was first elected to the Jerusalem City Council as chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Degel HaTorah faction. In 2003, he was elected mayor of Jerusalem, serving until 2008.

His election marked a milestone: he was the first ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) mayor of Jerusalem and the first Haredi to lead a mixed Jewish-Arab city. He did not seek a second term in 2008. The Haredi candidate who followed him, Meir Porush, later a Knesset member for United Torah Judaism, lost the mayoral race to Nir Barkat, now Israel’s economy minister.

Holyland Affair and Sentence Reduction

Lupoliansky’s public career was later overshadowed by his conviction in the Holyland corruption affair. He was found guilty of accepting bribes in connection with funds transferred from a state witness to Yad Sarah. Initially sentenced to six years in prison, his sentence was reduced by the Supreme Court in 2015 to six months of community service, citing his serious medical condition.

Tributes From Across the Political and Social Spectrum

In a statement, Yad Sarah said it was “orphaned” by his death. “We are shocked and saddened by the passing of our revered leader, Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky,” the organization said, calling him a “pillar of mercy” and mourning “the ship that lost its captain.”

Knesset member Uri Maklev of United Torah Judaism described Lupoliansky as “the great architect of kindness,” praising his unconventional thinking, attention to detail and lifelong devotion to helping others. “His whole essence was how to do good to people,” Maklev said.

Knesset member Meir Porush also paid tribute, calling Lupoliansky “one of the most precious men of kindness” in Israel and recalling their years of joint public service in Jerusalem and beyond.

Lupoliansky is to be buried at Har HaMenuchot cemetery in Jerusalem.