59 Facts About Moshe Sanbar

Moshe Sanbar was an economist and Israeli public figure.

Moshe Sanbar served as Governor of the Bank of Israel and chairman of Bank Leumi.

Moshe Sanbar served as a professional consultant to finance ministers Levi Eshkol and Pinhas Sapir, acting for the latter in his post as Minister of Trade and Industry.

Moshe Sanbar was for many years involved with Habima Theatre, the College of Management and headed ICC in Israel.

Moshe Sanbar was the world treasurer and the chairman of the executive in the Claims Conference, member of international commissions on property restitution and a champion for the needs of holocaust survivors.

Moshe Sanbar was born as Gusztav Sandberg on March 29,1926, in Kecskemet, Hungary to Salomon Sandberg and Miriam nee Klausner, both of whom perished during the Holocaust in Hungary in 1944.

Moshe Sanbar's father had been in Hungary representing the family business of import and export of agricultural produce and poultry.

Shortly after the Nazi occupation of Hungary and in response to the removal of Jewish players from the various sport teams, Moshe Sanbar founded a national soccer league for Jewish players.

In early June 1944, Moshe Sanbar was recruited to the labor battalions of the Hungarian Army.

Moshe Sanbar was released by the Allied forces on May 2,1945 near Seeshaupt, while on transport via Holocaust trains to an extermination camp.

Moshe Sanbar was a member of the executive of the Zionist organization in Hungary.

In early 1948, Moshe Sanbar joined the Hagana and headed a group of 60 emigrants to the British Mandate of Palestine in Aliyah Bet.

In 1951, Moshe Sanbar began work as a researcher and statistician at the Institute for Social Applied Research headed by Louis Guttman, becoming deputy director of the institute in 1956.

Moshe Sanbar was a pioneer researcher in the fields of consumer economics and the division of income.

In 1958 Moshe Sanbar entered the civil service, working at the Ministry of Finance as founding director of the research division of the Income Directorate and appointed as a professional deputy director of the directorate.

Moshe Sanbar was involved in ministry's work concerning taxation and headed many of the governmental committees on these matters, including the 1962 devaluation.

Moshe Sanbar continued to research on division income and apply it to his professional work, among other things in his capacity from 1962 to 1966 as coordinator of the government's commission for national income division.

Moshe Sanbar was a government representative in various boards of directors of government corporations such as Mekorot, serving for several years chairman of the finance committee for El Al and in 1967 the founding chairman of the Israel Sports Betting Board in charge of the national football pool.

Moshe Sanbar's approach consisted of a four-year budget planning consistent with long-term development plans for each sector of the economy.

Moshe Sanbar left his post as director of budgeting in April 1968 and as chief financial advisor to the Ministry three months later.

Moshe Sanbar orchestrated the "package deal" signed with the Histadrut, allowing increased taxation alongside wage growth, supported by the industry's willingness to absorb growing costs of production.

Moshe Sanbar was involved in recommending the development of Merkava battle tanks for its positive aspect in terms of Israel's industry.

Simultaneously to this role, Moshe Sanbar was an economic advisor to Pinhas Sapir at the Ministry of Finance, serving as chairman of the Economic Advisory Council.

Between 1971 and 1976 Moshe Sanbar served as Governor of the Bank of Israel.

Moshe Sanbar was outspoken on the need for separation between the role of the governor of the central bank and the role of economic advisor to the government.

In early 1976 Moshe Sanbar announced he would not seek appointment for a second term in November.

Moshe Sanbar's signature is found on the Israeli Pound fourth series.

From 1977 onwards, Moshe Sanbar held various positions in the private sector, as chairman of industrial and financial institutions: Electrochemical Industries, Atzmaut Bank for Mortgages and Development, Le Nacional Insurance, Zelon Ltd.

From 1988 to 1995, Moshe Sanbar chaired Bank Leumi's board of directors and its subordinate banking firms.

Moshe Sanbar formed a new decision-making process in the bank, relying on professional subcommittees set by the board of directors.

Moshe Sanbar chaired the bank's subsidiaries in London and Switzerland, as well as the bank-owned development company Africa-Israel Group.

At the time Moshe Sanbar was involved in deliberations between the Israeli and Soviet chambers of commerce in forming an economic and industrial cooperation agreement.

Moshe Sanbar collaborated with Sigmund Sternberg and Salim Joubran in creating a special fund by the Arab Israel Bank for development and funding of community projects and entrepreneurship targeted at Arab Christians in Israel.

Moshe Sanbar joined the board of a non-governmental organization aimed at joining together economic and industrial corporations in promotion of environmental issues.

For numerous years, Moshe Sanbar was chairman of the executive of the Association of Banks in Israel.

In 1995, Moshe Sanbar did not seek reelection to the bank's board of directors.

Between 1992 and 2003, Moshe Sanbar served as president of the International Chamber of Commerce in Israel.

Locally, Moshe Sanbar was involved with the Chamber of Commerce for many years.

Moshe Sanbar chaired numerous public committees on various subjects, such as the reorganization of Clalit Health Services in 1986 and the committee for the organizational structure of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency in 1988.

Moshe Sanbar had drafted an economic-political development plan, which was initially shelved due to the negotiations started by UN Special Representative Gunnar Jarring, but was reintroduced three years later, when prime minister Meir had asked Sanbar, then in his position of governor of the central bank, to update the proposal and introduce it before the World Bank and in his work sessions with Robert McNamara.

Together with Shimon Peres and others, Moshe Sanbar created the Economic Development and Refugee Rehabilitation Trust and was appointed as its chairperson.

Moshe Sanbar continued to hold this position as governor of the Bank of Israel, with the Trust having focus on humanitarian aid to the territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

For twelve years, Moshe Sanbar was chairman of the board of trustees of Habima Theatre, beginning in 1969 at the dissolution of the theatre as a collective and until 1981.

In 1979, Moshe Sanbar began to head the association for creating a museum in honor of painter Marcel Janco at the artists' colony of Ein Hod.

For three decades, until his death in 2012, Moshe Sanbar was its honorary president.

In 1967 Moshe Sanbar was appointed as the first chairman of Israel Sports Betting Board, an organization in charge of the national football pool.

Moshe Sanbar chaired the Fund for Excelling Athletes until his appointment as Governor of the Bank of Israel.

Since 1987 Moshe Sanbar was active in various national and international organizations working for the benefit of Holocaust survivors.

Moshe Sanbar was a founding member in 1987 of the Umbrella Organization for Holocaust Survivors in Israel and appointed as its chairman and later as its honorary president.

In Israel, Moshe Sanbar reached agreement with the Claims Conference for establishing the Foundation for the Welfare of Holocaust Victims.

Moshe Sanbar sat on various international commissions and forums concerning property restitutions: a Swiss National Committee on Needy Holocaust Survivors the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims and the Hungarian Inter-ministerial Committee for Restitution.

In Israel, Moshe Sanbar was involved with most institutions for commemoration of the hcolocaust.

Moshe Sanbar was chairman of the board of trustees at Massuah Institute for Holocaust Studies and a member of the council of Yad Vashem.

Moshe Sanbar dedicated most of his later years to the various committees and organizations concerning the welfare of holocaust survivors, both in Israel and internationally.

In 2010, Moshe Sanbar's biography was printed in a Hebrew book titled Signed on the Bill: An Economist in a Political World.

Moshe Sanbar was buried the following day at Kiryat Shaul Cemetery.

Moshe Sanbar's archive is found at the Israel State Archives and Massuah Institute of Holocaust Studies.

Moshe Sanbar authored many researches and articles on economic policy, taxation, division of income and other monetary issues.

Moshe Sanbar was the writer and editor of several books in English:.