Irving Moskowitz, a renowned American philanthropist considered a prominent patron of the settlement enterprise, was laid to rest on Monday at the Mount of Olives cemetery in Jerusalem, where hundreds of mourners gathered under heavy security for the funeral. The 88-year-old multimillionaire died at his home in Miami last Thursday. Through the Moskowitz Foundation, he donated millions of dollars to the Elad Foundation and Ateret Cohanim, two groups that have helped some 3,000 Israelis move into the Old City and surrounding neighborhoods in east Jerusalem. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat vowed to continue Moskowitz's legacy and "support and strengthen every Jewish community in Jerusalem, in its east and west, north and south." Daniel Luria, a spokesman for Ateret Cohanim, called Moskowitz a "prince of Jerusalem who has built, redeemed and secured a united Jerusalem for generations." Moskowitz was buried within view of a Jewish neighborhood he helped establish in east Jerusalem. The ancient Mount of Olives cemetery, which overlooks the Old City, houses the graves of many key figures in Jewish and Israeli history. Moskowitz is survived by his wife, Cherna, and their eight children.
