User:Unissani fw/Sam Grundwerg

SAM GRUNDWERG  (born in 1973) serves as World Chairman of Keren Hayesod – United Israel Appeal (UIA). In 2022, he was nominated by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.

Biography
Sam Grundwerg was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida. In 1990, at the age of 17, he moved to Israel alone, and not long after he officially immigrated (made Aliyah), and then he enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) where he served as a combat soldier in the IDF armored corps, and later in the IDF reserves as a casualty officer.

Upon completing his army service, he received his undergraduate degree from Bar Ilan University. He then went on to earn his Juris Doctor law degree from the University of Miami School of Law and as well as an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Miami School of Business.

Mr. Grundwerg worked as an attorney at a major international law firm in the United States and held positions in the fields of law and finance in the United States and Israel.

Mr. Grundwerg later served as Director General in Israel for the World Jewish Congress (WJC), an international organization representing Jewish communities in over 100 countries to governments, parliaments, and other international organizations. As the head of WJC's operations in Israel, Mr. Grundwerg advanced the overall mission of the WJC to strengthen and support Jewish communities around the world, as well as the State of Israel and the Jewish People.

Prior to this role, he served as the Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles from 2016 to 2018 where he was the senior representative of the State of Israel to the Southwestern United States. Immediately before becoming Consul General, Mr. Grundwerg served as Director General in Israel for the World Jewish Congress (WJC), an international organization representing Jewish communities in over 100 countries to governments, parliaments, and other international organizations. As the head of WJC's operations in Israel, Mr. Grundwerg advanced the overall mission of the WJC to strengthen and support Jewish communities around the world, as well as the State of Israel and the Jewish People.

Mr. Grundwerg was appointed to serve as the Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles from 2016-2018 where he served as the state of Israel’s most senior representative to the Southwest United States. During his tenure, he worked extensively to promote Israel’s image among the American public, among other things, through collaborations with well-known figures in Hollywood, such as Gal Gadot, Mayim Bialik, Conan O’Brien, and Sharon Stone.

In 2018, Mr. Grundwerg was elected to the position of World Chairman of Keren Hayesod-UIA.

Personal Life
Mr. Grundwerg is married to Julia, a nurse. The couple has three children.