Mayer Almagor, 89

BARRINGTON, R.I. – Mayer Almagor passed away on March 22.  He was the devoted husband of the late Miriam Almagor for 62 years. Born in Romania, he was the son of the late Gedalia and Esther (Schwartzenberg) Caufman.  Mayer was the beloved father of Dalia Harel and her husband, Zeev Harel; doting grandfather of Ephat Russcol and her husband, David, Asaff Harel and his wife, Avital Mendelson, and Maayan Harel; loving great-grandfather of Liora, Aviva, Rina and Ilana Russcol and Ethan and Benjamin Harel.  

Mayer was a Holocaust survivor. He spent World War II in Iassi, Romania, under Nazi rule, and, as a teenager, became a staunch Zionist.  He struggled for many years to be allowed to make aliyah, as the Romanian communist regime prevented Jews from leaving.  He managed to leave at age 33, when he was already married and had a daughter.  He lived for most of his life in Israel, with several years spent in the U.S., where he was sent for Ph.D. studies, and in Europe, where he was sent for work-related purposes by the Israeli government.  He was an extremely intelligent man, who was very successful in his professional life.

In May 2015, Mayer and Miriam reluctantly left Israel and moved to Barrington to be close to their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mayer was a devoted husband, an involved father, and an amazing grandfather. He forged close relationships with his grandchildren, who will miss him dearly, and loved interacting with his great-grandchildren. He cared about relationships, and maintained close contact with his cousins with whom he grew up, and with old and new friends.  He was not an observant Jew, but he followed many rules and traditions in order to feel as one with the Jewish people, and to honor Miriam, who was much more observant.

Donations may be made to Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence, RI 02906.