The Elaine and Sir James Wolfensohn International series

The world of classical music and the State of Israel lost two of their most ardent devotees with the passing of Sir James and Elaine Wolfensohn z’l. Jim and Elaine were music lovers, idealists deeply committed to music and Jerusalem’s cultural heritage as vital areas for engagement and inclusion across communities. As such, they were the Jerusalem Music Centre’s greatest ambassadors, as JMC represented the confluence of their deepest passions.

Jim and Elaine supported the Jerusalem Music Centre from its inception; it is no coincidence that Mayor Teddy Kollek, Isaac Stern, and the Rothschild family (without whom the Jerusalem Music Centre would not exist) were among the most important influences in Jim Wolfensohn’s life. Teddy Kollek brought Jim to the Jerusalem Foundation, which he headed and served as chairman and mentor for many years. Isaac Stern partnered with Jim to save Carnegie Hall in New York, which Jim also led for many years; and finally, Jim was a very close friend of the Rothschild family, and had the great honor of serving as a trustee of Yad Hanadiv for 22 years.

Elaine’s commitment to Israel was profoundly influenced by her parents, who brought her to Israel in 1952. With a deep-rooted vision for greater quality and equality in education, Elaine held leadership positions on the boards of numerous Israeli educational and cultural institutions and visited with great frequency until her unexpected and untimely passing. She was never happier than when she was in Israel, surrounded by friends and music. She was an equal partner in all of Jim’s work, whether with the Jerusalem Foundation, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, or at the World Bank where Jim served a ten year term as President from 1995 to 2005.

During their 59 years of marriage, Jim and Elaine attended hundreds of concerts of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Jerusalem Music Centre, often planning their trips so as not to miss a concert by one of their many musician friends. They must have been very excited about this concert series, and the Wolfensohn family and the Jerusalem Music Centre are deeply grateful to the benefactor for the generous memorial donation that made the series possible.