Yaron (Ronny) Bruckner, a Belgian Jewish entrepreneur and philanthropist, has died Sunday in Israel at the age of 56.
Born in Brussels, Bruckner pioneered business ventures in Eastern Europe, Belgium and most recently Israel.
He was particularly active in Poland even before the borders of this country opened to the world with the EU accession and he stayed committed to the region throughout his life.
In business and in other aspects of his life he was known to be an out-of-the-box thinker gifted with intelligence, creativity, and unwavering optimism.
A passionate of music and beauty who showed a great affinity for Art Deco New York Skyscrapers, Yaron Bruckner was also a great supporter of Israel and the Jewish people. In 2006, he co-founded European Friends of Israel (EFI) a Brussels-based organization aimed at improving the perception of Israel in Europe and reviving Jewish communities across Europe.
His funeral was due to be held on Monday on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where he wished to be buried.