Jerusalem-born journalist, author a multi-talented Renaissance man

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This article was published 15/10/2010 (5530 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The world has lost a true Renaissance man with the passing Wednesday of Yoram (Hamizrachi) East, scholar, activist, war hero, journalist, author, counter-terrorism expert, restaurateur, grandfather, artist and occasional fortune teller.

East died at Health Sciences Centre due to complications of diabetes. He was 68.

Born in Jerusalem when it was still part of the British mandate, East joined the Israeli Defence Forces when he was 17 and became a paratrooper. He studied at the Bezalel Fine Arts School in Jerusalem and continued his studies in Wiesbaden, Germany, said his ex-wife Beate Zahn.

During the Six-Day War in 1967, East fought in the battle for Jerusalem. During the Yom Kippur War of 1973, East covered the war for German TV.

In the 1970s, he was a journalist for Israeli media and was a correspondent for German TV, NBC, ABC, CBS and others. He was a correspondent in South Africa, Iran, Turkey and Cairo.

In the late ’70s, East rejoined the army as a colonel for what was supposed to be a year to work with the Lebanese Christians on the other side of the border. He stayed for several years and became the first Israeli officer to work with the South Lebanese Forces.

After that, East returned to journalism and in the sping of 1982, immigrated with his young family to Winnipeg.

In Winnipeg, he continued to write for Israeli newspapers and threw himself into community activism, becoming the co-ordinator of the International Centre’s multicultural commitee as well as the co-director of the Winnipeg-based Counter-Terrorism Centre. He published several novels, including the thriller The Golden Lion and The Sun.

Over the years, he was involved in a variety of ventures, ranging from running a restaurant on Corydon Avenue, where he would tell fortunes using a deck of cards which he created that combined elements of tarot and Kabbalah.

East lectured widely on world affairs at both city universities and synagogues, churches, temples and mosques. He spoke at least a half dozen languages.

Later in life, he returned to art with a vengeance, creating works based on the Old Testament and his own vivid imagination.

He is survived by his wife Carol Merhav, two sons, Ron and Dan, daughter Tahl, and five grandchildren.

A funeral will take place today at 10 a.m. at Temple Shalom.

shane.minkin@freepress.mb.ca