Sol Granek, a Canadian businessman who became executive director of the United Israel Appeal and resident Canadian representative to the Keren Hayesod in Jerusalem, died at the age of 71 while visiting Florida.
Born in Poland, Granek was brought by his family to Canada at the age of nine. The family settled in St. Catharines, Ontario. He became active in local and national Jewish communal life as an executive committee member of the Canadian Jewish Congress and president of the Ontario section of the Zionist Organization of Canada.
In 1961 Granek Relinquished his business enterprises and became national executive director of the UIA in Canada and moved to Montreal. He later moved to Israel where he headed the Canadian office of Keren Hayesod where, among his other assignments, Granek helped Canadian immigrants to obtain loans. He recently retired.
In 1950 Granek visited the remaining Displaced Persons camps in Europe as well as Joint Distribution Committee installations. In 1956 he participated in study missions to Jewish communities in North Africa.
CORRECTION- An article about the Jews of France who advise President Francois Mitterrand incorrectly identified Leon Blum, Rene Mayer and Pierre Mendes-France as Presidents of France. They were Premiers.