Stephen Muss, a businessman, investor and Jewish philanthropist who believed that greatness lies in the legacy left for future generations, died on Aug. 23. He was 97 years old.
A native New Yorker, he was known throughout South Florida as the titan who helped revitalize Miami Beach, including investing in the famous Fontainebleau Hotel with other partners in the late 1970s. Over the years, he became a major contributor to hotel growth throughout Miami-Dade County.
In his lifetime, he donated to many institutions, including Mount Sinai Medical Center-Miami Beach and Boston Children’s Hospital.
But he will perhaps best be remembered as the steadfast supporter of the Jewish National Fund-USA’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel in Hod Hasharon, which has transformed the lives of more than 35,000 high school students, including 10,000 from the South Florida region, turning them into powerful advocates for the land and people of Israel and into leaders of Jewish communities nationwide.
‘An incredibly charitable man’
Stephen Muss was born to Alexander and Gertrude Muss in New York City on Aug. 4, 1928, and grew up in a Jewish family in Brooklyn. His father was one of 11 children, six of them brothers, who worked for their own father building homes during and after the Great Depression in America.
Instead of attending college, Muss went directly to work in the family business — initially as a laborer, then in sales and construction supervision. He eventually formed a partnership with his father, Alexander Muss & Sons.
The younger Muss first got involved with AMHSI in 1980, when the school was called “High School in Israel.” After donating a significant philanthropic gift, it was renamed in honor of his father.
“When I learned of his passing, I wept not only for the loss of a remarkable individual, but for the loss of a guiding light of the Jewish people,” said Stephen Kutno, head of school at AMHSI. “While I did not have the privilege of knowing Stephen personally, our lives and all the lives at AMHSI are deeply intertwined with his. Without Stephen Muss, our school, our students, our alumni and our community would not be what they are today. His legacy is woven into the very fabric of AMHSI.”
Muss served one of AMHSI’s biggest supporters, serving as chairman for nine years. He also helped spearhead the partnership between AMHSI and Jewish National Fund-USA in 2014, which helped significantly expand AMHSI’s reach.
“Stephen Muss was a dreamer, a visionary and an incredibly charitable man,” stated Ron Werner, AMHSI chairperson and president emeritus.
“Stephen believed wholeheartedly in our mission to educate Jewish adolescents,” he said. “For many years, he would write a check to AMHSI for whatever the operating costs were.
He didn’t want a ceremony or a plaque; he just did it because he cared. Stephen leaves behind a legacy that he and his loved ones can be proud of.”
‘Instilling Jewish and Zionist values’
Through his decades of leadership and philanthropy, Muss ensured that thousands of Jewish American teens could experience a transformative semester abroad in Israel, learning their history in the land where it unfolded and forging lifelong bonds with Israel and the Jewish people.
“Muss’ strength and commitment to our school knew no bounds,” stated Joel Reinstein, an AMHSI board member. “He was always there; our living safety net. His vision and love for our school was the constant that kept us on track when times were tough. Stephen knew that the merger of our school with Jewish National Fund-USA was necessary; Stephen made this happen. I will deeply miss this giant of a man.”
Recently, AMHSI opened a second campus in Beersheva.
“Muss’s vision was that we would have multiple AMHSI campuses, educating thousands of students a year, and instilling Jewish and Zionist values to ensure that we had a Jewish future and a strong Israel,” said Werner.
His philanthropy extended throughout the entire Miami area. He previously served as board chair of Temple Emanu-El and on the board of the Miami Art Museum. Muss was also the founder of the Stephen Muss Foundation, which provides grants to Jewish agencies, temples and schools.
He received the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s Friend of Israel humanitarian award for his giving efforts in the community.
Stephen Muss is survived by his longtime partner, Amy Jeschawitz; five children; grandchildren; and two sisters.
