Nimrod Raphaeli

Nimrod Raphaeli, 91, of Falls Church, VA, passed away on April 16, 2024. He was born in Basra, Iraq, to Noor (Aslan) and Abner Raphael. When religious persecution forced them to flee Iraq, the family emigrated to Israel. At age 19, Nimrod adapted to a new culture, attended university, and became, at 24, the Director of Administration of Israel's Labor Party, Tel Aviv Branch.
In 1960, awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, he came to the U.S for graduate studies, completing an MPA at U. Pitt. and a Ph.D and Post-Doctoral Fellowship at U. Mich. He met and married Ellen (Cerf) in 1963. Their daughter Tamar was born in Ann Arbor. In 1966, Nimrod joined the faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the family relocated to Israel where their son Michael was born.
In 1969, the family returned to the U.S. and Nimrod began a distinguished career at the World Bank. He headed divisions in areas of technical assistance and development planning; later, he moved into central operations, focusing on operations policy and coordination with other international organizations. In 1995, he became the World Bank's representative to the United Nations. After retirement, Nimrod enjoyed a second career with the Middle East Media Research Institute as Senior Analyst of Economic Studies.
Most of all, Nimrod was a loving and beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and a caring brother, uncle, cousin, friend, and neighbor. He leaves his wife, Ellen; his son, Michael; his daughter Tamar Raphaeli-Rava (Tom); his granddaughters, Hannah King (Louis) and Firiel Wolfe (Jonathan); his great-granddaughters, Safiya and Naima King and Amel Wolfe; and his brother Sami Raphael (Yudit). A brother and two sisters predeceased him. Memorial to be planned.