Businessman Stephen Muss, who built program in Israel for American Jewish students, dies at 97

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 ( AMHSI ), which has transformed the lives of more than 3