Israeli photographer did outreach at World Bank

Yosef "Yossi" Hadar, 66, an Israeli photographer who founded the World Bank's community relations program to foster better ties between the development bank and its host city of Washington, died Oct. 30 at a hospital in Sarasota, Fla. He had leukemia.

As a young man, Mr. Hadar worked as a photographer for the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the prime minister's office and the Israeli press until he was called up to serve in the army during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Afterward, he was a founding staff member of a state-run Israeli television network, serving as studio manager and cameraman.

He settled in Washington in 1977 when the World Bank hired him as a photographer to document its development projects worldwide. His gregarious personality brought him to the attention of World Bank President Barber B. Conable Jr. in the late 1980s, when the bank was being criticized for its lack of engagement with District residents.

During his 14 years running the bank's community outreach program, Mr. Hadar organized hundreds of charitable and cultural events, including happy hour discos, art shows, recitals, 8K runs and tennis tournaments. The bank donated equipment to D.C. schools, distributed Christmas boxes to the homeless and raised more than $7 million for the United Way, according to a bank publication.

Mr. Hadar told an interviewer that his goal was to see the bank's employees become "an integral part of this community . . . and not behave like guests."

After retiring in 1999, he moved to Sarasota from Gaithersburg and remained active in volunteer activities.

He was born Yosef Pomeranzblum in the British mandate of Palestine after his parents had emigrated from Poland. He later Hebraized his surname. As a young man, he served in the Israeli navy and graduated from Hebrew University and the School of Photography and Cinematography, both in Jerusalem.

His marriage to Mary Selman Hadar, a longtime Washington Post editor, ended in divorce.

Survivors include his second wife, Carmen Hambidge of Sarasota, whom he married in 1992; two sons from his first marriage, Doron Hadar of Washington and Yaniv Hadar of Chevy Chase; a stepson, Allan Hambidge of London; a sister; and a grandson.

-- Adam Bernstein