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Dr. Joseph Lerner – Founder - IMRA

Dr. Joseph Lerner, 84, an economist who specialized in energy issues for a variety of federal agencies, died May 14 at Herzog Hospital in Jerusalem. He had a cerebral hemorrhage.

Dr. Lerner began his career at the Bureau of Mines in the early 1950s and later held positions with Resources for the Future, an economic research and policy organization; the Office of Emergency Preparedness; and the Treasury Department.

Starting in 1976, he spent a decade at the Federal Trade Commission and did significant analytic work on investigations into price-fixing among oil companies as well as larger competition issues affecting energy policy.

Dr. Lerner, the son of a Russian immigrant grocer, was a Baltimore native and 1943 graduate of Johns Hopkins University. He received a doctorate in economics from Harvard University.

After retiring in 1986, he moved from Takoma Park to Jerusalem and founded and co-directed a leading Israel information project, Independent Media Review and Analysis (www.imra.org.il ), which covers Israeli-Arab and larger Middle East affairs.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Sue Lerner, and three children, Tessa (Lerner) Auman, Dr. Aaron Lerner and Dr. Berel Dov Lerner, all of Israel; 14 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.