born 20. January 1917, Będzin
died 15. May 1999, Belgium
lived in Będzin / Palestine / Belgium
soldier, polyglot, translator, businessman
He was the son of Solomon and Rella, the grandson of a Będzin rabbi Issachar Graubart. As a dedicated local leader of the Zionist movement HaNoar HaTzioni (The Zionist Youth) in 1936 he emigrated to Palestine. He studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he was elected the president of the students’ organization. During World War II he joined the British Army and served seven years in RAF.
He was very intelligent and talented, mastered over 16 languages, including Chinese. During the peace negotiations in Vienna after World War II in 1945 he worked as a translator for the Russians, Americans and British. He moved to Belgium, where he was a very successful businessman.
His wife Simone was a pianist; one of the sons, Ronald Guttman is an actor and film producer in New York, and the second – Michael Guttman – famous Belgian violinist.