David Mark Berger

Who was David Mark Berger?

David Mark Berger was an American-born Israeli weightlifter for the Israeli Olympic team in 1972. A lawyer by education, Berger was one of 11 members of Israel’s Olympic team who were taken hostage and subsequently murdered by Arab terrorists at the Munich Olympic Games.

Berger was born in Cleveland, Ohio to wealthy parents. A noted student-athlete, David graduated for Shaker Heights High School in 1962. He attended Tulane University from 1962 to 1966 where he was an honor student and a weightlifter. While a junior at Tulane, he won the NCAA weightlifting title in the 148-pound class. Berger earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Tulane in 1966. He earned a master's degree in business administration and a doctor of laws degree from Columbia University. In addition to working toward his degrees, Berger was able to devote time to weightlifting, competing as a light-heavyweight. His father, Benjamin, was once quoted as saying, “I used to tell him ‘You may not be the best weightlifter in the world, but you’re certainly the smartest!’”