Phillip Ratner, a Washington-area artist known for his bronze sculptures of immigrants and historical figures, has passed away at the age of 86. Ratner was commissioned by the National Park Service to create statues representing immigrants who entered the US through Ellis Island and figures connected to the Statue of Liberty. He raised the funds for the sculptures himself and donated models to the National Museum of American Jewish History. Ratner also co-founded the Israel Bible Museum in Safed, which later relocated to Beersheba.