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David Azrieli

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David Joshua Azrieli
דוד יהושע עזריאלי‎
Born(1922-05-10)10 May 1922
Maków Mazowiecki, Poland
Died9 July 2014(2014-07-09) (aged 92)
Ivry-sur-le-Lac, Canada
Citizenship
  • Israeli
  • Canadian
Alma materThomas More Institute (BA)
Carleton University (MArch)
Occupations
OrganizationAzrieli Foundation
AgentAzrieli Group
Spouse
Stephanie Lefcort
​
(m. 1957)​
Children4, including Sharon and Danna
AwardsOrder of Canada (1984)
Order of Quebec (1999)
Military career
Allegiance State of Israel
Service / branchHaganah
Years of servicec. 1946–1949
Unit7th Brigade
Battles / wars

David Joshua Azrieli CM CQ (Hebrew: דוד יהושע עזריאלי; 10 May 1922 – 9 July 2014) was an Israeli-Canadian tycoon, real estate developer, architect, and philanthropist.[1][2] With an estimated net worth of US$3.1 billion in March 2013, he was ranked by Forbes as the ninth-wealthiest Canadian and the 401st wealthiest person overall.[3]

In 1989, he founded the philanthropic Azrieli Foundation, to which he bequeathed the bulk of his estate upon his death in 2014.

Biography

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Azrieli was born into a family of Ashkenazi Jews in the town of Maków Mazowiecki, in what was then the Second Polish Republic.[4][5] Following the outbreak of World War II, he fled from the German-led invasion of Poland and took refuge in the Soviet Union for a brief period. By late 1942, he had arrived in the British Mandate for Palestine, having been smuggled along with a weapons shipment concealed in coffins for the Yishuv.[6] By 1945, except for one of his brothers, Azrieli's entire family had been murdered in the Holocaust throughout German-occupied Europe.[6]

Between 1943 and 1946, Azrieli studied architecture at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in the city of Haifa, but did not complete his degree. He subsequently enlisted with the 7th Brigade of the Haganah and fought in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.[7][8][9][10] In 1954, he immigrated to Canada from Israel, settling down in the city of Montreal.[11] In Canada, he reconnected with a few of his first cousins who had also survived the Holocaust and fled from Europe, including Henia Azrieli Rosenfeld. He routinely came for Shabbat dinner to Henia’s home while working and studying.

In Montreal, Azrieli enrolled at the Thomas More Institute (now part of Bishop's University), where he completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1956. At the age of 75, he earned a Masters of Architecture from Carleton University in the city of Ottawa.[11]

In 1957, he married Stephanie Lefcort. They have four children: Rafael, Sharon, Naomi, and Danna.[12] For the last ten years of his life, Azrieli and his wife resided in the Israeli city of Herzliya for five months per year and in the Canadian city of Westmount for the rest of the year. On July 9, 2014, he died at the age of 92 in his lakeside house at Ivry-sur-le-Lac.[13]

Career

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Real estate and other businesses

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In Montreal, he established his building business, beginning with the construction of small duplexes and working his way up to apartment buildings and, later on, shopping malls. Azrieli's building projects can be seen in the office buildings, high-rise residences, office towers, and shopping centres that he built in Canada, the United States, and Israel. His two companies are Montreal-based Canpro Investments Ltd. and Tel Aviv–based Azrieli Group Ltd.[14][15]

In 2010, he took the Azrieli Group public in the largest ever IPO on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.[16] It is now the largest real estate company in the country.[17] Its projects include a number of Israeli commercial centres, including the first enclosed mall in Israel (the Canion Ayalon in Ramat Gan) as well as the Malha Mall in Jerusalem and the Beersheba Shopping Mall (Canion ha-Negev). He also built the eponymous Azrieli Centre in Tel Aviv, the largest real estate project in Israel, which includes three skyscrapers in the heart of Tel Aviv and has become an architectural landmark at the core of Israel's business industry.[18]

Philanthropy

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The Azrieli Foundation was established by David Azrieli in 1989 to support initiatives and develop and operate programs that promote access to education and the achievement of excellence in various fields of knowledge and activity.[19][20]

Azrieli's early philanthropy established the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University in New York City and supported schools and educational institutions in Canada and Israel. His aim to support education in multiple and diverse ways guides the Azrieli Foundation to this day. The Foundation has disbursed over CA$450 million since 1989. Notable donations in that time include: the Azrieli Schools of Architecture at Tel Aviv University and Carleton University; the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University, the creation of the Azrieli Institute for Educational Empowerment, Azrieli Institute for Systems Biology at Weizmann Institute of Science, Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies at Concordia University, and the School of Continuing Studies at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.[citation needed]

In 2020, the Azrieli Foundation created an emergency fund to be allocated to meet urgent needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[21] As of 1 October 2020, the Foundation pledged CA$8.6 million for pandemic-related initiatives, including food relief, hospitals and long-term care institutions, and support for the vulnerable, including Holocaust survivors, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, and students.

Controversies

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Montreal's Van Horne Mansion

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In 1969, the heirs of Canadian railway magnate William Cornelius Van Horne put up for sale the Van Horne Mansion in the Canadian city of Montreal. A buyer was not found until 1973, when Azrieli bought the land. His intention to raze the mansion was met with fierce opposition from many groups opposed to the demolition spree of the Golden Square Mile, including René Lépine, another prominent Canadian real estate developer who owned the building next to the Van Horne Mansion and who wanted to buy it back from Azrieli to restore the mansion instead of developing the land. However, Azrieli remained committed to demolishing the historic landmark and ended up doing so on 8 September 1973.[22] The Azrieli-built Sofitel Montreal now stands on the property.

As a direct result of this action, the Canadian advocacy group Save Montreal was formed to organize resistance to future demolitions of designated heritage sites.[23]

Donation to Im Tirtzu NGO

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The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that "What you won’t find on either the [Azrieli] foundation’s or company’s websites is that in 2010 the Azrieli Group apparently donated NIS 30,000 (CAD $10,000) to Im Tirtzu" even though the Azrieli group "claims it has no political agenda."[24] The donation was made specifically "to a project to stop the academic boycott of Israel" by Palestinian-led initiatives.[24]

Sculpture of Azrieli in Tel Aviv, by Asaf Lifshitz

Awards and recognition

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Published works

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  • Azrieli, Danna J.: One step ahead : David J. Azrieli (Azrylewicz) : memoirs 1939-1950. Yad Vashem, Jerusalem 2001.
  • Azrieli, David J. (2008). Rekindling the Torch: Story of Canadian Zionism. Toronto: Key Porter Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-55263-977-1.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Francis, Diane (8 August 2010). "David Azrieli, a master at beating adversity". Financial Post. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Interview: David Azrieli". Hadassah Magazine. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  3. ^ Forbes: The World's Billionaires: David Azrieli March 2013
  4. ^ "6 Canadian Jews on Forbes' Rich List". Shalom Life. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  5. ^ "The Azrieli family | Transforming two homelands through philanthropy, education". WeizmannCompass. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  6. ^ a b Csillag, Ron (18 July 2014). "Mall Man from Montreal David Azrieli brought American-style shopping to Israel". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  7. ^ "David Azrieli 1922-2014". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  8. ^ "About Us – The Azrieli Foundation". 4 February 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  9. ^ Foundation, Azrieli. "Statement on the passing of David J. Azrieli, Visionary builder, businessman, and philanthropist". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  10. ^ Marr, Garry (9 July 2014). "David Azrieli, Canadian billionaire and real estate tycoon, dies at age 92". Financial Post. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  11. ^ a b Carleton University: "David Azrieli, March / 97, PhD (Honorary)" Archived 2013-02-05 at the Wayback Machine retrieved January 18, 2012
  12. ^ "Making Philanthropy a Family Endeavour" by Paul Waldie, The Globe and Mail, January 20, 2012
  13. ^ "David Azrieli, Canadian-Israeli Shopping Mall Pioneer, Dies at 92". Haaretz. 9 July 2014.
  14. ^ Robehmed, Natalie. "Canadian-Israeli Real Estate Tycoon David Azrieli Dies At 92". Forbes. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  15. ^ "Azrieli Group". GES. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  16. ^ Shauly, Avi (12 May 2010). "Azrieli offering underway - Globes". en.globes.co.il. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  17. ^ "קבוצת קניוני עזריאלי". investors.azrieli.com. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  18. ^ "David Azrieli, Canadian-Israeli billionaire and philanthropist, dies at 92". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  19. ^ "About Us". The Azrieli Foundation. 4 February 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  20. ^ "Building bridges in brain research: Naomi Azrieli is ready 'for the long haul'". Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  21. ^ "COVID-19 Response". The Azrieli Foundation. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  22. ^ Harvie, Ronald T. (October 2007). "Architectural Awareness in Montréal" (PDF). Montréal Behind the Scenes. Tourisme Montréal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  23. ^ "A Brief Chronology: Events and Heritage Montreal's principle efforts since 1975". Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  24. ^ a b Major Israeli businesses helped quadruple donations to right-wing Im Tirtzu movement, Haaretz, 30.12.2011
  25. ^ "David Azrieli – Ordre national du Québec". www.ordre-national.gouv.qc.ca.
  26. ^ "Honorary Degree Citation - David Azrieli". Concordia University Archives. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
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