Meet the Jewish Billionaire Who Studies Torah Every Morning Before he sold Timberland, the family company he headed until last year, Jeffrey Swartz made the firm a pioneer in 'social responsibility.' Now, $2 billion later, he studies Torah each morning and spends the rest of his time trying to make the world a better place. The decision, which fully removed the Swartz family from any involvement in Timberland, was met widely with surprise. George Karfunkel was on board the Air France plane that was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists in 1976 and flown to Entebbe, Uganda, where Israeli forces under the control of Benjamin Netanyahus brother mounted a daring rescue. Period. On Thursday morning, WhatsApp groups passed around photos of Karfunkels coffin being unloaded from a private jet at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, where he was to be buried. (January 7, 2022 / JNS) Every age has its own narrative myth about those who acquire great wealth. Instead, it is based in part on the fact that Goldman Sachs-owned Petershill Partners invested an estimated $120 million in Thrive last May in exchange for an estimated 3% stake. "It was a failure of leadership," Swartz explained to The Guardian, in a frank interview. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. I am. The grandfather says, 'There are a million starfish. It is not constructive. In 2005 he came to Haifa with friends, and helped to renovate a school. The. The brothers' two private foundations each made. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. "This is like camouflage. I am a big believer in this notion from Sanhedrin in the Talmud Bavli that says: If you take accountability to save a life, it is as if you've saved a generation. Because instead of raising their voice, [their critics] said: 'We won't do business with you. 11. There has to be an agenda. The government was elected on its platform. Why didnt his obituaries say so. 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The central atom of the molecule of social justice is the engaged, not the enraged, citizen. Swartz concedes it is probably not. Please email us at [emailprotected], subject line republish, with any questions or to let us know what stories youre picking up. They are all dying on the beach. Billionaire Offers to Buy Ma'ariv", "Know your oligarch: A guide to the Jewish machers in the Russia probe", "Will Michael Bloomberg's Jewishness help or hinder his run for the White House? 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The cattle ranchers were cutting down trees and letting the cattle grow. I have to believe that. Focused energy. He was 72. His grandfather, Nathan Swartz, came to America from Russia early in the 20th century, and founded the company in 1952. Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members. I don't know how long I will have my marbles, but I know for sure this: I don't think I was put on this world to be a boot salesman and I am not a boot salesman anymore. The tide brought in a million starfish. The agenda has to be the perfection of society, not its destruction or demonization. They were smart. (JTA) - When Orthodox Jewish billionaire Hershey Friedman bought America's largest kosher meat company, Agriprocessors, out of bankruptcy in 2009, it was the Canadian packaging magnate's. Wouldn't it be wonderful? Joshua Kushner was still a Harvard University student when Jared Kushner took over Kushner Companies in 2005 while their father was in prison. ", "Yes, because I worked right back down the supply chain. r-th-dks 1 : holding established beliefs especially in religion an orthodox Christian 2 : approved as measuring up to some standard : usual, conventional take an orthodox approach to a problem 3 capitalized a : eastern orthodox b : of or relating to Orthodox Judaism orthodoxly adverb More from Merriam-Webster on orthodox For example, where is the Israeli governmental policy on environmental sustainability? He covers charities and politics, and writes investigations and longform. It is an accountability that we share. Seventy-five percent of Orthodox Jews are Republican or lean GOP. Their $3.2 billion fortune puts them in the same ranks as that of New Yorks wealthiest Jewish families, such as the Tisches, Dursts and Rudins. He was in Israel to give one of the keynote speeches at the annual convention of the investment house Landmark Ventures. Even as it works to fundamentally transform Israel's democratic character and its policies toward non-Orthodox Jews, LGBTQ people and Israeli Arabs, the government wants the U.S. government and Israel's supporters in the American Jewish community to pretend that everything is business as usual, so that all those in the opposition will be . When people say, 'We are pissed off,' I think, 'What do you want me to do about it? 2023 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved, In this June 21, 2017, file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during preparation for the Facebook Communities Summit, in Chicago. The 2014 grants were out of the ordinary for both charities, and appear to represent a sort of reshuffling of the familys assets. Josh also helped Instagram sell its company to Facebook for $1 billion in 2011. If they desert her, the stock will continue to go down. According to Swartz, making a quick exit was not the intention behind the sale of the company: "I sold Timberland because our shareholders were offered a very fair price by a very reputable company. National Day of Hate: How should we respond? (New York Jewish Week) Joshua Kushner, younger brother to Jared Kushner, the advisor to former President Donald Trump, has made it onto Forbes annual Worlds Billionaires List. Life as an idealist, he says, can be frustrating. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg leads the Jewish pack at number 4, with a net worth of $61 billion. "This is not the way I dress," he says pointing to the modest suit he has on. In fact, Swartz asks to convey a message to the protesters, the CEOs of the major companies, and the government. A Talmudic guy would say the opposite of that comment is, 'if you treat your workers right, I will buy your products.'". Photo: Reuters/Nir Elias During times of elevated terrorism in Israel, applications for civilian gun licenses have often skyrocketed. The reason, he says, is rage. Coronavirus lockdowns have led a growing number of Big Apple Orthodox Jews to rethink their roles in the community with many opting to flee to a more secular lifestyle, according to a report.. Am I an idealist? Do you remember the Wizard of Oz? In the meantime, he keeps abreast of what is happening in Israel, and says he takes a special interest in the consumer protest against the high cost of living and food. "It has been incredibly frustrating, because people say, 'What do you do?' Another significant vehicle, P.E.F. His death on Wednesday has so far gone unnoticed in the mainstream media outside of the business wires. (Getty) . "It is not enough for Timberland to make the absolute best boots, or shoes, or clothing in the world. An investigative report published by the Southern Investigative Reporting Foundation in 2014 raised questions about the intersection between the Hod and Chesed charities and the Karfunkel brothers business interests. The grandson of Holocaust survivors, Kushner and his siblings, including sisters Nicole and Dara, grew up in an Orthodox household in Livingston, New Jersey. ", Since he sold the company Swartz has devoted all of his time to social change, philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, and advocating corporate responsibility among companies and businesspeople. Do business with you we respond to go down with you the investment house Landmark Ventures: Reuters/Nir During! 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