David Azrieli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Joshua Azrieli
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| Born | May 10, 1922 Maków Mazowiecki, Poland
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| Died | July 9, 2014 (aged 92) Ivry-sur-le-Lac, Quebec, Canada
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| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | Thomas More Institute (B.A.) Carleton University (M.Arch.) |
| Occupation | Real estate developer, architect and philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | Stephanie Lefcort |
| Children | Rafael Azrieli Sharon Azrieli Naomi Azrieli Danna Azrieli |
| Awards | Order of Canada National Order of Quebec |
David Joshua Azrieli (1922 – 2014) was a very successful Canadian and Israeli businessman. He was a real estate developer, meaning he built many buildings. He was also an architect, who designs buildings, and a philanthropist, someone who gives money to good causes.
By 2013, David Azrieli was one of the wealthiest people in Canada. He was known for building many shopping malls and office towers. In 1989, he started the Azrieli Foundation. After he passed away, he left most of his money to this foundation. This allowed it to continue supporting education and other important projects.
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About David Azrieli
David Azrieli was born in 1922 in Maków Mazowiecki, Poland. His family was Jewish. When World War II began, he had to leave Poland to escape danger. He traveled through the USSR and finally reached British Mandate Palestine in 1942. Sadly, most of his family did not survive the Holocaust.
David Azrieli studied architecture at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Israel. He also fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1954, he moved to Montreal, Quebec, in Canada.
He continued his education in Canada. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956. Later, when he was 75 years old, he earned a Master of Architecture degree from Carleton University.
In 1957, he married Stephanie Lefcort. They had four children: Rafael, Sharon, Naomi, and Danna. For the last ten years of his life, he split his time between Herzliya, Israel, and Westmount, Quebec. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 92.
Building a Business
In Montreal, David Azrieli started his own building company. He began by constructing small duplexes, which are homes with two separate living units. Over time, he built larger apartment buildings and then big shopping malls.
His company built many different kinds of buildings. These included office buildings, tall apartment buildings, and office towers. You can see his projects in Canada, the United States, and Israel. He had two main companies: Canpro Investments Ltd. in Montreal and Azrieli Group Ltd. in Tel Aviv.
In 2010, his Azrieli Group became a public company. This means its shares could be bought and sold on the stock market. It was the biggest event of its kind on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange at the time. Today, it is the largest real estate company in Israel.
Some of his famous projects in Israel include:
- The Canion Ayalon in Ramat Gan, which was the first enclosed shopping mall in Israel.
- The Jerusalem Shopping Mall in Malha, Jerusalem.
- The Beer Sheva Shopping Mall (Canion ha-Negev) in Beersheba.
- The Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv. This is a huge project with three skyscrapers. It has become a famous landmark and is a major business hub in Israel.
Giving Back to the Community
David Azrieli created the Azrieli Foundation in 1989. A foundation is an organization that gives money to support good causes. The Azrieli Foundation helps with education and encourages excellence in many areas.
Early on, David Azrieli supported schools and educational places in Canada and Israel. He helped create the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration in New York City. His goal was always to support learning in many different ways.
Since 1989, the Foundation has given over CAD $450 million. Some of its important donations include:
- Supporting the Azrieli Schools of Architecture at Tel Aviv University and Carleton University.
- Helping create the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar Ilan University.
- Setting up the Azrieli Institute for Educational Empowerment.
- Supporting the Azrieli Institute for Systems Biology at Weizmann Institute of Science.
- Creating the Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies at Concordia University.
- Supporting the School of Continuing Studies at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.
In 2020, the Azrieli Foundation also created an emergency fund. This fund helped people during the COVID-19 pandemic. They gave over CAD $8.6 million for things like food, hospitals, and support for people in need. This included Holocaust survivors, people with disabilities, and students.
Awards and Recognition
David Azrieli received many awards for his work and his generosity:
- Member of the Order of Canada (1984)
- Chevalier to the Ordre national du Quebec (1999)
- Honorary doctorates from several universities, including Concordia University (1975) and Carleton University (2003).
- Israeli Prime Minister’s Jubilee Award (1998)
- Honorary Fellow of the City of Jerusalem (2001)
- Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)
- Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
Published Works
David Azrieli also wrote books:
- Azrieli, Danna J.: One step ahead : David J. Azrieli (Azrylewicz) : memoirs 1939-1950. Yad Vashem, Jerusalem 2001.
- Azrieli, David J.: Rekindling the Torch: Story of Canadian Zionism. Toronto: Key Porter Books Ltd, 2008.
See also
- Economy of Israel
