Irving Moskowitz
Encyclopedia
Irving I. Moskowitz is a Florida
-based businessman who built a business running hospitals and legal gambling
in California
. He is the founder of the eponymous
"Moskowitz Foundation" which was created "to help people in need regardless of race, creed, politics or religion". The foundation raises funds for contentious Jewish housing projects in the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem
projects through its charity bingo hall in Hawaiian Gardens, California
. The funding provided by Moskowitz is channeled through the organizations El'ad and Ateret Cohanim
.
In 2007, he initiated plans to build 122 apartments on the site of the Shepherd Hotel in the Sheikh Jarrah
neighborhood of East Jerusalem
. The plan was downsized in 2009, and it has been condemned by the United States
and British
governments. Final approval was given for the 20 apartments for Jewish families on March 23, 2010, only hours before Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with President Barack Obama
at the White House
. The historic Shepherd Hotel has been torn down to make room for the housing units. A three-story parking structure and an access road will also be constructed on site.
. By his count, 120 of his relatives died in the Holocaust.
He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
and received a medical degree from the University of Wisconsin. He then moved to California
where he started his medical practice, and later building and managing hospitals. He started the foundation in 1968. Moskowitz now lives in Miami Beach, Florida
, and owns several properties in Jerusalem.
Moskowitz has been married to his wife Cherna Moskowitz
for over 58 years. Together, they have 8 children and over 40 grandchildren. Among notable Zionist activities, is the foundation help to Shinlung immigration to Israel. The family also established the Moskowitz Prize for Zionism
in 2008.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
-based businessman who built a business running hospitals and legal gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He is the founder of the eponymous
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
"Moskowitz Foundation" which was created "to help people in need regardless of race, creed, politics or religion". The foundation raises funds for contentious Jewish housing projects in the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
projects through its charity bingo hall in Hawaiian Gardens, California
Hawaiian Gardens, California
Hawaiian Gardens is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the smallest city in the county and was incorporated on April 9, 1964. The population was 14,254 at the 2010 census, down from 14,779 at the 2000 census.The town's unusual name originated in a 1920s refreshment...
. The funding provided by Moskowitz is channeled through the organizations El'ad and Ateret Cohanim
Ateret Cohanim
Ateret Cohanim, , also known as Ateret Yerushalyim, is a Religious Zionist yeshiva located in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem in Israel. Founded in 1978, it uses the building of the historic Torath Chaim Yeshiva...
.
In 2007, he initiated plans to build 122 apartments on the site of the Shepherd Hotel in the Sheikh Jarrah
Sheikh Jarrah
Sheikh Jarrah is a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem on the road to Mount Scopus.-History:Sheikh Jarrah was established on the slopes of Mount Scopus, taking its name from the tomb of Sheikh Jarrah. The tomb, dated to 1201, is the burial place of Husam al-Din al-Jarrahi, an...
neighborhood of East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
. The plan was downsized in 2009, and it has been condemned by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
governments. Final approval was given for the 20 apartments for Jewish families on March 23, 2010, only hours before Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. The historic Shepherd Hotel has been torn down to make room for the housing units. A three-story parking structure and an access road will also be constructed on site.
Background
Moskowitz is the ninth of thirteen children born to Jewish immigrants from PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. By his count, 120 of his relatives died in the Holocaust.
He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and received a medical degree from the University of Wisconsin. He then moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where he started his medical practice, and later building and managing hospitals. He started the foundation in 1968. Moskowitz now lives in Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, and owns several properties in Jerusalem.
Moskowitz has been married to his wife Cherna Moskowitz
Cherna Moskowitz
Cherna Moskowitz was born and raised in Wisconsin of parents who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s. Cherna and her brother were well aware of the difficulties their parents faced during the depression, but she was fortunate to have dedicated and devoted parents who nurtured her...
for over 58 years. Together, they have 8 children and over 40 grandchildren. Among notable Zionist activities, is the foundation help to Shinlung immigration to Israel. The family also established the Moskowitz Prize for Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
in 2008.
Philanthropist
Irving I. Moskowitz is the founder and chair of the Irving I. Moskowitz Foundation, which has made numerous monetary donations to many organizations. The latest contribution is the donation of $1.5 million to the City of Hawaiian Gardens for the construction of the Fedde Middle School Sports Complex, being the first state-of-the-art sports facility in the city.External links
- Moskowitz Foundation Home Page
- Irving I Moskowitz Foundation on GuideStarGuideStarGuideStar USA, Inc. is an information service specializing in reporting on U.S. nonprofit companies. In 2010, their database contained over 5 million IRS Forms 990 filings on 1.9 million organizations.....
- The Moskowitz Prize for Zionism