David Azrieli

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Azrieli, 2008

The Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv, one of his premier projects in Israel.

David Joshua Azrieli, CM, CQ, BA, MArch, LLD, (Hebrew: דוד עזריאלי‎; born May 10, 1922) is a Canadian builder, designer, architect, developer and philanthropist.

Born in Makow, Poland, he fled Europe during World War II for Palestine. He studied architecture at the Technion. He fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. After immigrating to Montreal in 1954 he established Canpro Investments in 1958. At the age of seventy-five he received his master's degree in architecture from Carleton University^[1].

He married Stephanie and the couple have four children: Rafi, Sharon, Naomi and Danna.

Azrieli's innovative architectural vision can be seen in the office buildings, high-rise residences, office towers and shopping centres he has built in Canada, the United States and Israel. His two companies - Montreal-based Canpro Investments Ltd. and Tel-Aviv-based Canit Investment, Management and Finance Ltd. – are considered leaders in their fields.

Azrieli designed and/or built a number of notable Israeli commercial centers including the Jerusalem Shopping Mall in Manahat, Jerusalem, Kanion ha-Negev in Beersheba and the eponymous Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv, the largest real estate project in Israel and the Middle East, including three skyscrapers in the heart of Tel Aviv, which has become an architectural landmark at the core of Israel's business activities.

[edit] Philanthropy

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.

The Azrieli Foundation:

generously supports undergraduate and graduate students through various university-based scholarships and fellowships
promotes excellence in architecture and architectural education
supports scientific and medical research and education
empowers high-school students through programs aimed at lowering the drop-out rate
supports vibrant and sustainable Jewish communities by promoting Jewish educational institutions and opportunities
promotes access to and excellence in Holocaust education and research, and aims to expand Holocaust commemoration
supports educational programmes devoted to outreach among inter-married families and their children
promotes quality of life and continuing education for adults with developmental disabilities
supports excellence and education in music and the arts.

Programs and initiatives funded by the Azrieli Foundation are located in Canada, Israel and the United States.

In addition to the many traditional and innovative charitable programs that receive financial support, the Azrieli Foundation has established and operates:

The Azrieli Fellows Program: promoting academic excellence and leadership in graduate studies at Israeli universities, in the fields of Interdisciplinary & Applied Sciences, Education, and Architecture & Urban Planning.

The Azrieli Foundation – York University Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Publishing Program: collects, edits, publishes and distributes the written memoirs and diaries of Holocaust survivors who made their way to Canada. The books are published under the imprint “The Azrieli Series of Holocaust Survivor Memoirs.” In 2007, the Foundation launched the first series of seven memoirs in events in Montreal and Toronto with guest speakers Simone Veil and Dr. Ruth Westheimer. The memoirs will be made available for free to public libraries across Canada, Holocaust organizations worldwide, and other interested readers. The memoirs will also appear online by the summer of 2008.

The Azrieli Institute for Educational Empowerment: A program aimed at empowering Israeli youth-at-risk and encouraging them to stay in school by closing educational gaps, instilling social skills and providing parents with tools for improving family relationships.

David Azrieli Established the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University in New York City.