Joseph Gurwin
Encyclopedia
Joseph Gurwin was a Lithuania
n-born American
textile executive who became a philanthropist who contributed to Jewish causes in the United States and Israel
. Gurwin arrived in the U.S. with little in his pocket, built his fortune manufacturing specialized textiles for the United States armed forces
, gave much of his money to charity and then lost significant sums that had been invested with Bernard Madoff
.
, Lithuania
on June 13, 1920, he immigrated to the United States in 1934 to avoid the prospect of being forced to repeat a grade after failing both Latin
and Lithuanian language
having focused more on soccer than on his schoolwork. His family remained in Lithuania and both of his parents were killed in the Holocaust
. His younger brother, Chaim, was the family's lone survivor, but he was caught behind the Iron Curtain
after the end of World War II
, and the two did not meet for 52 years until they were reunited in Tel Aviv
in 1988. He served in the United States Army
during World War II
.
in Manhattan
. By the time he moved out, he owned a car and was paying more than that to garage it. He dropped out of City College of New York
after his uncle's military supply firm made him a partner in 1941. He created Kings Point Industries in 1959, and became wealthy through his firm, which manufactured ballistic vests, Gas mask
hoods and parachute equipment.
In the succeeding decades, Gurwin devoted much of his time to charitable efforts, giving personally and through charitable trusts, focusing on the causes related to the elderly, education, medical and scientific research. Substantial amounts were contributed to fund the Rosalind and Joseph Gurwin Jewish Geriatric Center of Long Island
. He contributed to the Weizmann Institute of Science
and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology to fund research in Israel. A pair of satellites launched by the Israel Space Agency for Technion, Gurwin-1b in 1998 and Gurwin-2-TechSAT, were named for him after he provided the funds to pay for launching the devices into space.
He was among the founders of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
, located adjacent to the National Mall
in Washington, D.C.
He led the UJA-Federation of New York from 1988 to 1991 as its chairman.
Gurwin had invested much of the funds of his charitable trusts with Bernie Madoff and lost an estimated $36 million in assets in these funds after the collapse of Madoff's investment fund. He continued making contributions from his own funds and stated that he was willing "to sell apples on the street" in order to continue his giving. At a meeting in Palm Beach in early 2009 of prominent community members who had lost much to Madoff, Gurwin made an impassioned appeal that "no matter what happened to us, we still have to support those who are less fortunate than ourselves".
due to congestive heart failure
.. He had lived there and also had homes in Southampton, New York
and Palm Beach, Florida
. He was survived by his second wife, the former Phyllis Pressman. He was also survived by a daughter and son from his first marriage, to the former Rosalind Brizel.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
textile executive who became a philanthropist who contributed to Jewish causes in the United States and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Gurwin arrived in the U.S. with little in his pocket, built his fortune manufacturing specialized textiles for the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
, gave much of his money to charity and then lost significant sums that had been invested with Bernard Madoff
Bernard Madoff
Bernard Lawrence "Bernie" Madoff is a former American businessman, stockbroker, investment advisor, and financier. He is the former non-executive chairman of the NASDAQ stock market, and the admitted operator of a Ponzi scheme that is considered to be the largest financial fraud in U.S...
.
Early life
Born Joseph Gurwich in KovnoKaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
on June 13, 1920, he immigrated to the United States in 1934 to avoid the prospect of being forced to repeat a grade after failing both Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Lithuanian language
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
having focused more on soccer than on his schoolwork. His family remained in Lithuania and both of his parents were killed in the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
. His younger brother, Chaim, was the family's lone survivor, but he was caught behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the two did not meet for 52 years until they were reunited in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
in 1988. He served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Business and Philanthropy
He spent four years in a room he rented for $14 a month at the 92nd Street Y92nd Street Y
92nd Street Y is a multifaceted cultural institution and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, at the corner of E. 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Its full name is 92nd Street Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. By the time he moved out, he owned a car and was paying more than that to garage it. He dropped out of City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
after his uncle's military supply firm made him a partner in 1941. He created Kings Point Industries in 1959, and became wealthy through his firm, which manufactured ballistic vests, Gas mask
Gas mask
A gas mask is a mask put on over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Some gas masks are also respirators, though the word...
hoods and parachute equipment.
In the succeeding decades, Gurwin devoted much of his time to charitable efforts, giving personally and through charitable trusts, focusing on the causes related to the elderly, education, medical and scientific research. Substantial amounts were contributed to fund the Rosalind and Joseph Gurwin Jewish Geriatric Center of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. He contributed to the Weizmann Institute of Science
Weizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science , known as Machon Weizmann, is a university and research institute in Rehovot, Israel. It differs from other Israeli universities in that it offers only graduate and post-graduate studies in the sciences....
and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology to fund research in Israel. A pair of satellites launched by the Israel Space Agency for Technion, Gurwin-1b in 1998 and Gurwin-2-TechSAT, were named for him after he provided the funds to pay for launching the devices into space.
He was among the founders of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history...
, located adjacent to the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He led the UJA-Federation of New York from 1988 to 1991 as its chairman.
Gurwin had invested much of the funds of his charitable trusts with Bernie Madoff and lost an estimated $36 million in assets in these funds after the collapse of Madoff's investment fund. He continued making contributions from his own funds and stated that he was willing "to sell apples on the street" in order to continue his giving. At a meeting in Palm Beach in early 2009 of prominent community members who had lost much to Madoff, Gurwin made an impassioned appeal that "no matter what happened to us, we still have to support those who are less fortunate than ourselves".
Death
Gurwin died on September 24, 2009, at age 89 in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
due to congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
.. He had lived there and also had homes in Southampton, New York
Southampton (village), New York
Southampton is a village in Suffolk County, New York, USA. The village is named after the Earl of Southampton. The Village of Southampton is in the southeast part of the county in the Town of Southampton...
and Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
. He was survived by his second wife, the former Phyllis Pressman. He was also survived by a daughter and son from his first marriage, to the former Rosalind Brizel.