Jona Goldrich
| Jona Goldrich | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1927 (age 87–88) Lviv, Poland |
| Residence | Beverly Hills, California |
| Nationality | United States |
| Ethnicity | Jewish |
| Alma mater | Technion – Israel Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | Doretta Goldrich |
| Children |
Melinda Goldrich Andrea Goldrich |
| Relatives |
Avram Goldrich (brother) Barry Cayton (son-in-law) |
Jona Goldrich (a.k.a. Jona Goldreich) (born 1927) is a Polish-born American real estate developer and philanthropist.
Early life
Jona Goldrich was born in 1927 in Lviv, Poland.[1][2][3] He received a degree in mechanical engineering from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.[3]
In 1942, in the midst of World War II, he escaped from the Nazi invaders by trekking across Europe to Israel with his brother, Avram Goldrich.[2][4] However, another brother and both his parents were murdered by the Nazis in concentration camps.[1]
He served in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.[2] He also worked for the labour union Histadrut in Haifa.[1] He then immigrated to the United States, travelling to Los Angeles, California by bus in 1952.[2][4]
Career
Goldrich started his career as a window screen installer in Los Angeles.[2] In 1954, he founded Active Cleaning & Maintenance, a company focusing on cleaning up construction sites.[1] By 1957, he developed an apartment building in North Hollywood.[1] In 1978, his company "was fined $5,000 [...] for filing false payroll forms with the Department of Housing and Urban Development."[1] It went bankrupt a few years later.[1]
Later, he co-founded a real estate development and management company known as Goldrich & Kest Industries with Sol Kest, a Holocaust survivor.[1][2] They own hotels in Tenderloin, San Francisco.[1] With Sheldon Appel, they redeveloped the former General Motors plant in South Gate in the 1980s.[1] Meanwhile, they also turned land near the Long Beach Airport into offices and retail spaces.[1] With Nathan Shapell, they developed some buildings in the Bunker Hill area of Downtown Los Angeles, including Promenade Towers, Grand Promenade and the California Plaza.[1] Moreover, they own Kings Villages, a housing project, and Green Hotel, a retirement home, both of which are in Pasadena.[1] They also own a government-subsidized retirement home in Santa Monica.[1]
He is a member of the California Housing Council, the Community Redevelopment Agencies Association, and the Governmental Affairs Council of the Building Industry Association.[3]
Philanthropy
Goldrich served as the Chairman of the Western Region of the American Friends of Tel Aviv University (TAU) and on the Board of Governors of TAU.[4] He endowed the Goldreich Family Institute for Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture, the Goldreich Chair in International Banking, the Goldreich Family Theater Archives, the Goldreich Multipurpose Sports Center, the Goldreich Family Health and Fitness Center, and the Sender Goldreich Fitness Room at TAU.[4][5] He was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from the university in 2005.[2] He was recognized as one of four "philanthropic visionaries" alongside Guilford Glazer, Izak Parviz Nazarian and Max Webb by the American Friends of Tel Aviv University at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in 2013.[6]
He has supported the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.[2] He is a member of the Society of Fellows of American Jewish University in Bel Air.[7]
He was the 1985 recipient of the "Good Scout" Award from the Los Angeles County Boy Scouts.[8] He made campaign contributions to Tom Bradley when the latter was the Mayor of Los Angeles.[1] He serves on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles Police Crime Prevention Advisory Council.[3]
Personal life
He is married to Doretta Goldrich.[4] They reside in Beverly Hills, California.[4] They have two daughters, Melinda and Andrea.[4] Their daughter Andrea is married to Barry Cayton,[4] the owner of Audio Command Systems.
He plays tennis and skis.[4]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Tom Furlong, Developer Jona Goldrich : Deal Maker Transforms Downtown L.A., The Los Angeles Times, August 17, 1986
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 American Friends of Tel Aviv University: Passing the Torch
- 1 2 3 4 Goldrich & Kest Industries: Jona Goldrich
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Tel Aviv University: The Goldreich Family Institute for Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture
- ↑ Orit Arfa, Israeli-Style Fitness: Tel Aviv University's sports club offers some interesting amenities to students and the public., The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, August 24, 2000
- ↑ Ryan Torok, Philanthropists honored for lifetime of giving, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, June 27, 2013
- ↑ American Jewish University: Society of Fellows of American Jewish University
- ↑ Jona Goldrich to Be Honored by Boy Scouts, The Los Angeles Times, October 13, 1985