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Harry Wilf

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harry Wilf
Born1921
Poland
Died1992
US
NationalityAmerican
OccupationBusinessman
Known forCo-founder, Garden Homes
SpouseJudith Jakubowiez
ChildrenLeonard Wilf
RelativesJoseph Wilf (brother)

Harry Wilf (1921 – 1992) was a Polish-born American businessman, and the co-founder of Garden Homes, one of the largest real estate development companies in the United States.

Early life

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Harry Wilf was born in Poland in 1921, the son of Ella and Oscar Wilf. At the start of World War II, the Russians deported the family from Jaroslaw, Poland, to a Siberian labor camp.[1]

In 1950, they emigrated to the US, and settled in Hillside, New Jersey.[2][3]

Career

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In 1954, together with his brother, Joseph Wilf, he co-founded Garden Homes, one of the largest real estate development companies in the United States.[2]

In 1964, they founded the Wilf Family Foundation, which later expanded into seven foundations.[2]

Personal life

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He was married to Judith Jakubowiez (died 2006), and they had a son, Leonard Wilf.[4]

Legacy

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In 1996, the Jerusalem Foundation renovated a 12-acre (4.9 ha) park in central Jerusalem (originally called Independence Park, and planted in 1958 by the South African Zionist Federation to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Israel), and rededicated it as Harry Wilf Park.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Craig, Michael (October 22, 2013). "Big Bad Wilf: Did Zygi's Stardust Take It All Too Far?". The Observer.
  2. ^ a b c "For Wilf family, a philanthropy milestone". New Jersey Jewish News - NJJN. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  3. ^ Staff. "People in the News: School will honor Wilf" Archived 2017-12-28 at the Wayback Machine, Hillside Leader, December 12, 1991. Accessed December 27, 2017. "Hillside resident Harry Wilf will be awarded in honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at Yeshiva University's 67th annual Hanukkah Convocation and Dinner Dec. 15 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York."
  4. ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths WILF, JUDITH". The New York Times. 2 July 2006. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Harry Wilf (Independence) Park 1972". Archived from the original on 2016-08-22.