Tag Archives: Synagogue

Jew of the Week: Irene Rosenfeld

Irene Rosenfeld

Irene Rosenfeld

Irene Blecker Rosenfeld (b. 1953) was born in New York to a Jewish family of Romanian and German descent. She studied psychology at Cornell, then earned a Master’s in business, followed by a Ph.D. in marketing. Soon after, she got a job with an ad agency in New York, then worked in consumer research for General Foods, the company famous for its cereals, Jell-O, and Maxwell House coffee (and now owned by Altria Group Inc., formerly known as Philip Morris). In 2004, Rosenfeld was elected CEO of Frito-Lay, the company that makes Cheetos, Doritos, Tostitos, Lay’s, and Ruffles. During her successful tenure, she shifted the focus of the company towards healthier ingredients and products. Two years later, she moved on to become CEO of Kraft Foods (also owned by Altria). After overseeing a great deal of growth within Kraft, including the acquisition of Cadbury, the largest confectioner in the UK, Rosenfeld engineered the company’s split into two new corporations. She remained as chairwoman and CEO of the snacks division, now known as Mondelez International. This new multi-billion dollar company employs over 100,000 people globally, and makes popular foods like Oreos, Chips Ahoy!, Peek Freans, Toblerone, Halls, Ritz, and both Trident and Dentyne gums. Not surprisingly, Rosenfeld has been ranked by Forbes among the world’s most powerful women on multiple occasions. She currently lives in a Chicago suburb, where she is a central member of the local Reform synagogue. Rosenfeld is a noted philanthropist, too, known for discretely donating large sums of money to hospitals, schools, and other institutions. She is also an avid basketball player, tennis player, and rollerblader.

Today is the 3rd Day of Sukkot. Chag Sameach!

Words of the Week

Just as it is incumbent upon every Jew to put on tefillin every day, so is there an unequivocal duty which rests upon every individual, from the greatest scholar to the most simple of folk, to set aside a half-hour each day in which to think about the education of his children.
Rabbi Sholom DovBer Schneersohn, the 5th Lubavitcher Rebbe

Jews of the Week: Houda & Ebrahim Nonoo

Houda Nonoo with former president George W. Bush

Houda Nonoo with former president George W. Bush

Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo (b. 1964) was born in the small Arabian kingdom of Bahrain, to Jewish parents of Iraqi ancestry. She spent a major part of her formative years in Britain, where she went to Jewish school. Nonoo earned her BA and MBA in England, and also married there. After her father died, she returned to Bahrain and took over the family business, growing it ever larger. She was soon a well-noted businesswoman, and the secretary-general of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society. From there, she was able to get a seat in Bahrain’s parliament, appointed by the King of Bahrain himself. For over three years, she sat on the Shura Council, which is the upper house of the Bahraini legislature. In 2008, Nonoo was appointed Bahrain’s ambassador to the U.S. This made her the first Jewish ambassador from any modern Arab country. She served in that post for the next five years.

Her cousin and fellow businessman, Ebrahim Daoud Nonoo, also served in Bahrain’s parliament. He is the CEO of the Basma Company, which offers an array of services from security and IT solutions to travel, and custodial services. Meanwhile, he continues to direct the family’s foreign exchange and investment business, together with his siblings. Their Bahrain Stock Company now has 19 branches across the kingdom, and is the country’s main Western Union agent. In 2006, Ebrahim financed the reconstruction of Bahrain’s only remaining synagogue. Today, there are less than 50 Jews left in Bahrain.

Words of the Week

Better a sinful person who knows that he has sinned, than a righteous person who knows that he is righteous.
– Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz, The “Seer of Lublin”

Jew of the Week: Paul Reichmann

Paul Reichmann

Paul Reichmann

Moshe Yosef “Paul” Reichmann (1930-2013) was born in Vienna to Hungarian Orthodox Jewish parents. By a miracle, the family escaped Austria right before the Nazi takeover of the country, then fled from Hungary to Paris to Morocco. At the end of World War II, Reichmann studied in yeshivas in England and Israel before returning to Morocco and working as a shirt salesman. Shortly after, he moved to Toronto to open a new branch of his brother’s tile company, Olympia. By 1964, he built a separate property development company called Olympia & York. In 1976, the company built First Canada Place – what was then Canada’s tallest building (and the tallest bank office tower in the world). The company would expand to New York and Tokyo, London and Israel, becoming the world’s largest property developer. Reichmann’s vision of magnificent buildings adorning the skyline prompted Prince Charles to comment: “Do they have to be so tall?” Despite the tremendous success, Reichmann never abandoned his Orthodox roots, maintaining his prayer and study regimen, and having his company cease all operations on Shabbat and holidays. He used a great part of his fortune to finance synagogues, yeshivas, and charitable institutions around the world. In 1992 he lost the bulk of his wealth when Olympia & York went bankrupt in the midst of a large economic recession (and a failed project for London’s Canary Wharf – considered one of the largest development projects in history). He managed to rebuild a sizable portion of his wealth over the next two decades, and continued donating millions of dollars every year to good causes. Very private and shunning luxury, Reichmann was famous for his business integrity. He would seal multi-million dollar deals with a handshake, and never failed to keep his word. Sadly, the man who touched so many lives passed away earlier this week. Click here to read more about one of the greatest philanthropists of the century, and watch a video here.

Words of the Week

Abraham was told that his descendants will be like the dust of the earth [Genesis 13:17], and as the stars of heaven [Genesis 15:5]. So it is with Israel: When they fall, they will fall as low as the dust; when they rise, they will rise as high as the stars.
– Midrash Pesikta Zutrati