Category Archives: Business & Finance

Jews in the World of Business and Finance

Jew of the Week: Ruth Handler & Mattel

The Barbie Doll

Ruth Handler, Inventor of the Barbie Doll

Ruth Moskowicz (1916-2002) was born in Denver to Jewish-Polish parents that immigrated to America. She married her high school sweetheart Elliot Handler, who pioneered a new type of furniture made from a combination of plexiglass and lucite. Ruth convinced him to start a business, and they combined forces with Harold Matson, creating the popular company Mattel (a combination of Matson and Elliot). Over time, they switched to producing toys, and created a music box that sold an incredible 20 million units by 1952. But the success was only just beginning. Seeing that her daughter Barbara gave adult roles to her baby dolls, Ruth was inspired to create an adult-model doll for kids.

Mattel Inc.

Thus was born Barbie, named after Ruth’s daughter (and later Ken, named after her son). Debuting in 1959, the dolls, and all their accessories, exploded onto the scene internationally. Within a short time, Mattel became the largest toy company in the world, a position it holds to this day. It includes the brands Fisher Price, Hot Wheels and Matchbox, and makes toys for Nintendo and DC (of Batman/Superman fame). Ruth Handler was the brains behind the success, serving as President of Mattel until 1973, when she resigned due to a battle with cancer. Inspired once more, she started a new company called Nearly Me, which helps women who’ve suffered from breast cancer, makes comfortable breast prostheses and post-mastectomy clothing and swimwear. Sadly, Ruth succumbed to colon cancer in 2002.

Words of the Week

…honey is one sixtieth of manna, Shabbat is one sixtieth of the World to Come, sleep is one sixtieth of death, a dream is one sixtieth of prophesy.
– Talmud, Berachot 57b

Jew of the Week: Judah Touro

A Great American Hero

Judah Touro: War Hero, Philanthropist

The Touro family was forced out of Portugal in the explusion of 1497. They first settled in the Netherlands, then tried their fortunes in the New World, being among the earliest pioneers in America. There, they established the first official synagogue in the Americas, the Touro Synagogue of Newport, Rhode Island. George Washington visited in 1790, there giving his famous speech “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.” Isaac Touro was the chazzan of this congregation. His son Judah Touro (1775-1854) established a small goods store in New Orleans which blossomed into a massive merchant empire. Throughout his life, Judah contributed vast sums of money for important causes, both Jewish and non-Jewish – schools, cemeteries, orphanages and hospitals, including the $20,000 necessary to build the Jews’ Hospital of New York, now known worldwide as Mount Sinai Hospital. In an early act of Zionism, Touro sent $50,000 to Jews living in Israel. In another instance, he provided the funds to establish a Jewish settlement near Jerusalem, called Mishkenot Sha’ananim. At death, he left half a million dollars to charity, an unheard of amount in those days. Two-thirds of this money went to non-Jewish causes. The other third was given to nearly every active synagogue operating in America. For these reasons, some say Judah Touro is the greatest Jewish philanthropist of all time. Most impressively, Judah Touro also served his country in the War of 1812. After getting injured, he continued to volunteer as a munitions carrier. In the Battle of New Orleans, a 12-pound cannonball smashed his leg, ripping off most of his thigh. Left for dead, he managed to survive and continued his business for another 40 years. Humble and modest, he lived in a small apartment all his life. Judah Touro’s financial advice: never take a mortgage on an existing property to invest elsewhere.

Words of the Week

Better an Israel that everyone hates than an Auschwitz that everyone loves.
– Rabbi Meir Kahane

Jews of the Week: Siegfried Marcus, Emil & Mercedes Jellinek

Car Inventors

Siegfried Marcus – Car Inventor

In 1870, German-Austrian Jew Siegfried Marcus (1831-1898) had the bright idea of putting a combustion engine on a handcart, creating the first-ever self-propelling vehicle powered by gasoline. In 1883, Marcus received the patent for the ignition system, leading to the first official automobile as we know it, called the “Second Marcus Car”. Thus was born the automobile industry, the internet of its day that immeasurably revolutionized the world. Meanwhile, fellow (non-Jewish) Germans Daimler and Maybach created the first car for market.

Son of a rabbi, Emil Jellinek made it happen

However, they could not sell their version until Emil Jellinek (1853-1918), the son of Hungarian-Czech Rabbi Aaron Jellinek, took over the business. He convinced Maybach to build a new and improved car, to be called Mercedes, named after his daughter Mercedes Jellinek. (“Mercedes” is a Spanish name that was given to the girl by her French-Sephardic mother, whom Emil Jellinek married during his time in France.) The Mercedes quickly shattered all records, going 60 km/h and easily winning the competitive Nice races. It was branded “the car of tomorrow” and took the world by storm. In the 1930s, the Nazi Ministry for Propaganda attempted to rewrite history by expunging any evidence of Marcus being the inventor of the car and giving credit to Daimler and Benz.

This is Mercedes – Jellinek that is

First Marcus Car of 1870

Words of the Week

No two cities have counted more with mankind than Athens and Jerusalem. Their messages in religion, philosophy and art have been the main guiding light in modern faith and culture. Personally, I have always been on the side of both…
– Winston Churchill

Second Marcus Car of 1888