Why Friedman Donated $1 Million

By COLlive reporter

Canadian billionaire businessman and philanthropist Hershey Friedman announced this week that he donated $1 million to a Chabad summer yeshiva in Upstate New York.

Friedman was a guest of honor at Sunday’s annual dinner of the Oholei Torah boys school in Crown Heights which runs the summer program in Kingston, NY.

This is the first time that the Litvish philanthropist, known for the Mahadurat Friedman publisher of the Shas and Shulchan Aruch, is giving a donation to a Chabad institution, ch10.co.il reported.

Born to a frum Jewish family in Montreal, Friedman was educated at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel near Baltimore and Beit Shraga in Monsey, New York. He later studied the law and accounting in Montreal.

But it was his and his wife’s summer experience, and their admiration of Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim, that led him to give the generous donation to the school.

“As a little boy, I went to Camp Gan Yisroel for many many years,” Friedman said. “Later on, as my children were growing up, my two boys went to Camp Gan Yisroel. So we were always very impressed with the Lubavitch organization.”

His wife, Mrs. Raisy Friedman, revealed that she has been to the Chabad girls summer camp in Greenfield Park, NY. “Interestingly enough, I went to Camp Emunah from the year 1966 until 1971, It was a beautiful experience and I remember it very fondly.”

Mrs. Friedman noted that the names of her granddaughters are Chanie, Bassie and Devorah – which are also the initials of Fridman’s holding company in Israel CBD. “A rov once noted to us that the initials spell out Chabad…”

VIDEO:
Filmed by ABEN studios, Montreal. Edited by Zikron Editing

Mr. Friedman’s business concerns span the plastics packaging business and kosher meat in North America as well as luxury real estate development and Jewish books in Israel.

In 2009, Friedman purchased Agriprocessors, the kosher meat company based in Iowa that was run by the Rubashkin family. He renamed it Agri Star Meat and Poultry.

Friedman says that the Lubavitch certified production line Shor Habor which is supervised by Rabbi Shlomo Segal of the CHK Kosher Certification, “brought me closer to he Lubavitch organization.”

“It’s Chabad-Lubavitch and their Shlichus that the really spreads Yiddishkeit around the world,” he says. “Nothing beats the shlichus of Lubavitch in the whole world. They find Yiddishkeit, they create Yiddishkeit… You look for some kosher food – where are you going to find it? You look at Chabad.”

He added with admiration that “the Rebbe had something very special – he had connections ‘upstairs.’ He got messages on how to spread Yiddishkeit worldwide…”