Paul and Herta Amir
/NET WORTH: Unknown
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Amir Development Co.
FUNDING AREAS: Jewish Causes, Policy, Arts
OVERVIEW: Paul Amir and his wife Herta move their philanthropy through the Herta & Paul Amir Foundation, which gave away nearly $2 million in a recent year. Grantmaking focuses on the Jewish community, including Jewish temples and schools.
BACKGROUND: Born in Czechoslovakia in 1931, Paul Amir later immigrated to what was then Palestine, today Israel. In the United States, Amir became a real estate developer, developing single-family tract homes in the San Fernando Valley, and apartment and office buildings in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. He and his wife Herta are founders and owners of Amir Development Co.
Herta Amir graduated with a B.A. in economics from Queens College, attended Harvard Graduate School and later pursued an M.A. in Economics from UCLA. She began her professional career working for the National Bureau of Economic Research and then worked in the Economics Department at Rand Corporation In 1972, she joined her husband at Amir Development.
ISSUES:
JEWISH CAUSES: The Amirs are longtime supporters of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, contributing to a range of projects. The Amirs’ daughter Orna and her husband, Keenan Wolens, are donors to the Israel Museum Endowment Fund. The couple are on the international board of governors of Tel Aviv Museum of Art, another important grantee. The couple recently directed a 7-figure gift to American Society of the University of Haifa via their foundation. Other grantees have included Sinai Temple, Camp Ramah, The Jewish Foundation, and American Friends of Rambam Medical Center, which also received a 7-figure gift recently.
OTHER: Given Herta’s work in policy and economics, it’s no surprise that their philanthropy also touches these issues. The Amirs have supported places like Washington Institute. Amir has a passion for art and active in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) as well as the UCLA Arts board of visitors and the Hammer Museum.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the Amirs to stick with their established interest areas, with a focus on select Jewish institutions. The couple’s daughters and spouses should be watched as philanthropy shifts to the next generation.
CONTACT:
The Herta & Paul Amir Foundation does not provide a clear avenue for getting in touch with the couple but below is an address:
Herta & Paul Amir Foundation
8730 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(323) 933-9306
