Leon Charney
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2016) |
Leon Charney | |
---|---|
Born | July 23, 1938 Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S. |
Died | March 21, 2016 | (aged 77)
Alma mater | Yeshiva University Brooklyn Law School |
Occupation(s) | Real estate investor, attorney, political advisor, talk-show host, author, cantor, philanthropist |
Spouse | Tzili Doron |
Children | Mickey Charney Nati Charney |
Website |
Leon Charney (July 23, 1938 – March 21, 2016) was an American real estate tycoon, attorney, author, philanthropist,
Charney was best known as a New York real estate baron, but his role as one of the backdoor players integral to sealing the Camp David Peace Treaty between the
In 2008, some thirty years later, Charney, a major real estate owner in New York's Times Square, appeared for the first time on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans, debuting at No. 321. The 2009 list[1] – the first to reflect the world financial crisis, indicated Charney's net worth had fallen in the previous year, although his rank had jumped to No. 296, up 35 notches, indicating that while he lost wealth, he lost less than other fellow billionaires. For 2010, Charney ranked No. 308 on the Forbes 400.[2]
Early life
Leon Harris Charney was born to a Jewish family in Bayonne, New Jersey, to Morris, a sewing supplies salesman who died at a young age when his son was young, and Sara Charney.[3][4] He grew up poor.[4][5] He attended Jewish day schools, worked as a counselor at Camp Winsokee, graduated from Yeshiva University in 1960, and from Brooklyn Law School in 1964.[3][6] He paid for his education in part by singing in synagogues, and by selling sewing machines door-to-door.[3][7]
Career
He became a member of the bar in 1965, and with $200 in the bank started his own law firm representing sports and show-business personalities, including
Charney became counsel and adviser at age 36 to U.S. Senator
That effort saw the emigration of 1,000 Jews from Minsk in the Soviet Union to Israel.[7] Later, United States President Jimmy Carter asked Charney to help advise him during the Camp David Accords. Charney refers to his efforts as using "back door channels", and he advised President Jimmy Carter from 1977-81. In a forward for one of Charney's books, Carter referred to Charney as "the unsung hero of the Camp David Peace Treaty."
In 1986 Charney went to Tunisia to meet with Yasser Arafat in the hope of a possible peaceful resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
The Back Door Channel
In 2009, Charney was a featured interviewee in a
The film itself was a source of some controversy in New York political circles. The film deals with the 1979 Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt and the real-life behind-the scenes drama that led to the historic peace treaty.[11] The film's title is actually an opaque reference to Charney himself, considered by many to be the "back door channel" that enabled the Camp David peace to materialize. The landmark agreement was the first between the Jewish State and any Arab country. In addition to Carter and Charney, the film features former Secretary-General of the U.N. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Dr. Henry Kissinger, the former U.S. Secretary of State, CNN's Wolf Blitzer, and Senior Adviser to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, André Azoulay and many other international dignitaries who played roles both major and minor in the Israeli-Egyptian peace.
The film was also screened at the 2012 Jerusalem Film Festival,[12] the 2012 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.[13] and scores of other film festivals across the US and Europe.
In 2014, Charney received an
The Leon Charney Report
Charney hosted a national weekly TV talk show
As an Author
Charney was the author of five books, two on topics in Judaism, The Mystery of the Kaddish: Its Profound Influence on Judaism,[15][16] and Battle of the Two Talmuds: Judaism's Struggle with Power, Glory, & Guilt; and three about the peace process between Israel and its Arab neighbors, The Charney Report: Confronting the Israeli-Arab Conflict, Special Counsel, and Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace.[17]
Personal life
Charney held an honorary title as the Chairman of the
Charney died on March 21, 2016.[19]
Philanthropy
In 2003, Charney donated $10 million to
Honors
Charney received honorary doctorates for his work in peacemaking including those from the University of Haifa, Yeshiva University, Florida Atlantic University, and the University of Indianapolis. Charney also received awards from a number of institutions and city governments including the City of New York, City of Bayonne, and the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. In 2016, the Diplomacy Program at Florida Atlantic University was named in honor of Mr. Charney. The Leon Charney Diplomacy Program, which trains undergraduate students in the art of negotiation, debate and conflict resolution, placed first overall in the National Model United Nations competition in Washington, D.C. three times (2018, 2020, 2021).
References
- ^ 2009 Forbes 400 List
- ^ "Profile: Leon Charney". Forbes. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Leon Charney, New York City Real-Estate Owner, Dies at 77". Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. 23 March 2016.
- ^ a b Blumenthal, Ralph (23 March 2016). "Leon H. Charney, Investor, Cable TV Host and Peace Broker, Is Dead at 77". The New York Times.
- ^ "Twenty Billionaires Who Started With Nothing - Leon Charney" (PDF). Bloomberg Businessweek.
- ^ "Author probes mysteries of the Mourners Kaddish". J. Weekly. 21 November 2007.
- ^ a b c d e "Timeline". The Leon H. Charney Digital Center. The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- ^ a b c "Leon Charney, New York City Real-Estate Owner, Dies at 77". Bloomberg.com. 23 March 2016.
- ^ Blumenthal, Ralph (23 March 2016). "Leon H. Charney, Investor, Cable TV Host and Peace Broker, is Dead at 77". The New York Times.
- ^ http://charneyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/LeonCharney_Bloomberg_SelfMadeBillionaire.pdf[bare URL PDF]
- ^ "'Back Door Channels' To Open 49th Monte Carlo Television Festival". 4rfv.co.uk. 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
- ^ "Jerusalem Film Festival 2012".
- ^ "Atlanta Jewish Film Festival 2012". Archived from the original on 2012-04-22.
- ^ "The Leon Charney Report Ends After Over Two Decades On The Air". Cision PRWeb.
- ^ Michael Starr, NY Post, January 24, 2007 Archived January 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Cleveland Jewish News
- ^ "Books". The Leon H. Charney Digital Center. The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- ^ "University of Haifa Community Mourns the Passing of Honorary Chairman Leon H. Charney". American Society of the University of Haifa. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- ^ Linder, Ronny. "Leon Charney, Property Tycoon Who Helped Foster Israel-Egypt Negotiations, Dies". Haaretz. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
- ^ NYU Cardiac Center Archived 2007-05-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ http://marsci.haifa.ac.il/
External links
- L. H. Charney Associates Inc.
- The Leon H. Charney Digital Center, The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot
- Leon Charney at IMDb
- The Leon Charney Report Interviews's channel on YouTube